Total noob in need of advice

[4Swanson2Reefer0N00b]

On October 14, 2018 at 8:08 PM, skyscraper2290 said:

I think the main thing we all pushed for was maintenance and probably pushed a refractometer. 

 

But it in terms of what to keep in there maybe some chaeto? Keep it simple, right now I’m just running normal filter floss that I change 2x a week and chaeto with some rock rubble. No chemical filtration at all though.

Rock rubble?  Go on I'm listening!

[WCO2 Neptune]

Folks no need to really blow this all out of unnecessary drama.  I took what I thought was really good advice. It appears that the advice and steps taken has worked out both in learning and current tank environment.

 

I will keep posting updates as time goes to share my progress.

 

At this time nothing has changed. I did clean the skimmer and changed the floss filter... both yuck so u know it's doing its job..

 

Thanks to all with your positive inputs.

[WCO2 Neptune]

Pics from today... rocks look better... water still clear... had to scrub the glass of algae but saved some for the snails, they gotta eat too 🙂

 

[skyscraper2290]

Looking great! Looks like that CUC is doing good work on that algae that was on the rocks 

[ReefGoat]

You should go ahead and make your aquarium journal in the aquarium journals section to keep track of your progress. Looking good!

[BlennyBoi]

the water looks a tad cloudy, otherwise, lookin' good.

[WCO2 Neptune]

Today's result and new toy I got in the mail... all seems ok..

[paneubert]

36 minutes ago, WCO2 Neptune said:

Today's result and new toy I got in the mail... all seems ok..

Make sure you calibrate that before each use (well, lets say before each chunk of uses in case you are going to measure three times in 10 minutes or something).  Also make sure you are letting the sample sit on the glass for a while to temperature adjust.  If you stick your eye on it with a fresh sample and watch, you can literally see the reading shift as the temperature changes.  You want it to stabilize before you take a reading. 

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

35 minutes ago, paneubert said:

Make sure you calibrate that before each use (well, lets say before each chunk of uses in case you are going to measure three times in 10 minutes or something).  Also make sure you are letting the sample sit on the glass for a while to temperature adjust.  If you stick your eye on it with a fresh sample and watch, you can literally see the reading shift as the temperature changes.  You want it to stabilize before you take a reading. 

absolutely agree to this. Calibration fluid is a must. I usually get a week or so then it's out by .002-.003. Actually kinda wondered how it gets out of wack but it worth having to prevent any false readings

[Clown79]

13 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

absolutely agree to this. Calibration fluid is a must. I usually get a week or so then it's out by .002-.003. Actually kinda wondered how it gets out of wack but it worth having to prevent any false readings

Not sure what causes it but some refractometer's need calibration more often than others, some also are limited with what temp they will read salinity at. 

[skyscraper2290]

52 minutes ago, paneubert said:

Make sure you calibrate that before each use (well, lets say before each chunk of uses in case you are going to measure three times in 10 minutes or something).  Also make sure you are letting the sample sit on the glass for a while to temperature adjust.  If you stick your eye on it with a fresh sample and watch, you can literally see the reading shift as the temperature changes.  You want it to stabilize before you take a reading. 

I know calibration fluid is best but curious if you could calibrate just by using RO or distilled water?

[el_ote]

I did not know about waiting for the temp to read the meter... Very interesting! I wonder how off I can be

[Clown79]

3 minutes ago, skyscraper2290 said:

I know calibration fluid is best but curious if you could calibrate just by using RO or distilled water?

It's not as accurate to use distilled.

 

2 minutes ago, el_ote said:

I did not know about waiting for the temp to read the meter... Very interesting! I wonder how off I can be

Depends on the refractometer. Mine reads from 10 degrees to 90. 

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

Just now, Clown79 said:

Not sure what causes it but some refractometer's need calibration more often than others, some also are limited with what temp they will read salinity at. 

It's funny cause I'm really gentile with it. I handle it like it's going to explode lol. 

[Clown79]

2 minutes ago, DSFIRSTSLTWATER said:

It's funny cause I'm really gentile with it. I handle it like it's going to explode lol. 

I do too. I'm sure someone knows why they need calibrating, there is a reason. Lol.

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

1 minute ago, Clown79 said:

I do too. I'm sure someone knows why they need calibrating, there is a reason. Lol.

hmm...I think it's google time....bored at work so that sounds like a good time killer

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

wow it's a lot harder to find the reason why they lose calibration........how to calibrate all over the place though

[BlennyBoi]

51 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

Not sure what causes it but some refractometer's need calibration more often than others, some also are limited with what temp they will read salinity at. 

calibrate with RO/DI

[paneubert]

1 minute ago, BlennyBoi said:

calibrate with RO/DI 

Not the best suggestion.  Almost always better to calibrate (whatever it is you are calibrating) in the final range of what you are looking for.  Calibrate at the salinity you want to see.  There is a reason calibration solution is 35 points, not jut an eyedropper of distilled water.  Calibrating with RO/DI, or otherwise calibrating to "zero" is not ideal unless you bought your refractometer to measure the gravity of your RO/DI water....

[lpsouth1978]

1 minute ago, BlennyBoi said:

calibrate with RO/DI

Calibrating with RO/DI is not recommended. You want to calibrate as close to the desired level as possible. Otherwise the resulting readings will not be as accurate. Same goes for calibrating pH probes. This is why we generally calibrate pH probes to 7 and sometimes 10. 

[paneubert]

See!  I am not crazy.  LPSouth wrote it at the same time I did   😉

 

@lpsouth1978

[paneubert]

55 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

 

 

Depends on the refractometer. Mine reads from 10 degrees to 90.  

All the ones I have seen for sale recently claim to be "ATC".  Auto temp correcting.  But that still involves letting it sit a bit from what I understand.

 

I see a big "AT" on the one in the photo, so I bet that one auto corrects. 

[Tamberav]

I am a bad person and calibrate with RODI. I had the calibration fluid but always wondered about evaporation, bottle didn't seem air tight enough to me. 

 

I figured stability is key, even if it is somehow off a little... I'm still calibrating using the same method so it will in the end... still be the same salinity going into my tank. Tank isn't going to run any different at 1.025 than 1.026. I'm more concerned about stable than actual value (as long as it isn't wildy off).

 

We get a little crazy in this hobby 😜

 

 

[Clown79]

15 minutes ago, paneubert said:

All the ones I have seen for sale recently claim to be "ATC".  Auto temp correcting.  But that still involves letting it sit a bit from what I understand.

 

I see a big "AT" on the one in the photo, so I bet that one auto corrects. 

Mine reads the same SG from the minute i drop the water to 5 mins later. I lucked out, mine rarely needs calibrating too.

 

I check every 2 weeks and in a year I've had to calibrate it twice😁 it was a good purchase. 

18 minutes ago, paneubert said:

See!  I am not crazy.  LPSouth wrote it at the same time I did   😉

 

@lpsouth1978

Not crazy.😊

 

I started calibrating with the distilled water that came with my refractometer and then got calibration fluid...it had been off.

What I thought was 1.025 was actually 1.023

 

I will not trust calibration with rodi or distilled now. 

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

I almost made a drastic change to my tank one time. Reading was off and almost did a knee jerk reaction. I took a breath and grabbed the calibration fluid and low and behold it was .006 over what my water was. Thank god I didn't panic and start adding salt water lol.

That's why I test it at random times or when it seems like it may be off...my water is 1.025-1.026 all the time so if it reads off I calibrate.