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Instant Ocean SeaTest Hydrometer
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Hydrometer 1.000 to 1.030 specific gravity by Instant Ocean. Swing arm style is easy to use and read specific gravity
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Searched Instant Ocean SeaTest Hydrometer in Reviews
Great item for the money
| Installation and Operation |
Very easy to use, just be sure to clean it after every use.
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| Performance vs. Expectations |
Seems to give accurate readings on every dip.
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| Value for money |
Great value for the money
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| Customer Support |
Never dealt with company
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| Liked about it |
Ease of use, accurate readings, price is right
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| Didn't like |
Nothing wrong with it.
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| Overall rating: |
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5.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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5.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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5.0 |
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Youl get what you pay for!
| Installation and Operation |
Very nice for the budget conscious... Would not use long term. Dip, sit on level surface and taking SG/ salinity reading. Great to get the kids involved with if they want to help! Care has to be taken to make sure there are not air bubbles on the arm as this will give a false reading. Must be cleaned after each use.
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| Performance vs. Expectations |
Yes Reading will vary slightly.
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| Value for money |
Absolutely!
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| Customer Support |
Never dealt with company.
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| Liked about it |
Cheap. Easy to maintain. Easier to use.
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| Didn't like |
Reading will vary slightly.
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| Overall rating: |
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4.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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4.0 |
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You Get What You Pay For
| Installation and Operation |
This is a great instrument for a quick daily check. I like the side drain for ease of opperation.
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| Performance vs. Expectations |
The Product performs as expected.
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| Value for money |
I believe for a quick daily check it serves its purpose but I also believe one should use a refractometer to be sure once per week.
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| Customer Support |
I have not had any contact with this company
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| Liked about it |
ease of use drain on side for auto level.
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| Didn't like |
it has two drawbacks. 1. salt creep, the instrument has to be washed out with fresh water very time it's used or you will have inaccurate readings either low because the salt will not let the arm swing freely or to high because of the added salt. 2. micro bubbles will stick to the plastic swing arm and if they are not all knocked off you will get a high reading
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| Overall rating: |
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3.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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3.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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3.0 |
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Ok for the money
| Installation and Operation |
Easy to use just dip and read, besure to place on flat surface and there are no air bubbles on the swing arm, have to keep clean rinse after every use.
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| Performance vs. Expectations |
Performs as expected, wish it was a little more acurate
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| Value for money |
Good value for the money for those who can not afford a refractometer
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| Liked about it |
Easy to use, good for fish only tanks
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| Didn't like |
Hard to keep clean, will get a build up after awhile, not as acurate as i would like, i would not use this on any reef tanks with sensitive inverts
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| Overall rating: |
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2.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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2.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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2.0 |
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Worth the money
| Installation and Operation |
Not difficult to work with at all. It give's you the correct reading's. After you take a reading you have to soak this in tap water for a good five minutes and wash it very well. If you don't you will have dry salt deposits which will give you incorrect reading's. Keep this unit clean after each use!
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| Performance vs. Expectations |
Yes
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| Value for money |
Good for the Money.
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| Customer Support |
No
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| Liked about it |
Love it. Just dip and read.
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| Didn't like |
Nothing wrong with it. You just have to keep the unit clean to get the right reading's with every test.
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| Overall rating: |
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5.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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5.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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5.0 |
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You get what you pay
| Installation and Operation |
No installation required
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| Performance vs. Expectations |
Good value for the money
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| Value for money |
Good value for money but definitely room for improvement
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| Customer Support |
Never dealt with company
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| Liked about it |
Easy to use, easy to maintain
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| Didn't like |
Never sure if I'm right with this thing, measured sea water and it said 1.014 (supposed to be 1.026) Then tested tap water and got 1.004.. Very confusing, better to just go for a refractometer
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| Overall rating: |
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2.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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3.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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1.0 |
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Save your money for a good one, but this will get
| Installation and Operation |
No installation needed. Comes pre-assembled. Instructions are decent. Easy to operate but you have to pay attention to what you are doing. Easy to maintain, just rinse it with warm fresh water when you are done. No maintenance other then cleaning after use and making sure it is really clean.
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| Performance vs. Expectations |
It performs as expected for the price. I have bought several over the years and they all produce different results. Accurate to a degree but it has room for improvement.
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| Value for money |
Great value for the price but you get what you pay for in this case. About the same price as other units. I paid $9.99 for mine at Petco cause the LFS wanted $11.99 for it.
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| Customer Support |
Never dealt with the company directly.
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| Liked about it |
It is fairly good at what it does. It also has a good price and the maintenance factor is minimal.
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| Didn't like |
Not very accurate, to me you should not get 3 different readings when you use it.
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| Overall rating: |
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2.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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3.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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1.0 |
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Worth it if you can't afford a refractometer
| Installation and Operation |
Just dunk it in!
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| Performance vs. Expectations |
I usually test the water at least 3 or 4 times with this and tap it to get all the air bubbles out. I would never trust it just on the first use. Always rinse it when done using.
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| Value for money |
Worth it.
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| Liked about it |
Easy to use and cheap.
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| Didn't like |
A little off and easily thrown off by small air bubbles.
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| Overall rating: |
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3.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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3.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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3.0 |
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Great for the price!
| General |
When you spend 80 dollars on a refractometer.......you expect it to be precise.......when you spend 5-10 dollars on this.....you will get a fairly good reading. Make sure you do a reading with RO water to make sure its not too far off. |
| Liked about it |
Easy to use
Cheap
Readily available
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| Didn't like |
Brittle
About 80-90% accurate, which isn't enough.
