Seriously strange problem with salinity

[Koh23]

Ok, some help, please.....

Situation - salinity 1.026, ca and mg up the roof, ca 550, mg 1500+, tested with hanna....

Weekly water changes, 100l tank. Water changes are done with 1.022 saltwater, top off with 0tds ro water.

Salinity dont drop, even with water changes with water that is lower on salinity, ca, mg and alk dont drop, alk is 12...

No dosing, nothing.

What is going on?

 

[Garf]

Ok, some help, please.....

Situation - salinity 1.026, ca and mg up the roof, ca 550, mg 1500+, tested with hanna....

Weekly water changes, 100l tank. Water changes are done with 1.022 saltwater, top off with 0tds ro water.

Salinity dont drop, even with water changes with water that is lower on salinity, ca, mg and alk dont drop, alk is 12...

No dosing, nothing.

What is going on?

What are you using to test salinity, and how do you calibrate it?

 

[bobnicaragua]

I’ll calibrate my refractometer and hold my tank at 35 based on the refractometer.

My monthly ATI ICP test consistently comes in at like 32. So, my calibrated refractometer has to read about 39 for my ICP to read 35.

What are you using to measure your salinity?

 

[blaxsun]

I’ll calibrate my refractometer and hold my tank at 35 based on the refractometer.

Same here.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok, some help, please.....

Situation - salinity 1.026, ca and mg up the roof, ca 550, mg 1500+, tested with hanna....

Weekly water changes, 100l tank. Water changes are done with 1.022 saltwater, top off with 0tds ro water.

Salinity dont drop, even with water changes with water that is lower on salinity, ca, mg and alk dont drop, alk is 12...

No dosing, nothing.

What is going on?

How many water changes of what size?

It would take a bit over 7 x 10% water changes with sg = 1.022 to drop sg = 1.026 to 1.024.

Also, most refractometers are unreliable to easily see a drop from 1.026 to 1.025.

 

[Koh23]

Salinity is measured with refractometer, calibrated with 35ppt salifert solution.

Weekly water changes is 10% aka 10l.

Maybe i didnt explain best - even if 1022 salinity water is used for water changes,and topoff is with 0tds rodi water, salinity in tank is always 1026, which i find....almost impossible.

Also, kh, ca and mg rising well above safe values, tank is low on corals, so, really nothing to spend elements, but its rising and not droping at all.

No dosing of any kind.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Salinity is measured with refractometer, calibrated with 35ppt salifert solution.

Weekly water changes is 10% aka 10l.

Maybe i didnt explain best - even if 1022 salinity water is used for water changes,and topoff is with 0tds rodi water, salinity in tank is always 1026, which i find....almost impossible.

Also, kh, ca and mg rising well above safe values, tank is low on corals, so, really nothing to spend elements, but its rising and not droping at all.

No dosing of any kind.

Yes, that’s what I based my answer off of. I think the refractometer just isn’t accurate enough to see the slow decline those changes cause.

 

[Koh23]

Thanx!

Ok salinity is not a big issue, but why ca,mg and alk rising above all normal levels?

 

[bobnicaragua]

That’s a different question. What salt are you using and have you tested the parameters of a fresh batch of salt?

 

[foxt]

Are you able to get an ICP test done?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanx!

Ok salinity is not a big issue, but why ca,mg and alk rising above all normal levels?

What salt mix are you using?

Salinity may be higher than you think.

 

[gavinz]

It’d make sense if you were using Red Sea pro

 

[Koh23]

Salt is microbelift active salt....

Sadly, its not my tank, i'm trying to figure out why this is happening, no luck.....

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Measure those parameters on the new salt water to compare.

 

[Koh23]

Will do....

 

[Koh23]

Fresh mix results are spot on.....

I always think that is impossible that ca or mg accumulate, even in empty tank where nothing uses it, but that is only explanation, that with every water changes values rises and rises.....

Or is it possible?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Fresh mix results are spot on.....

I always think that is impossible that ca or mg accumulate, even in empty tank where nothing uses it, but that is only explanation, that with every water changes values rises and rises.....

Or is it possible?

Values are what at what specific gravity?

 

[Koh23]

Ok, still investigating, but with new info, seems like wrong testing procedure.....

I will update as i get new info....

Thank you all for help!

 

[tapeworm123]

I hate to state the obvious things but may help, are you you topping off with rodi /tap water or salt water? Your salinity won’t change unless you are doing water changes right away. (Water change should mix for at least twelve hours to show a true salinity) I’ve noticed a fresh batch of salt just mixed a half hour ago will show a low salinity level. The next day I tests and it is one point higher. Other things that can throw it off is if you are testing before top off. Do you have a large top off chamber. I’m just trying to help. What are you using to test with name brand and test?

 

[tapeworm123]

Just looked up your brand of salt and noticed you should be measuring your salt with a scale. Dumping salt in a bucket and testing it alone is the old school way of figuring out if you have the right amount.I would try to measure with a scale and compare that to your salinity tester. I also wonder what your ppt reads, does it correlate with the salinity ? Your higher salinity does correlate to the parameters you mentioned at that high end range of 1.026 area.