just got a refractometer... glad i did!

[reefermike1]

i know this is a typical thing ive read here when someone buys a refractometer and wow there hydrometer is off. mines off .005! funny with what i do for a living if im off .005(inch), i just made scrap!

my salinity is 1.026via refracto, 1.021via hydrometer. really didnt think it would be that bad, just glad i listened to my gut and bought a refractometer before i started trying to raise my sg. only thing though i used ro/di water instead of distilled water to calibrate it. thats ok right?

[tims]

yes that is better to use.
also getting a hold of a true sample of 1.025 woudl be good

[Wiskey]

My Refracto (Deep 6) was just as far off, the other one was one point higher off.

What do you do for a living? I work in a custom made circuit board shop, and 0.005 (inch) means scrap for us too.

Whiskey

[know-it-all]

welcome to the 90's my friend, they are a must have at the $50.

I can't believe I went with out one for as long as I did

ps. .005 is def scrap here as well (tool an die shop)


to answer the last question, yes RO/DI is good enough for 0 calibration
there are some recipes for a true 1.025 reading (or 31 on the other scale I think)

[reefermike1]

Originally Posted by Wiskey

My Refracto (Deep 6) was just as far off, the other one was one point higher off.

What do you do for a living? I work in a custom made circuit board shop, and 0.005 (inch) means scrap for us too.

Whiskey

im a machinist. in some cases .0005 could mean scrap.

[skeety]

bump

Love threads like this. Did the same thing. Hydrometer read 1.025, when I finally broke down and got a refractometer, turned out I was REALLY at 1.031.

Just wanted to send this to the front, so more people see it.

They're only like $40-50. WELL worth it.

[know-it-all]

yes well worth the investment

we'll spend $100's on fish/coral but only $5 on a hydrometer