SPS Death? No idea why!

[flyingarmy]

Ziad..

I recently have been having the same issues, well sort of. My superman, sunset and rainbow have been slowly bleaching. All my parameters were ok, slainity was a little low and I think the major cuase of the problem. Now that I have the frag plumbed into the 160 they seem to be making a recovery. I hope its not to late for them. I need to recalibrate my refractometer and watch my salinity closely. Good luck!

 

[stroid]

this is an interesting topic in regards to a hydrometer vs. refractometer. I have always read a refractometer is the way to go and should be used if possible. I suppose a part is personal preferance but I will try to recalibrate my hydrometer with fresh RO tonight. Thanks for the suggestion Chris

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Ziad, you are confusing your terminology. The refractometer looks like a little telescope that you put a few drops of water on. It is calibrateable, and far more accurate. The hydrometer is the little plastic thing you fill with water and the arm swings to tell the salinity. These are garbage. Throw them out. You canmt calibrate them, and the are notoroiously innaccurate.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

bonez;98226 wrote: <u>Use distilled</u> water to recalibrate. Make sure the glass is clean do not use fingers to apply the water you have salts on your skin.

Why do you suggest distilled? RO?DI is more than adequate, and can actually be far purer than distilled (depending on the state of deionization).

 

[stroid]

jmaneyapanda;98227 wrote: Ziad, you are confusing your terminology. The refractometer looks like a little telescope that you put a few drops of water on. It is calibrateable, and far more accurate. The hydrometer is the little plastic thing you fill with water and the arm swings to tell the salinity. These are garbage. Throw them out. You canmt calibrate them, and the are notoroiously innaccurate.

wow good point I must be dyslexic today! I read hydrometer when you posted refractometer. Ok good I am planning on ordering one with my ATO from Aquabuys just waiting on the unit to get in stock.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

bonez;98248 wrote: I do not want to hijack Z post. I suggested distilled water because it is a <u>known</u> starting point. For a few dollars you have a gallon.

RODI will do the same. Just FYI.

 

[wbholwell]

jmaneyapanda;98229 wrote: RO?DI is more than adequate, and can actually be far purer than distilled

How can RO/DI water be purer than distilled? I thought distilled was the best (100% pure).

 

[jessezm]

I was under the impression that RO/DI water was the purest form of H2O, given the ability to achieve a TDS of 0. I thought that distilled water could still have a higher TDS rating and contain certain contaminates and impurities.

Whatever the case, I'm sure either will do just fine, but my preference for calibration and all my top-off needs is always RO/DI water with 0 TDS

 

[jmaneyapanda]

wbholwell;98264 wrote: How can RO/DI water be purer than distilled? I thought distilled was the best (100% pure).

High grade deionization can create some of the purest waters (which is why medical and lab grade water is always DI). Distilling can only rarely provide such a purity as DI (likely due to the condensing control). I am splitting hairs really, beacuse the contaminants in distilled waters is usually quite negligible, but, I would not consider distilled better than DI.

A side note for our reef tanks, distilled water is sometimes distilled in copper apparatus, and we know what excess copper can do in our tanks.

 

[wbholwell]

jmaneyapanda;98267 wrote: High grade deionization can create some of the purest waters (which is why medical and lab grade water is always DI). Distilling can only rarely provide such a purity as DI (likely due to the condensing control). I am splitting hairs really, beacuse the contaminants in distilled waters is usually quite negligible, but, I would not consider distilled better than DI.

A side note for our reef tanks, distilled water is sometimes distilled in copper apparatus, and we know what excess copper can do in our tanks.

Thanks. I just did a little research on the topic- Pretty interesting.

So does anyone have the capability of measuring the resistance of their water up to 15 MOhms.cm?

Also, where can I get some nuclear grade resin?

 

[stroid]

I have RODI water and I am ordering a refractometer this is how I will calibrate. Thanks for all the input I really appreciatte it...Ive learned alot in this hobby and from the ARC. I consider myself experienced with softie/lps but still very new to SPS. I always assumed my water from Petland was on point and most my hydrometer test were onpoint but apparantly not. Thanks

 

[ouling]

wbholwell;98268 wrote: Thanks. I just did a little research on the topic- Pretty interesting.

So does anyone have the capability of measuring the resistance of their water up to 15 MOhms.cm?

Also, where can I get some nuclear grade resin?

Ebay have them for a very competetive price.

 

[lorenk]

I've bought water and it's ranged from 1.020 to 1.029...which is why I mix all of it now.

If you are buying pre-mixed water, I suggest just buying a bucket of salt and doing it yourself. I have a small scale and I know exactly how much to put in my 7g bucket when I mix and it always comes out to 1.025. I have a small powerhead I drop in the bucket to mix the water and I'm good to go for water changes with minimal work.

-Loren

Stroid;98271 wrote: I have RODI water and I am ordering a refractometer this is how I will calibrate. Thanks for all the input I really appreciatte it...Ive learned alot in this hobby and from the ARC. I consider myself experienced with softie/lps but still very new to SPS. I always assumed my water from Petland was on point and most my hydrometer test were onpoint but apparantly not. Thanks

 

[stroid]

Yeah my RODI unit will be here on the 8th and I already have a large bag of salt so this is going to be the new approace. It will allow me to do more water changes more frequently and that will be a good thing.

 

[schwaggs]

ouling;98284 wrote: Ebay have them for a very competetive price.

And other online sources too. We did a group buy on some nuclear grade resins several years ago. I still have 1/2 of a 5 gallon bucket of resin that I think I paid $20-30 for... If there are enough people interested, buy it in a 50 lb bag and save BIG...

 

[stroid]

Just an update tank is much more stable today and corals look much much happier. Not seeing any brown jelly as of yet and no new bleaching!

 

[megadeth]

threads like this are why I wont keep sps again

I've been though 2 SPS tank crashes that we never did figure out what went wrong, wake up one day, come down stairs, and half the sps had no tissue, the second time on my 240 I came home from work to see 2/3rds had no tissue

softies for me from now on