Looking for opinions here on what step I should take. I've had this refractometer for about 8 years now. However, 6 of those years it spent in storage being untouched. I pulled it out about a month ago to use again. I've been using it for about a month, and getting steady readings of 1.026. However, once my new tank was cycled, I took a water sample to one of my LFS just to have them double check my parameter readings. He told me (using an instant read digital salinity meter) that it came out to 1.019. I picked up some calibration fluid and went home.
First, I re-tested my tank's water and it came out at 1.024. I placed some pure RO/DI water on my refractometer and calibrated it down to 0. Placed the calibration fluid onto it, and it was already at the proper lever based on the calibration bottle 1.0264. Wiped it clean and tested my tank water again, and again it came out to 1.024. A few days later I went to a different LFS and asked them to test it. They did so (using a refractometer), and he got a reading of 1.021. When I went back home, I tested one more time using my own, and I still got 1.024.
In essence the readings from the different places are...
My Refractometer - 1.024
LFS #1 Digital Salinity Meter - 1.019
LFS #2 Refractometer - 1.021
I'm unsure of what to think/do at this point. I don't want to spend money on a new refractometer, if there's really nothing wrong with my own (it's never been dropped or damaged in any way), and it's maybe the two LFS that have improperly calibrated devices. Advice?
First, I re-tested my tank's water and it came out at 1.024. I placed some pure RO/DI water on my refractometer and calibrated it down to 0. Placed the calibration fluid onto it, and it was already at the proper lever based on the calibration bottle 1.0264. Wiped it clean and tested my tank water again, and again it came out to 1.024. A few days later I went to a different LFS and asked them to test it. They did so (using a refractometer), and he got a reading of 1.021. When I went back home, I tested one more time using my own, and I still got 1.024.
In essence the readings from the different places are...
My Refractometer - 1.024
LFS #1 Digital Salinity Meter - 1.019
LFS #2 Refractometer - 1.021
I'm unsure of what to think/do at this point. I don't want to spend money on a new refractometer, if there's really nothing wrong with my own (it's never been dropped or damaged in any way), and it's maybe the two LFS that have improperly calibrated devices. Advice?