Salinity testing gone bad

[Chris_from_SoCal]

I last had salt water tanks 30 years ago. I used a refactometer that I am pretty sure had no way to calibrate it.

Now I setup my reef tank 3 months ago and was relying on a refactometer to give me accurate results. I did not know they now can and should be calibrated.

I noticed recently that some of my corals were receding. At first I thought it might be my fish poking at them. Then I thought things were not right and bought a digital reader.

At first I thought I wasted my money since the readings were way too high. I was searching of a way to calibrate it but found it was factory calibrated and should not need to be redone. When searching for this I found out my manual refractometer can and should be calibrated.

After watching a youtube video I found that my refractometer way way off and after fixing the calibration it now matches what the new digital reader was telling me.

I have been pretty good at keeping my tanks at what I thought was 1.025 but it has been actually at 1.032. Now I know better.

I am working the salinity down a bit every day so I don't cause more problems.

That sucked but at least it was fixable.

 

[Subsea]

Considering getting a hydrometer as well.