Went away for a week, came back to 1.60 salinity...??

[howdy20012002]

i think something is wrong with your refractometer
fish would have a very difficult time living in that much salt as they would not be able to dispel waster properly. I think that you would not have any live fish at that high of salt.
also coral would not do well, if not die, in that much salt.
that is almost 3 times the normal amount of salt.
it would be very hard to accidentally have that high of level unless someone dumped an extra bucket of salt into tank over the last week.
IMO, if it had been such a huge increase over the week period you were gone, you definitely would have losses as things can't adjust that quickly to such a large increase of osmotic pressure.
and I don't see how dosing various suppliments would do anything to the salt content as they are two separate things.

[sphelps]

Yeah I would venture my guess towards a measurement issue as well but probably user error since the posted measurement wasn't salinity nor an accurate SG. Not to be rude but if you can't write it down properly, there's a good chance you didn't read it properly either.

Also just noticed "Perpetual Water Changer" in your sig, what's that about?

[howdy20012002]

not trying to insult you, but make sure when you use your refractometer that you wash it before and wipe it down really well.
sometimes remaing saltwater will dry out and leave the salt residue on the lense and you will get a wonky reading the next time you use it.
i would definitely think it is a reading error of some sort.

[gobytron]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Yeah I would venture my guess towards a measurement issue as well but probably user error since the posted measurement wasn't salinity nor an accurate SG. Not to be rude but if you can't write it down properly, there's a good chance you didn't read it properly either.

Also just noticed "Perpetual Water Changer" in your sig, what's that about?

Really?
I ask for some helpful suggestions and someone who has 4200 posts can only offer insults like this?

I wrote this post up at work, was in a rush to do so as there are things other than being on canreef I'm sure my employer would like me doing so I missed a 0.

I'm sorry if that makes you think I'm an idiot.
I don't mean to be rude, but that was an unfair and pointless statement to make.

I have a hard time believing that you've NEVER had a spelling or syntax error sphelps?

Im a perpetual water changer because I have so many tanks and they all need water changes so I change water, you know, a lot.

[paddyob]

Did you try calibrate your refractometer?

[gobytron]

The proof is in the pudding.
fish were lethargic and almost all coral gone other than some zoas and palys that look like they might come back.

A couple of LPS seem to have fared the best.

I assure you, my refractometer is regularly calibrated and this isn't the only tank in my house so I know the reading is accurate as my 14 gallon and 60 gallon tanks are still right around 1.024-1.025. I've been reefing for about 10 years, I'm well aware that you should clean your refractometer with fresh water before and after each use.

I also calibrate is every couple of months.


Guys, I'm seriously looking for suggestions here and not banter.

If you don't have suggestions beyond my own personal error please don't post here.

[sphelps]

Ok, gremlins probably went to the LFS and bought two pails of salt, then when you were away they dumped the two full pails into your tank. It's always the gremlins.

[gobytron]

Really.
Thanks very much for your help Sphelps.

Maybe someone else here might benefit from your wisdom though.

I think you've just about maxed out your usefulness on this thread.

Gremlins or measurement error indeed.

[sphelps]

you're welcome

[Myka]

Originally Posted by gobytron

The proof is in the pudding.
fish were lethargic and almost all coral gone other than some zoas and palys that look like they might come back.

If you don't have suggestions beyond my own personal error please don't post here.

There is no reason to start getting rude. Your story doesn't make sense, so either there is a hole in the story or there is user error. That error could be with handling the refractometer or it could be something like adding SW instead of FW. It makes perfect sense that someone would say user error, and you would say the same thing. I have about 20 years of reefing experience and I still make stupid mistakes...it happens.

You didn't say the corals were lost. You said "my coral are affected" which really makes it sound that simply the corals are irritated.

When was the last time you checked the specific gravity of the tank and had it within normal range? If you checked just before you left, and you came back after a week to 1.060 then someone added A LOT of salt to your tank. Evaporation would not account for that amount of salt in the system even under extreme circumstances - maybe if you had a flat dish of water with a fan blowing on it. If you are sure no one added salt directly to the tank then I think your refractometer is not reading the high SG correctly, and it was probably more like 1.035-1.040 to begin with. Given the right conditions I could see SG getting that high with no FW top off, but not under normal conditions. How much FW did it take to lower the SG?