Hanna Salinity Tester - first impressions

[Stigigemla]

Then 1 ( or both) of Your calibration fluids is not good. Just decide Yourself which one You are going to use as a reference.
Or get a chep scale for 1/100 gram and make Your own fluid.

 

[NeverlosT]

@andypeck831 Read the posts from Hanna on the first page of this thread.

 

[bozo]

I read through this and I still am confused as which meter to buy.

I don't want to use a refractometer anymore

I'll try the Hanna for now I guess

 

[danieyella]

I'm running into the same problems as everyone else here, I even tried calibrating the hanna to tank temp water and don't see an improvement. My refractometer reads at 1.026, my hanna reads at 1.021 - pretty big difference imo. I'm sure tank temp has something to do with this, and the hanna is telling me the tank is a good 8 degrees warmer than my other thermometers claim. Not really sure who to trust at this point....

 

[Stigigemla]

The Hanna needs to be calibrated with a fluid made for electronic meters.
The refractometers nedd to be calibrated with a fluid made for refractometers.
After proper calibration the refractometer normally will show 0.001 less because its not made for measuring sea water but for sodium cjloride solution.

 

[Reef.]

I'm running into the same problems as everyone else here, I even tried calibrating the hanna to tank temp water and don't see an improvement. My refractometer reads at 1.026, my hanna reads at 1.021 - pretty big difference imo. I'm sure tank temp has something to do with this, and the hanna is telling me the tank is a good 8 degrees warmer than my other thermometers claim. Not really sure who to trust at this point....

Maybe try taking some tank water out, wait for it to drop the 8 degrees, then take a reading.

If the reading is more inline with what you were expecting, then it’s the temp probe throwing off the results.

if it’s correct the temp probe is +/- 1f that is quite a margin, and I would think has a big impact on the salinity reading.

 

[adrianr514]

I was playing around with this again today and they are still about 2 ppt different from each other with the refractometer reading higher. Do I trust the refractometer more than the Hanna?

What is you Magnesium level at? Mag levels play a huge part in refractometer readings. Mag of 1400+ will give you a higher reading in a refractometer.

 

[jbilliel]

Ironically I had my LFS test my water last weekend and the Hanna was the correct salinity and not the refractometer. I went back and re-calibrated the refractometer again and it's still off. I gave up on the refractometer and went to the Hanna for my official tester

 

[joec]

Get the VEE GEE refractometer. It's set and forget. I think calibrated in once in two years. Easy to read, bulletproof

 

[jbilliel]

Mine is from BRS and thought it would be decent... Perhaps not? I really like BRS too!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

BRS.......The product is really only intended for testing fresh mixed saltwater and not for testing tank water due to contaminates can interfere with the reading. Along with that if you don't let it settle you can get inaccurate results and ambient room temperature is recommended for the fluid. If you have any further questions please let us know.

I know this is old, but that is nonsensical for any conductivity meter that has the dynamic range to read 53 mS/cm, and I am posting here to try to reduce the number of folks being misled by faulty information since such comments are showing up in my forum.

Assuming folks are talking about the HI 98319, it is certainly appropriate for reef tank water.

Marine Salinity Tester

Hanna Instruments HI98319 Marine Salinity Tester measures conductivity (EC) to determine the salinity of natural and artificial seawater within seconds.

www.hannainst.com

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What is you Magnesium level at? Mag levels play a huge part in refractometer readings. Mag of 1400+ will give you a higher reading in a refractometer.

Will it?

It is true, but the effect is small since to raise magnesium and maintain the same salinity, you are reducing something else.

The effect is small . I show that in Table 3 here.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-12/rhf/index.php

For example,

Start with 35 ppt normal seawater, raise magnesium to 1500 ppm, and maintain 35 ppt salinity. The salinity determiend by refractometer will only read high by 1.1%. So 1.02640 becomes 1.0267 (35.4 ppt).

 

[VolatileReeFer]

My ditched my refractometer for this hanna tool. My issue is the temperature aspect. My hanna says my tank water temp is 76.6. Inkbird says my temp is 77.6 degrees. . My cheap plastic (Aquaneat) digital temp guage with a probe says 78.8

Ummm what the heck is going on here?! All temps were taken at the exact same location and depth in my tank. What do I believe here?

 

[Reef.]

My ditched my refractometer for this hanna tool. My issue is the temperature aspect. My hanna says my tank water temp is 76.6. Inkbird says my temp is 77.6 degrees. . My cheap plastic (Aquaneat) digital temp guage with a probe says 78.8

Ummm what the heck is going on here?! All temps were taken at the exact same location and depth in my tank. What do I believe here?

I use a meat thermometer, the oxo ones, I have two, they are near enough exactly the same accuracy, my thought was if they are good enough to take the temp of meat then the manufacturer would have to make them somewhat reliable.

 

[Ippyroy]

My ditched my refractometer for this hanna tool. My issue is the temperature aspect. My hanna says my tank water temp is 76.6. Inkbird says my temp is 77.6 degrees. . My cheap plastic (Aquaneat) digital temp guage with a probe says 78.8

Ummm what the heck is going on here?! All temps were taken at the exact same location and depth in my tank. What do I believe here?

Average the three and that is good to go. We are only trying for consistency and trends. Reef tanks thrive in a certain range. The best thing to do is keep doing the same thing as long as it works and try your best to run things in the middle. Due to the fact that our tools, gauges, and test kits are hobby grade none of them are really correct.

 

[VolatileReeFer]

Average the three and that is good to go. We are only trying for consistency and trends. Reef tanks thrive in a certain range. The best thing to do is keep doing the same thing as long as it works and try your best to run things in the middle. Due to the fact that our tools, gauges, and test kits are hobby grade none of them are really correct.

Great advice, thanks.

 

[Sleepydoc]

Great advice, thanks.

or simply pick one that you like and stick with it. The temp probe in the Hanna Salinity probe is primarily for calibrating the results.

Like @lppyroy said, you're really interested in consistency more than what the true, precise temperature is. What you're really asking is how do you check the calibration of a temperature probe.

 

[Reef.]

or simply pick one that you like and stick with it. The temp probe in the Hanna Salinity probe is primarily for calibrating the results.

Like @lppyroy said, you're really interested in consistency more than what the true, precise temperature is. What you're really asking is how do you check the calibration of a temperature probe.

quite easy to do, either use a cup of ice with water, should read 32f or boiling distilled water.

 

[Sleepydoc]

quite easy to do, either use a cup of ice with water, should read 32f or boiling distilled water.

Assuming they have a linear response...

 

[Crabby48]

I'm running into the same problems as everyone else here, I even tried calibrating the hanna to tank temp water and don't see an improvement. My refractometer reads at 1.026, my hanna reads at 1.021 - pretty big difference imo. I'm sure tank temp has something to do with this, and the hanna is telling me the tank is a good 8 degrees warmer than my other thermometers claim. Not really sure who to trust at this point....

I calibrate my Hanna to tank temp also. Haven’t checked in awhile but my Hanna would be 1.026 and refractometer was 1.028. I use the Hanna only but mix and keep tank at 1.024. Either way I’m safe.