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yiyi67

Don't be a n00b!!!!

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by
yiyi67
, 05-20-2011 at 12:40 PM (4525 Views)
So I haven't been super active on here lately, having a lot to do with the fact that I recently moved and have been going through a bunch of crap with my tank. Since reseting the system up in January I have been battling STN on all of my SPS and have basically gone through and tried to correct for every possible cause of general SPS unhappiness. For reference, my parameters have been pretty stable at the following:

Salinity: 35 ppt
PH: 8.0 - 8.2
Alk: 9.5 dkh
Calc: 480 ppm
Mag: 1440 ppm
PO4: 0.02- 0.04 ppm
N03: 2.5 ppm

So I was pretty much at wits end when while making a Marine Depot order last week I decided to get a bottle of Pinpoint refractometer calibration solution. For those who don't know what this is, put it on your refractometer just like you would if you were testing your tank water and it should read exactly 35 ppt. If it doesn't you calibrate your meter so it does read 35. I had always used clean RODI water to zero out my meter, but I have heard several people say the calibration solution is a much more accurate means to test your refractometer.

I got the solution a couple days ago, tested my refractometer, and sure enough instead of reading 35 ppt it read 40 ppt. Of course this means that my tank water that I have been running at "35 ppt" was actually at 30 ppt! Over the last few days I have brought up my salinity to be at actual 35 ppt and I can say I already see a difference. On the bright side of all this all my fish have been in a prolonged hypo-saline dip, and are definitely disease free at this point!

So I am here to tell everyone, please learn from my mistakes and calibrate your refractometers with the solution and not RODI water!!!

DON'T BE A N00B!!!!!!

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Categories
‎ Water Chemistry

Comments

  1. Blown76mav's Avatar
    While I agree you should calibrate your refractor, I don't think running a tank at 30 ppm is hypo-saline. At least not on my refractometer, 30 ppm is equal to 1.022-1.023. I thought Hypo-saline was like 1.012-1.015 range. I would check your RO/DI water to make sure TDS is 0 or near 0. I've used both RO/DI and the calibration solution and both have always equaled the same readings, UNTIL the TDS creeps up then it changes. I wouldn't think STN would be caused by a 5ppm swing, you can see that between waterchanges if you have a good skimmer and have to dump it out regularly. I'd be double checking the TDS.
  2. gerbilbox's Avatar
    Another tip, use a refractometer that's can actually keep calibration for a decent period of time. I grew frustrated with mine when it would slip by a few ppt just by a gentle bump or merely putting it down on the table. My new non-POS refractometer is arriving tomorrow!
  3. JimM's Avatar
    No disrespect... but hypo = low... hyper = high... at least in the world of fire and EMS sciences.
  4. yiyi67's Avatar
    My TDS is at 2.

    Blown- I get what you mean by wet skimming affecting salinity in between water changes, however I do multiple small water changes a day, so from what I have seen so far my salinity is rock solid no matter what, even if it is at 30!

    gerbilbox - Out of curiosity which refractometer did you previously have and which one did you buy?
  5. melev's Avatar
    I'm glad you brought this up. Please continue to spread this information because it seems like everyone uses RO or Distilled Water to calibrate and that is incorrect.



    As I stated in the Water Quality article:

    Salinity - The best tool to measure salinity is a refractometer that has been properly calibrated. These cost $40 and up, and the 35ppt calibration solution is less than $10. A few drops on the glass slide allows you to view the salinity precisely. The target range for a reef tank is 1.026 sg or 35ppt. Buy a refractometer and use it often.
  6. Mccoy85's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by JimM
    No disrespect... but hypo = low... hyper = high... at least in the world of fire and EMS sciences.
    im pretty sure that why he said that when his refractometer was reading 35 ppt his tank was really at 30 ppt which would be hypo, like he said. no disrespect
  7. gerbilbox's Avatar
    It was a Marine Depot refractometer, so it doesn't appear to have a specific brand on it. The new one I bought is was recommended to me by some members of my local club, called D-D Refractometer.
  8. melev's Avatar
    The D&D refractometer is designed for 35ppt calibration, considered one of the best choices you can make.
  9. gerbilbox's Avatar
    Even though I did order the D-D one, I have my doubts on whether the brine vs seawater refractometer makes an actual difference as long as the user calibrates it with a 35 ppt seawater-based calibration solution; both refractometers calibrated with that solution will read exactly the same at 35 ppt. I can see that the D-D one would be more accurate than a regular refractometer if both were calibrated with RO/DI, but that's not what we're doing (hopefully).
  10. DRW94's Avatar
    I think it is important that we all know how to properly use and maintain our equipment. It is useless if we don't. I have one of those marine depot refractometer's, it says in the instructions to use distilled water and calibrate to 1.000. Yes, calibration solution is manufactured in a controlled setting(we all hope), but distilled water is just as accurate in my opinion if you know its quality. Moral of the story, read the instructions, some use distilled water and some use calibration fluid, know your equipment.
  11. baker.shawn's Avatar
    i use rodi to calubrate my refractometer..however the little screw thing has rusted stuck...the good news is it rusted at 0 when i have rodi on it....which means this really isnt good news at all....hmmmmmm my cat loves to throw if off my aquarium stand...chances are its not reading accuratly anymore, i guess i should look in to a new one