high salinity...coral sick

[Rownsurf]

Hey all,

I came home tonight to find my toadstool leather completely closed/recesed. The temnperate had risen a bit since the ac had been turned off. It was up to about 83. Generally stays around 80-82. I checked my other parameters and everything seemed normal, until I checked the specific gravity. This had somehow gone from 1.024 up to 1.027. Could this be the a problem for the coral. What could cause such a spike. If anything my salinity should be slightly low since I poured about two extra gallons of ro/di water in.

The only other change in the tank in the last few days was I added some carbon to my canister filter to aorb toxins the toadstool seemed to be releasing.

Anyways, just concerned. I don't have any RO/DI, but could use tap water. Would adding the phsophates be worth getting the salinity down, or cna it wait a day.

thanks,

Justin

 

[Elmo18]

I would get it down slowly again. Salinity is much more important, and should be fixed rather than being worried of adding a big of phosphate.

Do you have a tap water conditioner?

- Elmo

 

[NaH2O]

I would say that the problem is a combination of the temperature increase and the jump in specific gravity (SG is also temperature dependant). I don't think the specific gravity is all that bad, remember 35ppt salinity (natural sea water) is 1.0255 - and when you read it on a refract. it is actually 1.0265. I would get your temperature back down and gradually reduce your specific gravity. Did you SG go down some when you dumped in the 2 gallons of RO/DI?

 

[Rownsurf]

Hey all,

Well the coral seems fine this morning, thoguh my anemone and ricordia are acting odd, as they always seem to do in the morning. Will post about that shortly.

As for the SG, it was back down to 1.024 this morning. I never added any RO last night, or tap water. I suppose I may have been getting faulty readings, but I took them many times. Guess it's time to get a refractometer! Have the temperature back under control. Took off glass covers and lectured my roommates about turning of my AC.

Thanks again for the help,
Justin

 

[Ed Hahn]

Justin sometimes a small fan can help quite a bit. Just adding a small $5 dollar plug in fan to make air movement across the water. Maybe you and your friends can have a happy medium. They can save money by not turning on AC and you can have a stable temp. I have one inside my canopy hidden when my halides come on. Good luck,

 

[Elmo18]

Just another reminder, the swing arm hydrometers can work, but when you are taking measurements, make sure there are no air bubbles on the arm itself as this will throw off your measurement. Wiggle the whole thing around under the water, slowly take out and tap the plastic a bit if there are air bubbles. This may have given you a false reading.

Just my opinion.

- ELmo

 

[cdeakle]

Swing arms are garbage. The only way I would ever use one is if it has been calibrated with a refractometer and then i would still be hesitant....