Salinity 1.029

Neo Jeo · Apr 17, 2019

Been having some issues with my tank so I sent in for a test it registered my salinity at 38.17.

I went out and bought a new refractometer and it’s at 1.029 ! My old one shows 1.026. Even use calibration solution so I don’t understand how this is.

How long or how should I approach this to lower it?

Thank you!

Crabs McJones · Apr 17, 2019

Best bet would be to do a series of water changes with the new water at the salinity you want your aquarium to be at

Neo Jeo · Apr 17, 2019

Crabs McJones said:
Best bet would be to do a series of water changes with the new water at the salinity you want your aquarium to be at

Why can’t I just take water out and let my auto top off system filled my tank ? Just a Thought .

Also is that extreme high salinity do you think that could cause a problem as long term ?

Jon Fishman · Apr 17, 2019

I personally would do a water change.... if it's your 120, I'd start by changing 20 gallons and replacing it with fresh water at a 1.023 or so salinity, then wait a few hours of your tank running, check the salinity, and then do another 20g water change in 2 days or so, of roughly the same, and repeat until you lower it to a desired level.

Crabs McJones · Apr 17, 2019

The reason you don't want to do it that way is major salinity swings can actually kill livestock

Neo Jeo · Apr 17, 2019

Crabs McJones said:
The reason you don't want to do it that way is major salinity swings can actually kill livestock

Ok so do water changes at 1.026 or lower at 1.023?

Crabs McJones · Apr 17, 2019

Neo Jeo said:
Ok so do water changes at 1.026 or lower at 1.023?

Do water changes at the salinity you want the tank to eventually be

Jon Fishman · Apr 17, 2019

Neo Jeo said:
Ok so do water changes at 1.026 or lower at 1.023?

At 1.026 would be a more gradual change..... but I think dropping further would get the job done a lot faster, and the drop still wouldn't be that drastic I wouldn't think, to hurt anything.

Neo Jeo · Apr 17, 2019

I’ve been using this to calibrate now that I put regular Rodi water it’s far below the zero mark when I take the calibration solution and put it to a new tester it’s raised up to 1.029 so it seems to be my calibration solution is defective.

Neo Jeo · Apr 18, 2019

I contacted the manufacturer about the defective solution. I wonder what they will do.

BeejReef · Apr 18, 2019

Best of luck with that. Hard to say if you've got two bum refractometers or one bad bottle of solution. Might you have left it out with the cap off and lost some of the calibration solution to evaporation?

Agree with above, whatever steps you take to lower salinity, try to be gradual. If everything is alive and happy, there's no need to be drastic.

Neo Jeo · Apr 18, 2019

William DeCoursey said:
Best of luck with that. Hard to say if you've got two bum refractometers or one bad bottle of solution. Might you have left it out with the cap off and lost some of the calibration solution to evaporation?

Agree with above, whatever steps you take to lower salinity, try to be gradual. If everything is alive and happy, there's no need to be drastic.

Agreed. The bottle was stored tight and in a dark room. It's just bad. Both my refractometers now are calibrated using rodi water and they now show 1.029. If I use solution it shows 1.026.

WVNed · Apr 18, 2019

Neo Jeo said:
Why can’t I just take water out and let my auto top off system filled my tank ? Just a Thought .

Also is that extreme high salinity do you think that could cause a problem as long term ?

Do this over the course of a day and you will be fine.

Crabs McJones · Apr 18, 2019

Neo Jeo said:
Agreed. The bottle was stored tight and in a dark room. It's just bad. Both my refractometers now are calibrated using rodi water and they now show 1.029. If I use solution it shows 1.026.

I thought you wern't suppose to calibrate with RO water?

WVNed · Apr 18, 2019

Which is why I use a Pinpoint meter backed by an accurate hydrometer..

Neo Jeo · Apr 18, 2019

Crabs McJones said:
I thought you wern't suppose to calibrate with RO water?

In the instruction manual says to use distilled water to calibrate it. Based on my ICP test and where my calibration solution the RODI water seems to be spot on.

Monkeynaut · Apr 18, 2019

WVNed said:
Do this over the course of a day and you will be fine.

I agree here too (well... maybe do it over a couple days) But, I don’t see any reason to waste more salt.You might as well just add RO water. I have done this in the past without issue.

Check out the Resulting Salinity calculator at this website and use the “water replaced” option with 0 salinity.

https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/ResultingSalinity.php

MnFish1 · Apr 18, 2019

Neo Jeo said:
Why can’t I just take water out and let my auto top off system filled my tank ? Just a Thought .

Also is that extreme high salinity do you think that could cause a problem as long term ?

I had a similar problem recently - I corrected it the way you suggested over 2 days - with no problems and visible improvement. Took 2 quarts of tank water out - and put 2 quarts of RODI in. No problems... I likened it to a rainstorm on the reef.

vetteguy53081 · Apr 18, 2019

I would take both refracts to an LFS and test against their tank reading and see which one proves most accurate and see if they can help you calibrate to assure the refract is accurate

Neo Jeo · Apr 19, 2019

Monkeynaut said:
I agree here too (well... maybe do it over a couple days) But, I don’t see any reason to waste more salt.You might as well just add RO water. I have done this in the past without issue.

Check out the Resulting Salinity calculator at this website and use the “water replaced” option with 0 salinity.

https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/ResultingSalinity.php

Great calculator, thanks!