OMG, was my refractometer off!

[Speckled Grouper]

Well, that proves it, distilled water is not sufficient to calibrate refractometers. At least mine.

I finally got some Refractocheck (made by Salifert) and recalibrated it. My refracto was reading 26, after the calibration it was reading 21! I am slowly raising it now and my corals look 100% better......

 

[Rockblast]

Wow that sucks.

Good to know of the distilled water.

 

[ReefWreak]

Yea, unfortunatly they're not accurate if you dial them in using just pure distilled water. Need a check solution to make sure... Glad you caught it tho

 

[REDDAWG43]

Where did you get that solution at?

 

[Ding2daDong]

Just wondering where you got your saliferts solution from? I did a search and nothing came up.

Thanks

-Matthew

 

[Speckled Grouper]

Reef Life just got it in today.
It was on the specials e-mail they sent out today and when I got there, there was 3 people buying it.
I have looked for that product for months now, ever since I read about it in Reefkeeping magazine, and couldn't find it nowhere either....
I also saw that they had brand new stock of Salifert Test Kits and Flat Worm Exit in stock, I just got some from Marine Depot and paid a whole lot more

 

[ek9vboi]

I might have to pick one up. From time to time I recalibrate using distilled/RO/DI water to keep mine in check.

Another thing to keep in mind is to have your water checked by a LFS monthly even if you are testing at home. Ever since I switched over to Salifert my tests have always been good or near what the LFS would be. Same goes for my salinity.

 

[Speckled Grouper]

I hear you Eric, but what makes you think the LFS tests are correct? When I started in this "hobby" (obsession to be more specific), I had my water tested at "Pet Paradise" by some college kid that kept saying: "Oh, perfect, yeah, right on, you can put this coral in, and that fish and this and that", and I believed every word they said...And...I'll never forget, I bought two blue Hippos at a store I no longer go to and they died within 24 hours. When I went back with the dead fish, they tested my water and said : " OMG, your magnesium.....your magnesium is wayyyy too low, that's what killed your fish, sorry, no refund. Here, dump this bottle of MagUp in there and you should be allright" Luckily, I didn't "dump" the bottle of MagUp in my tank and prevented more desasters from happening....
And I do distincly remember Pet Paradise checking my salinity with a swing arm salinity checker, now, how accurate can this be?
End of story, if the LFS refracto ain't calibrated correctly, you're wasting your time....

 

[jeffbrig]

If anybody wants to sanity check their salinity measurements, I'd be happy to bring my salinity meter (calibrated with Pinpoint fluid) to the meeting next week. Just bring in a cup of tank water and it takes 2 seconds to get a reading. Then, you can use your tank water as a "reference" to calibrate your refracto.

Just let me know if anyone is interested.

 

[Speckled Grouper]

Jeff, I read PinPoint Fluid is specifically made for their meters, not for Hand Held Refractometers. Or is that what you're saying and you're bringing your PinPoint Digital Salinity Meter?

 

[jeffbrig]

RHF looked into this, and the PinPoint 53mS calibration fluid has the same refractive index as saltwater, making it suitable for use in calibrating refractometers as well.

As for the meeting, I was offering to bring my meter. If I measure someone's tank water sample and my meter spits out 1.025, they can then go home and calibrate their refractometer to that exact value using tank water. That should allow them to get very close, without needing to buy a reference solution.

BTW, my refractometer also read high by .004, that's why I bought the salinity meter a few months ago.

 

[Rogger Castells]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9555940#post9555940 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Speckled Grouper
Jeff, I read PinPoint Fluid is specifically made for their meters, not for Hand Held Refractometers. Or is that what you're saying and you're bringing your PinPoint Digital Salinity Meter?

Andrea, This is the part Randy talk about the Pinpoint Solution
"One suitable commercial standard is made by American Marine and sold under the brand name Pinpoint. It is sold as a 53 mS/cm calibration fluid for the company's electronic salinity probe (a conductivity probe), but it also is suitable for use in a refractometer. NOTE that this is not necessarily true of all 53 mS/cm conductivity standards. The Pinpoint fluid happens to be made to match seawater in other respects, not just conductivity, but other brands, or do-it-yourself 53 mS/cm standards, may not be appropriate to use with a refractometer because, while they have the same conductivity as 35 ppt seawater, they may not have the same refractive index."

This is the whole article
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-12/rhf/index.php

 

[loyalrogue]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9555858#post9555858 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeffbrig
If anybody wants to sanity check their salinity measurements, I'd be happy to bring my salinity meter (calibrated with Pinpoint fluid) to the meeting next week. Just bring in a cup of tank water and it takes 2 seconds to get a reading. Then, you can use your tank water as a "reference" to calibrate your refracto.

Just let me know if anyone is interested.

As the Guiness guys would say,... "BRILLIANT!!!"

If that isn't reason enough to be in a reef club, I don't know what is.
Forget using your LFS, or worse yet, the minimum wage high-school kid who's never owned an aquarium, as your reference point for the most important fluid in your tank.
Instead, have a fellow addict...., err, um... I mean, hobbyist and enthusiast (with several hundred/thousand dollars of their own investment on the line) check your tank parameters against a known and reliable standard, and adjust accordingly afterward at home.

Thanks Jeff for the offer.
I will certainly be taking you up on it at the next meeting.

 

[Pico Keeper]

I use a handheld conductivity meter to measure my salinity, it works great. I couldn't stand worrying about whether my refractometer or hydro where calibrated correctly.

I've had this thing for over a year and have never had to calibrate it. I stick it in 30ppt NaCI solution and it's always dead on at 30ppm. I stick it in the ocean and it tells me 1.026 always!! Loev them, worth every penny, plus no waiting.

 

[bocareefguy]

Hey guys,

I am new to the hobby/addiction. Where do you guys meet and when? I'd like to come check it out.

Thanks!

 

[loyalrogue]

Hi BocaReefGuy,
Welcome to FMAS. :bounce3:

Here's a Google Map to the meeting:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...8&z=15&om=1&iwloc=A&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wl

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9507346#post9507346 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrisaggie
On Tuesday March 27, 2007 at New River Middle School (3100 Riverland Rd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312) at 7:15pm the Florida Marine Aquarium Society will be holding our March general meeting. The topic for this months meeting will be DIY acrylic projects. Scott Ledin (spazz) will be flying in to teach us along with our very our Manny (thesaent14). This should be a great opportunity for us all to polish up on our acrylic skills.

As usual we will be holding a frag/livestock auction after the speakers.

Don't forget about Bowling for Fish Sunday before the meeting also!

 

[Ding2daDong]

Does anyone know where to get the saliferts calibration solution besides reef life? I just got a refractometer from ebay and really need to check this thing before it replaces my swing arm.

Thanks

-Matthew

 

[ek9vboi]

I've always gone to Fishes of Eden to get my water checked by a close friend. This was where I learned my swing arm salinity meter were off as well as my calcium was too high. Yeah, the other LFS/Pet store I 1st went to told me all types of BS and let me buy all sorts of stuff I didn't need either. Now I know better, but I was talking about LFS that specialize in our case, saltwater aquariums.

 

[jeffbrig]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9560735#post9560735 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ding2daDong
Does anyone know where to get the saliferts calibration solution besides reef life? I just got a refractometer from ebay and really need to check this thing before it replaces my swing arm.

Matt, bring your refractometer and a cup of tank water to the meeting. We can use my salinity meter to measure you water, then you can use the tank water to dial in your refractomter.