Salinity For Clowns

[omega59]

hoe do i calibrate it ?

 

[SkiFletch]

Stickies are your friend . Read the salinity verification standard link

 

[omega59]

okay after reading the website, it doesn't really say hydrometers will "drift" but they could give slightly wrong readings (nothing major) if there are bubbles, salt deposits left over.

 

[scolby]

It might be a better idea to keep it a little higher like 1.021 or 1.022 if you have live rock because its full of inverts which do better in higher salinity. Could be wrong though, thats just how I think about it

 

[omega59]

alrighty. which refractormeter do you guys recommend that i buy then, nothing too expensive i hope. it's a 30gal with 2 fish only hehe.

 

[SkiFletch]

hit up ebay, pick up the cheapest one you can, and calibrate it using your own DIY Calibration Standard

 

[omega59]

okay, but what do i search for, any brands??

 

[rabbut]

Enter home/garden-pets-fish and then search refractometer. Idealy, look for one with ATC (Auto Temperature Correction)

 

[omega59]

okay. how is this one??

http/cgi.ebay.ca/NEW-Salinity-Refractome...A1%7C240%3A1318

 

[rabbut]

Looks like it will do the job Don't forget to calibrate it before first use

 

[omega59]

how do i do that? lol

 

[rabbut]

I personally calibrate off RO, but it's a good quality (lab grade) refractometer, so I can get away with that. It would be inaccurate to calibrate that Ebay jobby in this way, as cheaper prisums can caurse issues if you calibrate to zero. For cheap and chearfull Refractometers, a DIY home calibration fluid is needed. Have a look at the post made by SkiFletch in the readings section, on the second page (I think), for instructions on how to make one Refractometers that are correctly calibrated are far more accurate than Hydrometers though and don't drift once set (unless you realy roughy handle them)

All the best
Rabbut

 

[rabbut]

The appropriate post

A couple things about measuring salinity...

First, all you ever wanted to know about Refractometers

And second, a recipie for a DIY Salinity Verification Standard which is especially important to all you hydrometer users. Hydrometers WILL, repeat, WILL drift over timeand so you will need to make up a salt solution to check their accuracy OR have your LFS verify yours.

HTH, and a big thank's to Ski for posting it in the first place
Rabbut