Reef Chemistry Question of the Day# 300: Specific Gravity

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I dunno about that- but I got a bottle of crystals to replace good ol' ammonia inhalants and made the mistake of not thinking that they would be much different... Upon opening and placing my beak in the proximity of the jar, I think my brian smelled them directly, bypassing the olfactory nerve altogether.

lol

 

[Miami Reef]

Lol

Well, whatever it is you smell above the residual solids, I doubt it is HCl. lol

Can adding vinegar, vodka, and limewater increase salinity/specific gravity overtime in a reef tank??

 

[OutColdCRNA]

I found it interesting that CSF (cerebral spinal fluid) has a SG near that of seawater. Of course while learning anesthesia my mind wandered back to my reef haha.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Can adding vinegar, vodka, and limewater increase salinity/specific gravity overtime in a reef tank??

Vinegar and vodka cannot. Limewater can add some calcium and alk which has a small boost, but unless those things keep increasing, the sg does not keep rising.

 

[Freenow54]

Reef Chemistry Question of the Day 300

Which of the following has the highest specific gravity?

A. Normal seawater (35 ppt)
B. Kalkwasser/limewater (saturated calcium hydroxide)
C. Vodka for dosing (80 proof)
D. Vinegar for dosing (5% acidity)

Good luck!

Previous Reef Chemistry Question of the Day:

Reef Chemistry Question of the Day# 299: New Salt Water Parameters

Reef Chemistry Question of the Day 299 You are making a batch of new salt water for a water change, and realize that you overshot your salinity target. You measure the parameters to be: salinity 36 ppt pH 8.0 Calcium 455 ppm Alkalinity 9 dKH Magnesium 1380 ppm ORP 255 mV You then add some...

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2

 

[Miami Reef]

Vinegar and vodka cannot.

Why not? Is it because bacteria will consume it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Why not? Is it because bacteria will consume it?

That too, but ethanol will lower the sg of water it is added to, and acetic acid/water mixtures have sg below that of seawater. Its a little complicated how acetic acid impacts sg of seawater because it depends on whether one is keeping fixed salinity, etc.

 

[Garf]

Vinegar and vodka cannot. Limewater can add some calcium and alk which has a small boost, but unless those things keep increasing, the sg does not keep rising.

I've modified my kalk dosing container so it draws from the bottom. I concluded that either I'm using too much vinegar in the kalk, or one of the four little dogs we've got was piddling in it.

Ok, now I've confused myself. Why the heck did my kalk sludge whiff of acid? Lol. Note to self, clean it more often.

 

[Freenow54]

I dunno about that- but I got a bottle of crystals to replace good ol' ammonia inhalants and made the mistake of not thinking that they would be much different... Upon opening and placing my beak in the proximity of the jar, I think my brian smelled them directly, bypassing the olfactory nerve altogether.

Hope you are aware that you become immune to ammonia if you inhale it enough ie you can't smell it. Not a good thing

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've modified my kalk dosing container so it draws from the bottom. I concluded that either I'm using too much vinegar in the kalk, or one of the four little dogs we've got was piddling in it.

Lol