Hydrometers! :(

[SeeDemTails]

My buddy gave me an instant ocean hydrometer...(I know why he gave it to me now )

It is way out of calibration......I have been told you can calibrate it wit sea water at 1.026, and then draw your own marks with a black marker where you want the salinity to be.

I have the ability to do this as I live in Daytona Beach Florida, but does it work, or should I smash it and buy a refractometer like I really want to.

 

[ianrich147]

i would gow with the refractometer

 

[EELectric]

Most people on this site recommend a refractometer because they are more accurate, but I don't see what is wrong with manually reading the salinity on a hydrometer. It works perfectly fine for me and since you got it for free save yourself 40 bucks and do it the cheap way. HTH

 

[SeeDemTails]

Most people on this site recommend a refractometer because they are more accurate, but I don't see what is wrong with manually reading the salinity on a hydrometer. It works perfectly fine for me and since you got it for free save yourself 40 bucks and do it the cheap way. HTH

Too bad the stupid thing gives me a reading of 1.030! 8O ...Even when I know the new water from the LFS is 1.025......

I plan on calibrating it using ocean water, I hope it works.

I had a different type about 3 years ago, which worked much better, but I have not been able to find it. Everyone one sells the instant ocean ones.

It is for a nano reef, so this is particularly important. I top off everyday, but if the skimmer is over adjusted, or some other way I loose volume of SW, I want to be able to see where I am before I throw my tank into osmotic shock 8O .......

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I bought a refractometer 2 months ago. It was my best investment. The thing is dead on accurate. I hated my floating hydrometers.

 

[melosu58]

Spend the 40.00 and get the refractometer. It will be your best investment.

 

[Feron]

Agreed with other advice... refractometer all the way...

 

[FishFrik]

Too bad the stupid thing gives me a reading of 1.030! Shocked ...Even when I know the new water from the LFS is 1.025......

Mayb u left the water somewhere for too long so some water evaporated XD

 

[divemasterjim]

The cheap comes out expensive

 

[seaham358]

What will using seawater do for you??? makes no sence too me.. Using your tank water is fine to calibrate it.. You need a refractometer to give you the right SG then use the hydro, you will then know how off the hydro is. The question that needs to be answered is the hydro off the same amount every time?? maybe yes maybe no.. Don't be cheap spend the $45 and get a refractometer. This is not a cheap hobby and some things should not be skimped on. I went 2 years with a hydro and at the beginning it was right on towards the end I found out I was running my reef at 1.029 thinking it was a 1.025.

 

[angelscrx]

Buy the refractometer it will be worth every penny in the end. Oh by the way you can't calibrate a hydrometer with natural SW you have to have a refractometer as mentioned before and done like it was suggested.

 

[FishFrik]

What will using seawater do for you???

I think he's going to test the real "seawater" with his hydropmeter. If the result comes out to be 1.025, his hydrometer is working fine.

 

[Feron]

Couldn't he just use purified water to see if it read baseline and adjust accordingly?


EDIT - ahh I see... most don't go that low... I'll find the model I had that did..until I got frustrated with it and just bought a refractometer..

2x EDIT - Instant Ocean model.. reads 1.000...handy, that..

 

[FishFrik]

2x EDIT - Instant Ocean model.. reads 1.000...handy, that..

My IO model used to reads 1.000 for my RO water... now it reads 1.004 lol

 

[Feron]

yup.. like I've said before...hydrometers are garbage (and gotten flak for saying so...)
Refractometers stay pretty much consistent... and you can always reliably adjust them to remain so...
Worth the extra $$ (especially when you have some 100s-1000s of $ of stock)

 

[Devilishturtles]

My hydrometer was dead on when I first got it. I recently got a refractometer and found out that I've been keeping my tank at 1.030+ salinity for...who knows how long.

 

[Scottm]

My IO model used to reads 1.000 for my RO water... now it reads 1.004 lol

Usually thats a sign of salt residue in the hydrometer which scews the readings.

 

[dankent]

well I had that same hydro as well .... I had a friend come over with this refractometer and show me how off the hydrometer was off ... and i did the same thing ... with the black lines representing where i wanted to keep my salinity ... I ended up buying a Digital Pinpoint Salinity meter that has done very well for me now.

 

[roka64]

I had that hydro too. I read here, calibrate your hydro with distilled water. Where it lands should be 0, mark that and you can adjust the rest of your readings from that. I believe this would be better than trying to calibrate your hydro to seawater.
PS. I agree with the rest, if you can afford the refracto, do it. Mine hydro was reading 1.022 but on the refracto was 1.027, if I remember correctly.

 

[geckofrog]

RE-FRACT-O-METER
it will solve on your salinity problems