Faulty Refractometer

[madadium]

Hi guys, long time lurker, first time poster! Just got back into the saltwater game after a 3 year hiatus.

My 32gal tank has been up and running for about 1.5 months. After my nitrogen cycle completed 3.5 weeks in and other parameters looked good, I added a clown and a few hermits. One hermit died, but I didn't think much of it. I then added two trochus snails which died instantaneously, even after a lengthy acclimation.

Fast forward a week and a half. Again, I added two snails, which acted very strange... they twisted and jerked around outside thier shell before dying. At this point I'm thinking the tank just isn't mature enough to keep them alive... but it was odd to me that the hermits were still trucking and the clown was OK.

A week later I tried again. I added a small xenia frag, one nassarius snail, and a green clove polyp. No survivors.

Another 1.5 weeks pass. Last night I added a mushroom coral (hardy as hell, should survive, right?!). It melted overnight. Full troubleshooting mode ensues. I went through every possible reason why snails and corals were dying. Heavy metals? Dino toxins? Salinity???

I zeroed in on salinity. I bought a $30 refractometer on Amazon when I started the tank, and I calibrated it to 1.000 with RO. I know that's not the *most* accurate way to calibrate but it should have gotten me in the ballpark. I took some water to the LFS today and my salinity was 1.040! what the heck! After my rage subsided I'm now typing this to ask for advice and to reiterate a word of caution with skimping out on cheap but important components.

How slowly should I add RO to my 32 gal to avoid hurting the clown and hermits? Also what affect do you think this had on beneficial components in my cured live rock? I found it odd that I hadn't seen a single copepod or hitchiker in 1.5 months, despite some algae growth. Should I add another piece of live rock to seed anything that may have died?

Thanks a bunch!
Ryan

 

[jsker]

Hi guys, long time lurker, first time poster! Just got back into the saltwater game after a 3 year hiatus.

My 32gal tank has been up and running for about 1.5 months. After my nitrogen cycle completed 3.5 weeks in and other parameters looked good, I added a clown and a few hermits. One hermit died, but I didn't think much of it. I then added two trochus snails which died instantaneously, even after a lengthy acclimation.

Fast forward a week and a half. Again, I added two snails, which acted very strange... they twisted and jerked around outside thier shell before dying. At this point I'm thinking the tank just isn't mature enough to keep them alive... but it was odd to me that the hermits were still trucking and the clown was OK.

A week later I tried again. I added a small xenia frag, one nassarius snail, and a green clove polyp. No survivors.

Another 1.5 weeks pass. Last night I added a mushroom coral (hardy as hell, should survive, right?!). It melted overnight. Full troubleshooting mode ensues. I went through every possible reason why snails and corals were dying. Heavy metals? Dino toxins? Salinity???

I zeroed in on salinity. I bought a $30 refractometer on Amazon when I started the tank, and I calibrated it to 1.000 with RO. I know that's not the *most* accurate way to calibrate but it should have gotten me in the ballpark. I took some water to the LFS today and my salinity was 1.040! what the heck! After my rage subsided I'm now typing this to ask for advice and to reiterate a word of caution with skimping out on cheap but important components.

How slowly should I add RO to my 32 gal to avoid hurting the clown and hermits? Also what affect do you think this had on beneficial components in my cured live rock? I found it odd that I hadn't seen a single copepod or hitchiker in 1.5 months, despite some algae growth. Should I add another piece of live rock to seed anything that may have died?

Thanks a bunch!
Ryan

Wow
Are you using a auto top off with Ro/DI? or just topping off by hand with RO/DI

 

[madadium]

Wow
Are you using a auto top off with Ro/DI? or just topping off by hand with RO/DI

I know right! Nope, topping off by hand. I still have the lid on my biocube so I didn't have much evaporation. As I noticed the water level in the back dropping I was topping off with RO about once a week, not much was needed.

