callibrating your refractometers correctly

[prattreef]

All members who use refractometers to check heir salinity levels should read the new article in this month's Reefkeeping Mag. by Randy Holmes-Farley. In a nut shell, if you are using ro/di as a calibration fluid, there is a good chance your calibrations may be off.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-12/rhf/index.php

Randy ( the other one)

 

[scarf_ace1981]

WTH

 

[reefman]

what about using distill water? thats what i use to calli

 

[Wes]

what about using distill water? thats what i use to calli

so did almost everyone else...until it was found that's it's not an accurate calibration.

I need to order some of that calibration fluid.

 

[pecan2phat]

2-step method, calibrate to 1.000 using distilled water, then to 1.026 using 53 ms solution from PinPoint.

 

[mshur]

i use 53ms from pinpoint..seems to work fine for me.

 

[prattreef]

Yes that is the point. Most refractometers that are made for testing salinity need to be calibrated with a known saline solution. 2 point as warren does it is best, but the 53ms solution or equivilent is fine. RHF also gives a home made recipe for a saline calibration solution using Morton's table salt that is very easy to make. RD

 

[mshur]

randy,
i think pinpoint solution is way to go and easy too

 

[scarf_ace1981]

just when i thought i was doing something right.

in a way this is a great find. this article is proof that some of the methods we use in reefing aren't very accurate @ all even when we been told so

 

[ShaunW]

This thread is a great heads up. I made the NaCl solution two days ago using my lab equipment (so the weight and volume are accuate), and tested my refractometer. Lucky it was accuate.

If anybody wants I could bring some to the Xmas party.

 

[masterswimmer]

If anybody wants I could bring some to the Xmas party.

That would be great Shaun. Thanks.
Would it be better if we all made holsters for ours and brought them to the party instead :biggrin: ........or would the NYPD think we were all a bunch of

R

 

[pecan2phat]

Shaun,
OT of this thread but since your here , is it true that when utilizing an UV sterilizer 40w & over and if you have No3 in your bulk water that it can unbind No3 back into No2?
I was told this from a hobbyist off the forum.

 

[ShaunW]

Shaun,
OT of this thread but since your here , is it true that when utilizing an UV sterilizer 40w & over and if you have No3 in your bulk water that it can unbind No3 back into No2?
I was told this from a hobbyist off the forum.

OK, so before I comment, understand that I am not a big fan of UV sterilizers. My main reason is due to the fact that they kill micro-organisms, hence the term sterilization. We keep reefs to growth marine life, big and small, not kill them. But a UV sterilizer could be helpful for an ich infection for example, so they do have their place, but so does a QT tank, so that ich never touches ones main tank.

So with that said, the function of UV light would be to kill any small living cell or multicellular organism by causing DNA damage. UV would also affect any proteins/chemicals that are present in the water but causing structural changes that could make them more susceptible to skimming or degradation. This is probably another good function of a UV sterilizer and maybe the best argument for using one, however, if you have alot of free proteins/chemicals present in your tank you are doing something wrong to begin with. SO to answer specifically your question Warren:

Nitrate has a very strong absorption at 214 nm in the UV range. Most dissolved organics have a strong absorption at 254 nm. Nitrite also absorbs UV light. So YES nitrate could be converted to nitrite, but nitrite can also be converted right back to nitrate. So it could be a self defeating process, but the nitrate/nitrite ratio would be a factor, i.e. if much more nitrate is present then converting to nitrite could overwelm the back reaction. Bacteria are a much better means of N reduction, IMO, with less negative affects.

 

[pecan2phat]

Thanks Shaun, very interesting

 

[SlamaJama]

thxs randy for posting this...

 

[SlamaJama]

shaun, could u plz bring some for me ...thxs

 

[twinreef]

This thread is a great heads up. I made the NaCl solution two days ago using my lab equipment (so the weight and volume are accuate), and tested my refractometer. Lucky it was accuate.

If anybody wants I could bring some to the Xmas party.

Hey Shaun

can u bring me some of that solution?
Thanks

Jorge

 

[ShaunW]

No problem guys. I will bring aliquots on Wed.