I keep going back to it.

[biecacka]

I use an old swing arm style!


corey

 

[atoll]

I use an old swing arm style!


corey

Well I hope its more accurate a lot more accurate than the ones I had many years ago which were awful.
I had a meeting of fellow reefs at my house. There was about 6 of us and each brought their swinging arm hydrometer. We all dipped them in my tank and lined them all up. The needles pointed all over the place. One of the guys was having issues with his corals until he found out his hydrometer was way out reading far lower than is actually was.

 

[Midrats]

I use a 30 year old swing arm for convenience. I check its accuracy with my Tropic Marin hydrometer. I use a Tropic Marin thermometer as well.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have had all manner of salinity/SG measuring devices and still have a salinity meter and a couple of refractometers. However, I keep going back to the old school hydrometer.

I have a Tropic marin large hydrometer which requires no calibration, is consistent in its results is dependable needs no batteries and ever lasting. A little fragile it has to be said and not inexpensive ( there are smaller cheaper ones).

However, being old school the Tropic Marin is my SG measuring tool of choice. I have sold my Hanna salinity meter and put my other battery meter and 2 refractometers in the cupboard of no return, probably. Sometimes old school is still the best, well in this case it is for me.
View attachment 2982895

Ive heard the TM units are Very dependable

 

[rknapp]

I have the Apex salinity probe for tank monitoring and use a refractometer for water changes and quick tests. I periodically check and calibrate them both against the Tropic Marin hydrometer. They both will drift from time to time against the hydrometer but not enough to make me concerned about using them.

 

[mayyammay]

I used the same refractometer for about 14 years but I dropped it and it broke sometime last year. Bought a replacement refractometer and it seemed not to stay calibrated and ended up ordering a Tropic Marin hydrometer. They are surprisingly large, but very easy to use and read. I will probably never use a refractometer again. I have broken two already, which seems to be the only downside...

 

[mrbiggs1986]

Far from an expert but I only use the tm hydrometer.

 

[FrugalReefer]

Love mine, been using it for almost 2 years now. Refractometer’s been sitting in the garage all this time

 

[flagg37]

Love mine, been using it for almost 2 years now. Refractometer’s been sitting in the garage all this time

I think it’s kind of funny that you use 2 decimals (ex. 1.024.4).

 

[leon.1980]

I use a 30 year old swing arm for convenience. I check its accuracy with my Tropic Marin hydrometer. I use a Tropic Marin thermometer as well.View attachment 2983323

Lol. I do a lot
Of grilling and smoker so I have a high
Precision thermometer and just use that
To get accurate water
Temp. As much as the dang thing cost
Me it better be multi use

lol.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

I also use a TM hydrometer and thermometer. I have used every electronic salinity tool (Hanna, Pinpoint, Milwaukee, Ice Cap, etc.) and found them all lacking in reliability. Now I only trust my TM and my Thermo Scientific 4 electrode EC meter. I cross check them using each other, and to calibrate other EC probes and temperature probes.

Highly recommended.

 

[flashsmith]

TM hydrometer is the only one I trust. I've been mislead by the "electronic" ones too many times.

 

[atoll]

TM hydrometer is the only one I trust. I've been mislead by the "electronic" ones too many times.

The thing with the TM hydrometer is it so simple and can't malfunction unlike electronic meters.

 

[JCOLE]

Is there a good way to test the TM for accuracy? I guess I could mix up a gallon of salt water and test against that.

Reason I ask is I have had one for a while but questioned it's accuracy based on the paper in the stem. It just doesn't seem to be aligned right but I could be wrong.

 

[flashsmith]

All I can tell you is I lost over 2k in coral because of a faulty Hanna. Yea partly my fault for believing it was the end all beat all and not having anything else on hand. Was reading a full 14 points lower than it actually was. So I kept bringing my salinity up until it was at 1.026 but It was closer in reality to 1.040. Yes I cleaned it and recalibrated etc.. It was a faulty product. Switched to the TM about a year ago and everything has been great. If it's off my corals can't tell. Don't buy the Hanna hype on anything they sell.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Is there a good way to test the TM for accuracy? I guess I could mix up a gallon of salt water and test against that.

Reason I ask is I have had one for a while but questioned it's accuracy based on the paper in the stem. It just doesn't seem to be aligned right but I could be wrong.

View attachment 2988434

The simplest way to test it for accuracy is to buy a second one and test them against each other. They should line up to 4 decimal places.

Also I just looked at mine. The paper appears to be in the same position as yours.

 

[atoll]

I can see there being g a shortage of these TM hydrometer soon. I had to oder mine as none of my local LFSs stocked them due to little demand.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

I can see there being g a shortage of these TM hydrometer soon. I had to oder mine as none of my local LFSs stocked them due to little demand.

I have mentioned this in the past, but becareful if your ordering a hydrometer from Europe. Tropic Marin, and others, sell hydrometers that measures density rather than specific gravity. The scale looks identical, but the readings are different, but are easily mixed up. You can spot these by reading the measurement description on the paper label.

These are sold in countries, like Germany that use Metric for salinity measurements.

 

[Dave1993]

Only ever and only will ever use Hanna

 

[atoll]

I have mentioned this in the past, but becareful if your ordering a hydrometer from Europe. Tropic Marin, and others, sell hydrometers that measures density rather than specific gravity. The scale looks identical, but the readings are different, but are easily mixed up. You can spot these by reading the measurement description on the paper label.

These are sold in countries, like Germany that use Metric for salinity measurements.

I am in Europe. The last time I looked the UK still was.