Yay! I think I might actually be able to afford my LR in the next week or two. Now the only thing that I still need is a refractometer. Can anyone reccomend one that is decent? I don't want to spend more than 50 dollars ( but will if I have to). I was looking at the cheapest one on marine depot.com. How often do I need to calibrate it? Can I just calibrate it with RO water that I use for topoffs, as I know the salinity is zero?
refractometer
- Thread starter alexk3954
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Randall_James
Premium Member
PremiumAquatics.com has one in your price range.
I calibrate mine at every water change. It only takes a moment to drop 3 or 4 drops of RO/DI on the screen and zero the thing.
I calibrate mine at every water change. It only takes a moment to drop 3 or 4 drops of RO/DI on the screen and zero the thing.
I plan on buying RO from the lfs. Tourkid mentioned that he doesn't trust his lfs. Do the rest of you think that it would be safe to top-off and calibrate with RO from the lfs?
Why are some refractometers so much more pricey than others? Are they all very accurate if you keep them calibrated?
Why are some refractometers so much more pricey than others? Are they all very accurate if you keep them calibrated?
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/index.php
That article will help verify calibration of a refractometer.
I don't know all the differences in price, but the inexpensive ones seem good enough for aquarium work, usually.
That article will help verify calibration of a refractometer.
I don't know all the differences in price, but the inexpensive ones seem good enough for aquarium work, usually.
Randall_James
Premium Member
I think many if not most own their own RO/DI units. If you have a TDS meter, you can pretty much verify that your water is pure. That water is fine for calibration. (a good RO/DI unit is worth the investment in the long run)
The pricing of refractometers is directly related to the quality of the device. A $500 unit is far more accurate than a $50 one. Maybe not 10X more accurate but more accurate. For our needs, the inexpensive one is fine IMO, the main idea is to be consistent
The pricing of refractometers is directly related to the quality of the device. A $500 unit is far more accurate than a $50 one. Maybe not 10X more accurate but more accurate. For our needs, the inexpensive one is fine IMO, the main idea is to be consistent
Amphiprion
Premium Member
Using the calibration solutions in Bertoni's link is a good idea. I have noticed since calibration that pure water is a bit off from their scale. I do know, however, that the refractive index matches seawater, which is more important, IMO.
