Tropiquarium water

[zucker26]

I have a 29gal softie tank that's been set up for about 4 months. Since I started the tank I've been doing water changes using pre-mixed saltwater from Tropiquarium, and topping off with RO/DI from Trop as well (which I started dosing kalk in 4 weeks ago). About three weeks ago I bought my first softie frags, and this week they seem to have taken a turn for the worse. Right now I have a taro tree, pineapple tree, purle passion tree, xenia, green star polyps, tan star polyps, and various mushrooms and zoos. The taro and pineapple seem fine, but the purple passion and xenia haven't really opened fully in 4 or 5 days, along with some mushrooms.

The only tests I have read as follows:
dkH = 9-10 steady
calcium = 360-460, usually right around 420
nitrate = 0
nitrite = 0

I'm beginning to suspect that the specific gravity might be slightly off, but I don't have a refractometer and I don't trust my hydrometer because the indicator floats up until it hits the stop.

Does anyone else use water from Tropiquarium, and do you know the levels of their pre-mixed saltwater?

 

[jazzsam]

If it is correct and it is floating up until it hits the top then I would be worried about that one!!!!!!!!

Maybe they have been giving you salt water instead of RO water and your salinity is WAY up????

Check it with fresh water and see if it works and then you will know!

 

[panmanmatt]

Also try gently tapping the side of the hydrometer once you get the water in it. Sometimes small air bubbles will collect on the swing arm and casue it to float up to the top.

 

[albie611]

take a sample to trop and ask them to check the SG with their refractometer to see if your hydrometer is acurate.

 

[Phyl]

When I was using Trop water in 2004 the SG was low. I wanna say it was 1.019.

What town are you in? Maybe there's someone nearby who can check it for you.

 

[mikem]

I'm in Middletown Keansburg area if you want me to check it for you.

 

[zucker26]

Also try gently tapping the side of the hydrometer once you get the water in it. Sometimes small air bubbles will collect on the swing arm and casue it to float up to the top.

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best! I think there is a little bit of flash on the back of the swingarm, and it traps a bubble every time. If I just tap it firmly after it's full, the swingarm does what it's supposed to do. Anyway, my hydrometer reads a more reasonable 1.0237 now that I figured it out.

It appears that my xenia, tree coral, and tan star polyps just hate something else that I'm doing. Moving on to the next hypothesis!

 

[Carlo]

That is still on the low side for specific gravity in a reef tank. You could top off with salt water until the SG gets back to a normal range. Raising the levels this way is pretty safe and easy to do.

Carlo

 

[zucker26]

That is still on the low side for specific gravity in a reef tank.

Yea, I agree. Once I realized that's where I stand, I topped off my ATO reservoir with saltwater. Hopefully in a day or two it'll bump up a bit. Do you think that could have been enough to make my xenia stop opening fully? I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this makes everything look a bit more lively.

 

[jerseydiablo]

I originally set up my old tank with water from John & Phyl, and always did water changes and top offs with water from Trop.

I know it's not the popular thing to do but I never tested my water, it worked for me, I never had any problems at all, the few losses I had in the tank were pretty much due to pumps catching fish or shrimps.