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]

Originally Posted by larryandlaura

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.

Originally Posted by MizTanks

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

[MizTanks]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.