Salinity needs raised

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

@Justinv201 , I apologize for my part in derailing this thread.

Please let us know what further help we can offer you.

 

[Dburr1014]

Can we get an actual scientist on here to explain how this works for you guys because this is kinda sad how you think that using RODI water to set your reading and calibration to 0.00 will not give you the most accurate reading for when you test your tank water for salinity .

When you set your scale to weigh yourself do you calibrate the scale to 100lbs or 200lbs . No you calibrate to 0lbs . Then you put on the scale what you want to weigh

Measuring salinity would be the same . Set your scale to zero. Test your sample

Randy Holmes-Farley is the author for that paper that was posted and how to calibrate a refractometer. He is on here all the time. This is not enough evidence for you, good luck and happy reefing!

 

[Dburr1014]

Tank is doing well ........... not " thriving"

Not thriving and not doing well are the same. This is just a game of semantics now?

 

[melonheadorion]

you know, sometimes people just like to be wrong. kinda like a refractometer calibrated with normal water

 

[czoolander]

So I had my water tested at the LFS from an experienced 40+ year reefer. He tested my magnesium and calcium . Another reefer in the store who works at the local aquarium tested my salinity and ALK.

Results from these two . same results i tested at home 2 days later .

I think i will go with the experience of two real life reefers that i see with my own eyes the results they produce . with over 60+ years of reefing experience between the two of them .

My salinity is 1.025 you can make jokes and say im wrong and this and that but it is what it is.

 

[Dburr1014]

Peace out bro

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Eh, he's admitted he's new to reefing and doesn't want help. We tried.

Y'all, please remember that the person causing the discord is not the OP.
Let's try to get this thread back on track

 

[Dburr1014]

Y'all, please remember that the person causing the discord is not the OP.
Let's try to get this thread back on track

Well, the OP can surely calibrate a refractometer now.

 

[Dburr1014]

Sorry op.
Truly.
How's it going?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There is a reason my marine biologist friend said " do not take advice from this site " and i said no no R2R is good there is lots of good advice on here. LOL wow was i wrong you guys cant even calibrate a refractometer properly basic stuff. Watch a couple educational videos and see that you calibrate to 0.00 everything on the internet , youtube , google , books , the company itself says to use distilled water and calibrate to 0.00 . SO i really could care less what a couple fat internet trolls say on a forum .

I guess you should have asked a chemist about a chemical tool like a refractometer, not a biologist. I don’t usually ask my dentist about my sore knee.

The simple and indisputable fact is that many (not all) refractometers used by reefers are made for measuring brine (NaCl solutions), not seawater. If those are perfectly made and perfectly calibrated with RO/di, they must be slightly off when measuring seawater salinity.

The other fact is that ANY refractometer, whether perfectly made or not, will properly read 35 ppt seawater when calibrated with an accurate 35 ppt standard.

which would you rather do? Use a standard like ro/di that has a good chance of leading to inaccurate results, or use a high quality 35 ppt standard that does not have such a risk?

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Sorry meant 1.025

@Justinv201, it seems very odd that your LFS would sell water that is that far off in salinity. If they sold you pre-packaged water, even more odd. Before you go any further, we need to know what you are using to measure salinity.

 

[Pale Morning1]

The Big Al’s video uses RODI water to calibrate the refractometer to 0. Then proceeds to say the process is not complete and uses calibration solution to hone it in to 35. Not sure if everyone watched it all the way thru.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Folks, civility please!!!! Debate is just fine, and that's been left for now. But let's use civility in our debate and not use insults. Insults have been removed.

 

[KStatefan]

If the OP did not know these are some of the credentials about the author of the articles that were posted

Randy Holmes-Farley has a BA in chemistry and biology from Cornell University (1982) and a PhD in chemistry from Harvard University (1986). He has 57 patents, numerous publications and several awards in a variety of chemical fields.

If you ever have any reef related chemistry threads post your question in the Chemistry forum or google your topic and add Randy Holmes Farley and most likely an article will come up that you can learn more then you expected to.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

If the OP did not know these are some of the credentials about the author of the articles that were posted

Randy Holmes-Farley has a BA in chemistry and biology from Cornell University (1982) and a PhD in chemistry from Harvard University (1986). He has 57 patents, numerous publications and several awards in a variety of chemical fields.

If you ever have any reef related chemistry threads post your question in the Chemistry forum or google your topic and add Randy Holmes Farley and most likely an article will come up that you can learn more then you expected to.

***The OP is NOT the one questioning how to calibrate, etc.

 

[KStatefan]

***The OP is NOT the one questioning how to calibrate, etc.

Sorry thought maybe the OP since he is new might want to know who Randy was.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The Big Al’s video uses RODI water to calibrate the refractometer to 0. Then proceeds to say the process is not complete and uses calibration solution to hone it in to 35. Not sure if everyone watched it all the way thru.

That doesn’t really make sense to me. Calibration of a refractometer is not a two step process.

 

[Pale Morning1]

That doesn’t really make sense to me. Calibration of a refractometer is not a two step process.

I was just making the point that even the video poster used to support calibration with water actually uses calibration fluid. I use a digital tester. I am lazy. Lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I was just making the point that even the video poster used to support calibration with water actually uses calibration fluid. I use a digital tester. I am lazy. Lol

OK, thanks.