Ok ok I got this... a beer flute is perfect.. and my salinity is around 1.020 ~ 021.. ugh. So should I add super salty water bit by bit or just let evaporation lower the sump and top off with normal 1.025 new saltwater ??
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Ok ok I got this... a beer flute is perfect.. and my salinity is around 1.020 ~ 021.. ugh. So should I add super salty water bit by bit or just let evaporation lower the sump and top off with normal 1.025 new saltwater ??
Good thinking.Ok ok I got this... a beer flute is perfect.. and my salinity is around 1.020 ~ 021.. ugh. So should I add super salty water bit by bit or just let evaporation lower the sump and top off with normal 1.025 new saltwater ??
Thank.. yes I’m topping off with new saltwater and going to do a big water change tomorrow with .026... thanks everyone.. I might get that expensive digital meter... very easyIf every thing is looking ok, I would just correct it when you do water changes, maybe do them more often if you don’t do them regularly.
The other option is fill your sump with water above the ato fill level, this will raise it too.
Everyone’s got their method. I use a cheap refractometer that says it corrects for temp but doesn’t. I just check where it’s reading with 35ppt calibration fluid each time and use that as the reference point.Thank.. yes I’m topping off with new saltwater and going to do a big water change tomorrow with .026... thanks everyone.. I might get that expensive digital meter... very easy
Everyone’s got their method. I use a cheap refractometer that says it corrects for temp but doesn’t. I just check where it’s reading with 35ppt calibration fluid each time and use that as the reference point.
Classic accuracy vs. precision. The precision is fine...the accuracy is a hot mess. But I can make it work.
Thank.. yes I’m topping off with new saltwater and going to do a big water change tomorrow with .026... thanks everyone.. I might get that expensive digital meter... very easy
I understood... I don’t have an ato system yet... just been manually topping off ...Just to be clear, my suggestion was slightly different to topping off with salt water, adding extra salt water to the sump, above the ato level will do the same, this will stop the ato working, as the extra salt water evaporates, this raises the salinity, saves adding salt to the ato, same result but saves a lot of hassle swapping/cleaning ato containers etc
I would read up on all the options you have been given here, most of them have their fair share of bad reviews, with the 3 methods you have now you should be able to pin down what you find the most accurate, try and get a bottle of calibration fluid, then you can be sure your refractometer is good, then use that to check the other 2.
If you fancy a digital reader, out of all those mentioned, I have seen less bad reviews on the Milwaukee, and you don’t need to keep buying reagents for that one, the Hanna one you do.
I bought a Milwaukee digital meter a year or so ago and was in hog heaven. Super easy. Very accurate (or so I thought). But recently I bought one of the glass Tropic Marin hydrometers from BRS, just to occasionally validate the Milwaukee. Tested my water with the Milwaukee - 1.024. Tested with the hydrometer - 1.027. And yes, I calibrated the Milwaukee before I used it. The glass hydrometer is supposed to be the most accurate from what I have read. So now I don't trust the Milwaukee.
My 2 cents, spend $31 on the Tropic Marin hydrometer and get the $10 plastic 500 ml graduated cylinder from Amazon. Just rinse of the hydrometer after each use and be gentle with it, and you should get very consistent and accurate readings.
I have the plastic graduated cylinder coming today... the refractometer I got is this one and the calibration fluid.
the reviews were generally good and the price was right.. think I should return it and get the Tropic Marin?
I have the plastic graduated cylinder coming today... the refractometer I got is this one and the calibration fluid.
the reviews were generally good and the price was right.. think I should return it and get the Tropic Marin?
If you get similar readings with 2 devices, it is probably a good reading.
I like the floating glass hydrometer as a baseline standardBetter yet, an accurate reading with a known standard.