hydrometer dilemma

I have alot of expensive inverts. so I try to keep it fairly accurate. I
agree though, as long as everybody looks happy in your tank you should be
safe.

Susan
"TheRock" wrote in message
news:Xz2ig.8890$Rv1.4529@trndny02...
OK let me add my 2 cents...how accurate do you need salinity to be ?
If you shoot for the range that's indicated on the swing arm
and you keep an eye on your corals and other tank life.
It's safe to assume that you are where you need to be.

I have my best success by keeping the arm somewhere in the middle
usually to the high side. .022 .023 .024

How about replacing your Deep Six every other year, just
to make sure you have a functioning Hydrometer...(gunk build up, etc)
They're only $10

If the corals and fish look healthy I don't see the need for such high
accuracy.
In other words, close enough.

Chris

"Susan" wrote in message
.. .
I wouldn't be without a refractometer. I've used the swing arm ones and
never could get the same reading twice. You can rest assured, Cindy, if
you are interested in buying from Dr Fosters or Premium Aquatics that both
places are excellent place to buy from!!! Also, Premium Aquatics has the
best live rock (if anyone is interested) that I've run across. Not trying
to start a "rock war" again ;-)

Susan
"Pszemol" wrote in message
...
Try soaking both hydrometers for a day or two in kitchen vineger
regularly.
Then wash it with warm water. This will dissolve deposits and make them
more
reliable. I have also read on the back of the packaging that the
manufacturer
recommends soaking it for at least 24 hours in sea water before
first use to "season the needle". I have no idea what science is
behind this recomendation, but maybe it is important fact you missed
comparing your old, dried out hygrometer readings with the other one.

From my own experience I prefer swing arms over refractometers by far!
Contrary to some people here I found them much easier to use than
to stare into tiny viewfinder and find the reading on very, very tiny
scale
with an edge between blue and white regions being not always very sharp.
It might be some problem with my blue refractometer made in China
or some problems with my vision but I just find it very difficult to use
:-)
With added uncertainity of most of them being calibrated to NaCl not NSW
they are not worth the price for the average aquarist. I can use Deep
Six
hydrometer with good or bad light and I find them very reliable when
I wash them frequently and not let them dry with salt water in their
cavity.

"Susan" wrote in message .. .
I have alot of expensive inverts. so I try to keep it fairly accurate. I
agree though, as long as everybody looks happy in your tank you should be
safe.

Why would you care to keep it so stable and "acurate" if even
in the ocean itself, salinity and temperature fluctuates a lot?

Check these two articles out:
http://www.reefland.com/rho/1105/reefc7.php
http://www.reefland.com/rho/0106/reefc8.php
What is your conclusion from the reading ?

[SNIP]
If the corals and fish look healthy I don't see the need for such high
accuracy.
In other words, close enough.

Chris

The difference between my two hydrometers was so huge that who knows
where "close enough" is? Maybe the fish LOOK healthy to me, but would
live a lot longer if the salinity was correct.

Besides, I like ACCURACY. "Close enough" doesn't do it for me.

Oh dear...We are still talking about fish/corals right ?
Maybe I'll worry more when I'm paying more than $20 for an item.
Until then I'll make sure all that extra salt goes to my Margaritas.


"Cindy" wrote in message
. net...
[SNIP]
If the corals and fish look healthy I don't see the need for such high
accuracy.
In other words, close enough.

Chris

The difference between my two hydrometers was so huge that who knows where
"close enough" is? Maybe the fish LOOK healthy to me, but would live a
lot longer if the salinity was correct.

Besides, I like ACCURACY. "Close enough" doesn't do it for me.

I've used the same Seatest hydrometer for 14 years. I just rinse it out with hot water once in
awhile. If I got another one to compare measurements, it would just complicate things.



