Salinity not increasing - Mistake #2

[AJK]

Hi friends,
For the past 2 weeks, my tank salinity is not increasing. Been adding saltwater for top off the past 2 weeks. Today, I check salinity of tank, it's still at 1.019 Checked with CoralLife and Kent hyrdrometers, they both say the same thing.

I mixed a bucket of saltwater last night, just checked it prior to adding to tank, mixed water is 1.019,. Okay, stupid me. I never checked mixed water before adding, because first time I mixed water it was 1.028 or close +/-. So, I assumed it will alway's mix same salinity. I'm using instant ocean salt btw.

Now, I have to work at gradually bringing the salinity back up. I'm surprised my livestock was doing so well with low salinity, but very lucky at the same time. Another lesson learned.

 

[deaclauderdale]

Get yourself a refractometer they are highly more accurate on salinity readings.


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- Sent from my iPad using My fingers!

 

[steved13]

A couple of tips:

Hydrometers aren't very accurate, you might want to think about a refractometer.

You should always check your mixed water...how do you know if it's salinity is close to your tank when doing a water change?

 

[AJK]

Thanks friends. I posted this in the wrong section. Was meant for newbie section. Ding dong me. Refractometer is next on my list, I just bought a RO/DI unit, T5 light and so on. Amazing, how much I've spent, just for a 20 gal. YIKES, Lol !!! I'll be in a wheelchair before my 120 sw tank develops, Lol !!

 

[AJK]

A couple of tips: You should always check your mixed water...how do you know if it's salinity is close to your tank when doing a water change?

Another hard lesson learned, thanks Steve. I alway's forget to check mixed water. No more corals for me, till I get some consistency going.

 

[BigAl07]

You'll be shocked how much a small tanks costs. I used to keep all of my receipts for my 10g tank. One day the drawer came open too far and they ALL fell out. Curiosity got the best of me so I started mentally adding them up. Once I woke up (passed out there in the kitchen) I decided to NEVER EVER keep receipts or track the "real" expenses of any tank again.

Any time you get "questionable" or consistently "out of range" test results you want to always seek an alternate testing method. This could be a new test kit, new testing device, a local friend of your LFS. If you seek LFS assistance don't ever accept the reply "Oh that water parameter is in the good range!" You need to know the VALUE not the range.

On a another note: Even is the newly mixed salt water is indeed 1.019 if you keep topping off with Salt Water it IS going to rise. The only way you wont get a rise in SG by adding Salt Water is if the tank is leaking SALT WATER OUT and you're simply replacing the lost salt water. Adding 1.019 SW as top off will increase your SG because the water evaporating is SALT FREE leaving its' salt in solution in the tank. You're adding more SALT to the solution. What I'm saying is it's time you found some alternate testing means before you cause bigger issues

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Great advice by everyone here. As said, a refractometer should be a bare minimum with reefkeeping, hydrometers are tools of the devil to lead good reef-keeping people astray!

Also, what Al said is a very important message. In the study of probability and statistics, the accuracy and validity of a certain result is dependent upon the probability that the result is accurate. It's a mouthful and tough to understand, but here's a good example from a statistics class I took: You are not sexually active and are a virgin, and you take an HIV test. If the test comes back positive, what are the chances you actually are HIV+? Very low. If you never had any blood transfusions, you've never had any organ transplants and you didn't inherit it from your mother, the chance is zero. It's impossible to have HIV if you've never been infected. You got a positive result, but the likelihood of you being HIV+ is statistically so insignificant that the positive result is meaningless. Back in the aquarium realm... you're adding saltwater to increase the salinity, and have been doing so for a few days. The salinity has to be increasing, there's no way it can't be. If you keep reading the same results, what is the probability that your salinity isn't increasing? Very low. I'd try another test method.

Test results are helpful, but it's always good to see if they make sense. Let us know how everything goes! :hallo:

 

[AJK]

Hi Al,
I just woke up calculating all my reciepts too, Lol !!!! Wow !! this hobby is expensive, and just think I bought my 120 gal for SW tank years ago. My 20 gal has cost me a fortune.

Now, everyone is suggesting refratcometer, which is next on my list.

On a another note: Even is the newly mixed salt water is indeed 1.019 if you keep topping off with Salt Water it IS going to rise. The only way you wont get a rise in SG by adding Salt Water is if the tank is leaking SALT WATER OUT and you're simply replacing the lost salt water. Adding 1.019 SW as top off will increase your SG because the water evaporating is SALT FREE leaving its' salt in solution in the tank. You're adding more SALT to the solution. What I'm saying is it's time you found some alternate testing means before you cause bigger issues

Makes alot of sense, thanks for the advice.

 

[AJK]

Hi Joe,

Test results are helpful, but it's always good to see if they make sense. Let us know how everything goes!

Thanks friend, well water salinity wasn't making any sense to me, kept getting the same reading over and over again. Researching refractometer now to order. My lfs has a refractometer, I ended up with 2 hyrdometers for comparison, waste of money, that could have went towards a refractometer. Another lesson learned.

 

[DesertOrchid]

This is a hobby of lessons learned.............welcome LOL! I used a hydrometer for years then switched to a refractometer and it is so darn easy to use compared to a messy hydrometer that I wished I had invested in one years and years ago. Good luck and keep on learning!

 

[AJK]

This is a hobby of lessons learned.............welcome LOL! I used a hydrometer for years then switched to a refractometer and it is so darn easy to use compared to a messy hydrometer that I wished I had invested in one years and years ago. Good luck and keep on learning!

Hi and thanks friend,. I wouldn't use a hydrometer to test my drinking water, can't believe I was talked into purchasing one. Needle is alway's sticking, no matter how much I rinse. I'm having a difficult time finding a refractometer $40.00 price range, too many to choose from, don't know which to trust. Need one asap.