Inconsistent Hydrometer Readings - What brand do you use?

When I got my $50 Marine Depot refractometer it showed my swing arm was severely off. It read 1.023 when it was actually 1.029! Calibrating the refratometer is easy with the supplied screwdriver, which I've only had to do once. Well worth it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10937476#post10937476 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by down and outman
When I got my $50 Marine Depot refractometer it showed my swing arm was severely off. It read 1.023 when it was actually 1.029! Calibrating the refratometer is easy with the supplied screwdriver, which I've only had to do once. Well worth it.
Click to expand...

How long have you had your marinedepot meter? I was looking at that one, but wondering who manufactuers it? Do they make it themselves? Or relabel?

Any problems with yours?
 
I've had it about a month, but lomg enough to know it works. They are so easy to use. I have not checked other makes, but being a po boy, I'm happy with it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10939042#post10939042 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tbone28
How long have you had your marinedepot meter? I was looking at that one, but wondering who manufactuers it? Do they make it themselves? Or relabel?

Any problems with yours?
Click to expand...

No they do not manufacture it themselves and it is not re-labled.

I believe mine (from Marine Depot) was made in China or Taiwan or someplace.

But for 50 bucks every 4 years or so, I believe it to be worthy of my nit-picky expectations of what an instrument should deliver.

As long as you use the proper calibration fluid, these units are fine. :)

In regards to the floating hydrometer statement, I totally disagree. :D
 
I think there both about the same really. My determining factor would be since you live in CA and Marine Depot is in CA I would order from them, more likely to get it faster.
 
I have the first one.

The second one looks like it comes with a little bottle of calibration fluid. But I can't tell if its adjustable. I know the first one is.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10943753#post10943753 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Billybeau1
I have the first one.

The second one looks like it comes with a little bottle of calibration fluid. But I can't tell if its adjustable. I know the first one is.
Click to expand...

The calibration fluid is just "ultra pure water". It comes with a screwdriver for adjustment.

Any other comments from others?

Thanks
 
i have been using an i/o hydrometer. the first one i used to rinse with tap water and it became real cloudy after a couple months. i broke it so i bought another one and every time i'm done using it i rinse it real well with ro water and it stays spotless. all i need to do is calibrate it to a refractometer and i'm good to go. the only problem is the lfs all use hydrometers!!!!!
 
If you have both a hydrometer and refractometer, what made you decide to use the hydrometer over the other?
 
The person who wrote about the calibration of the hydrometer being accurate forever unfortunately is wrong (IME). I used a hydrometer for more than a year (tested when purchased and it read correctly) and then had some problems I couldn't find solutions to. So, I bought a refractometer and it showed my specific gravity as 1.035! And my floating hydrometer (which was calibrated correctly when manufactured), showed 1.026. I took a sample to 2 different fish stores to verify and they both tested at 1.035 with their own refractometers. That is a ridiculous difference, and also dangerous to my aquatic friends. I will never trust a swing arm or floating hydrometer again. Just a word to the wise.

Oh, and I made sure that the floating hydrometer was completely clean and free of algae that would affect readings.
 
Scott,
I'm not trying to argue, but I find that odd that a glass hydrometer could go out of calibration. There are no moving parts. All it does is float. Do you have any theories as to why it may have gone out of calibration? Is there something that I am overlooking? I have an open mind, but nobody has been able to convince me that a refractometer is more reliable than a glass hydrometer. I will concede that a refractometer is easier to use and possibly more accurate.
-Brent
 
Brent,
I actually agree with you, there is no reason that it should not be calibrated forever. I don't have any theories as to why mine was out of whack. Just telling the story how it happened. I cleaned it off, turned off every pump in the tank and waited for the water to be completely still, and even took water out of the tank and put it into a tall glass and checked in there. It is not physically broken (as in cracked). I know it worked when I first got it. And I know it was 0.009 off on specific gravity when I got my refractometer. Perhaps it was a bad batch. That still doesn't explain what happened though. Anyone have an ideas or experience something similar. Again...this is just my experience.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10943878#post10943878 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tbone28
The calibration fluid is just "ultra pure water". It comes with a screwdriver for adjustment.

Any other comments from others?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Well then if thats what it is , in my opinion it is not good enough to calibrate that refract.

I would then go with either one, but order yourself some Pinpoint 53mS calibration fluid.

This will keep you straight. :)
 
I have a swing arm, had a floating type and have a refractometer. The swing arm was inconsistent and inaccurate. The floating (I inherited it) was nice because but one day I looked and it was broken. Luckily my tank was full of tap water at the time (running an extend plumbing test before starting up). It was a mess to clean up. Wouldn't have been able to clean if I had sand and rocks.

The refractometer is accurate, very easy to use and won't break in my tank.

I'll never use anything else.
 
We have a still w/ a di filter at work to make pure water. I use that to calibrate it. We also have ultra pure DI water for specific tests in our Bac-T Lab if I need it. I figure an inexpensive refractometer like MD's is a whole lot better than any hydrometer could be. My salt usage is way down as I was using almost 3 cups of Reef Crystals to try to get to 1.023. Now I use 2.5 cups and it's right on the money. I used to wash my hydrometer out with RO water, Lemon Juice, Ammonia, anything I could think of to try to keep it clean. IMO those things should be banished to the pits of #$&@!
 
Brent,

Well, it looks like your theory is correct. Upon closer examination of my floating hydrometer, the paper with the measurements on it is not stuck to the back of the glass anymore. I cannot get it to move by shaking, but I'm almost sure that it probably shifted up to give me a false reading.

I'm not sure if this is a problem specific to mine, and I'm not even sure what brand it is anymore, but for anyone using a floating hydrometer, this is certainly something to check when using.
 
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