Balance alk and Calc.

Boomer I want to party with you man! Thanks for the clarification You rock!
Dave you are one loyal dude, You find something you like and no one will persuade you thats cool.

New thanks for this post and your questions this has been very informative and fun.

 

New

I'm glad someone caught this :-X

but if i replace with RO/DI water as you suggested it will maintain the SG.

That is 100 % correct, what was I thinkin' :

You will have to add some salt to get it up to 1.025. What I should have said was to let the Alk and Ca fall to normal levels, using just RO/DI water for evap and then add the salt slowly to bring it back up with a couple of water changes. These water changes would have a higher than 1.025 SG so it would avg in with the low 1.023 giving an end result of 1.025

Dave

have had 3 different brand new swing arms and 1 was meantioned already and my tests still showed that all 3 were not even close to be correc

You will have to explain that, as it says nothing. Second, who's refract, they are not all the same. Ex; A SeaTest is guaranteed to have and accuracy of .001. That means if it reads 1.026, the actual reading may be 1.025, 1.026 or 1,027, in a known std of 1.026. You won't know until you test it against a std.

A refract is also only guaranteed to .001 and as I have posted, refracts are off .001 from the get-go, as they are calibrated in NaCl and not seawater. That means the refract can be off by as much as .002 if someone hasn't told you. Now take those offset to the limit, that is a dif of .004, yet both still with the tolerance level. You have had one refract in your life, that doesn't mean if you looked at 10 more they will all give the same value in a std. I would still rather see people with a refract, as there is less chance of error, because of the mechanical side of it.

Now if you went out and bought a Tropic Marine floater, you would change your mind as that being the most accurate, which as far a NSW goes it is. However, now you have to deal with tables or calculator to correct for temp but refracts, most of them, have ATC, so no need for correction other than the .001 from the get-go, meaning a refract at 1.027 = 35 ppt, not 1.026 which is NSW

 

with my tank not having a sump i also think that not noticing the film on the surface was causing problems with water. since my levels are close now i will just let tank evaporate to a SG of 1.025. i would feel better that way rather than adding salt or doing another water change.

i do think though by the time we are all done balancing my tank, that this post will have answered every question anyone might have about a salt tank. LOL you have all been a great help and i will be posting test results thursday sometime.

ANYONE know where good place is to buy the acrylic for sump at?

 

Boomer,

I don't want to hijack this thread more then it is already. I need to be brief as I need to take off for work. I will start another thread for use SG where we can post up some information.

Your swing arm you mentioned is the hardess to get the most accurate reading from because of the way it was designed. Yes mostly user error but that does not excuse the design flaw where the water is held inside the unit. They market this unit to say within .001 as most would as a selling tool that dose not make it true. Again we need to make a new thread on this and I am late for work.
Have a great day and go slow let it grow.

 

Your swing arm you mentioned is the hardess to get the most accurate reading from because of the way it was designed.


It most certainly is not. I have had or have almost every device used to include a $500 EC meter and lab grade certified hydrometers.

They market this unit to say within .001 as most would as a selling tool that dose not make it true.

That is an absolute line of BS. I personally know Tom Frakes, who will be speaking at MACNA. And I have know him since before he invented this unit.

I will await that thread. ;D

 

OK what are the reading now my friend?

 

hey naut. i sent you back a PM check that i didnt have time to post it here too. you can post your response please. sorry been a few, but real busy at work.

 

Newie IM to me.

calc seems same at 575
alk is at 5
amonia .25
no tirite yet
trate was at 10ish.. kinda in between 10-15 in color.  salt is at 1.023.  i cant raise until i can add salt so i am gonna maintain it here until levels are down.  because i have no trite and havent had any yet i believe my amonia might be off a bit and it very well could be at 0.  i use a saltwater master test kit for that.  but my calc seems to be changing colors earlier i just need to be patient.  the coral are still balled up.  thats a good sigh.  in past all have just died.  i also noticed 2 very small green polyps on an old rock that died about a moth or so ago.  and they are opening so thats a plus.  

i just gotta learn to keep my hands off tank as much.

you think a water change now?

I think Boomer said to get your SALINITY up to 1.025 so you will have to add salt and I would do that with top off water that was mixed a little stronger say 1.027. remember that this is just top off not a water change.

What salt mix do you use again?

As far as your test kit goes that one you use is not the greatest in the world.
Help from Boomer here may help us out.

 

Boomer said-->You will have to add some salt to get it up to 1.025.   What I should have said was to let the Alk and Ca fall to normal levels, using just RO/DI water for evap and then add the salt slowly to bring it back up with a couple of water changes. These water changes would have a higher than  1.025 SG so it would avg in with the low 1.023 giving an end result of 1.025

 

ok.. so i will wait before i add salt then. i think the test is off a bit but feel the levels are low since i am geting a definate 0 reading for trites. is it normal for the calc and alk to fall sooo slowly? als working on putting together a 20 gal sump with a 500gph overflow. FYI