Add another member to the Refractometer fan club

[smogl00]

With all of the time and money invested to this point, one would think that I'd be well beyond such rookie oversights..... but this hobby is humbling to no end. Been using that stupid swing-arm hydrometer since day 1. I've always heard people's warnings about these things, and just thought "Oh well, everything looks fine in my tank right now, so I'll get a refractometer sometime down the road." Well I finally did...... I thought it was broken at first! No such luck..... Turns out my s.g. was actually 1.031!!!!! Jeez. I've been steadily lowering it .001 or so each day over the past couple days, and everything in the tank is appreciating it for sure! Things have never looked better. Just goes to show, there are certain shortcuts you never want to take. Lesson learned. This could have been much worse for me.

 

[JVManlius]

I think all of us started out with the swinging arm gizmo. My started building up salt and I knew it couldn't be giving me accurate readings, so I made the switch. Have you noticed any problems due to the high salinity? Don't forget to recalibrate your new equipment frequently to make sure you're getting accurate readings.

 

[acdraindrps]

I belong to the I hate refractometers club. Actually let me rephrase that, I belong to the I hate CHEAP refractometers club.

 

[Srixon]

best thing I tell anyone getting into the hobby to invest in.......and then tell them to get it checked by a reliable source (ABC PETS...shameless plug) as often as possible....I recommend this before an RO so....look at what your investment is.

 

[aquadonkey]

Welcome to the club
My hydrometer was off by that much as well - in the other direction. Lost two peppermint shrimp... still upset about it

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

IMHO it's important to differentiate between readings simply being different vs. knowing one is right and the other is wrong. Unless you've calibrated and used it correctly, there's really no assurance that the reading you're getting is any better or worse than any other reading.

Refractometers can be a great tool, but like any other measurement tool, if you don't calibrate it and don't use/store it correctly, it's not going to be a great tool. I don't mean to temper your enthusiasm but it worries me sometimes that people who casually read these threads will go buy a refractometer and just automatically assume that it's 100% correct without a second thought.

 

[smogl00]

IMHO it's important to differentiate between readings simply being different vs. knowing one is right and the other is wrong. Unless you've calibrated and used it correctly, there's really no assurance that the reading you're getting is any better or worse than any other reading.

Refractometers can be a great tool, but like any other measurement tool, if you don't calibrate it and don't use/store it correctly, it's not going to be a great tool. I don't mean to temper your enthusiasm but it worries me sometimes that people who casually read these threads will go buy a refractometer and just automatically assume that it's 100% correct without a second thought.

Agreed. Had mine calibrated at ARC before getting started.

 

[tmz]

I claibrate mine with 53 ms solution made for sg monitors . Some use ro water and calibrate at 0. The advantage of using the 53ms is that it provides a 1.0264 sg solution. Scales on refractometers may have small inaccuracies and/or your calibration may not be a bullseye on the 0 line. A small error at 0 will be larger the further away from it you move on the scale,. So calibrating as close to the point you will be reading most of the time results in a more accurate calibration at that point in the scale.

 

[smogl00]

I claibrate mine with 53 ms solution made for sg monitors . Some use ro water and calibrate at 0. The advantage of using the 53ms is that it provides a 1.0264 sg solution. Scales on refractometers may have small inaccuracies and/or your calibration may not be a bullseye on the 0 line. A small error at 0 will be larger the further away from it you move on the scale,. So calibrating as close to the point you will be reading most of the time results in a more accurate calibration at that point in the scale.

This is what RandyO was telling me when I got mine. I bought the calibration fluid as well so that I don't have to worry about using the RO water

 

[Willistein]

...and my swingarm was spot on.

 

[shawna1972]

Hi steve! Same thing happened to me recently. Mine was at 1.030 when I had kat check it will her refractometer against my swingarm! After that went out and sought out one of my own. So just to clarify,Do I have to calibrate every time I use it to be on the safe side?
And I was one of the ones who though that if I got a (ref)I would have no worries of error as long as it was calibrated every month or so ?

 

[lcs]

I'm also sooo glad I finally got one and the calibration fluid. You just can't get an accurate calibration with just RO water.

How often should they be calibrated? I was going to try every two weeks and if it stayed on, then move it out to a month.

 

[dan10342]

I calibrate mine every time I use it.

It literally takes a miniscule amount of 53 ms solution, and 10 seconds of your day to calibrate the refractometer. Thats just me though. I don't really think it needs to be calibrated every time.

 

[tmz]

I have not calibrated mine in years. I also use a pinpoint salinity monitor and crosscheck it . They both stay on point quite well without recalibrating.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

How often should they be calibrated? I was going to try every two weeks and if it stayed on, then move it out to a month.

As you see from the previous two posts there's a lot of variation. :lol:

Your plan sounds fine. Accuracy over time will depend on how it's used, cleaned, environment it's stored in, quality of the instrument, etc. so it may vary from person to person.

 

[IronMan72]

I'm convinced

I'm convinced

I'm new to SW, been doing FW for nearly 20 years. I've been using a swing arm for my 75G but have been considering a refractometer. Obviously, this is one piece of equipment that I NEED. Any recommendations on a specific model? I did a quick google search and found them anywhere from $25 to $200. What should I expect to spend for a reliable unit with calibration fluid?

 

[tmz]

You should be able to find the 53 ms fluid for about $6. Personally, I'd look for a refractometer in the $45 to $60 range. I don't think you need more than that. Just keep it in a dry place and wipe off salt water after use and it should last years. If you want to upgrade from there a pinpoint slainity monitor can be had for about $100.

 

[IronMan72]

Picked one up yesterday. Swing Arm said 1.023, refractometer read 1.027. Slowly brought it back into range during the last 24 hours. Scary how far off the swing arm is.

 

[block head]

nothing magical about refractometers. they are a very basic tool. everyone that i have seen is made overseas. it's a tube,a prisim, and a graph held in place by a screw. it will work well unless u get water inside the tube ,or drop it hard enough to loosen the set screw. price is really determined by the middle man. i'd by the cheapest refractometer and a quality solution to calibrate with. a 200 dollar unit will give the same results as a 20 tool. a cheap piece of glass does all the"work"

 

[Johnny C]

nothing magical about refractometers. they are a very basic tool. everyone that i have seen is made overseas. it's a tube,a prisim, and a graph held in place by a screw. it will work well unless u get water inside the tube ,or drop it hard enough to loosen the set screw. price is really determined by the middle man. i'd by the cheapest refractometer and a quality solution to calibrate with. a 200 dollar unit will give the same results as a 20 tool. a cheap piece of glass does all the"work"

I respectfully disagree... this is another case of 'you get what you pay for'. The cheap (i.e. $20 eBay) refractometers need to be calibrated every single time they are used, and a lot of the time are very difficult to get a clear reading because the viewing window is blurry.

I personally like (and use) the BRS Refractometer. They aren't much more expensive and although I've checked several times with the mentioned 53MS Solution, mine has always been dead on... even after dropping it on my hardwood floor twice. Try that with a $20 refractometer!