Hello everyone, I'm having a huge problem with my salinity. I usually check my salinity every 3-4 days. A couple of weeks ago I found my salinity spiked. the gauge went through the roof! its reading past 1.030. I tried adding fresh water slowly to bring it down gradually, but no luck. My corals are dying, but the fish are doing well. I Repeatedly tried using fresh water to lower the salinity but it wont budge past 1.030. I don't know what to do, any help would be greatly appreciated. ???
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Tank crisis!
- Thread starter thecodfather
- Start date
What are you using to check the salinity with?
Salinity is a pretty straight forward thing. Unless you ar topping off with saltwater by mistake, adding freswater will bring it down.
What was different when you noticed the spike? Did you have an excess of evaporation for some reason?
What are the other parameters?
Salinity is a pretty straight forward thing. Unless you ar topping off with saltwater by mistake, adding freswater will bring it down.
What was different when you noticed the spike? Did you have an excess of evaporation for some reason?
What are the other parameters?
I'm using the deep six meter from coralife. I'm topping off with freshwater, ro water. That's what I've heard but no luck for me. I have excess evaporation because I don't have a cover for the tank. pH was at 8.0.
Jason,
The deepsix is a swing arm hydrometer, correct?
Try soaking it in RO for awhile. Really rinse it well. Sometimes salt builds up on them. Also make sure you aren't getting any bubbles stuck on the arm when reding.
What is the CA and ALK? If the salinity is way up, those values should be up as well.
The deepsix is a swing arm hydrometer, correct?
Try soaking it in RO for awhile. Really rinse it well. Sometimes salt builds up on them. Also make sure you aren't getting any bubbles stuck on the arm when reding.
What is the CA and ALK? If the salinity is way up, those values should be up as well.
blange3 said:
That is correct. Rather than bothering trying to "fix" it, I recommend just going out and getting a refractometer.
Yes, a refractometer will cost about $60, compared to about $5 for a swing arm hydrometer, but it's the sort of thing you only need to buy once. Bottom line, there is a tank full of live corals. If you go out and purchase them at a LFS you are talking about $20 to $75 and up for each one. It's easy to have hundreds of dollars invested in them. Why put them at risk over $60 for a refractometer?
In addition, I would highly recommend an ATO system for the tank. An open top reef can easily evaporate 2 to 5 gal of water a day. Corals like stable salinity, and that is not going to be obtainable by manually adding a gallon or two of water every few days. Again, it's cheep insurance for a collection of corals. Yea, I know, yet another expense.
A note on pH. A pH 0f 8.0 may not be perfect, but it's within normal ranges. Do not try to mess with that until the salinity problem is resolved.
I second the hydrometer. At the very least take a water sample to your LFS and see what they get for a salinity reading. Swing arms can be notoriously inaccurate. Your fishes just might be swimming in fresh water, not the Dead Sea!DaveK said:
you can find refractometers on ebay for about 30$
or bring your hydrometer to a LFS or friend to calibrate it with a refractometer until you can buy one yourself...
or bring your hydrometer to a LFS or friend to calibrate it with a refractometer until you can buy one yourself...
Sorry to hear about your salinity. Just like blange said buy yourself a refractometer as it is more accurate than the hydrometer. I will suggest to do a water change but less salinty on it.Make a 20% waterchange with salinity 1.020 on it ... I remember one time my tank was 1.028 not that high but I wanted to keep mine to 1.025-.026. so I did a waterchange with less salt and it balance after 2 waterchange . No loss as I did it slowly to come down to 1.026. Goodluck and keep us updated
if you have swing arm unit i wouldn't trust it any further than i could throw my tank. The first one i had was never right. Test it 3 times get 3 different readings. First i would be sure of the reading.
If in fact it is right? You mention you are topping off with RO water. In order to lower your SG, you need to first remove some salt water and then add the RO water. You didn't mention in your post if you were removing any salt water. I would think you know this put don't want to assume anything.
Be sure you know the correct reading before doing anything or you may be doing more harm then good. Where are you located maybe a local reefer can help you out
If in fact it is right? You mention you are topping off with RO water. In order to lower your SG, you need to first remove some salt water and then add the RO water. You didn't mention in your post if you were removing any salt water. I would think you know this put don't want to assume anything.
Be sure you know the correct reading before doing anything or you may be doing more harm then good. Where are you located maybe a local reefer can help you out
OK so heres the update. When I topped off last week it dropped but it did not drop a tremendous amount. I am definitely goin to invest in a refractometer. I think Ive seen it in the Dr's. foster and smith catalogue. I live in Union city. This is so frustrating.
I ran out of ro so i am going to have to get some to try and calibrate my hydrometer.
I got a rude surprise this weekend. I've been using a Refractometer for months, calibrated per the instructions with RO water. I ordered some pre-made saltwater calibration fluid last week and when I tested my Refractometer with the fluid it read 1.028 instead of the 1.025 it should have - which means that instead of the 1.025 I thought I was maintaining my salinity has been 1.022.
You know, when your paying $60 (or more) for a gaging instrument, how hard would it be for the manufacturer to include a little tube with 1.025 seawater in it? Not only that, but they give you calibration instructions that seem to insure that you will set your instrument up wrong!!
You know, when your paying $60 (or more) for a gaging instrument, how hard would it be for the manufacturer to include a little tube with 1.025 seawater in it? Not only that, but they give you calibration instructions that seem to insure that you will set your instrument up wrong!!
are you sure the fluid was acurate, i know with mine, i zero out the sight with ro water, isnt that the proper way to calibrate?
oh boy