Saltinity queston

[Beermaster]

Okay Dad has 2 different hydrometers

first one is a Deep Six and it is reading 1.022

and the other is a SeaTest reading 1.026

what one should we be looking at? so confused, was about to do the water change and now we are holding off cause we dont want to shock anything in the main tank

any ideas??

[Ruth]

Just make sure to use the same one to test both your tank and your change water and have them reading the same. Personally I would go with the reader that gives you the lower reading - then I would go out and spend $70 on a refractor - J&L and Ocean Aquatics have them or I am sure some of the local stores in Edmonton as well.

[Invigor]

or find someone willing to let you borrow their refractometer to help clarify your results. hopefully one is screwed up and the other is right, then you just use that one.

[mark]

Someone recently posted this link http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/index.php about how to mix your own calibration solutions.

[Ruth]

Sorry - didn't mean to sound snotty - long day. Hydrometers, in my experience, are not that reliable. I have tried 2 different ones that my reading were all over the map on. If they would have consistently been off by X amount it wouldn't have been so bad but I would get high one time and low another time when I compared to a refratometer (sp). If you have one that you get the same test result on every time and can measure it against a refracto thingy you should be OK as long as you make sure that you are always testing with the correct temperature. Maybe someone can lend you one until you figure out which one is the most accurate.

[Dad]

Thanks everyone for your post.
jo

[deep6er]

Doesn't pinpoint have a electronic salinity meter. are they anygood?

[lil_clownfish13]

Aquarium Illusions helped me figure out my hydrometer thing... Just take it (them) in there and ask to check it out based on their refractometer!

[Go Lions!]

are you taking at least 5 scoops before a reading? Nearly always, on a first, or second dip you'll have a tiny lil microbubble that's attatched itself to the swingarm (Even the smallest lil bubble will make a massive difference.)