how to measure salt level in saltwater aquarium : how to measure salinity using a refractometer

how to measure salt level in saltwater aquarium : how to measure salinity using a refractometer. salt level in aquarium : how to measure salinity : using a refractometer. how to measure salt level (salinity) in a saltwater aquarium with a refractometer. My salinity is between 1.024 and 1.026. 1.026 is the salinity level of the ocean. lots of great info in this rotter tube reef video on salt and equipment to measure salinity. always make sure you use separate gear for your main tank and quarantine tank. you don't want to take the chance of infecting your main aquarium with parasites by using the same equipment. i soak my gear in fresh water for a week to kill all parasites. soaking for a minimum of 48 hours is recommended.
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[@ROTTERtube]

VISIT US ONLINE - www.saltwatertankcare.com

[@affordableaquariumservices1663]

I'm new to saltwater and by far your channel is the most informative

[@ROTTERtube]

thank you so much!

[@djmjr77]

Make sure to thoroughly clean it with fresh water after every use. If not the salt can build up on the cover and lens affecting future readings. Sometimes you cannot see the build up.. good vid!!

[@yonosenada1773]

This video helped me a lot. Thank you!

[@ROTTERtube]

Glad it helped!

[@mrinsanitii]

Thanks for the video! You reminded me to check the calibration on the refractometer. I was surprised how off it was.

[@ROTTERtube]

mine was off a little during the summer. hadn't checked it in weeks.

[@noname-br5lo]

Just got me a spotted puffer last night wanna get him the brackish water he needs thank you for the great info

[@ROTTERtube]

that’s cool. let me know how it goes. i almost bought a puffer once. i heard they can be aggressive, but they don’t mean to. it’s in their nature to go into defense mode since they scare easily. what other fish do you have in there now? what size tank?

[@noname-br5lo]

@@ROTTERtube he is in a 10 gal but he is still small I will be switching him to my 29 soon tho he is a lil skittish at the moment but he's starting to warm up and he will have tank all to himself i have had success with pea puffer

[@DJ_LittlePea]

This has to be the easiest test we do on our tanks hahaha .... jack is a killer for sure lmao 😂

[@ROTTERtube]

thanks babe. Jack is the most loving and always by my side, however, he is very territorial. he's a jeckyl and hyde when something is in his yard. he's jumped and pulled birds out of the air for flying in his yard. they were a couple feet off the ground but he caught them. i hated seeing that and hate when he does it.

[@bobbyboy4496]

great info mate. did not know about not topping up with salt water I've been doin this for past few months...

[@ROTTERtube]

yeah man be careful with that! thanks Bobby!

[@nakulupadhyay3499]

Can we check the pool water also, as I have a salt water chlorine generator

[@ROTTERtube]

pool water doesn't have salt. this measures salinity

[@Leigh33]

Great video Steve as always but just a thought on buying a new refractometer.. Why not just use a different pipette as its the only thing that could cross contaminate as the refractometer water is always discarded after reading the results and never comes in contact with either tank. Please tell me im right because its what ive been doing for the last 6 weeks...... through copper treatment as well... EEK! GULP! The reef is still alive so I think its ok hahaha. Cheers buddy!

[@ROTTERtube]

yeah man you're right. i thought of that as i was filming but just left it how it was. good point. i'm a little OCD when it comes to this. i won't work on my DT if I messed with the QT at all. i'll wait till the next day. i know that sounds stupid. i just HATE going through the crazy hassle of salt mixing, QT, etc etc. it's just too much if you have a lot of livestock.

[@wombraider091]

Great video Steve. very informative as usual 👍👍👍

[@ROTTERtube]

THANKS for watching

[@alextracey1941]

Very good video, informative and well made.

[@musicmixcapecod]

Cool Video, I'm gonna purchase one of these since I've been using that cheap one you fill up with a cup of water and most times it triggers the auto topoff float switch to turn on which is kinda annoying. These are far more accurate too and since I've been in the hobby for 6 years I owe it to myself to own one. Thanks for posting

[@ROTTERtube]

sure man, yep, you need one.

[@netkill]

love your videos, but when you calibrate your refractometer you should use calibration liquid. I was doing it with ro/di water until brs showed a video on it, and sure enough when i used the calibration liquid it was quite a bit high on salt.

[@ROTTERtube]

thanks maybe i'll check it out

[@affordableaquariumservices1663]

Very informative video I just ordered my refractometer if you're going to use it to test salt in bucket then tank do you have to wipe off the lens after each use?

[@ROTTERtube]

yes you do. i also rinse with fresh water

[@Reefgrrl]

A great video for basic stuff we take for granted - my first tank was given to me with one of those floating thermometers that stuck up out of the water with a green band around it - I guess the idea was that if the water level was in the green band, the salinity was fine. Ha! When I finally had it checked, it was 1.038. No wonder the clownfish was so mean I named him Sid Vicious - he was miserable.

[@ROTTERtube]

yikes!

[@james9848]

Sir can I use in for freshwater aquarium to check api rock salt 🧂 pls reply

[@ROTTERtube]

maybe, never used it for that. it's meant to test for salt levels in saltwater.

