sassyfishy
New member
YIKES!!!
I just set up my tank in October, and started adding livestock after Christmas (once completely cycled, of course).
I had been using a swing-arm style hydrometer and was aiming for an S.G. of 1.024 (no corals yet except the "hitchikers").
Imagine my surprise when my brand new refractometer (yes, it is accurately calibrated to 1.000 with distilled water) measured my specific gravity at 1.028!! (Thanks to proper acclimation and keeping it stable, everything is alive and well.) I will be slowly trying to get it back down to the 1.026 range over the next week.
I guess this will serve as just another one of those public service announcements (which I admit I took lightly at first) - don't always trust those hydrometers...get a refractometer!
I just set up my tank in October, and started adding livestock after Christmas (once completely cycled, of course).
I had been using a swing-arm style hydrometer and was aiming for an S.G. of 1.024 (no corals yet except the "hitchikers").
Imagine my surprise when my brand new refractometer (yes, it is accurately calibrated to 1.000 with distilled water) measured my specific gravity at 1.028!! (Thanks to proper acclimation and keeping it stable, everything is alive and well.) I will be slowly trying to get it back down to the 1.026 range over the next week.
I guess this will serve as just another one of those public service announcements (which I admit I took lightly at first) - don't always trust those hydrometers...get a refractometer!
