Refractometer?

[Fozzy225]

Can refractor-meters go bad? I've noticed my tank kind of looking bad ever since I've bought my refractor meter. I went back to the little $10 plastic meters. My refractor meter read 025 the new plastic one was 029 has anyone else had problems?

 

[Macscale]

Refractometers measure salinity, you know that? If it has a swing arm then it's a hydrometer. If you look through it or it requires you to put water on it then it's a refractometer. It is possible for them to go bad if you don't maintain it and clean it.

 

[Fozzy225]

Well my refractor meter read 025 my new Hydro meter read 029

 

[Macscale]

I'd trust the refractometer. Swing arm Hydrometers are notorious.

 

[Fozzy225]

I looked in my book as far back as a year and refract meter and a skimmer was the only thing I have changed. And everything was looking good. But noticed things getting worse. Few months after I bought them two items

 

[ezy33]

My refractometers came with a bottle of calibration fluid to zero it out. Maybe a LFS could check it for you.

 

[PrettyFishies]

Refractometers fall out of calibration so you need to re calibrate every other month or so.

 

[Fozzy225]

Thanks. I've done that with distilled water. I'm gonna try to bring it down some. Just to see how things react.

 

[Holygral]

Thanks. I've done that with distilled water. I'm gonna try to bring it down some. Just to see how things react.

It needs calibrated with calibration fluid. It calibrates it at 1.0259 or 35 ppt, a $10 bottle last for years.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Don't calibrate with distilled water, use calibration fluid. It really makes a difference.

 

[Fozzy225]

Ok that's what I was told to use by my live fish store guy. But thanks I'll try that for sure.