anizato Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 I am stumped which is why I reach out to the community now to ask for help. For the longest time I had believed my salinity was at 1.024/.025. But recently I started having problems with my readings so I became suspicious of my Refractometer after I threw my Hydrometer away because it said my water was at 1.028, I knew that couldn't be true with my ALK (7.8),CA(420),MG(1520) readings I was getting from my Red Sea test kit. My anemones have been looking off and losing color. I was using the same refractometer I bought when I started the hobby. I didn't trust it anymore and decided to buy another from Amazon. It came in today. After calibrating it with the 35ppt solution. I basically have some questions. 1. Is 35ppt equals to 1.025? 2. What am I doing wrong that allows the water to change so much? My overflow filters directly into the 200 micron sock that receives the water in the skimmer section that powers the outer GFO Reactor then it drains through a bubble trap into the return section. This return section divides into a 'Y'that takes water to the Refugium as well as up to the tank, it also receives the ATO water. The water that trickles into the Return Section from the Refugium is guarded by a strip of PolyFilter (halfwhitehalfblue kind) that I change every 4 or 5 days. I change the sock every other day to avoid any salinity change. But inevitably when I remove the FilterPads and sock it raises the water level in the return pump. Meaning that my FilterPads and sock are sucking enough water to change the water level in the Return chamber? With the new Refractometer, water is at 1.023, how do I safely recover it to 1.025 so my anemones can come back to its former glory? Thanks for any help! Link to comment
seabass Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 35ppt = 1.0264 http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-12/rhf/ Not sure exactly why it's fluctuating. Maybe the ATO kicks on when you are servicing your sump. To raise specific gravity, temporarily disable the ATO and manually top off with saltwater until you achieve the level you want. Link to comment
Nano sapiens Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Couple things... 35 ppt = 1.0264 (average of natural reef water) Seems you are changing socks and floss often, so each time you are removing some saltwater from the system, which is then refilled with fresh. This may account for much of your salinity change. Raising salinity can be done by thoroughly mixing a bit of salt in a cup full of tank water and then slowly adding it back slowlyto the tank via your sump. Do this daily until the slat level is where you want it. 35ppt = 1.0264 Beat me too it Link to comment
dandelion Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Another safe and semi-automatic way is top off with saltwater instead of freshwater. Link to comment
GioReef Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Check for leaks. If you have saltwater leaking from the tank, it will lower salinity as the ato replaces it with freshwater Link to comment
anizato Posted June 18, 2016 Author Share Posted June 18, 2016 No Leaks. The only solution so far is to let the Filter Socks and Polyfilter drain as dry as possible when I change them every 3 days. The tank has been improving since this and is looking better. Coral & Anemones are starting to open up nicely since I achieved some level of stability. Link to comment
vegasgundog Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Be sure to clean the refractometer with fresh water once in a while and recalibrate if necessary. Allways wipe it dry with the lense cloth. Link to comment
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