High salanity

[Basic reefer]

So my refacrometer is saying my tank is at around 2.03 but my fish seem to be doing fine. It's perfectly calibrated with solution but I did just have a large outbreak of red slime algae. Is it possible my tank is actually that high or did I buy a cheap refacrometer?
Thank you

 

[Fishingandreefing]

When did you calibrate it? If you have the solution like I do, I would test with the solution the re test the tank water that would give you a accurate reading.

 

[Basic reefer]

When did you calibrate it? If you have the solution like I do, I would test with the solution the re test the tank water that would give you a accurate reading.

I calibrated it right before I tested the water but I will retest.

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

Do you rinse the refractometer after use with RODI? If you don't the salt will be left on refractometer once the water evaporates and once it gets rehydrated with new sample water it can send the reading sky high. Maybe try checking some RODI water (not great to do this for precision but just to see if its reading crazy high).

Also any bubbles will mess up the reading as well.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I calibrated it right before I tested the water but I will retest.

Good. Just make sure you clean it with water then dry it before testing.

 

[Mattyice572]

I worked in the aquarium trade for over a decade in multiple stores and i can tell you that in my experiences, most stores try to keep the salinity for fish tanks low, i used to run a fish system at 1.016 and the fish did fine. Reef tanks are a different story, ideally id aim for 1.022 - 1.026 but from what ive read there are natural reefs that run at 1.032

 

[Basic reefer]

Okay I recalibrated it and cleaned it with RO water and it was saying it was up towards 2.035 and I checked it against the RO water and it was below 0 so I think I got a defective one.

 

[ca1ore]

2.035 makes no sense ....

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

Okay I recalibrated it and cleaned it with RO water and it was saying it was up towards 2.035 and I checked it against the RO water and it was below 0 so I think I got a defective one.

When you use the calibration fluid is it reading the correct amount?

 

[Basic reefer]

When you use the calibration fluid is it reading the correct amount?

Yes

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

Yes

Thats odd but if your fish aren't in obvious distress i doubt the salinity is as high as its reading unless it some how happened really, really slowly but even then seems like a stretch that things would bee swimming around. Is there a LFS you could bring some water to have them check?

Are you experiencing any issue with water clarity in your tank at the moment like a bacterial bloom etc? If you are then that would also mess up the results.

 

[Basic reefer]

Thats odd but if your fish aren't in obvious distress i doubt the salinity is as high as its reading unless it some how happened really, really slowly but even then seems like a stretch that things would bee swimming around. Is there a LFS you could bring some water to have them check?

Are you experiencing any issue with water clarity in your tank at the moment like a bacterial bloom etc? If you are then that would also mess up the results.

Not that I am aware of but I have read the reviews on the product and it seems other have had the same problem as me so seeing how my fish are fine I should probably just get a new one.

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

Not that I am aware of but I have read the reviews on the product and it seems other have had the same problem as me so seeing how my fish are fine I should probably just get a new one.

Other than a faulty refractometer I'm out of ideas. Again if you have LFS that can check or know any local reefers that could bring their own refractometer to check that could help confirm its time for a new refractometer.

 

[vetteguy53081]

A new one yes and if possible bring yours to LFS And a water sample to compare with your reading and to test the new one

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Okay I recalibrated it and cleaned it with RO water and it was saying it was up towards 2.035 and I checked it against the RO water and it was below 0 so I think I got a defective one.

So, after cleaning it with ro water and what was the reading on the solution?