bad salinity checker (bad wording I know)

[tireur]

When I got the set up for my tank of course I bought the little container with an arrow sort of thing that just floats the the apropriate amount for how dense the water is I guess. I use it probably twice a week to check the water before I top it off and it never seems to be right, on 1 try it will be extremely high so I try again and it will seem realy low. I'll clean it pretty much every time I use it but it seems like the water changes a lot, and is never the same it seems like, should I clean it after every time I use it or just make sure to clean it well before I do? anyone else ever have this problem?

Thanks in advance for advice.

 

[IHOP]

Invest in a refractometer.

 

[Larah]

$42 bucks at www.Drsfostersmith.com

 

[mbbuna]

swing hydrometers (that's what you have) have a few problems.

1- if you don't clean them after every use they will build salt deposits and throw off your readings. after every use you should just through it in a container of RO water and leave it there untill you need to use it again.

2- if there are any air bubbles on the swing arm itself it will throw off the reading. fill it up with your tank water and tap it untill all the air bubbles are gone.