Lets talk about how stupid I am...

[frankandmaura]

Originally Posted by titanfan

out of curiosity how quick did you drop the SG?

Over about 2 hours...I still need to bring it down a bit...

[Phishnoob]

Sorry to hear about your mess. Jeez I just had a flood this week because my effluent line popped out of the drain off the RO. It was maybe 15 gallons and sort of like a tremor in the ring of fire..not worth reporting.

Let me know what refractometer you end up with. It is about time to get my ducks in a row and get ready for corals. My plastic thingy scares me.

[tashier]

I had my first minor flood last week. During a water change I was pumping water into the tank and wasn't paying attention to the sump level. The sump overflowed into the stand and there was about an inch of water on the bottom. Not much made it to the carpet luckily. The powerstrip was sizzling a little bit I think . I have a hydrometer and just hope it's close because I don't know.

[dobejazz]

This is the refractometer I have it seemed like a good price to me
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...product=MD2101

[three90s&125sump]

The deal with salinity is this... Stable!!! If you are reading 1.023 you are good, if you are reading 1.021 you are good, if you are reading 1.028 you are good. But changing the salinity every time you get a reading that isnt exsactly like you want it to be is bad. You (using a hydrometer) might get 3 different readings everytime you take a reading.

[Fly Guy]

Originally Posted by three90s&125sump

The deal with salinity is this... Stable!!! If you are reading 1.023 you are good, if you are reading 1.021 you are good, if you are reading 1.028 you are good. But changing the salinity every time you get a reading that isnt exsactly like you want it to be is bad. You (using a hydrometer) might get 3 different readings everytime you take a reading.

gotta disagree there 3-90's. Unless it is damaged the reason hydrometers arent accurate is because the buoyancy of the float is altered with mineral buildup....take any hydrometer that hasnt been damaged and it will give consistent readings.....it is highly unlikely that the readings will match up with what the numbers on it say.......but they will consistently read the same WRONG number......but ike i said..you have to check it every month or so depending on how much you use it as it does change.......

moral to the story......buy a REFRACTOMETER ...but the hydrometers are nice when you are thrashing about with many buckets of whatever

[three90s&125sump]

Originally Posted by Fly Guy

gotta disagree there 3-90's. Unless it is damaged the reason hydrometers arent accurate is because the buoyancy of the float is altered with mineral buildup....take any hydrometer that hasnt been damaged and it will give consistent readings.....it is highly unlikely that the readings will match up with what the numbers on it say.......but they will consistently read the same WRONG number......but ike i said..you have to check it every month or so depending on how much you use it as it does change.......

moral to the story......buy a REFRACTOMETER ...but the hydrometers are nice when you are thrashing about with many buckets of whatever

I got a 12 inch glass hydrometer that I use for coveinience and the range you can interpret the reading at is so broad that it is just a generalization of what it might be. It is even worse if you are using a swing arm hydrometer because of bubbles on the arm that can through it alot.

I now use a digital salinity meter that I love. It is way more conveinient than the refractometer that I dropped and easier to read.

[Fly Guy]

Originally Posted by three90s&125sump

swing arm hydrometer because of bubbles on the arm that can through it alot.

Maybe its the custom baffles on mine that make it work consistently

?? Hydrometers suck but ive had different experiences.;............anyways................ How much was your digital one.....i LIKE that idea..........

[three90s&125sump]

Originally Posted by Fly Guy

Maybe its the custom baffles on mine that make it work consistently

?? Hydrometers suck but ive had different experiences.;............anyways................ How much was your digital one.....i LIKE that idea..........

$60 ebay, works great. No membrane to clean only electrodes to wipe off after each use.

[three90s&125sump]

Here is the link to the exsact one I bought.

DigiMateTemperature Salinity Specific Gravity Meter jbj

[Fly Guy]

Originally Posted by three90s&125sump

$60 ebay, works great. No membrane to clean only electrodes to wipe off after each use.

I just bought it. I like the idea of not having to stick my fingers in the water to test the salinity with my refractometer........

it will be much easier now to calibrate my garage hydrometer

[whatevva]

I like the idea of not having to stick my fingers in the water to test the salinity with my refractometer

OK, you sparked my curiousity..why are you sticking your fingers in the tank????

[Fly Guy]

Originally Posted by whatevva

OK, you sparked my curiousity..why are you sticking your fingers in the tank????

becasue i lost my little water sucker thingy and im too lazy to get a syringe...........

so i just stick my fingers in the tank and drip it on the plate

Are you sorry you asked now????

[three90s&125sump]

Man, every day i have my arm in my tank up to my arm pit for one reason or another cleaning the glass, moving rocks, moving corals, feeding fish, fixing this, fixing that, working on this, working on that, ETC... I kept tellng my self I wouldn't do it but... I do.

[Fly Guy]

Originally Posted by three90s&125sump

Man, every day i have my arm in my tank up to my arm pit for one reason or another cleaning the glass, moving rocks, moving corals, feeding fish, fixing this, fixing that, working on this, working on that, ETC... I kept tellng my self I wouldn't do it but... I do.

but its going to end soon.....really......sometime........soon....very soon...............right after this next project.......or at least DEFINITELY by the one ofter that......