 

[Woody1911a1]

what you cheaped out on was not buying proper calibration fluid . $6

 

[madadium]

what you cheaped out on was not buying proper calibration fluid . $6

I agree with you, but don't you think calibrating to 1.000 with RO should have got me close enough? A quality refrac shouldn't have that big of a different between 1.026 and 1.040 when calibrated at 1.000.

 

[ZoWhat]

Calibrating a refractometer to 0 is similar to calibrating a cars speedometer by using 5mph as the test. Too much room for error to be accurate at 55-65mph.

To be accurate you need to calibrate it in and around the range you're testing.

I would buy 35ppt calibration fluid

 

[madadium]

Thanks for the input. Do you think it's necessary to pick up more live rock to seed some beneficial macrofauna?

 

[USMC 4 LIFE]

I agree with you, but don't you think calibrating to 1.000 with RO should have got me close enough? A quality refrac shouldn't have that big of a different between 1.026 and 1.040 when calibrated at 1.000.

Depends on the quality and model. Good job verifying the salinity.

You can bring down the salinity over two days. It’s not that big of a deal when compared to raising salinity. Remove some DT water and add fresh RODI. If you’re buying the RODI verify it’s 0 TDS as well. Also, when you add top off water ensure you’re topping it off with RODI only.

Have you checked your other parameters? I know you said they were fine but I’ve read that countless times to later find out that the person failed to check something essential. Parameters that are vital are CA, ALK, MAG, No3, Po4, salinity, PH, temp.

Feel free to ask questions

 

[madadium]

Depends on the quality and model. Good job verifying the salinity.

You can bring down the salinity over two days. It’s not that big of a deal when compared to raising salinity. Remove some DT water and add fresh RODI. If you’re buying the RODI verify it’s 0 TDS as well. Also, when you add top off water ensure you’re topping it off with RODI only.

Have you checked your other parameters? I know you said they were fine but I’ve read that countless times to later find out that the person failed to check something essential. Parameters that are vital are CA, ALK, MAG, No3, Po4, salinity, PH, temp.

Feel free to ask questions

Thanks man. Yeah once I get the salinity back down over the next few days I will do another test of all those parameters.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

I bought a $30 refractometer on Amazon when I started the tank, and I calibrated it to 1.000 with RO. I know that's not the *most* accurate way to calibrate but it should have gotten me in the ballpark. I took some water to the LFS today and my salinity was 1.040! what the heck!

It's as you said, calibrating with freshwater is not the most accurate way to calibrate a refractometer. It might be close, it might not. It all depends how good or how bad your refractometer is.

While calibrating with freshwater may or may not give you accurate calibration at S = 35ppt, a salinity standard will always produce accurate results. You can make your own standard with a $10 kitchen scale, some salt, and a soda bottle, or you can buy one from BRS for less than ten dollars. I can't think of a good reasons to not have a salinity standard in your aquarium toolbox.

 

[madadium]

It's as you said, calibrating with freshwater is not the most accurate way to calibrate a refractometer. It might be close, it might not. It all depends how good or how bad your refractometer is.

While calibrating with freshwater may or may not give you accurate calibration at S = 35ppt, a salinity standard will always produce accurate results. You can make your own standard with a $10 kitchen scale, some salt, and a soda bottle, or you can buy one from BRS for less than ten dollars. I can't think of a good reasons to not have a salinity standard in your aquarium toolbox.

Agreed. This refractometer is being returned and I'll definitely pick up some calibration fluid when I get a better quality one. Thanks!

 

[jsker]

I was good advice here. I finally bought one of those fancy digital refractometers and could not be happier.

 

[Woody1911a1]

i just checked my rodi water , 0 tds , just ran this afternoon and it measured 1.007 on my ATC refractometer . now if i had recalibrated to that i'd be screwed . that's the same one BRS sells . i wouldn't blame the tool for the user miscalibrating it .

 

[Woody1911a1]

any chance someone here with an electronic tester could check some rodi water and let us know how it reads ?