Salinity goes from 1.023 to 1.029

[Grizzly5O]

Hey everyone need some help, I have a 55 gallon fish tank in it’s second week of being new. Not sure if this is because it’s new. But when I measure my salinity last night it was at 1.023. Now I measured it today and it’s right under 1.029. I’m not sure what’s causing this and seems kinda concerning. My sump is at 1.024 salinity level.

 

[sfin52]

Hey everyone need some help, I have a 55 gallon fish tank in it’s second week of being new. Not sure if this is because it’s new. But when I measure my salinity last night it was at 1.023. Now I measured it today and it’s right under 1.029. I’m not sure what’s causing this and seems kinda concerning. My sump is at 1.024 salinity level.

Try measuring again. Sump and dt should be the same. No way you it jumped like that. How do you measure

 

[Jon Fishman]

Did you mix your salt in the tank? There is no reason for display/sump to not be the same.

Salinity can rise overnight d/t evaporation, but probably not that much.

What are you using to test?

Are you topping off with clean RODI?

 

[Grizzly5O]

I’m using a refractometer to measure.

 

[Denny Chaney]

Also you may check the device that your using to measure the salinity.

 

[Grizzly5O]

Yep I have 30 gallons of Rodi water ready to use. My water levels haven’t gone down much at all to even notice in sump or tank.

 

[sfin52]

Did you rinse the pipete. The salt crystalized in the pipete you sucked up water the salted melted melted and made you salinity read higher

 

[Denny Chaney]

I’m using a refractometer to measure.

Is it new? Has it been calibrated?

 

[sfin52]

Yep I have 30 gallons of Rodi water ready to use. My water levels haven’t gone down much at all to even notice in sump or tank.

Don't add yet. You my drop salinity alot.

 

[Jon Fishman]

I use a cheapo swing-arm, and it has never failed me, so I can’t comment on the refractometer


Do you have a back-up method to test?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

What baffles me is that readings are different from seemingly the same water source. Do you have an adequate return pump? Is it turning water over at a normal rate?

If you can rule that out then I would look at ensuring that the surface of the refractometer is clean of dried salt and that you squeeze the pipette a few times in the water to be tested to ensure that you're testing only that water and not dried residue or old samples.

Even if the the refractometer wasn't properly calibrated, you should still get consistent readings which is why I think it might be user error.

 

[sfin52]

What baffles me is that readings are different from seemingly the same water source. Do you have an adequate return pump? Is it turning water over at a normal rate?

If you can rule that out then I would look at ensuring that the surface of the refractometer is clean of dried salt and that you squeeze the pipette a few times in the water to be tested to ensure that you're testing only that water and not dried residue or old samples.

Even if the the refractometer wasn't properly calibrated, you should still get consistent readings which is why I think it might be user error.

I completely agree

 

[Grizzly5O]

Sounds good thank you, I will recalibrate the refractometer and I wasn’t cleaning the pipet that well so that could be it. My return pump is pushing out the water correct amount of water properly. I also don’t have much water movement in my tank yet still waiting on my wave makers to come in on Monday.

 

[sfin52]

Sounds good thank you, I will recalibrate the refractometer and I wasn’t cleaning the pipet that well so that could be it. My return pump is pushing out the water correct amount of water properly. I also don’t have much water movement in my tank yet still waiting on my wave makers to come in on Monday.

Are you mixing salt in the tank?

 

[Grizzly5O]

No i mixed in 5 gallon pale then sent it to the tank with a pump. And haven’t added any since I’ve started the tank. The levels have only been inconsistent last two days.

 

[sfin52]

Rinse the pipete well suck up water from dt 4 or 5 times and than test. You may find it was the pipete that was throwing off the whole test

 

[GregDaKeg]

No i mixed in 5 gallon pale then sent it to the tank with a pump. And haven’t added any since I’ve started the tank. The levels have only been inconsistent last two days.

How long did you let your salt mix before adding to the tank?

 

[Grizzly5O]

How long did you let your salt mix before adding to the tank?

Until the water turned to almost clear

 

[sfin52]

If the temp was way to warm the water could become denser in the dt

 

[vetteguy53081]

Calibrate and recheck after 12-24 hrs. First calibrate with RO water at ZERO then solution at 35 ppt then try again with measurement