trouble shooting

polywise · 05/16/2012, 05:20 AM

SPS system
coral looking pale to minor stressed, also some die off of frags in my system.

questioning MG
so I bought a new MG test kit to cross check the one that I was currently using , and got similar results.

I also for the first time ever bought a salinity calibration test fluid for my refractometer. l like to keep my SG near 1.026. I check calibration quarterly with distilled water, and calibrate to 0 ppt. With the test fluid my 0 (which I had been trusting for years) was way off.

I calibrated to 35ppt, and checked my water. It read 1.032

This might answer some of the reasons I have been seeing stressing as my sg got above the 1.026 I was trying to maintain

polywise · 05/17/2012, 04:14 AM

anyone have similar results with their refractometer ?

ek9vboi · 05/17/2012, 08:45 AM

Yeah, these things go out of whack all the time. I've got an eBay one and some other one. Seems like they shift, I actually need to check my refractormeter again. Gotta start doing it when I do my water changes or testing. A simple habit I suppose.

thegrun · 05/17/2012, 09:58 AM

You are always better off calibrating any instrument with a solution as close as possible to the range it will be reading as possible. Using RO/DI water usually gets you in the ballpark, but 1.026 solution is much better.

Buzz1329 · 05/17/2012, 01:42 PM

I calibrate it with 35 ppt solution every time I use it (usually once a week or two to confirm accuracy of Coralife "Deep Six" hydrometer, which after four months of use is still pretty accurate).

polywise · 05/20/2012, 05:25 AM

I'm rather stunned over this, as I have a hydrometer that was reading rather close to my refractometer prior to using the calibration solution. Would is be safe to say to always use the calibration solution vs a hydrometer?

05/16/2012, 05:20 AM	#1
polywise OLD SCHOOL-ish Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Somers, NY Posts: 889	trouble shooting SPS system coral looking pale to minor stressed, also some die off of frags in my system. questioning MG so I bought a new MG test kit to cross check the one that I was currently using , and got similar results. I also for the first time ever bought a salinity calibration test fluid for my refractometer. l like to keep my SG near 1.026. I check calibration quarterly with distilled water, and calibrate to 0 ppt. With the test fluid my 0 (which I had been trusting for years) was way off. I calibrated to 35ppt, and checked my water. It read 1.032 This might answer some of the reasons I have been seeing stressing as my sg got above the 1.026 I was trying to maintain __________________ Jim C.

05/17/2012, 04:14 AM	#2
polywise OLD SCHOOL-ish Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Somers, NY Posts: 889	anyone have similar results with their refractometer ? __________________ Jim C.

05/17/2012, 01:42 PM	#5
Buzz1329 Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Staten Island Posts: 2,414	I calibrate it with 35 ppt solution every time I use it (usually once a week or two to confirm accuracy of Coralife "Deep Six" hydrometer, which after four months of use is still pretty accurate). __________________ Current tank info: 180 mixed reef

05/20/2012, 05:25 AM	#6
polywise OLD SCHOOL-ish Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Somers, NY Posts: 889	I'm rather stunned over this, as I have a hydrometer that was reading rather close to my refractometer prior to using the calibration solution. Would is be safe to say to always use the calibration solution vs a hydrometer? __________________ Jim C.

05/17/2012, 08:45 AM	#3
ek9vboi Registered Member. Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: South FL Posts: 3,027	Yeah, these things go out of whack all the time. I've got an eBay one and some other one. Seems like they shift, I actually need to check my refractormeter again. Gotta start doing it when I do my water changes or testing. A simple habit I suppose.

05/17/2012, 09:58 AM	#4
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	You are always better off calibrating any instrument with a solution as close as possible to the range it will be reading as possible. Using RO/DI water usually gets you in the ballpark, but 1.026 solution is much better.