Extremely frustrated by the salinty measuring tools available. Does anyone REALLY know what their salinity level are?

[zalick]

I use a vee gee. And I test it’s calibration once or twice a year against 35ppt fluid. You always want to calibrate any instrument to the value you are testing for. In this case you do not want to calibrate to RO water.

I don’t know how many years I’ve had the vee gee but I think I adjusted it just a hair last year. It’s always spot on.

 

[DrZoidburg]

If you really wanted to know your mix. You could measure its density (requires precise volumetric pipette for sample and very good scale) , and look up the density of sea water at room temp. Also could weigh it out on a precise scale before mix.

 

[jskoms]

I calibrate mine before every use and has been consistent for 2+ years

Wanna trade?

 

[MuscleBobBuffPants]

Honestly I've been using an old plastic hydrometer since I got into this life. Everything I've put up to compare with , Hanna digital and a salinity pen, have been the same or the hydrometer was right n had to recalibrate digital. Just to have more than one opinion. Purchased my wife a hydrometer n it's off by a point and a half though. Good luck

haha as soon as I find something I think is fool proof - didn't know that hydrometers can be off. I guess anything that is built by hand will be like that.

 

[SPSReeferMI]

High Precision Hydrometer

Ensure that your equipment is reading correctly and your aquarium is at the right salinity with Tropic Marin's High Precision Hydrometer. Many tank inhabitants are sensitive even to minor changes of the water conditions. Unfortunately as we've all experienced, salinity reading equipment as...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Use the tube it comes in to float & read salinity.

I have the tropic marin as well. I think it’s very easy to read and use.

I double check with Hanna and a refractometer from time to time.

I’m also planning to try the SPS attachment by VCA for the Neptune salinity probe.

 

[stephj03]

I have the tropic marin as well. I think it’s very easy to read and use.

This is about as close to what you're looking for as you'll find as far as "made for the Hobby goes".

 

[CoralDanimal]

High Precision Hydrometer

Ensure that your equipment is reading correctly and your aquarium is at the right salinity with Tropic Marin's High Precision Hydrometer. Many tank inhabitants are sensitive even to minor changes of the water conditions. Unfortunately as we've all experienced, salinity reading equipment as...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Use the tube it comes in to float & read salinity.

After having similar frustrations with my refractometer and variance in calibration fluids plus drifting precision with the Hanna pen and Milwaukee digital refractometer, I eventually bough this (high precision hydrometer from Tropic Marin) and never looked back. Yea you have to turn off your pumps in your tank to make the water still enough to test, but I love have total confidence in my salinity readings now.

 

[Snoopy 67]

It comes in a plastic tube---use the tube to submerge the hydrometer, leave the pumps on.

 

[Dbichler]

Tropic marin all the way never worry again except about dropping it.

 

[KStatefan]

Does anyone use the conductivitity meters that are availble from Oakton or Orion?

 

[MuscleBobBuffPants]

Does anyone use the conductivitity meters that are availble from Oakton or Orion?

I was wondering this too. But at this point, with the option of the hydrometer, I suppose it’s not really worth it to spend the 500 bucks when they hydrometer is always right for 40 bucks.

 

[X-37B]

I have a:
TM
Refrac
Swingarm

All 3 are good if you use them correctly.

The TM is my standard.

The refract is very close.
I calibrate it before every use.

The swingarm is as close as the refrac, if you use it right.

I use the TM 95% of the time.
Hardly ever use the refrac.
The swing arm is the one I used in the late 80'-90's.

 

[Atrumblood]

I use the Milwaukee Digital Refractometer and have never had issues with it.
I have only ever had to calibrate it once and I have verified that it is reading correctly by comparing the reading to a known volume (usually 50 - 100 mL) of my saltwater weighed on a kitchen scale.

People have said they need to calibrate before every use, and that just is not the case.

When I measure I do the following.

I use a 30 mL syringe and rinse the silver area and lense which removes all previous salt deposits and brings the sensor up close to the temperature of my tank (~25C), remember: Temperature affects density which affects salinity.

I then fill the silver area with about 1 mL of water and take a reading immediately.

You do not want to allow the sample to sit for any longer than it takes you to push the read button as any evaporation in such a small sample will skew the results. I make sure to take a minimum of 3 readings to ensure I have consistent results.

The calibration solution has never been accurate for me. I will trust the density reading I get from a kitchen balance and a volume of saltwater over the calibration verification solution that comes with it any day.

 

[Reef.]

Glass hydrometers are a pain because I'd have to completely turn off all my flow every time I want to check salinity.

$50 will get you a Tropic Marin hydrometer and a 500ml measuring cylinder, so you don’t need to turn off your flow and it’ll give you the exact salinity every time.

 

[Treefer32]

I use a 7 or 8 year old temperature compensating refrac. I calibrate it once every 3-6 months with 35ppt 1.026 ppt fluid. There was one time it was off in the last 3 years by .003. Water was actually 1.029. I had several corals in the process of dyeing. after testing everything in the water (magnesium was high) I tested the refrac and discovered it was off. I calibrated and retested. Then dropped the salinity down with water changes. I should probably name the trusty refrac... It has served me well over the years.

 

[rob taft]

I have four salinity testers, a ATC refractometer, the Hanna, Milwaukee and the Tropic Marin. I use the Tropic Marin for testing my new water prior to a water change and use the Milwaukee and Hanna for checks on the display tank. If I get a wacky reading with the digital meters I check and calibrate against the Tropic Marin. I use a 500ML test cylinder I purchased off Amazon and it works great. While the Tropic Marin is not error correcting for temp, my tanks are kept between 77-79 which is just fine for the Tropic Marin.
When I rejoined this hobby after a 30 year hiatus, where I used a hydrometer, I was advised to use a refractometer and I bought the ATC. I'm up there in age and with my eyesight it was a pain so I went to the digital side but ended up with the Tropic Marin which is a simple as can be and doesn't require re-calibration or batteries.

 

[ReefyTank]

I use a refractormeter as my main which I calibrate before use and a Hydrometer as backup for the past 5 years. Before that, just a hydrometer.

There can be some slight variations occassionally but in the end if my tank is healthy, my coral and fish are happy I am okay with the results. I try not to dwell to much on having that exact number as long as its not a spike or big drop in the Salinity number.

 

[stephanjupillat]

I test every morning using Hannas digital one. Over 1 month it’s drifted half a point. I also have Neptune’s probe which is impossible to calibrate so I just use it to check for any drifts or sudden changes. I also occasionally use the Tropic Marin high precision one and you need to be carful of bubbles on it. I read this article and decided to calibrate my Hanna which said 34 this morning, so it’s actually 33.5 now. Tested tropic Marin and that said 1.0265. So they don’t match.

Everyone always says keep at 33 to 35 so I have been doing 34. But calcium and magnesium are on high end so assuming Hanna is still reading low even though I just calibrated it. Calibration packet held in tank water to reach temp, calibrated, then tested again and it said 35. All while packet in tank to maintain temp. So I have no idea.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

sutn

Glass hydrometers are a pain because I'd have to completely turn off all my flow every time I want to check salinity.



Grainger meter

Just have to take a water sample and put the hydrometer in it , no reason to turn off any pumps. It is accurate and cheap.
If the water level is kept steady , evaporation is compensated for, such a control test, done once a week, takes less 1 minute.

 

[Dave1993]

Use the salinity checkers as a guide its 1/2 cup salt per gallon you can't go wrong should roughly know what you're salinity is going off this