Hydrometer question
- Thread starter wildjosh
- Start date
mandarin w
Member
Instead of a hydrometer, just look into getting a refragmeter. They are about 30 to 40 buck, a 100 times more acruate, and easy to calibrate.
fgcu14
Member
i have an instant ocean hydrometer(Cheap Plastic) and works great. I have been told by many LFS owners that refractometers are not a nessisary item. "Don't listen to the LFS", right.....now when a LFS tells me not to buy something that they would make more money off of I figure they must be telling me the truth.
scsinet
Active Member
Originally Posted by fgcu14
i have an instant ocean hydrometer(Cheap Plastic) and works great. I have been told by many LFS owners that refractometers are not a nessisary item. "Don't listen to the LFS", right.....now when a LFS tells me not to buy something that they would make more money off of I figure they must be telling me the truth.
Well... one could argue that they are in you for the long term investment...that you'll spend a TON with them as you replace dead invert after dead invert due to outa whack SG.
Seriously though... the plastic ones can work well enough, but they can also be very badly inaccurate. If you mix your seawater yourself, a refractometer is a requirement. If you buy seawater and have an LFS that can do a refractometer-backed water test every month or so, a plastic one will suffice. I started with the plastic ones, moved to the glass (then found that the glass ones are really hard to read because the entire range for seawater constitutes about 1/8" on the scale), back to plastic, then to a refractometer. I am still using my first refractometer to this day and it's still dead on accurate.
i have an instant ocean hydrometer(Cheap Plastic) and works great. I have been told by many LFS owners that refractometers are not a nessisary item. "Don't listen to the LFS", right.....now when a LFS tells me not to buy something that they would make more money off of I figure they must be telling me the truth.
Well... one could argue that they are in you for the long term investment...that you'll spend a TON with them as you replace dead invert after dead invert due to outa whack SG.
Seriously though... the plastic ones can work well enough, but they can also be very badly inaccurate. If you mix your seawater yourself, a refractometer is a requirement. If you buy seawater and have an LFS that can do a refractometer-backed water test every month or so, a plastic one will suffice. I started with the plastic ones, moved to the glass (then found that the glass ones are really hard to read because the entire range for seawater constitutes about 1/8" on the scale), back to plastic, then to a refractometer. I am still using my first refractometer to this day and it's still dead on accurate.
miaheatlvr
Active Member
Originally Posted by SCSInet
Well... one could argue that they are in you for the long term investment...that you'll spend a TON with them as you replace dead invert after dead invert due to outa whack SG.
Seriously though... the plastic ones can work well enough, but they can also be very badly inaccurate. If you mix your seawater yourself, a refractometer is a requirement. If you buy seawater and have an LFS that can do a refractometer-backed water test every month or so, a plastic one will suffice. I started with the plastic ones, moved to the glass (then found that the glass ones are really hard to read because the entire range for seawater constitutes about 1/8" on the scale), back to plastic, then to a refractometer. I am still using my first refractometer to this day and it's still dead on accurate.
I went to the the LFS to do a little test, Prior at my house 1.025 and the at the LFS 1.025, exactly the same, so you see it can be accurate, but i heard that after a while the plastic ones get salt creep and and stick AND can slowly become innaccurate, but at that one present moment i WILL give aquarium pharmacuticals thier respect!
Well... one could argue that they are in you for the long term investment...that you'll spend a TON with them as you replace dead invert after dead invert due to outa whack SG.
Seriously though... the plastic ones can work well enough, but they can also be very badly inaccurate. If you mix your seawater yourself, a refractometer is a requirement. If you buy seawater and have an LFS that can do a refractometer-backed water test every month or so, a plastic one will suffice. I started with the plastic ones, moved to the glass (then found that the glass ones are really hard to read because the entire range for seawater constitutes about 1/8" on the scale), back to plastic, then to a refractometer. I am still using my first refractometer to this day and it's still dead on accurate.
I went to the the LFS to do a little test, Prior at my house 1.025 and the at the LFS 1.025, exactly the same, so you see it can be accurate, but i heard that after a while the plastic ones get salt creep and and stick AND can slowly become innaccurate, but at that one present moment i WILL give aquarium pharmacuticals thier respect!
acrylic51
Active Member
Originally Posted by MiaHeatLvr
I went to the the LFS to do a little test, Prior at my house 1.025 and the at the LFS 1.025, exactly the same, so you see it can be accurate, but i heard that after a while the plastic ones get salt creep and and stick AND can slowly become innaccurate, but at that one present moment i WILL give aquarium pharmacuticals thier respect!
It's rare you'll find they are accurate......Hydrometers aren't just plug and play.....they have to be seasoned before their used....
I went to the the LFS to do a little test, Prior at my house 1.025 and the at the LFS 1.025, exactly the same, so you see it can be accurate, but i heard that after a while the plastic ones get salt creep and and stick AND can slowly become innaccurate, but at that one present moment i WILL give aquarium pharmacuticals thier respect!
It's rare you'll find they are accurate......Hydrometers aren't just plug and play.....they have to be seasoned before their used....
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by acrylic51
It's rare you'll find they are accurate......Hydrometers aren't just plug and play.....they have to be seasoned before their used....
yep absolutely
I use a hydrometer and it has worked well for me. I know other people that got a different reading everytime they tested. My readings are the same no matter how many times I retest, but I did season mine as directed. I still would not recomend a hydrometer over a refractometer though.
It's rare you'll find they are accurate......Hydrometers aren't just plug and play.....they have to be seasoned before their used....
yep absolutely
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by acrylic51
I never said I recommend a hydrometer of a refractometer......I was merely pointing out the factor that most do not know they need to be seasoned first.........Never questioned the reliability of a refractometer....
no, I wasn't saying you suggested anything, just stating my own experience.
I never said I recommend a hydrometer of a refractometer......I was merely pointing out the factor that most do not know they need to be seasoned first.........Never questioned the reliability of a refractometer....
no, I wasn't saying you suggested anything, just stating my own experience.
reefrobert
Member
Ok! I was trying to stay away from this one but i use a Instant Ocean hydrometer. I am going to get a refactormeter soon. What do you mean when you say seasoned first, or cured.
First rinse with frest water.
fill with sea water, read
rinse again with fresh water.
cleaning:: with vingar for 30 minutes.
First rinse with frest water.
fill with sea water, read
rinse again with fresh water.
cleaning:: with vingar for 30 minutes.