Proper calibration of refractometer

K

kkil4life

New member
What's the right way to calibrate a refractometer?
Mine said it was calibrated at the factory, but when I tried ro water it showed minus.
I calibrated it on distiller water to zero.
When I was checking online they say when u calibrate with the cLibration solution u will get minus with ro water.
My manual says to calibrate with ro/di water?
Do I need to get the calibration fluid or is ro ok?
How did u do yours?
 
RODI AND Pinpoint 53mS calibration solution.

Your refractometer can loose it's calibration during shipping, it mishandled. RODI is a simple and cheap way to check it, however it's best to have both.

For instance I use the calibration solution 1x a month and RODI 1x a week. Better to be safe than sorry. And it takes a whole 30 seconds to do it every week.

Only use RODI once the refractometer has been calibrated with the Pinpoint solution.
 
Get yourself the Pinpoint 53mS calibration solution mentioned by iFisch. Calibrate once every two weeks. You'll always be spot on.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15555080#post15555080 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kkil4life
ifisch, when you calibrate with the solution, and then use RODI whats the salinity on RODI? 0 or is it minus?
Click to expand...

1.000

I've never heard of "minus" anything on a refractometer. The lowest it goes is 1.000 (pure water).
 
I calibrated my refractometer using distilled water
then I read this on premium aquatics

""
*Refractometers are listed to be calibrated with RO/DI or Distilled water. There is some new information stating for best results you should use a Salinity Fluid like the American Marine Salinity Fluid. This will yield you much more accurate results.

How to calibrate with Salinity Fluid from American Marine: Take a couple drops and read your unit. You should read 1.0259 salinity or 35ppt. Adjust your unit to match one of these two numbers. Once you adjusted the refractometer is now fine tuned for saltwater salinity/ppt. If you read ro/di after calibration you will have a negative reading and that is completely normal, as the unit is fine tuned now for a saltwater tank.
""

this is the link
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...duct_Code=REFRACT-HD&Category_Code=Hydrometer

so basically what I was asking is if I calibrate it with the fulid, will it show that the RODI water is 1.000 or MINUS reading?
because currently I get 1.000 with RODI, thats how I calibrated it
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15555584#post15555584 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kkil4life
I calibrated my refractometer using distilled water
then I read this on premium aquatics

""
*Refractometers are listed to be calibrated with RO/DI or Distilled water. There is some new information stating for best results you should use a Salinity Fluid like the American Marine Salinity Fluid. This will yield you much more accurate results.

How to calibrate with Salinity Fluid from American Marine: Take a couple drops and read your unit. You should read 1.0259 salinity or 35ppt. Adjust your unit to match one of these two numbers. Once you adjusted the refractometer is now fine tuned for saltwater salinity/ppt. If you read ro/di after calibration you will have a negative reading and that is completely normal, as the unit is fine tuned now for a saltwater tank.
""

this is the link
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...duct_Code=REFRACT-HD&Category_Code=Hydrometer

so basically what I was asking is if I calibrate it with the fulid, will it show that the RODI water is 1.000 or MINUS reading?
because currently I get 1.000 with RODI, thats how I calibrated it
Click to expand...

When you put a few drops of the 53mS solution on the refractometer, it SHOULD read 1.025 or 35ppt. If it doesn't, than calibrate the refractometer until it reads 1.025.

Once you have it calibrated with the solution, then you can use RODI to make sure it is still properly calibrated. When you put a few drops of RODI on the refractometer, it should read 1.000 without any calibration.
 
ifisch, this is the part I'm talking about
""
If you read ro/di after calibration you will have a negative reading and that is completely normal, as the unit is fine tuned now for a saltwater tank.
""
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15556303#post15556303 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kkil4life
ifisch, this is the part I'm talking about
""
you will have a negative reading and that is completely normal,
""
Click to expand...


Never heard of such a thing. :confused:

Maybe a negative reading means something that I don't understand. Maybe a negative reading is 1.000 (was never told 1.000 was "negative" - but whatever).
 
theres a huge debate on which to calibrate it with. people argue that if you are using calibration fluid close to whatever you normally test for, it would yeild best results.

some argue that using distilled, or ro/di water is better because its pure water.

then some say people calibration fluid can be wrong sometimes (out of calibration) and you;ve wasted money. also companies came up with calibration fluid so it brings in income (selling a eye dropper bottle for 10 bucks?)

ive been using RO/DI water to calibrate and theres nothing wrong with my tank.
 
has anyone whos calibrated with RODI compared with another reforactometer calibrated with solution?
I think this would help understand the difference better
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15561029#post15561029 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kkil4life
has anyone whos calibrated with RODI compared with another reforactometer calibrated with solution?
I think this would help understand the difference better
Click to expand...

I originally calibrated with RODI to 1.000. Then, I bought the 53mS Pinpoint solution, to simply double check my calibration. There's no sense in having a $50 tool, that's not calibrated right.

Spend the $10 and get it over with.
 
ifisch I would like to get the solution, but the problem is I need to order online since we don't get it here, and the solution is $10 but the shipping $50 (approx), then theres customs hassels.
thats why I just wanted to be sure that I need it or not.
 
I think if you use RODI, then you are calibrating for RODI but if you calibrate it with the 53ms solution, then you are calibrating for seawater. That's how I see it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15561048#post15561048 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kkil4life
ifisch I would like to get the solution, but the problem is I need to order online since we don't get it here, and the solution is $10 but the shipping $50 (approx), then theres customs hassels.
thats why I just wanted to be sure that I need it or not.
Click to expand...


Check (call) every LFS within 25 miles. Once you get it, it will last you forever.

I use 3 drops 1x a month to make sure my calibration is spot on. If it isn't - I adjust accordingly.



I'm sure there's a mail-order (online LFS in Singapore) store.
 
ifisch I live in dubai, 25 miles is kinda considered next door.....lol
I mean I drive daily to work about 60km (50-55miles)
regardless, the LFS here are totally crappy apart from 1 or 2 of them.
THERE WAS ONLY ONE PLACE WHERE I COULD GET A REFRACTOMETER, that too it cost approx $125
so i had to get mine from co-worker in Italy.
I know I'm kinda sounding like a pain bro, but I didn't realize there are so many idiots in LFS's.

I was using a hydrometer from instant ocean, which was almost 3-4 points off, but then it fell off and now its 1-2 points off....lol it actually became better
meanwhile I bought another one, turns out the other one would only show either 1.000 or 1.030.....lol
thats why I got my refractometer and its BEEN SOOOO MUCH more easier now
 
Let me put it this way: Is the salinity of your tank at 1.0 or at 1.026/35?

If you calibrate it at 1.0 there is a lot of room for error until you get up to 1.026/35.

If you calibrate it at the point where you will use it then there is much less room for error.

I completely understand when you say "less than zero (1.0)." Everyone in our club has used the Pinpoint 53ms solution ($3 for a bottle that can do hundreds of refractometers) and then found that their RO/DI water no longer registers at the 1.0 line. It registers below 1.0.

My tank's salinity is not at 1.0 so why would I care what it reads at 1.0? Calibrate it with the 53ms solution. Meaning: Use the 53ms solution and adjust your refractometer until it reads 35. Then, you're done.
 
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