"TheRock" wrote in message news:Xz2ig.8890$Rv1.4529@trndny02...
OK let me add my 2 cents...how accurate do you need salinity to be ?
If you shoot for the range that's indicated on the swing arm
and you keep an eye on your corals and other tank life.
It's safe to assume that you are where you need to be.

I have my best success by keeping the arm somewhere in the middle
usually to the high side. .022 .023 .024

How about replacing your Deep Six every other year, just
to make sure you have a functioning Hydrometer...(gunk build up, etc)
They're only $10

If the corals and fish look healthy I don't see the need for such high accuracy.
In other words, close enough.

Chris

"Susan" wrote in message .. .
I wouldn't be without a refractometer. I've used the swing arm ones and never could get the same reading twice. You can rest
assured, Cindy, if you are interested in buying from Dr Fosters or Premium Aquatics that both places are excellent place to buy
from!!! Also, Premium Aquatics has the best live rock (if anyone is interested) that I've run across. Not trying to start a
"rock war" again ;-)

Susan
"Pszemol" wrote in message ...
Try soaking both hydrometers for a day or two in kitchen vineger regularly.
Then wash it with warm water. This will dissolve deposits and make them more
reliable. I have also read on the back of the packaging that the manufacturer
recommends soaking it for at least 24 hours in sea water before
first use to "season the needle". I have no idea what science is
behind this recomendation, but maybe it is important fact you missed
comparing your old, dried out hygrometer readings with the other one.

From my own experience I prefer swing arms over refractometers by far!
Contrary to some people here I found them much easier to use than
to stare into tiny viewfinder and find the reading on very, very tiny scale
with an edge between blue and white regions being not always very sharp.
It might be some problem with my blue refractometer made in China
or some problems with my vision but I just find it very difficult to use :-)
With added uncertainity of most of them being calibrated to NaCl not NSW
they are not worth the price for the average aquarist. I can use Deep Six
hydrometer with good or bad light and I find them very reliable when
I wash them frequently and not let them dry with salt water in their cavity.

I would not recomend rinsing it in hot water, but it does
need to be soaked in vinegar once in a while.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Yukon wrote on 6/10/2006 6:56 PM:
I've used the same Seatest hydrometer for 14 years. I just rinse it out with hot water once in
awhile. If I got another one to compare measurements, it would just complicate things.



"TheRock" wrote in message news:Xz2ig.8890$Rv1.4529@trndny02...
OK let me add my 2 cents...how accurate do you need salinity to be ?
If you shoot for the range that's indicated on the swing arm
and you keep an eye on your corals and other tank life.
It's safe to assume that you are where you need to be.

I have my best success by keeping the arm somewhere in the middle
usually to the high side. .022 .023 .024

How about replacing your Deep Six every other year, just
to make sure you have a functioning Hydrometer...(gunk build up, etc)
They're only $10

If the corals and fish look healthy I don't see the need for such high accuracy.
In other words, close enough.

Chris

"Susan" wrote in message .. .
I wouldn't be without a refractometer. I've used the swing arm ones and never could get the same reading twice. You can rest
assured, Cindy, if you are interested in buying from Dr Fosters or Premium Aquatics that both places are excellent place to buy
from!!! Also, Premium Aquatics has the best live rock (if anyone is interested) that I've run across. Not trying to start a
"rock war" again ;-)

Susan
"Pszemol" wrote in message ...
Try soaking both hydrometers for a day or two in kitchen vineger regularly.
Then wash it with warm water. This will dissolve deposits and make them more
reliable. I have also read on the back of the packaging that the manufacturer
recommends soaking it for at least 24 hours in sea water before
first use to "season the needle". I have no idea what science is
behind this recomendation, but maybe it is important fact you missed
comparing your old, dried out hygrometer readings with the other one.

