Salt!

[Scooterman]

I will continue to post my results with IO using the very same methods and equipment.

[cazoo]

power of hydrogen= pH

I am not too concerned about getting data from many people- as long as people are careful it will be better to have random error than any systematic error associated with one person doing the same thing wrong every time. I hope people are interested and we can get a lot of data. If anyone is doing water changes this weekend- throw some measurements our way on this thread.

[cazoo]

anybody got any data from water changes over the weekend?

[EdgeKrusher]

I will when I get home. I'm doing a water change, the water has been sitting over night, with a PH, and airpump.

[Craig Manoukian]

I will get to mine today or tomorrow, Tuesday. Thanks for keeping this going!

[Scooterman]

Originally posted by cazoo
power of hydrogen= pH

DAA, that one went over my head LOL!

I did a 40g water change this weekend,
Same methods as in my first post.
Alk 3.8257
CA 340
Power of Hydrogen 8.0
Temp. 78
SG 1.025
MG 1200

[Curtswearing]

Boy I must have been tired.

Normally I type pH wrong. I have seen my posts where I typed it as Ph, PH, ph. I don't know what possessed me to type out the words. I must have just read something recently spelling out the entire word and I must have copied it.

From now on, we can label it as pH.

Cazoo----thanks for volunteering to help with this project.

[Scooterman]

IT IS ALL GOOD, PH could be Power head also lol

[Boomer]

Some errors and things to look at to do this correctly

You all should be trying to achieve a Salinity = 35 ppt, not some SG value. That is why there is so much confusion in this hobby about Salinity/SG. You must have a std Salintiy to go by, otherwise all other values don't mean much in a comparison

The SG Scott gave at 1.0245 with a swing arm type hydrometer = 33 ppt. This type along with the SeaTest does not need to be temp compensated for and this must be pointed out. They are self correcting due to the thermal expansion properties of plastic. Floaters are a different issue which all MUST be aware of if you guys are going to do this. Ex; A SeaTest that reads 1.026 @85 F = 35 ppt and the same @ 72 F =35 ppt. This not the same for floaters where you must use a table or calculator to correct for temp. A floater calibrated to 75-77 F would be way off. Tom has not updated his page it needs some corrections, but they are not that big. You can see the temp column is off, use the column that says 75.2 F and not the C column .Here is a new table set to 77 F and 75 F hydrometers. Most LFS Floaters are calibrated to 75 F, only the Tropic Marin is at 77 F, all others as far as I know are at 75 F. It is by far best to use this calculator than the tables, less chance of error.

http://www.wymag.org.uk/simon/salinityhr.htm

Type in the floating hydrometers calibration temp, such as 77 F / 77F, type in the tank temp 78 F (sample temp). Guess the SG, lets go with 1.0255 for the given value, poof... Salinity = 32.750511169433594. Now lets do the same but the tank is at 84 F, all other things are the same = 34.163665771484375.We want to be close as possible to 35 ppt. It doesn't take much to figure out what SG to have to get a salinity of 35 ppt .In our last example 77 F/ 77F, tank at 84 F, it is 1.0255 = 35 ppt. Type that 1.0255 in the reading table and you get 35.00444250. The best floater is the tropic Marin. The swing arm is the new SeaTest. Either of them should be checked against a known std to see how far off they are. Pure water, not really the greatest thing. The SeaTest when right on is bar far the best thing, as long as you remember how to take care of it properly, otherwise it can be a bad thing.

Notes;

IO normally mixes low Ca even at 35 ppt.Usually around 380 or so, has been so for years

Most good 12" floaters and the SeaTest are within ± .001. SeaTest's seem to be off about .001 to low at the get-go, against a std. Hagen Pseudo-Lab 12 " are right on as as is Tropic Marin

Refract.They read about .001 to low right off the self, as they are calibrated to a NaCl std and that is not the same as seawater. So to get 35 ppt at any normal temp it should read 1.027 =35 ppt, as 1.027- .001 = 1.026 (corrected) = 35 ppt.


This is a table for *****Swing Arms****, i.e, SeaTest, Deep SIX**** following on the next two posts will be 75 F and 77 F tables for ***Floating Hydrometers***

[Scooterman]

I knew this would be problematic, I guess we were looking for consistency with the equipment we already have. Maybe instead of getting a Refract, I'll look into TropicMarin.
Thanks for the information B!

[Boomer]

75 F Table for ***Floating Hydrometers*** Only

[Boomer]

77 F Table for***Floating Hydrometers***Only

[Scooterman]

Boomer is this the one you're talking about?

http://www.bigalsonline.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi

Thanks for the charts, as much differences in reading the deep six, I don't think I could tell you for sure what actually it is reading, just in the hobby it is close enough for fish keeping but maybe that statement is wrong.

[Scooterman]

TROPIC MARIN HYDROMETER -



This high precision hydrometer is handmade in Germany by experienced craftsmen. It has a maximum deviation of 0.0005. This hydrometer never needs calibration Indispensable for scientists and the committed hobbyist. The higher price will soon pay off by an always exact salinity in the aquarium. Scale from 1.018 to 1.028, with a marked recommendation range 1.0205 to 1.0235.

[Curtswearing]

Wow,

Great information.