Chattanooga Reefers

[buzzbait00]

I was invited to sit in on the Chattanooga Reefers Club meeting Sunday.Great group of folks and some awsome BBQ.ANYBODY that is useing a deep six hydrometer should have their salinity cheaked by a refractometer!!!!!!We cheaked 4 with two different refractometers and all 4 were about 4 points high.That means my water is .029.They also blended up some good and stinky fish food I didnt get in on the fish food but I would like to try it.Maybe at a NARC meeting!Anyways thanks to Hardrock for the invite and :thumbsup: :thumbsup: to the Chattanooga Reefers!!

Buzz!

 

[Nitroq2]

Definately a difference in hydrometers always wrong when I tested them.

 

[Mariner]

I agree...check your hydrometers. Most of them will be consitent, but slightly off. So, if you know that yours reads consistently 2 points too high, you can make allowance for that.
My first IO hydrometer consitently read .001 too high when I checked it against refractometers of reef club members. It stopped giving any readings at all after I stepped on it.
My second IO hydrometer was usually dead on, but would occasionally give me a wacky reading. It got to where I didn't think I could trust it.
I got a refractometer back in the Spring and like it a lot.
FWIW,
Mariner

 

[H@rry]

What ill effect has anyone noticed due to an inaccurate swing arm hydrometer?

 

[buzzbait00]

I know im new to this H@rry but a .030 can't be a good thing!Since i've been bringing my salinity doun my candy cane,toadstool.and hammer have pearked up.Maybe this is due to salinity maybe not!
Buzz!

 

[Tomoko Schum]

A refractomer needs to be calibrated periodically to be accurate. I understand that most swing-arm hydrometers are actually very accurate (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/9/lines). If a swing arm hydrometer is correlated to an accurate refractomer, it should stay very accurate. We can duplicate the testing in our meeting if you'd like. A few of us have refractomers, which we can calibrate with RODI water at the same time, too.

As far as the reaction of livestock, as long as my salinity level is constant and the livestock is acclimated to the level (provided it's not drastic), I don't see much difference in their appearance. When I let my QT tank go uncared for awhile, I did see my xenia in there looking rather ragged (the water level was "really" down - I did not even bother to measure salinity - obviously much much higher than 0.030.) After bringing the salinity back up, yes, xenia perked right up

Tomoko

 

[H@rry]

I've never seen a refractomer, been using swing arm things since '97. Here's my take on using the swing arm:

They are affected by small bubbles adhering to the swing arm. The effect is to show a higher reading. One big cause of bubbles is adhering to a salt particle that has dried on the arm. For that reason I rinse it in fresh water after each use. When I am using it I hold it underwater toward the front glass and look in the top. The tiny bubbles are easy to see that way. If I see any bubble I shake it until it dislodges.

Some of them have a side "chamber" to make it easy to know when you have the right amount of water. Others have a line toward the top. Make sure you have the correct water level or that will influence it as well.

All that being said, if it's off a little bit you'll probably never know the difference. According to the article Tomoko cited above, the maximum deviation found was .005. Your salinity will vary by more than this due to things like evaporation or overfilling the sump when topping off.

 

[buzzbait00]

I'm not goin to run out and get a refractomer.I still use the swing arm I just add 4.It is,consistant just high.