From my own experience I prefer swing arms over refractometers by far!
Contrary to some people here I found them much easier to use than
to stare into tiny viewfinder and find the reading on very, very tiny scale
with an edge between blue and white regions being not always very sharp.
It might be some problem with my blue refractometer made in China
or some problems with my vision but I just find it very difficult to use :-)
With added uncertainity of most of them being calibrated to NaCl not NSW
they are not worth the price for the average aquarist. I can use Deep Six
hydrometer with good or bad light and I find them very reliable when
I wash them frequently and not let them dry with salt water in their cavity.

Yukon wrote:
I've used the same Seatest hydrometer for 14 years. I just rinse it out with hot water once in
awhile. If I got another one to compare measurements, it would just complicate things.

That's what happened to me. Found my old Seatest and compared it to my
new Coralife....EEEK!

Pszemol wrote:
Try soaking both hydrometers for a day or two in kitchen vineger regularly.
Then wash it with warm water. This will dissolve deposits and make them
more
reliable. I have also read on the back of the packaging that the
manufacturer
recommends soaking it for at least 24 hours in sea water before
first use to "season the needle". I have no idea what science is
behind this recomendation, but maybe it is important fact you missed
comparing your old, dried out hygrometer readings with the other one.

From my own experience I prefer swing arms over refractometers by far!
Contrary to some people here I found them much easier to use than
to stare into tiny viewfinder and find the reading on very, very tiny scale
with an edge between blue and white regions being not always very sharp.
It might be some problem with my blue refractometer made in China
or some problems with my vision but I just find it very difficult to use
:-)
With added uncertainity of most of them being calibrated to NaCl not NSW
they are not worth the price for the average aquarist. I can use Deep Six
hydrometer with good or bad light and I find them very reliable when
I wash them frequently and not let them dry with salt water in their
cavity.

I've never used anything but a swing arm. And I always rinse with fresh
water after using -- learned that when I got the Seatest. I just keep
the thing on the dish drainer. But I'll soak it and see how it reads
after that, plus I bought me a 2-liter bottle of Coke so I can
calibrate it. Thanks!

If you leave it on the dish drainer make sure it is upside down so it does not collect
dust

--
Boomer

If You See Me Running You Better Catch-Up

Former US Army Bomb Technician (EOD)
Member; IABTI, NATEODA, WEODF, ISEE & IPS

Want to talk chemistry ? The Reef Chemistry Forum
http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/index.php

Want to See More ! The Coral Realm
http://www.coralrealm.com



"Cindy" wrote in message
y.com...
: Pszemol wrote:
: Try soaking both hydrometers for a day or two in kitchen vineger regularly.
: Then wash it with warm water. This will dissolve deposits and make them
: more
: reliable. I have also read on the back of the packaging that the
: manufacturer
: recommends soaking it for at least 24 hours in sea water before
: first use to "season the needle". I have no idea what science is
: behind this recomendation, but maybe it is important fact you missed
: comparing your old, dried out hygrometer readings with the other one.
:
: From my own experience I prefer swing arms over refractometers by far!
: Contrary to some people here I found them much easier to use than
: to stare into tiny viewfinder and find the reading on very, very tiny scale
: with an edge between blue and white regions being not always very sharp.
: It might be some problem with my blue refractometer made in China
: or some problems with my vision but I just find it very difficult to use
: :-)
: With added uncertainity of most of them being calibrated to NaCl not NSW
: they are not worth the price for the average aquarist. I can use Deep Six
: hydrometer with good or bad light and I find them very reliable when
: I wash them frequently and not let them dry with salt water in their
: cavity.
:
: I've never used anything but a swing arm. And I always rinse with fresh
: water after using -- learned that when I got the Seatest. I just keep
: the thing on the dish drainer. But I'll soak it and see how it reads
: after that, plus I bought me a 2-liter bottle of Coke so I can
: calibrate it. Thanks!

Boomer wrote:
If you leave it on the dish drainer make sure it is upside down so it does not collect
dust

I do. Actually I had to find somewhere else to keep it because my kids
were getting too violent with the dishwater. Don't need soap in the
tank either.

I'm working on drinking that bottle of coke now.