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| Overall rating: |
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3.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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3.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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3.0 |
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Instant Ocean SeaTest Hydrometer
| General |
I wouldn't rely on this as my sole salinity metering device but I couldn't imagine living without one as it is so quick and easy to use. |
| Liked about it |
Easy to read, quick operation, great for a quick check while mixing up a batch of salt water.
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| Didn't like |
Made of very brittle plastic, although it has survived so far. It was calibrated slightly wrong, under-reading the salinity by 0.002. I guess this is to be expected of a hydrometer of this type/price.
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| Overall rating: |
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3.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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3.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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3.0 |
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Hydrometer
| General |
I used one of these when I started too but after using a refractometer the first time and seeing how far off my salinity was I'll never use one again or recommend anyone else do. |
| Liked about it |
Easy to use
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| Didn't like |
Completely inaccurate compared to a refractometer, arm sticks
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| Overall rating: |
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1.5 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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2.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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1.0 |
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Great for starting out...
| General |
When I started out in the hobby, I used one of these hydrometers as my refernce to the salinty levels of my water. It worked well, you do have to make sure that there are no air bubbles in the chamber though so your readings aren't inaccurate. I did compare my reading to my refactometer after I got it and the hydrometer was off by .01. |
| Liked about it |
Ease of use.
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| Didn't like |
Not as close of a tolerance as a refractometer.
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| Overall rating: |
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3.5 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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3.0 |
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Bubbles
| General |
Be very careful when filling as to not get any micro bubbles on the arm. The reading will be quite high even if there is a single small bubble on the outer part of the arm. |
| Liked about it |
Both scales, Cheap
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| Didn't like |
micro bubbles through it off.
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| Overall rating: |
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3.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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3.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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3.0 |
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hydrometer
| General |
One of the first tools I bought was this hydrometer and I still have it.
It a useful piece of kit and without one your in trouble. I need to shake mine first as pin gets stuck and I have to use it away form the bubles caused by my skimmer as the pin raises with the bubbles. Overall great simple and cost effective kit. |
| Liked about it |
Ease of use
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| Didn't like |
Any bubles in water make test inaccurate.
Pin can stick inside so needs a shake.
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| Overall rating: |
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5.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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5.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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5.0 |
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Hydrometer
| General |
All in all a great Hydrometer. Just take a reading with it and then have a LFS take a reading and then you know how much off you really are. |
| Liked about it |
Cheap, easy to use and fairly accurate.
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| Didn't like |
Bubbles on the needle can give false readings.
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| Overall rating: |
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5.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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5.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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5.0 |
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Thoughts on Instant Ocean Hydrometer
| General |
Great starter unit for first saltwater tank. |
| Liked about it |
CHEAP!Great for meausring salt mixes.
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| Didn't like |
Due to lack saltcreep will have to rinse in hot water even vinger to make sure a semi accurate reading
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| Overall rating: |
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1.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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1.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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1.0 |
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cheap, unlikely to be precise or consistent
| General |
as with all hydrometers, this is very prone to error. Salt creep is the biggest culprit, but initial calibration is to a concern as well. Better to use a refractometer. |
| Liked about it |
cheap
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| Didn't like |
prone to error
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| Overall rating: |
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2.5 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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3.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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2.0 |
 By crvz
May 05, 2009
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Good for the money
| General |
Before I bought a refractometer, I used this product exclusively to measure my salt levels. It is surprisingly accurate when measuring levels that tanks are normally kept, 1.019-1.026. As the SG drops below 1.019 its accuracy also drops. All in all, I would recommend it for entry level duties. |
| Liked about it |
Inexpensive
Simple to use
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| Didn't like |
Must be kept very clean to ensure consistent results
Any air bubbles on needle will skew the results
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| Overall rating: |
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2.5 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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3.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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2.0 |
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its a good one
| General |
if mine were to break i would buy another one. |
| Liked about it |
easy to read good. for mixing up salt to a good level, but use a refractometer for accurate stuff.
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| Didn't like |
not as accurate as a refractometer. dont drop it cracks easily.
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| Overall rating: |
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4.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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4.0 |
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Instant Ocean
| General |
This is a good and inexpensive tool for a simple saltwater set up. If you have expensive corals then you would probably want to look into a refractormeter for a little more coin. Be sure to tap any bubbles off of the hydrometer to get an acuate reading. My hyrometer does tend to read a slightly highter then actual salinity. Also be sure to wash it out each and every time or you will have a false reading. |
| Liked about it |
Cheep and consistant reading have not had a problem with it which i have had for years.
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| Didn't like |
Bubbles on the meter will affect the reading be sure to tap them off if you get them.
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| Overall rating: |
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5.0 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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5.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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5.0 |
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Always inaccurate the same amount
| General |
Fine for a fish only tank but if you have inverts a refractometer is needed. Do not attempt a hyposalinity treatment with this or any hobby level swing arm hydrometer. |
| Liked about it |
If this swing arm is kept clean it reads pretty consistently for a swing arm hydrometer. It should be checked against a recently calibrated refractometer monthly.
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| Didn't like |
It always read consistently but it was off by .002.
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| Overall rating: |
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2.5 |
| Overall satisfaction: |
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3.0 |
| Would consider buying it again: |
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2.0 |
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internal use: spec455
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