Ckeck your salinity!

3_high_low · #1 09/12/2004, 08:56 AM

Use a refractometer! I've been reefing for a while and I'm embarrassed to say that my salinity had been at 1.028 for a long time. My hydrometer reads 1.025, my refractometer reads 1.028! My SPS collection is going down hill. Hopefully I've found the problem.

One of the guys at my LFS says when customers come in for water tests that around 50% of the time the problem is salinity.

shawnz28 · #2 09/12/2004, 05:28 PM

I agree 100%. If you don't own one it is always good to at least test your hydrometer against one if your LFS or a friend owns one.

Aquatect · #3 09/12/2004, 06:02 PM

Hey Mark, hopefully that'll solve your problem. I dont think dad has used that solution we got. For everyone else, Salifert is coming out with a calibrating solution for spectrometers. If you were at MACNA you may have gotten a free sample.

Yea, I can attest to customers having salinity off alot. I've had people come in and complain that stuff died and find their salinity to be way off. Those floating plastic ones that have the numbers on the container are really unrelieable so a spectrometer is really the best way to go I say.

BTW Mark: Stop telling my dad about me not getting that camaro!

Kreeger1 · #4 09/12/2004, 06:31 PM

Shawn do you own one I could test my cheesy hydrometer against?
Erik

shawnz28 · #5 09/12/2004, 07:02 PM

We have one at the store. Bring out some water next time you stop out of you think about it.

no_nutin · #6 09/12/2004, 07:11 PM

you have to clean them with vineger every now and then even then i would not trust them salinity is to important to a salt tank.
its like anything you get what you pay for you can not expect somthing that costs 15.00 to work as good as somthing that costs 60.00 i also learned this the hard way when i checked my salinity it was up to 1.030

Mr_Quality · #7 09/12/2004, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Aquatect
Hey Mark, hopefully that'll solve your problem.

Man, I sure hope so too!

I dont think dad has used that solution we got.

Yes I did, and my refractometer is spot on target.

BTW Mark: Stop telling my dad about me not getting that camaro!

Mark's not taking sides (LOL). But that was a nice looking Camaro.

shawnz28 · #8 09/12/2004, 08:17 PM

QUOTE]Stop telling my dad about me not getting that camaro! [/QUOTE]

Ok being that I owned a 95 Z28 for 7 years I gotta ask what kind of Camaro it was

3_high_low · #9 09/12/2004, 09:18 PM

I believe it's a 79 Camaro with a ZZ4 crate engine.

Aquatect · #10 09/12/2004, 10:58 PM

Thats correct. 350horses, 350cid 4 barrel carb, rebuilt everything.

But before this is moved to the lounge or closed for being off topic (although I sure love that car...). I think what was happening Mark is that your salinity was up high, but not to high normally. But when water evaporated the salinity increased even more, probably putting it around 1.030+. If you get it under control i'll give you some frags to help restock. We have an extra blue milli (that I think you gave us) and a replacement orange cap (which I think you also gave us) and some other stuff.

3_high_low · #11 09/12/2004, 11:14 PM

Thanks Alex.

Aquatect · #12 09/12/2004, 11:19 PM

Like your tank descriptions BTW... haha