Sometimes it is just plain bad luck

[mrkell]

I have been in this hobby for about 8 years now. I have had ups and downs like most reefers. I have been watching a slow decline in my tank for the past month. Suddenly this week is all of my sps took a nosedive.

I have run the full gamut of tests on my tank and r/0 water. Nothing was out of place. All parameters were well with in spec. Temps were spot on, lights functioning perfectly, etc.

Last week I ordered new tests and a new refractometer just to verify. The test came in and I got the same results all within spec. The refractometer came in yesterday. Testing last night I discovered 1.015 sg or 20 ppt. Most things have survived but I have literally lost all of my sps, and they were huge nice setosa colonies, wd, bonsai, several stags, and digitata. I may be able to save frags from a few, but I think my sps days are over, it is tough losing this many sps colonies, not to mention the money invested.

I have a reefkeeper elite but never added the salinity monitor.

Lesson learned from this experience: Test bi-weekly with separate test kits and refractometers. You do not only need back up heaters, pumps, powerheads, and lights. Have back up testing kits also.

I will post up some of what I lost prior to the event.

 

[mrkell]

Sorry for the poor photo quality

 

[mrkell]

 

[Maggie321]

Wow. That really sucks. Sorry to hear that happened. If you were local, I would give you a frag to ease your sadness. I think you need to go get some new ones. You'll feel better, promise!

 

[FredsNJReef]

Sorry to hear this :-(
I test my salinity with a Milwaukee digital one plus my plastic manual one every week just in case.

Did your candy canes make it...they are amazing!

 

[jp_75]

That really sucks! Sorry to hear about that!
I know a pain! Trying to figure out why my lps are dying.... Maybe i am unlucky with corals?

 

[Instigate]

Do you calibrate your refractometer before each use?

 

[60CubeReefer]

How did such a big drop in salinity happen? Did you do a water change with low salinity?

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

You should definitely calibrate your refractometer before every use. You can pick up calibration solution from most online vendors, or make your own, but I highly recommend doing this. Sorry for your losses, that sucks!

 

[mrkell]

I do calibrate the device before every use, it is the 2nd Red Sea I have had to go bad. I bought the first last fall. They replaced the first under warranty right after I got it. Not trying to throw blame, I should have had a backup. Red Sea instructs you to calibrate to 0 with distilled water in its manual. I even usually verify with the solution from BRS that is 35 ppt, but I ran out around Christmas and just kept forgetting to order some more.

 

[mrkell]

How did such a big drop in salinity happen? Did you do a water change with low salinity?

I do a weekly water changes. When I mix, I test it with the same refractometer. When it went south, over the last month or two , it was causing my water change to be way off. I do 20% weekly, and have forever. I only have around 20 gallons water with the cube loaded.

 

[mrkell]

Sorry to hear this :-(
I test my salinity with a Milwaukee digital one plus my plastic manual one every week just in case.

Did your candy canes make it...they are amazing!

They have so far, but they are really small right now. I am trying to raise the salinity slowly so that what is left recovers. I had to sell a massive duncan I had, it out grew the space I had for it. Probably the same with the candy canes soon.

 

[mrkell]

Wow. That really sucks. Sorry to hear that happened. If you were local, I would give you a frag to ease your sadness. I think you need to go get some new ones. You'll feel better, promise!

That is a very kind thought. I would not put an sps frag back in this tank. I need to go back to a larger tank when I move, and get my monitoring dialed in. Its just a hard lesson learned.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

You should always calibrate to the range that you are testing for. I would never calibrate with distilled water to 0. I always calibrate to 35 PPT as that's what I keep my tank at.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

You motivated me to go calibrate my refractometer. What a horrible situation, sorry for your loss.

 

[mrkell]

That really sucks! Sorry to hear about that!
I know a pain! Trying to figure out why my lps are dying.... Maybe i am unlucky with corals?

Jp_75, It is almost never luck with a reef tank. There is almost always a cause. You really have to look at everything. I do suggest a Triton test. I had a problem with the tank a while ago and could not find the reason. I did Triton test and found two problems. 1st was almost 0 phosphates, so nothing for the coral to use, the 2nd was high tin in the report. I did some research and found a magnet on a tube holder that was corroding and leaking into the water. Test Test Test.

The only luck I have ever had was my rock flowers spawned a few months ago and now I have about 15 more for free!

 

[mrkell]

You should always calibrate to the range that you are testing for. I would never calibrate with distilled water to 0. I always calibrate to 35 PPT as that's what I keep my tank at.

The Red Sea manual specifically tells you to calibrate to 0. This is directly from the manual:

Calibration: Alignment should always be carried out with the instrument at 22-25°C. Allow the refractometer to stand at this temperature for 30 minutes before alignment. 1. Remove the cover from the alignment screw. 2. Place a sample of DI water on the glass prism and check the salinity reading as directed above. 3. If the reading is not exactly on the zero ppt mark on the scale, adjust the position of the reading by rotating the alignment screw with the screwdriver provided until the reading is zero ppt. 4. Replace the cover from the alignment screw

Because I am usually one to verify I use the BRS 35ppt solution to check the setting, I have just been out for a while and forgot to order

 

[saltyhog]

I have a habit that would probably have helped here. I always mix the same amount of water. I usually add the same amount of salt mix and then check the salinity. It should have been requiring much less salt with your salinity being so low. You would have noticed that doing it that way..

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

The Red Sea manual specifically tells you to calibrate to 0. This is directly from the manual:

Calibration: Alignment should always be carried out with the instrument at 22-25°C. Allow the refractometer to stand at this temperature for 30 minutes before alignment. 1. Remove the cover from the alignment screw. 2. Place a sample of DI water on the glass prism and check the salinity reading as directed above. 3. If the reading is not exactly on the zero ppt mark on the scale, adjust the position of the reading by rotating the alignment screw with the screwdriver provided until the reading is zero ppt. 4. Replace the cover from the alignment screw

Because I am usually one to verify I use the BRS 35ppt solution to check the setting, I have just been out for a while and forgot to order

I should have stated it better. I didn't mean to imply that you were not following the instructions, what I meant is that Red Sea is wrong to instruct you to calibrate that way. Unless there is a major difference with their refractometer from others, they should be recommending to calibrate within the range of testing which would be 35 ppt. Either way, I'm sorry this happened to you, and I hope you have great success as you move forward.

 

[mrkell]

I should have stated it better. I didn't mean to imply that you were not following the instructions, what I meant is that Red Sea is wrong to instruct you to calibrate that way. Unless there is a major difference with their refractometer from others, they should be recommending to calibrate within the range of testing which would be 35 ppt. Either way, I'm sorry this happened to you, and I hope you have great success as you move forward.

Something in the way it is made measures a bit differently according to Red Sea, it is supposed to be more accurate....wonk wonk wonk