T-J
2500 Club Member
Hanna digital checker. Calibrate it monthly. You'll be all set!
HI98319 Marine Salinity Tester
Designed for Simple Aquarium Salinity Testing Hanna Instruments HI98319 Marine Salinity Tester measures electrical conductivity (EC) to determine the salinity of natural and artificial seawater. Within seconds, the salinity and temperature are measured, and then using the temperature reading...
www.bulkreefsupply.com
It's a bit on the salty side but not drastically so. There's probably a surprising number of tanks on here doing fine at 1.027 for a variety of reasons. I'd SLOWLY steer it down to your target level over the course of a month or so but wouldn't worry too much about the salinity. All the signs right now point toward the livestock being stressed by drastic parameter swings and the last thing you want is to have that happen again.
You can dial it down by just doing your normal water change routine, assuming it's not too aggressive. Or by doing like a cup a day pulling out salt water and replacing with RO water. Just to verify though, you're topping off the evaporation with RO water, and not salt water, correct?
Right now I'd say wait a day, don't touch anything, and do a full batch of tests tomorrow and report. Then we can help steer you appropriately based on your numbers.
If you have the tests, I'd like to see these numbers at minimum
ph
kh
calc
mag
temp
Less critical in this case, but I suggest also nitrate and phosphate.
You can dial it down by just doing your normal water change routine, assuming it's not too aggressive. Or by doing like a cup a day pulling out salt water and replacing with RO water. Just to verify though, you're topping off the evaporation with RO water, and not salt water, correct?
Right now I'd say wait a day, don't touch anything, and do a full batch of tests tomorrow and report. Then we can help steer you appropriately based on your numbers.
If you have the tests, I'd like to see these numbers at minimum
ph
kh
calc
mag
temp
Less critical in this case, but I suggest also nitrate and phosphate.
sebnuage
Community Member
Indeed top off is automatic with an osmolator dosing Reversed Osmosis.
I will report those test later today. I will go and buy a ph one, always thought it was not mecessary if kh/calcium/mag were in check.
ph is also an indicator for a few other things, and can swing pretty drastic if there is a case of excess co2 or oxygen depravation. It also does swing day/night more than you think, so you need to be consistent.
Skimmer currently running? Or no?
-Hans
Skimmer currently running? Or no?
-Hans
sebnuage
Community Member
Oh , then that could help with 02 levels!
Yes but I'm skiming dry, so as to add p04 and no3 , ill adjust accordingly today when I test , btw do you have any idea why a torche would be so retracted?
Yes but I'm skiming dry, so as to add p04 and no3 , ill adjust accordingly today when I test , btw do you have any idea why a torche would be so retracted?
Oh , then that could help with 02 levels!
Yes but I'm skiming dry, so as to add p04 and no3 , ill adjust accordingly today when I test , btw do you have any idea why a torche would be so retracted?
It's fine to skim dry and not be pulling any skimmate out, the important part is that it's aerating inside the skimmer and helping oxygenate the water in the tank.
Retracted torch is probably due to the same stress as everything in the tank. There may be something else at play, but I usually don't make suggestions on solutions unless there is a defined problem. If all your parameters are showing as normal, or close to it, then you risk creating bigger problems by using an incorrect solution. (Though I think you may have linked the wrong picture, I don't believe that is a torch).
Ahhh, gotcha. I've had hammers and frogspawn, but never a torch. They look somewhat different when retracted. Definitely something it's not happy with. Any other corals that are similarly retracted in your LPS or softies?
-Hans
-Hans
sebnuage
Community Member
Po4 0.05ppm
Nitrates about 1 ppm
Mg 1470 ppm
Ca 480 ppm
Salinity 1.027
Temp 25.5C
Kh 8.5 dkh
I was not able to buy a PH kit as my LFS didnt have any left, and I didnt buy another brand since it is why I started having problems in first place
Nitrates about 1 ppm
Mg 1470 ppm
Ca 480 ppm
Salinity 1.027
Temp 25.5C
Kh 8.5 dkh
I was not able to buy a PH kit as my LFS didnt have any left, and I didnt buy another brand since it is why I started having problems in first place
sebnuage
Community Member
tehmadreefer
2500 Club Member
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Also ditch that outdated thing and get a refractometer, they are quite cheap and daft more accurate then those old swingvarm hydrometers, plus a refractometer can be calibrated.
sebnuage
Community Member
Like I said in another post, I am using a refractometer, the plastic one has been used like 5-6 times overall haha. I just double checked my refractometer with it.
Don't chase dkh so precisely, it will swing a bit along with your ph levels during the day. Chasing a 0.1 swing is too precise, I wouldn't adjust until it gets down to 8.1
If something is consuming it, that's a good sign your corals are still growing.
If something is consuming it, that's a good sign your corals are still growing.
vetteguy53081
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What other test kits are you using?
RO water or tap water from Faucet?
May I suggest taking a good water sample to trusted LFS and have them test your :
alk-mag-ca-salinity-nitrate-Phos and see what numbers they come up with and how it compares with yours.
RO water or tap water from Faucet?
May I suggest taking a good water sample to trusted LFS and have them test your :
alk-mag-ca-salinity-nitrate-Phos and see what numbers they come up with and how it compares with yours.
