salinity

[TraydersAnonymous]

So im about 2 months into the aquarium cycle. parameters seem to be fairly stable. although i am having problems keeping my salinity levels @1.026 I get a drop every few days. I changed water on Thursday and today I'm reading 1.024. I ended up doing a hybrid mix of both red sea salts coral pro and red sea salt to bring my alkalinity calcium and magnesium levels up to avoid dosing as I was getting low levels in all. levels below 7 alk since I started the tank never more and also slowly drops.
I am using a tunze nano ato, with clean rodi water.

currently I am slowly starting to get some algae growth as I turned on the lights a few days so I can get some clean up crew situated.

my goal is to have lps coral, hammer frogspawn, duncan some gsp and a couple different zoas. maybe 2 clowns or a clown and a sand sifting goby or something.

any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated, also feel free to provide me with hard truths or whatever i need to hear. it is all beneficial to me and my soon to be reef colony.

thanks Blake,

 

[morkin]

Salt is not carried out with evaporation so something else must be causing the the change in salinity. Firstly be sure the water you are adding is at the correct salinity otherwise it will cause a drop if it is lower.
If you are running a skimmer is this skimming wet?

 

[Fish Think Pink]

So im about 2 months into the aquarium cycle. parameters seem to be fairly stable. although i am having problems keeping my salinity levels @1.026 I get a drop every few days. I changed water on Thursday and today I'm reading 1.024. I ended up doing a hybrid mix of both red sea salts coral pro and red sea salt to bring my alkalinity calcium and magnesium levels up to avoid dosing as I was getting low levels in all. levels below 7 alk since I started the tank never more and also slowly drops.
I am using a tunze nano ato, with clean rodi water.

currently I am slowly starting to get some algae growth as I turned on the lights a few days so I can get some clean up crew situated.

my goal is to have lps coral, hammer frogspawn, duncan some gsp and a couple different zoas. maybe 2 clowns or a clown and a sand sifting goby or something.

any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated, also feel free to provide me with hard truths or whatever i need to hear. it is all beneficial to me and my soon to be reef colony.

thanks Blake,

Hi Blake,
Have you gotten a second opinion on your salinity?

Asking because I had a faulty Hanna (they replaced for free) but instead of doubting my handheld salinity reader, I doubted my salt... so your post sounds familiar.

Salinity does not drop unless saltwater is leaving (skimmer - above suggestion).

Most LFSs will give you a salinity confirmation check for free if you take a water sample over to them.

 

[TraydersAnonymous]

tbh i tested the first salt mix with a hydrometer and the test lined up, so I just continued to use the Hanna tester. i have also done multiple recalibrations with the provided sachets. I may have to go to my lfs and just get them to double check. also contact hanna. thanks for the input

 

[TraydersAnonymous]

Salt is not carried out with evaporation so something else must be causing the the change in salinity. Firstly be sure the water you are adding is at the correct salinity otherwise it will cause a drop if it is lower.
If you are running a skimmer is this skimming wet?

no skimmer but one of the other commenters mentioned his Hanna checker being faulty and think it could be the problem after rechecking with the basic hydrometer. so ill have to maybe go the refracto way

 

[TraydersAnonymous]

Hi Blake,
Have you gotten a second opinion on your salinity?

Asking because I had a faulty Hanna (they replaced for free) but instead of doubting my handheld salinity reader, I doubted my salt... so your post sounds familiar.

Salinity does not drop unless saltwater is leaving (skimmer - above suggestion).

Most LFSs will give you a salinity confirmation check for free if you take a water sample over to them.

tbh i tested the first salt mix with a hydrometer and the test lined up, so I just continued to use the Hanna tester. i have also done multiple recalibrations with the provided sachets. I may have to go to my lfs and just get them to double check. also contact hanna. thanks for the input

 

[Fish Think Pink]

no skimmer but one of the other commenters mentioned his Hanna checker being faulty and think it could be the problem after rechecking with the basic hydrometer. so ill have to maybe go the refracto way

Yes, I ended up going to old school refractometer style way (with periodic calibration solution) as it broke my heart what we killed by doubting our salt instead of our tester. Fingers crossed for you, whatever is going on there.