specific gravity fail... plummets

Discussion in 'Salt' started by sdblanshan, Jan 15, 2014.

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  1. sdblanshan

    sdblanshan Astrea Snail

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    I've noticed after salt mix is prepared in buckets to the perfect salt concentration then added to the aquarium the specific gravity in the aquarium drops by as much as 0.002 OR FROM 1.024 to 1.022 and then I have to quickly mix a cup of salt in a small amount of warm water and begin fine tuning.. getting good at it...

    I use 75 degree RO water and the aquarium is also 75 degrees.
    I allow the mixed buckets to sit about 5 minutes.
    I use a refractometer.
    My salt mix is the manmade stuff with all the minerals for reefs.
    Is this normal?
    Is this unsafe?
     
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  3. Vinnyboombatz

    Vinnyboombatz Giant Squid

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    You add the salt mix for 5 minutes then add to the tank???:confused:
     
  4. Vinnyboombatz

    Vinnyboombatz Giant Squid

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    If your salinity is moving then you are not allowing enough time for the salt to dissolve.I wait at least an hour or more while agitating with a ph.Are you using the same instrument to test the temperature ??Or two different ones??
     
  5. Mr. Bill

    Mr. Bill Native Floridian

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    +1

    I wait at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. The water needs to aerate as well. :)
     
  6. sdblanshan

    sdblanshan Astrea Snail

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    Oops yea, I have been following my parents instructions, I should have known better but the salt didn't come with destructions....... My parents were terrible fishkeepers. See my gallery for more on that...

    Yes I have a nice digital thermometer and match temps with that.
     
  7. sdblanshan

    sdblanshan Astrea Snail

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    Thanks... I will now place bubbles in new water and a heater and leave overnight. I had no idea! Thank god for the forums... BTW I am new to saltwater, been keeping fw fish for years.

    Both of you have seen bioluminescent aquarium, which is my eventual goal... I hope one day I am as well versed as you guys.
     
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  9. Todd_Sails

    Todd_Sails Giant Squid

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    Manmade Salt? YOU mean the stuff you buy at the fish store, right?

    What brand?

    A water change should not lower SG, unless your new water is lower SG, which you state it's not. Something isn't right.
     
  10. sdblanshan

    sdblanshan Astrea Snail

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    Red sea aquarium salt. Strange that the sg goes down after settling, I would think it would rise... I'm gonna try the solutions to the problem listed above. Then I will post back.
     
  11. Vinnyboombatz

    Vinnyboombatz Giant Squid

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    It is possible for the salinity to actually decrease if hes calibrating water with undissolved salt particles still present.:-/
     
  12. sdblanshan

    sdblanshan Astrea Snail

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    But wouldn't the sg go up after the undisolved salt did disolve?

    Just to be clear as possible, I mix the salt with RO water at 75 degrees adding and stirring in bucket until I see 1.024. Then stir it some more. Then wait a few minutes and check the sg again and its still 1.024.
    Then I add the the bucket of water to the aquarium also at 1.024; to replace removed water.
    Check sg in aquarium and its 1.024,
    After enough time has passed that the filtration system should have cycled all the water a few times I check again only to find that the sg in the aquarium is now 1.022 ....

    I have an absolutely no idea why or how this happens because I use the same digital thermometer to match temps and the same refractometer to measure sg/salinity in the bucket and the tank.