[@dgarcia556]

I would also suggest using a calibrating solution 35ppt to be more accurate

[@ROTTERtube]

that's interesting

[@lopo8000]

1024 refeers to ppt right?? how do u read the %o is that like 30 g per liter??

[@ROTTERtube]

?

[@lopo8000]

if u messing your own urin do u also get around 1000 ppt?

[@ROTTERtube]

?

[@herby375]

Hi great info I have a question, I live next to a salt tidal beach, can I use that water in my tank and keep fish, I caught from the same place. Is there anything I should do to the water? Thanks!!!

[@ROTTERtube]

great question. i know a few people who have done this with no issues. i'll leave that up to you. i have never tried it. who knows what's in that water. i know it's natural, but still...could be anything in there....

[@heklik]

How about brackish water , what's the appropriate reading? Thanks

[@ROTTERtube]

it only measures the salinity in the water

[@monkeyfistsye5505]

hi I just put in my first firefish 3 hours ago and its just sitting under a rock . its still breathing though not dead as of yet. this is my first saltwater tank and I made the mistake of throwing the water I got with the fish in the tank and that shot my salinity up. I quickly removed the water and added freshwater . Could that be why its just sitting there? salinity is at 1.025 now but was at 1.028 and the fish was in that for about 30-40 minutes

[@ROTTERtube]

that's not critical so don't worry about it. the water from the bag the fish was in wouldn't shoot your salinity up. also, never put water from a fish store in your tank. more times than not, that water is contaminated with parasites and now they're in your tank. don't worry though, all you can do is wait and see. most fish hide when in a new tank. give him a few days to a weak. did you cycle the tank before putting that fish in? you need to cycle it before putting any fish in. if you don't know what that means then you didn't. if you are unsure of what this means, ask.

[@monkeyfistsye5505]

yes I did cycle it for 3 weeks 2 weeks with striped damsels. now there are 2 clowns and I added the firefish yesterday. okay I just figured the salt doesn't leave the tank when water evaporates so you should only put in freshwater and I put the water in by accident don't know what I was thinking. I drip acclimated the fish and just put the water from the bucket into my tank. he seems to be fine just still sitting there

[@ROTTERtube]

he could be shy. maybe someone is bullying him. try to keep an eye out as best you can to see what may be causing it. i'm sure your ammonia levels are close to 0 if not 0 but check them anyway. he could be a little stressed. it's a new home.

[@monkeyfistsye5505]

i did some research and turns out these guys can take days or months to come out of their hiding spot. mine is starting to come out now but stays really close to his spot . thanks

[@ROTTERtube]

sure

[@emmittcraftgaming4586]

Does it work for food? Like will it read how much salt is in food?

[@ROTTERtube]

no only water

[@adele167]

It's really clear thanks you

[@ROTTERtube]

Glad it helped

[@ivanshingler8926]

if I calibrate mine with clean water it is out when checking with a retractor check solution

[@ROTTERtube]

i just calibrate with tap water, has never failed me

[@ivanshingler8926]

Rotter Tube Reef you wouldn't know though, the calibration is recommended to be close to what you want to use it for, my salinity with calibrating with ro water meant my tank was 1.022

[@shivakumar-uh3kr]

can i use distilled water for calibration

[@ROTTERtube]

yes

[@Abreezeducttesting]

HELLO STEVE. LOOKS LIKE YOUR TEST PIC IN THE VIDEO WAS 1.22 BUT NOT SURE. MY SALINITY IS MUCH HIGHER.

[@ROTTERtube]

that's just a pic i found on the web. i can't get a pic of the inside of my result.

[@Abreezeducttesting]

Rotter Tube Reef ...Lol... you had me scared I had to go double-check my tank salinity.

[@williamkamphaus3392]

I questioned the same thing.

[@_anthonyisafish_2100]

Ha it does look like a light saber I never noticed that

[@ROTTERtube]

WHAT?! that's the main reason i bought it!

[@bobbyboy4496]

Rotter Tube Reef lol you should change your name to look saltwater.. or ROD2

[@ROTTERtube]

that's cool. maybe i should.

[@ROTTERtube]

