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04-06-2008, 04:51 AM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Plankton
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 9
Karma: 1
 |  Unchanging water salinity??
Ok I'm new here so please go easy on me 
I've had my salt water reef aquarium up and running for about 6 months now and up until recently have been using a hydrometer. And I always added clean water whenever topping off the tank. But now that I've bought a refractometer with ATC, I've just noticed the following. I did a water chance about 4 days ago. I keep a normal specific gravity of 1.024. There is probably about 3/4 to 1 gallon evaporated as of now, and my refractometer still reads 1.024. If I top off with clean water, the salinity will drop. This doesnt make a lot of sense to me. I've checked the entire system for leaks and there are none. I've calibrated the refractometer with pinpoint salinity calibration fluid. Any ideas why my salinity seems uneffected as it evaporates? | 
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04-06-2008, 05:24 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Miami Age: 39
Posts: 3,766
 
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What kind of fresh water are you using for the top off? When you calibrated the unit, did you use the calibration fluid that came with it or something else? _________ 9YR OLD 90G 30G w/d Mag18 150G skimmer 692w MH,yel&kole tang,foxface,midas&convict blenny,B&G chromies,Blk/yel fin chromie blackcap,nemo,neon goby,6line; Blastomussa Merleti,Acan ,BUBBLE,Torch,LTA, Goniopora(2), Acropora(2),Brain, Moon, assort zoas, yel& G star polyps, R&G open brain, P&B ricordia, montiporas, cup&candy corals, enias,B/G mush,flower ane(2), cherry red mussa, dusters,cleaning crew  | |
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04-06-2008, 05:31 AM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Plankton
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 9
Karma: 1
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I use an AP Tap Water Filter to filter my water. I know its not as good as RO/DI water but I havent had any problems. And supposedly it's a very good filter. As for calibration, I bought the "Blue Refractometer" Model RHS10-ATC and I also got the Pinpoint Salinity fluid (53.0mS) Calibration fluid. Everytime I check the refractometer with the cali fluid, it's right on the money. | |
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04-06-2008, 05:37 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Miami Age: 39
Posts: 3,766
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Does the refractometer give the same reading as the hydrometer? If the refractometer(RM) doesnt, then theres something wrong with it. Could be that its defective or the calibration fluid is no good. Try testing other SW other than yours.
Last edited by lunatik_69 : 04-06-2008 at 06:08 AM.
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04-06-2008, 06:03 AM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Flamingo Tongue
Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Staten Island, NY Age: 29
Posts: 101
Karma: 21
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How many gallons is your tank? One gallon of evaporation is not much...
_________
72g Early-Stages Reef...
20g planted freshwater Guppy Tank | |
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04-06-2008, 06:10 AM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Miami Age: 39
Posts: 3,766
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Airborneguy  How many gallons is your tank? One gallon of evaporation is not much... | He has a 36 gal | |
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04-06-2008, 06:15 AM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Clown Trigger
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Tatamy, PA Age: 15
Posts: 2,008
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i lose 4-5 gallons in my 55 and it doesnt move......but overall i have 78 total system volume  _________  | 
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04-06-2008, 06:27 AM
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#8 (permalink)
| | 3reef Sponsor
Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Va/Ct
Posts: 3,637
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If it is drooping off unless it was significant I'd not worry about it .. Also where do you add the top off to the system and how long after adding the top off water and from where did you take the sample to test ? But I'd not worry about water that much.. I just tested ours last Wed. For the first time since early Dec. It was at 1.024 1.025 ? I blast through over 5 gallons aday to evaporation And when I tested the salinity It was lower the normal as the ATOF had the feed solenoid off . Nothing alive is ever static _________ Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible (Doug Larson) | |
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04-06-2008, 08:05 AM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Gnarly Old Codfish
Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Silverdale, Washington Age: 58
Posts: 4,565
 
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Skimmer probably accounts for salt loss, that and normal salt creep.
Just add some to topoff water when it appears to be lowering significantly.
That, or let it be cue to do water change.  _________ AG "125," AquaC EV 180, 30 gal sump, "SCWD", 80 lbs LR, CoralSeaLife "Moonlite" Hood, PFO 250W HQI Mini-Pendant (SPS HQI 14000k bulb)
12 Gallon NanoCube - 24w stock PC 50/50 light "...nothing good ever happens fast in a reef tank, only bad things happen fast..."
- MIKE PALLETTA - (Davis Family Reef Aquarium - Home Page/Reef Log) (Best Photos of 2008!) | |
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04-06-2008, 05:13 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Plankton
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 9
Karma: 1
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I guess the protien skimmer and salt creep could be the culprit... I do a 5 gal change every week. I add the topoff to the overflow and let it flow directly into the filter and I take the water to check from the front of the tank. I know that as I lose water and add clean, the salinity drops so I have been topping off with salt water close to what is in the tank. I just checked the RM and the HM, RM read 1.024 and my old HM read 1.0245. I even added some 1.024 topoff water today, and the salinity hasnt changed. | |
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