Salinity error help!

[TimReef]

I've been in the hobby for 3 years and I'm still no expert, but I finally decided to update my hydrometer I finally updated it to the refractometer. The reading on the hydrometer told me it was 1.025 and I bought a new refractometer and it is reading 1.030..... I did removing 4 gallons of my 36 gallon tank and added fresh RDOI water to it and it still said 1.030.... do I have to remove more water? What should I do?

My tank has
2 clowns
1 neon golby
1 peppermint shrimp name Bubba
One frog spawn (who is doing great and growing)
Zoa. One is a red eye Palythoa one polyp is doing great but the other isn't
And other extremely easy to take care of.

 

[sundog101]

Replacing 4 gallons of saltwater with rodi should cause a noticeable drop in a tank that size. I would make sure that the refractometer is calibrated.

It seems like things aren't dying at that level. I would just bring it down through lower SG water changes. Whatever do, just do it slowly.

 

[TimReef]

Replacing 4 gallons of saltwater with rodi should cause a noticeable drop in a tank that size. I would make sure that the refractometer is calibrated.

It seems like things aren't dying at that level. I would just bring it down through lower SG water changes. Whatever do, just do it slowly.

Correction it was two gallons of salt water I removed and added two gallons of fresh water.

I checked my readings and it was correct and calibrated corrected the first time and I must have bumped so I did the process again and the readings came up 1.026 and it was originally reading 1.030
So it is all good!
(I think)

 

[Rybren]

Did you calibrate using RO water or calibration fluid? I hope that you are using calibration fluid.

 

[TimReef]

Did you calibrate using RO water or calibration fluid? I hope that you are using calibration fluid.

I've been using RO water. Just like the instructions said to do. It didn't come with the calibration fluid. Does it really matter?

 

[PJS]

I've been using RO water. Just like the instructions said to do. It didn't come with the calibration fluid. Does it really matter?

Well the calibration fluid will give a secondary point of reference beings that it's at 1.026.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/pinpo...n-fluid.html?gclid=CNOr687c2dICFdi4wAodI9EMrw

Good luck

 

[Roy 9121]

I've been in the hobby for 3 years and I'm still no expert, but I finally decided to update my hydrometer I finally updated it to the refractometer. The reading on the hydrometer told me it was 1.025 and I bought a new refractometer and it is reading 1.030..... I did removing 4 gallons of my 36 gallon tank and added fresh RDOI water to it and it still said 1.030.... do I have to remove more water? What should I do?

My tank has
2 clowns
1 neon golby
1 peppermint shrimp name Bubba
One frog spawn (who is doing great and growing)
Zoa. One is a red eye Palythoa one polyp is doing great but the other isn't
And other extremely easy to take care of.

Did you have the refractometer calibrated?

 

[Rybren]

I've been using RO water. Just like the instructions said to do. It didn't come with the calibration fluid. Does it really matter?

It probably will. Sometimes there is a large error when using RO and sometimes the error is small.

You want the calibration point to be very close to the desired tank salinity. The calibration fluid will be at 35ppm/1.0264, which is normally where most people run their tanks.

 

[sundog101]

I would always use calibration fluid. Rodi is fine if that's all you have, but it may be off a little.

 

[TimReef]

I would always use calibration fluid. Rodi is fine if that's all you have, but it may be off a little.

Hm. Yeah that's all I have. I bought it off of Amazon. It should be fine. I'm cleaning every time I use it. How much is the calibration fluid?

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Make your own homemade calibration fluid. I just did it tonight to check my refractometer.

 

[TimReef]

Make your own homemade calibration fluid. I just did it tonight to check my refractometer.

How did you do that?

 

[dragon99]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/index.php

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I measured out 0.73g of kosher salt and dissolved it in 19.27g of deionized water. The theoretical specific gravity is 1.0264, and my refractometer measured 1.026.

 

[TimReef]

I measured out 0.73g of kosher salt and dissolved it in 19.27g of deionized water. The theoretical specific gravity is 1.0264, and my refractometer measured 1.026.

Very nice thank you! Pretty much summed it all up

 

[ChuzUThisDay]

I've been in the hobby for 3 years and I'm still no expert, but I finally decided to update my hydrometer I finally updated it to the refractometer. The reading on the hydrometer told me it was 1.025 and I bought a new refractometer and it is reading 1.030.....

I had the SAME issue several months back. I had been out of the hobby for several years, couldn't find my refractometer when I started back up, so I just used the hydrometer. It religiously read 1.025 when I made water and that's what the tank seemed to stay at. I got curious one day as things seemed to be declining and ordered a refractometer and calibrating fluid. Checked the tank and it was at 1.032. I panicked! I slowly brought it back down to 1.025 over a few weeks and that's where things stay now. Needless to say, I'll never use the swing arm hydrometers again.

 

[TimReef]

I had the SAME issue several months back. I had been out of the hobby for several years, couldn't find my refractometer when I started back up, so I just used the hydrometer. It religiously read 1.025 when I made water and that's what the tank seemed to stay at. I got curious one day as things seemed to be declining and ordered a refractometer and calibrating fluid. Checked the tank and it was at 1.032. I panicked! I slowly brought it back down to 1.025 over a few weeks and that's where things stay now. Needless to say, I'll never use the swing arm hydrometers again.

Same here. I wonder why they are reading in correctly!

I think my tank is stable now I'm at 1.026 I brought it down a bit the other day.