Recommendation for Salinity Tester

[BradVol]

correct.

https://reefs.com/magazine/chemistry-and-the-aquarium-specific-gravity-oh-how-complicated/
Figure 4. A Tropic Marin hydrometer showing the meniscus rising to about 1.0260, but the actual reading is about 1.0265.

I didn't really enjoy my 2 years of chemistry in high school, but this reef thing has made it a lot more fun.

 

[Dbichler]

Tropic Marin high precision is my go to for exact readings then I use Hannah for my routine checks just know the difference between the two and it’s fast and easy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I didn't really enjoy my 2 years of chemistry in high school, but this reef thing has made it a lot more fun.

lol

Happy Reefing. :)

 

[BradVol]

lol

Happy Reefing. :)

I must say that everything you've done for this hobby, over a long period of time, is amazing. You have no idea who I am, yet you've helped me so much through your articles and posts on here. And your patience with new people like myself over such a long period of time is amazing. You're like the rare teacher in school who makes a huge impact on you. So thanks for all you've done and all you do.

 

[OlafsReef]

Have fancy Milwaukee refractometer, Precision hydrometer, still prefer my Pinpoint conductivity meters when testing and mixing new salt. Tried many things, keep going back to these.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I must say that everything you've done for this hobby, over a long period of time, is amazing. You have no idea who I am, yet you've helped me so much through your articles and posts on here. And your patience with new people like myself over such a long period of time is amazing. You're like the rare teacher in school who makes a huge impact on you. So thanks for all you've done and all you do.

Thank you very much!

 

[Ashish Patel]

I am starting Hyposalinity so my devices have to be precious to get a reading of 1.009. My refrac is great but would be better to have a electronic read out to be sure. I would love a Milwaukee digital one but the price is too high, does anyone recommend a digital one that i could use thats under $50?

 

[Fredrxn]

Hanna checker works good for me

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I use a tropic marin hydrometer, refractomer and my hanna salinity checker. The hanna checker does drift over time, but I calibrate it once a month and seems to do well for a rough reading when looking at things. One thing I learned to help keep it from drifting, is to rinse the head in RODI before putting the cover back on it. Since I started doing this, it holds calibration much longer and seems to provide a quicker time to stabilize and report the actual salinity.

Also, the reading you get from the Hanna right off the bat is not correct. You have to wait for the temp to stabilize and the hourglass to the left of the reading to stop flashing. If you rely on the first reading you see, it will almost always be incorrect if the meter is not close to the temp of the water being tested.

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

Many different types of salinity measurement devices are plenty accurate for reef tank use if made and calibrated properly.

I personally prefer conductivity meters due to the easy of use, the fact that they can easily and continuously be used during acclimation in a bag, and have uses the other devices lack entirely, such as measuring limewater/kalkwasser potency.

I use and recommend an old Orion conductivity meter using a 4 electrode probe, but you'd have to get one use don ebay.

The Pinpoint also seemed good, but was slower to respond when put into a solution, and I don't think it actively showed the temp (the Orion model 128 does).

I've got a conductivity one like we were talking about earlier but I think it might be a little off so gonna try your home calibration fluid and/or then a hydrometer

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I've got a conductivity one like we were talking about earlier but I think it might be a little off so gonna try your home calibration fluid and/or then a hydrometer

Sounds like a good plan. :)

 

[BradVol]

I've been having really good success with my setup. TM hydrometer to calibrate/verify. MA887 has been right on every time, but it's only precise to within 1 PSU. And my calibration solution checks out on the MA887. I haven't been using an analog refractometer lately.

I use the MA887 and if anything seems off I check it against the hydrometer.

 

[Drewbacca]

The most logical approach & best practice in my opinion after reading through as much info and everyones experiences and feedback as possible is using an in tank probe to monitor for large swings, and a hanna or Milwaukee digital refractometer for routine tests and the TM hydrometer to cross check for calibrating or quickly to verify a reading that requires action.
How much easier would it all be if there was one solid reliable controller or stand alone wifi probe we could use to confidently monitor our system... annd
While im dreaming... because this probe was so well engineered for the end user with an extra long heavily insulated interference proof cord/wire and optional wire port for digital readout display T'd off from the probe with its own 4' wire for in or outside stand mounting... we Could just fip it from "continuous monitoring" to "quick check" ( which could start/create a seperate log ) and Grab the probe... from our sump and sit it in the nearby bin or bucket etc.
the one thing I dont hear mentioned very often For easy local monitoring is a level line accross the outdide glass of the return chamber. Which does require the door to be open or off, and the pump to not be used for flow variations... and why mine isn't and why my stand panel is often off.
Secutity camera on sump when away is a huge help with stress relief. Like being on the phone with a kidnapper in a movie, telling you your kid is fine.. "Just Let Me SEE them!"
However, the return 'level line' is the same thing as the information that dual level sensors or float switches can provide.
Andcwith the new neptune water level sensor stick/ruler.. telling us exact levels, and not just highs and lows, it could easily
Be one of our easiest ways to monitor general salinty or supplement our salinity probe data for a broader picture. Especially if its providing questionable readouts.
Just my waiting room over analyzation of our water to salt ratio situation... that we put ourselves in ... on purpose... for fun. : )

 

[JeyesFluid]

I have a refractometer and two calibration solutions that read 2 ppt apart. I'm willing to get good equipment if it's something that's consistent and accurate. What's the best option for checking salinity? I've looked at the Milwaukee and Hanna pen and both seem to have accuracy issues. I'm having accuracy issues with my calibration solutions. Is there a tool most people would agree on as a good option? Do i just need to get different calibration solution and use a refractometer? I have an Apex and am considering getting the salinity probe but that would just be as a backup.

If you use Hanna you MUST Calibrate it all the time, especially after first 1-2 months, will not hold calibration for more than 3-5 days after it's a few months old.

 

[gbroadbridge]

If you use Hanna you MUST Calibrate it all the time, especially after first 1-2 months, will not hold calibration for more than 3-5 days after it's a few months old.

Mine stays calibrated for months.

The device has poor temperature compensation so you must always make certain the calibration solution is the same temperature as the water you will be testing when calibrating.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don’t know anything first hand about how often the Hanna needs calibration, but I also don’t understand why it would. I don’t know what would change between uses unless the electrodes get coated in something. Maybe the electronics are not up to par in some fashion.

I use two other brands (a pinpoint and a high end Orion). The Orion cannot be
“Calibrated” at all. I used it for nearly 20 years and it never drifted. It always read a small but the same amount off of a commercial conductivity standard.

I also don’t recall the pinpoint drifting. It was slower to come to a stable reading because it presumably took longer to get an accurate temp, so I used it less often.

 

[Matty Ice]

I’ve been using the same Hanna salinity checker almost daily for 3 years, never calibrated it yet and has always been spot on. I do compare it to my refractometer and calibrate that once a month before comparing. I meticulously clean the Hanna checker with RODI water and shake it dry after each use.

I measure salinity in sg. Not sure if that makes any difference.