Anyone see an anemone look like this?

[homer1475]

Well I bought this a week ago because I started doing my own water changes with rodi water and salt

Digital Seawater Refractometer MA887 - Milwaukee

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

The specific gravity is great, but the temp on it, isn't accurate! Anyone else have this problem? If the room is 74 degrees, the instrument says about 72 degrees because the metal cylinder makes it cold..... add a sample water dot and it barely moves the temp to 72.4 or 72.6 etc... even warm water in the 80s doesn't even reflect it on the refractometer..... i huff some hot breath on the metal to w arm it up, but then its just as inaccurate the other way. i contacted milwaukee for answers why it even shows temp when it is not accurate

Its because the metal "well" is well, metal, and cold. It doesn't matter though as it has automatic temp compensation. Just make sure the temp is solid(not rising or lowering) before taking a reading.

Also do not 0 out the meter with RO/DI. It will throw it off. It has to be zeroed with steam distilled. If you run out, just email Milwaukee and they will send you more.

 

[ds38]

They do not have probes, but they do have the trident which test Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium.

For all i know my PH is 7.90 all this time, even though the ex maintenance guy swore its 8.2 ph from his test kits.
never could get my apex ph probe to calibrate further than to show 7.9 , so i've just learned to add .3 to what apex shows.

 

[homer1475]

Do you have 7.0 and 10.0 calibration fluids? That is how you properly calibrate the apex PH probe.

Have a watch of this quick video on how to calibrate it properly.

 

[ds38]

Its because the metal "well" is well, metal, and cold. It doesn't matter though as it has automatic temp compensation. Just make sure the temp is solid(not rising or lowering) before taking a reading.

Also do not 0 out the meter with RO/DI. It will throw it off. It has to be zeroed with steam distilled. If you run out, just email Milwaukee and they will send you more.

i calibrated first use, to get the salinity reading right

but temperature just seems some random feature that isn't accurate.

i literally kept testing my aquarium water to confirm sg, and temp says 72.4 on the milwaukee, but its 76+ temp in the apex, and with another therm i tried

so i don't get it.

 

[ds38]

Do you have 4.0 and 10.0 calibration fluids? That is how you properly calibrate the apex PH probe.

Have a watch of this quick video on how to calibrate it properly.

LOL yes, and apex customer service told me to send in the probes, and i even bought a new probe and still had same issues.

that video doesn't have anything i have.... aqua controller? milwaukee fluids? yes I have both calibration fluids bought a 5 pack and wasted them all trying to calibrate the ph probe.

 

[homer1475]

i calibrated first use, to get the salinity reading right

but temperature just seems some random feature that isn't accurate.

i literally kept testing my aquarium water to confirm sg, and temp says 72.4 on the milwaukee, but its 76+ temp in the apex, and with another therm i tried

so i don't get it.

It's because the of the METAL well you put the sample in. It's at room temp(or slightly colder because its metal), and the small sample cools to what the metal is. Why they even include the temp is beyond me, but it has no bearing on the test as the Milwaukee has ATC(automatic temperature compensation).

 

[homer1475]

LOL yes, and apex customer service told me to send in the probes, and i even bought a new probe and still had same issues.

that video doesn't have anything i have.... aqua controller? milwaukee fluids? yes I have both calibration fluids bought a 5 pack and wasted them all trying to calibrate the ph probe.

Sorry idn't realize when I posted the video it was so old and referenced the classic apex.

 

[ds38]

FYI, I cant say for sure, but either the maintenance guy a year ago installed defective used crap, or Apex is really unreliable.

Ive learned to ignore the Salt and the PH readings. Could never calibrate either one to show what maintenance test kits showed. And Milwaukee refractometer shows 1.024 so no idea what 41 even means on apex, but if this is right:

Salinity Conversion Calculator

Aquarium calculator; Convert salinity between relative specific gravity (sg), parts-per-thousand (ppt), and units of conductivity (mS/cm).

www.hamzasreef.com

then its 1.03

which means milwauke refractometer i have is wrong lol
which means my maintenance guys test kits and my hydrometer are wrong too

so ill assume apex probes are wrong

Compare my SALT on Apex vs the Milwaukee refractometer ... someone is wrong.
lol both are wrong, one each for salt and temp


any digital PH tester I can get?

 

[homer1475]

If you calibrated the PH probe, it's probably right. Never found mine to be off after calibration, but they should be calibrated at least once a year. I replace mine every other just as a precaution.

The salinity probe on the other hand is junk and should only be used for reference(IE, if it normally shows 40 then all of a sudden its 45 or 35 you know somethings wrong).

 

[ds38]

If you calibrated the PH probe, it's probably right. Never found mine to be off after calibration, but they should be calibrated at least once a year. I replace mine every other just as a precaution.

The salinity probe on the other hand is junk and should only be used for reference(IE, if it normally shows 40 then all of a sudden its 45 or 35 you know somethings wrong).

