jacklax
Member
I just wanted to share a recent experience. I'm very new to the saltwater aquarium hobby having inherited a tank and some fish from a relative about a month and a half ago. He didn't have a hydrometer so I picked up a plactic hydrometer shortly after setting things back up and religiously used it as I did my water checks. According to it, everything was fine...just on the high end of the boundaries. Unfortunately an outbreak of Ich occured, and I began dropping the salinity level in order to induce hypo. After reading about refractometers and hearing that they are a necessity when performing hypo I ordered one with the plan of using my plastic hydrometer to monitor the salt levels until the refractometer arrived and I would use it for the final adjustments. According to that plactic piece of "garbage" I was right where I needed things to be...only to receive my refractometer and find out that I wasn't even close!!! This really scares me...how high was my salinity when when everything began??? There is a significant difference in readings between the two...so much so that I don't see how anyone could possible have faith in a plastic hydrometer. Yes...there is a price attached to a refractometer...but certainly one that is well worth paying.
