Tips and Tricks

So I was wondering if anybody had any tips or tricks that they have learned. This is something that I should've known a long time ago, but I was just told to let my newly mixed saltwater sit for at least 24 hours. I had always let it sit around 6 or so. So if anyone has any info like this or things that they found out the hard way, could you please fill me in. I currently have a 29 biocube and I have had saltwater for about a year now.

 

Make sure you have a refractometer and NOT a swing arm. Just read on another forum a kid with a bio cube lost all 4 fish bc his swing arm told him it was at 1.024 when he brought it to a store it was really 1.042

 

+1 for refractometer. My LFS stills uses a swing arm but I'm not comfortable trusting them.

 

get a mag float.

~Will.

 

Ok, I already have the mag float and love it. I'll have to look into getting a refractometer. I have the Instant Ocean swing arm kind.

 

Patience - couldnt tell you how much it cost... they dont sell this.

 

speaking of a refractometer, do you know of a good/cheap place to get one?

 

ebay sells one for 32 bucks with free shipping i believe

 

Personally, I prefer the swing arm. I have a really hard time reading the level in the refractometer plus it needs to be calibrated with RO from time to time. I bought mine on ebay so maybe its a POC.

The swing arm is susceptible to being off if it has small bubbles on it but you need to tap it a bunch of times and take multiple readings to double check. You need to know its limitations I guess.

 

+1 to using a refractometer vs. a swing arm. I ordered one from the ebay seller someone posted in another thread on 3reef and I paid around $30 total for it. It arrived the other day and I calibrated it using the calibrating solutuion i bought from Bulk Reef Supply. I heard RO water can vary and may not be 100% accurate when calibrating so I used the BRS solution instead which calibrates at 35ppt instead of 0ppt. Anyway, I tested my tank for the first time last night with the refractometer and I was shocked at the results. My swing arm had been reading 1.024 but the refractometer's reading was 1.020! Fortunately, my nano is newly set-up so I don't have any livestock in there except for two baby perculas which don't seem to mind the lower salinity. I'm sure other inverts, coral maybe not have responed so favorably. Another added bonus - its super easy to use.