Keeping up salinity?

[MizTanks]

It is soooo dry in my trailer (snap crackle pop) and I'm getting quit a bit of evaporation, therefore doubling my top offs. What is the best way to keep my salinity up between water changes?

[bluwc]

Check it before you add the water.

[burningbeard]

I check mine before I add top off water. I was told water will evaporate but the salt doesnt. So that being said when I do check I have found my salinity to be a little higher before I add to compensate for the evaporation. This by no means has any scientific proof and I am curious if any one else has noticed this. I does work in my situation.

[larryandlaura]

Only water evaporates. The salt stays consistent. That's why your salinty rises. I would just do a few top offs a week pr add a few more to your maintenance schedule.

[rmalone]

Don't worry about it Miz if your topping off to the same water level you started with then your top off will bring the salinity back down to where it is supposed to be. If you add saltwater for topoff then you will see the salinity go up. Right now my 180 is going through about 4g of top off per day.

[MizTanks]

My concern is low salinity. On my refractor the #'s on the right (salinity right) read -30 where's the #'s on the left (SG right) read 1.025 so I am understanding this as my salinity being low. Another reason I made a thread asking how to read a refractor meter :) am I reading it wrong?? Lol

[larryandlaura]

Sometimes they lose calibration! How are the corals looking?

[MizTanks]

Sometimes they lose calibration! How are the corals looking?

My corals are wonderful! After 2yrs of using the dang thing I was wanting to know how to actually read the refractor~lmao!

[schminksbro]

The refractometer should read the same on both sides. The right and left are just 2 different scales. Parts per thousand and specific gravity. Refractometers need to be calibrated regularly.

My corals are wonderful! After 2yrs of using the dang thing I was wanting to know how to actually read the refractor~lmao!

[MizTanks]

The refractometer should read the same on both sides. The right and left are just 2 different scales. Parts per thousand and specific gravity. Refractometers need to be calibrated regularly.

I just hate to order 1 lil bottle of calibration fluid online-shipping cost more then the bottle. Can I not just use distilled? Instructions say to use it.

[rmalone]

Yes you should calibrate but 1.025 is just about perfect. I guess you could tweak to 1:026 but I sure wouldn't freak about 1.024. But yes calibrate. Remember if the critters are upset it will show, via your eyeballs. If you test something and it doesn't seem right, retest, then do it again, then do it with another kit. A healthy looking tank might benefit from a tweak but rarely is it necessary to make a radical change to a tank that looks right. Now if the tank looks like poop (and yours does not) then you need to react but in your case just tweak the edges.

[Heidi]

Miz you know what is the most important thing not wether your S.G. is 1.024 or 1.026 or 1.023.... but that is stays super consistent. I noticed that with my hex two times a day to top off worked better at keeping that consistency then only once. Now it doesn't swing much at all with the big tank but for nanos you have to watch it more closely. and like the others said if the corals look happy then your SG is where it needs to be :) Hope that helps some...Good luck!

Heidi

[jimsflies]

To minimize evaporation, you can cover your tank with a solid cover (but you will lose light intensity) or use a humidifier in your home. The best way to deal with evaporation and assure consistency is an automatic top off. The Tunze Osmolator is the best one IMO. Are you using a refractometer or a hydrometer to check your salinity?

As for calibrating a refractometer, you want to use a calibration fluid of a known salinity close to the range you are measuring in. Since distilled water will be close to zero it isn't appropriate. In the past BeakerBob has had calibration fluid that he made available at swaps, etc. You might try to contact him.

[Badfish]

Miz, I use CoralVue 12V Electronic Top-off Float Switch (http://coralvue.com/electronic-float-switch/ (http://coralvue.com/electronic-float-switch/) ) for my ATO and my salinity stays almost perfect. It comes with everything you need besides the fresh water container (I just use a 5 gal bucket) and it's was only about $50.