ok so i was testing my salinity today as im about to do a water change. I am using an ATC refractometer. The instructions that came with it inside the case tell you to use distilled water and zero it out. However, on the underside of the storage case a sticker says "caution, only use provided calibration liquid to calibrate to 35 ppt or 1.026. I originally had this thing calibrated to zero with RO water. I decided to compare the reading i got with the calibration liquid to that of my tank. If i use RO water to calibrate my SG is 1.025. If i calibrate with the calibration liquid and then test i read 1.020. So my question is, what do you use to calibrate my solution. I have notice that most of my corals are open and doing well. I have good polup extension on my sps and devils hand. Nothing appears WRONG in my tank. But now im wondering if i should up my sg to see if things do better. Or will i just kill it all off.....what should i do.....stick with the RO water to calibrate?
refractometer help
- Thread starter Krazykarl
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Blob-79
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yup..herein lies the problem with refractometers. Like any sort of measurement, the most accurate method of measuring anything is by comparing to a standard. Refractometers need to be calibrated with calibration fluid, otherwise they are just as inaccurate as a hydrometer.
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Blob-79
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Neopimp link said:
rofl....sorry i accidently hit modify instead of quote, thats why neos post says modified by me.
Seggsy
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- Nov 16, 2010
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- Windsor, Ontario
I used to get Dave to test my water every few months to make sure I was calibrated OK (after my incident with the hydrometer got my water to 1.036 or so).
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