GEAR I USE: KILL GREEN HAIR ALGAE with FOOD GRADE 12% HYDROGEN PEROXIDE. Dose 1ml per 10 gallons every other day. amzn.to/2LzSckL Finnex LED Aquarium light: amzn.to/2wOlbie MAG-FLOAT glass aquarium cleaner: amzn.to/2u2RrKJ REFRACTOMETER to measure salt level: amzn.to/2uMQclA 100% Pure Magnesium: amzn.to/2GLHbPa SYPHON to vacuum sandbed: amzn.to/2GK8i9k Ecotech Marine MP40W: amzn.to/2EqND8s Measure Master Syringe: amzn.to/2qeIrQL Turkey baster for cleaning live rock: amzn.to/2ryR20H saltwater tank maintenance gloves: amzn.to/2IuWrwp Seachem Cupramine Copper to kill ich: amzn.to/2idhGYG Copper Test Kit: amzn.to/2HAEuR0 Miracle Mud (Marine) 5 lb: amzn.to/2DDvzsl Red Sea Coral Pro Salt: amzn.to/2kjlnAa Aquarium Filter Media: amzn.to/2zXMXtD 3ft X 1 Flex Hose by Eshopps: amzn.to/2idXO7N Microbacter7: amzn.to/2kiLfMK VINYL BLACK TUBING: amzn.to/2jFXdvV T5 LIGHT: amzn.to/2idMWGK Instant Ocean Sea Salt: amzn.to/2jHipkW Rio Plus 2500 return pump: amzn.to/2idMaK5 New Life Spectrum fish food:amzn.to/2jIcQCT FOAM FILTER: amzn.to/2AEXMQV Stainless Steel Algae Scraper: amzn.to/2idO9y1 Blue Yeti USB Microphone: amzn.to/2iaIKaW EHEIM Jager Heater: amzn.to/2Ato7PE Seachem Ammonia Alert: amzn.to/2ibD3JB Tripp Lite 7 Outlet Surge Protector: amzn.to/2kjnh3M Two Little Fishies Seaweed food: amzn.to/2AEZBNL My favorite Protein Skimmer: amzn.to/2jJ6V0C Marineland Canister Filter: amzn.to/2Gl49YF

[@djmjr77]

Pretty slick with the "read more" text thats part of the Amazon link ;) how do you do that?

[@jackielarkin4810]

thanks for the information!

[@ROTTERtube]

no problem. thanks Jackie

[@josesmicroreef1628]

Hey Steve I think you meant to say the salinity in ocean is 35ppt 1.025 average

[@ROTTERtube]

i think i said 1.026.

[@mikegunthner7040]

New to salt water aquarium

[@ROTTERtube]

WELCOME to the hobby! check out the facebook group we have. tons of great people there to help!

[@josephfriedrich9792]

I calibrate mine using the store water when buying a frag, more so just check against my current tank water. I also try to calibrate it down to zero using rodi. Also to zero with distilled water. Also tried making my own calibration fluid... I still second and triple guess every technique I use, because I always think that, "maybe the fluid isn't true zero/calibrated it self." I wish that they had negative markings in the scale, so that way there isn't any possible way to calibrate it down past zero without over turning the calibrating screw. Everything is fine, but it's just for assurance of, "yes, regardless of my salinity, this is properly calibrated"

[@adrhdz93]

what breed is your dog? its nice lookin

[@ROTTERtube]

thanks a lot. he's a Cairn Terrier / wizard of oz toto. he's a little larger and my wife cut too much hair off him. they aren't really supposed to be cut.

[@livingmybestlife3186]

omg, I scewed up big my fish tank is at 1.036. my fish and coral have been living in it for months. i will slowly decrease it in water changes :(

[@ROTTERtube]

My brother did the same thing.....he lost a couple coral a fish because his was around 1.04

[@metalman552]

Ive been using a floating salinity/thermometer thing for over a year (only have live rock and a clown fish and coral banded shrimp thats got to go, shes getting to big for the 30litre tank and kind of a bitch).. Just ordered a Red Sea Refractometer , interesting to sea how far off my salinity is off..

[@ROTTERtube]

refractometers are really nice. you'll love them

[@metalman552]

True that, It arrived today, calibrated with RO water.. My floating salinity/thermometer thing reads 1.021 .. Red Sea Refractometer read 1.020..(might get that calibration liquid tomorrow and retest) floating thing aint bad for a cheap piece of shit, but dude it's glass and has mercury in it, it's a thermometer right! lol. If that thing breaks, goodbye tank right?! Refractometer is way cooler, as a science nerd testing is always fun plus is more sciencey for the nephews. It's why I probably wont get a Hanna checker, although I wont one. I kind of still like the chemistry parameter testing. Though accuracy is more vital so once I get some spare cash, hanna checkers! Do you use those? Edit: I forgot to ask. Does the water have to be 25C (degrees) for an accurate reading? Whats the 25c all about?

[@abiel2019]

Love it 😍

[@ROTTERtube]

thanks Libi xoxo

[@BillyPipes]

going live tonight?

[@ROTTERtube]

no i was building legos. probably next friday

[@BillyPipes]

Rotter Tube Reef lol. cool deal

[@ROTTERtube]

GET A REFRACTOMETER FROM AMAZON HERE: amzn.to/2uMQclA

[@leeverink32]

look at google for wish and type refractometer they are exactley the same meter's

[@13Sala13]

You're keeping that refractometer in that small box? That's abuse! It's obviously affected it's health. That refractometer deserves at least a refrigerator sized box to thrive. Wow I hate what people do to refractometers.

[@ROTTERtube]

the guy at the reef store said it would be fine

[@Reefgrrl]

The size of the box will limit its growth. 😈

[@ROTTERtube]

you're bad reefgrrl ;)

[@Reefgrrl]

I do my best. 😬

[@ROTTERtube]

;)

[@dallasreefer3157]

where has that poor guy been sleeping? get that fella a hairbrush

[@ROTTERtube]

i don't even ask anymore

[@solaimankhan1191]

বাংলায়

[@adminpanel4002]

WAY TOO LONG for something so simple.

[@ROTTERtube]

that's what she said