SG Spiking again!

[jhadaway]

Part c, 8 level scoops per gallon. Brs soda ash, 2 containers per gallon on warm water. All with 0 tds rodi.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Part c, 8 level scoops per gallon. Brs soda ash, 2 containers per gallon on warm water. All with 0 tds rodi.

I’m not sure what those containers exactly correspond to, but that is probably correct.

 

[jhadaway]

Sorry, premeasured brs soda ash. Im dosing 104 ml of alk and 208 of part c at double strength. Im pulling out 3 gals of saltwater for fresh rodi everyday. But there’s nothing stopping it from happening again until i can figure out the issue.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sorry, premeasured brs soda ash. Im dosing 104 ml of alk and 208 of part c at double strength. Im pulling out 3 gals of saltwater for fresh rodi everyday. But there’s nothing stopping it from happening again until i can figure out the issue.

I'd be especially wary of "fixing" something that may just be a test issue. If you are not adding salts in large amounts, the salinity is not rising. There are no unknown ways that can happen.

Either you are adding a lot more of the Part C than expected, or somehow otherwise adding a lot of salt.

If neither of those is true, test error is by far most likely.

 

[Justdrew]

I thought 8 scoops was double strength for part C and you dose 1:1 with your alkalinity dosage.

 

[ReneReef]

Also, if massively overdosing Part C, than wouldn’t you expect massive increases in Magnesium, Sulfate and Potassium?

Increasing salinity from 37 to 45 ppt by adding Part C wouldn’t that roughly triple Mg, Sulfate and Potassium?

So also I think that the salinity measurement being correct and Part C (mainly) causing the rise is totally UNrealistic.

To achieve an 8 ppt rise in salinity in an 100 gallon aquarium you would need to dose over 3 kilogram or roughly 500 level scoops of Part C.

 

[jhadaway]

I hear what everybody is saying and I don't disagree. But, something is causing this reading on both refractometers. So when I made beer, my hydrometer told me how much sugar was in the water. For reef keeping, it's salt in the water. So is there anything else that could be "In the water" causing a false reading? I'm only dosing, alk, cal, mag, part c. The alk and cal have trace elements mixed into the 1 gallon. It just can't be salt. Nothing is putting salt in that tank.

 

[jhadaway]

It took between 6-7 gallons of fresh water to get me down to 35-36 ppt. Tonight I'll start balancing the chemistry. I'm going to try and test the salinity every night. I'm also going back to regular strength dosing. Going to start eliminating variables.

 

[ReneReef]

It took between 6-7 gallons of fresh water to get me down to 35-36 ppt. Tonight I'll start balancing the chemistry. I'm going to try and test the salinity every night. I'm also going back to regular strength dosing. Going to start eliminating variables.

That also doesn’t seem to add up.

Assuming a net system volume of about 80 gallons. Exchanging 7 gallons would decrease salinity from 45 to about 41 ppt.

If those numbers are correct your net system volume would need to be about 35 gallons. Seems highly unlikely in a waterbox 100.3…

 

[Aquadude1]

Someone mentioned this and I may have missed your response, but I would triple check your ato. Not only that its working but also your top off water is good.

Edit: I see where you said you have an ato. Have you confirmed its working?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Also, if massively overdosing Part C, than wouldn’t you expect massive increases in Magnesium, Sulfate and Potassium?

Increasing salinity from 37 to 45 ppt by adding Part C wouldn’t that roughly triple Mg, Sulfate and Potassium?

So also I think that the salinity measurement being correct and Part C (mainly) causing the rise is totally UNrealistic.

To achieve an 8 ppt rise in salinity in an 100 gallon aquarium you would need to dose over 3 kilogram or roughly 500 level scoops of Part C.

same applies to most any way salinity rises. Those ions would not rise, but the only other way is truly massive overdose of alk and calcium, boosting sodium chloride, but there would be a lot of precipitate unless real demand is crazy high.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I hear what everybody is saying and I don't disagree. But, something is causing this reading on both refractometers. So when I made beer, my hydrometer told me how much sugar was in the water. For reef keeping, it's salt in the water. So is there anything else that could be "In the water" causing a false reading? I'm only dosing, alk, cal, mag, part c. The alk and cal have trace elements mixed into the 1 gallon. It just can't be salt. Nothing is putting salt in that tank.

There is nothing else that could be in the water at that level without wiping out the tank. lol

 

[jhadaway]

Again. Agreed. There’s a fly in the ointment. None of it makes any sense. I’m at least a month away from moving my lps to the new tank. We’ll see if the salinity risers tonight.