Major salinity issue

[Paulairduck]

I have been wondering why my corals have not been looking the best lately. My buddy came over with his new refractometer and wanted me calibrate it for him, except his came with a calibration solution. I check my salinity with his new refractometer and it was reading 1.032. "I WAS SHOCKED"I have an older model that I calibrate with RO/DI water. I calibrated my refractometer with the calibration soultion and when I tested my tank water, it was reading 1.034, but when I calibrate with RO/DI water it reads 1.026. Which number should I believe and if I wanted to bring the salinity down, HOW FAST???

Can corals actually live in water @ 1.034 ?? I have a mixed tank with SPS and LPS and I have been having issues with my CAL and ALK, could this have any effect on those readings??

 

[billsreef]

Bring it down slowly over the course of a couple of days and all should be fine

 

[Paulairduck]

already started got the salinity down to 1.030 this morning

 

[billsreef]

:thumbsup:

 

[geaux xman]

was your CA levels reading 600+ due to the high NaCl concentration?

any fish in the tank?

 

[Paulairduck]

my calcium is reading right @ 450

there are fish in the tank

yellow tang, pair of clowns hosting in a RBTA

checkerboard wrasse

the salinity is down to 1.030, and I ordered a new refractomter today, to double check the results on salinty and it comes with calibration solution

 

[Typlus5]

I just had the opposite...tested refractrometer with salinity calibration fluid and my tank was 1.021. I too went through denial to which one was correct...refractrometer calibrated with RO or purchased fluid, I went with the fluid. Raising the salinity now over the past 3 days.

 

[goober35]

I'm in the same boat. I just go a refractometer and my SG was 1.019. No wander my corals dont look right.

 

[geaux xman]

How long has the fish been in there at 1.030+?

Your true CA level will probably be in the 350 range at 1.025.

The fish never appeared to be adversely affected by the high salt content?

I used a wrong type of refractometer(made for urine) before and had my Sp Gravity around 1.032 thinking I was at 1.025. Not sure if that was the reason why my fish died or not.

 

[billsreef]

The fish never appeared to be adversely affected by the high salt content?

The fish can actually handle a very wide range of salinity. It's the beauty of having an active system for osmoregulation. Steven Spotte has instructions in some of his books for using hypersalinity as treatment for controlling ich. IIRC it was raising the SG to around 1.040 for several weeks. I've done it and it does work without harm to the fish, at least for the short term of treatment. Much like with hyposalinity.

 

[Paulairduck]

My fish have been fine, I am wondering about a little hippo tang that i lost, made me sad when i lost him

 

[maynardjames]

had the same problem when i switched from a hydrometer to a refrac. i was keeping my tank at 1.040 to 1.035 for a year or longer. fish were fine but new corals died everytime & ones i already had were very unhappy & didnt grow at all. i was just starting out & thought i would never have a reef tank.

 

[allsps40]

You can not use RODI to calibrate refractometer. RODI is not a 0 SG liquid. I have my refractometer and 2 hydrometers to teat against one another. And you shoud calibrate a refractometer every 6 months.

 

[djkms]

Does this statement hold true with the digital ones also? Mine states to use ro/di water.

You can not use RODI to calibrate refractometer. RODI is not a 0 SG liquid. I have my refractometer and 2 hydrometers to teat against one another. And you shoud calibrate a refractometer every 6 months.

Sent from my drooooooid.

 

[thatguy559]

mine said to use distilled water

 

[tdanley]

I have been having issues with my CAL and ALK, could this have any effect on those readings??[/QUOTE]



Once you have your salinity problem cured if you are still having problems with your ALK and Ca+, check your Mag level, that could be part of your problem. I was having the same issue and the guys at the shop told me to raise my Mag level and it worked.

Tim

 

[Paulairduck]

I have been having issues with my CAL and ALK, could this have any effect on those readings??

since I have my salinity @ 1.029, will bring it down again tomorrow, taking things slowly and the corals are looking better.

test results today looked great

ALK 8.0
Cal 400
MAG 1350
PO4 0.06
SALINITY 1.029 and coming down

 

[reef_doug]

The only calibration fluid commercial available that I know of for use on refractometers is Pinpoint 53.0 mS solution which mimics NSW at 35 ppt.

It's much better to calibrate a refractometer to 35 ppt (1.0264) for the area we use them in vs. 0 (RO/DI), despite of what manufactures suggest for calibrating with RO/DI or distilled.