Alright so how should I boost my PH on Apex to show 8.2 right now?
Or I'll google around if you fall asleep, but you've been helpful I'll go with what you say!

i have no reason not to believe the PH probe, since it did the calibration steps on screen correctly, and confirmed, and i did both calibration fluids many times, but it never matched up with what maintenance guy was testing with his dumb kits and since I was paying him $150-$200 a visit, I believed my PH was fine

surprised Triton doesn't show my PH

but now Triton Lab results confirms my Phosphates are not fine, and his dumb test kits were showing 0.25ppm for the last 2 months

 

[Intense37754]

Sorry y’all are quick and on to something else as I was typing lol

Never used on of those and thats what I was going to get initially until one showed up on here for sale.
The hanna I will add salt to freshwater place it in water per instructions and keep adding salt till desired salinity and temp is achieved, both ppt and temp are instant, calibrated it when I got it and has been perfect since.

 

[Krzydmnd]

I just wanted to chime in and compliment everyone who is genuinely helping, and to the OP who is actively listening to and learning from the advice being offered.

This is why we have such a great community.

Best of luck on the tank, it looks like you'll get this figured out and be that much more satisfied with your results fr doing it yourself.

 

[ds38]

Homer, back to phosphates

Your Phosphorus / phosphate levels are too high.

1. Overfeeding, especially with dry food or not washed-frozen foods
2. No Phosphate in the system
3. Too much vegetable food

Homer, do you wash your frozen foods first?
Is the seaweed sheets for Tangs "vegetable food" and should I not be letting sheets break apart and float around in tank? I have a little clip but sometimes put a big sheet and didn't think it contaminates.

 

[homer1475]

Many ways to increase PH, but first lets understand why your PH is what it is....

Ph in a reef tank is a direct correlation to how much CO2 is in the room with the tank. Decrease Co2 and your PH goes up.

Now how do we go about doing that? Many ways, from simply opening a window to add more available oxygen to the room, to a simple airline hooked up to the intake of your skimmer ran outside, to more complex things like a CO2 scrubber.

But in no way is your PH bad, just a tad low, but perfectly normal in a closed up house.

 

[ds38]

I just wanted to chime in and compliment everyone who is genuinely helping, and to the OP who is actively listening to and learning from the advice being offered.

This is why we have such a great community.

Best of luck on the tank, it looks like you'll get this figured out and be that much more satisfied with your results fr doing it yourself.

Yes, I'm listening!
And we have gotten to the bottom of test kits being junk, and maintenance professionals being scammers & to do it yourself if you really care about your aquarium, etc etc

 

[ds38]

Many ways to increase PH, but first lets understand why your PH is what it is....

Ph in a reef tank is a direct correlation to how much CO2 is in the room with the tank. Decrease Co2 and your PH goes up.

Now how do we go about doing that? Many ways, from simply opening a window to add more available oxygen to the room, to a simple airline hooked up to the intake of your skimmer ran outside, to more complex things like a CO2 scrubber.

But in no way is your PH bad, just a tad low, but perfectly normal in a closed up house.

Ah good description. Indeed, it is closed off, even a canopy on the top. Maybe I should leave the canopy doors open sometimes and the PH could go up slightly?

 

[homer1475]

I have never rinsed my frozen to be quite honest. But, and this is a big BUT, I do not have a phosphate issue. I have just the opposite in my tank where I have to add phosphates to get them to a readable number.

Pellets/flake add a ton of phosphates.

 

[homer1475]

Ah good description. Indeed, it is closed off, even a canopy on the top. Maybe I should leave the canopy doors open sometimes and the PH could go up slightly?

I forget now.... Does this tank have a sump and skimmer? If there is a sump, is it totally open?

 

[Intense37754]

Lol I wouldn’t say all maintenance pros being scammers, just like anyone in all types of business and they are ONLY out to make a $ almost anyone can baffle people with BS if they appear like they know what they’re talking about.


What are you using to hold the tangs nori? A clip or a grazer?

 

[ds38]

Lol I wouldn’t say all maintenance pros being scammers, just like anyone in all types of business and they are ONLY out to make a $ almost anyone can baffle people with crap if they appear like they know what they’re talking about.


What are you using to hold the tangs nori? A clip or a grazer?

Got a clip and a grazer, put on opposite ends.
Tend to put a lot on the clip
Pieces float around eventually. Is that bad?
Lawnmower blenny loves it the most

I have a refugium, skimmer etc see attached

While we at it, pis.s.ed I bought a few $60-80 maxima clams from algaebarn.com, and they didn't survive 1 night, literally woke up today and crabs inside them. It's my cleanup crew. previously a $200 gigas clam emptied after a month. Maybe checkerboard wrasse decided to eat it. Anyone know why for sure my small clams have died but My big maxima clam has been fine for 6 months. Attached is a pic of the graveyard except for the big maxima.

The sump, skimmer etc is all closed off behind doors etc. Just like canopy on top closes everything off with doors too.

I was feeding pellets/flakes once a day, pellets for the harlequin sweetlips and flakes for the anthias because it's a quick snack and I don't have to thaw food. But maintenance guy was saying dried is bad so I've stopped mostly for a few weeks, but I do get out the freeze fried krill and feed eel a few every day or so, they go right in his mouth though not contaminating water