Hannah checker, worth it?

[skydancer]

I use Hana for po4, API for alk, and sail feet for ca, mag, nitrates.
Very happy with all of them.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

.I wish hanna would come up with a Salinity checker.

Milwaukee has the corner on that market IMO. Some of the best $ spent, period.

 

[jasonandsarah]

Milwaukee has the corner on that market IMO. Some of the best $ spent, period.

Hey Bud, do you have a regular refractometer? If so have you ever compared readings with the Milwaukee? Thanks

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

I don't even know where my refractometer is. I think I loaned it to someone a while ago, and they can keep it. All I can say is, if you're thinking about getting a Milwaukee salinity meter, stop thinking and start doing. You will not regret it. Just keep it clean, calibrate it with RODI before each use, and after testing (and between different tank water samples) rinse the eye with RODI and dry, same before you put it away. We had a club meeting this weekend to go over test kits (we had about 30 different kits) and I tested 3 water samples in about 2 minutes and half the people said they were getting one next purchase.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hey Bud, do you have a regular refractometer? If so have you ever compared readings with the Milwaukee? Thanks

FWIW, the relationship between refractive index, conductivity, and salinity of seawater is well known. So assuming you can measure either refractive index or conductivity accurately enough, you will get the same answer for salinity.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

FWIW, the relationship between refractive index, conductivity, and salinity of seawater is well known.

The Milwaukee meter I use is a refractometer
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/milwaukee-digital-seawater-refractometer.html

 

[jasonandsarah]

FWIW, the relationship between refractive index, conductivity, and salinity of seawater is well known. So assuming you can measure either refractive index or conductivity accurately enough, you will get the same answer for salinity.

You always go way above my head Randy! Lol but thanks for the answer. I guess I was wondering more about the "cheap" refractometers. I've read so many times that they're made specifically for brix?(I think that's what it is)
In all reality I just need to buy something better to measure salinity most likely.

 

[jasonandsarah]

I don't even know where my refractometer is. I think I loaned it to someone a while ago, and they can keep it. All I can say is, if you're thinking about getting a Milwaukee salinity meter, stop thinking and start doing. You will not regret it. Just keep it clean, calibrate it with RODI before each use, and after testing (and between different tank water samples) rinse the eye with RODI and dry, same before you put it away. We had a club meeting this weekend to go over test kits (we had about 30 different kits) and I tested 3 water samples in about 2 minutes and half the people said they were getting one next purchase.

Thanks Bud I'm on it asap [emoji3]

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

I guess I was wondering more about the "cheap" refractometers. I've read so many times that they're made specifically for brix?(I think that's what it is)

Thread getting off topic but meh...This was one question that I was hoping @Randy Holmes-Farley could answer.

Is there anything to the claims of the difference between a Brine refractometer and a seawater refractometer, like what is claimed for this product?

http://www.marinedepot.com/Marine_D...tometers-Marine_Depot-MD2103-FITEOPRF-vi.html

Designed specifically for aquarium use to measure the salinity of natural sea water (NSW). Most handheld saltwater refractometers available in the hobby are designed and calibrated for testing brine solution, i.e. sodium chloride, and are not calibrated for the refractive index of natural sea water. This is a very important distinction: other salinity refractometers used for marine aquariums are designed to test saltwater and nothing else! The Marine Depot Aquarium Pro Refractometer is designed to measure the salinity of NSW taking into account all the other elements that comprise salinity in the marine water sample.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You always go way above my head Randy! Lol but thanks for the answer. I guess I was wondering more about the "cheap" refractometers. I've read so many times that they're made specifically for brix?(I think that's what it is)
In all reality I just need to buy something better to measure salinity most likely.

Most cheap ones are made for sodium chloride (brine) solutions, but calibrating them with a 35 ppt seawater solution (DIY or commercial ) solves that problem and eliminates worry about their accuracy (within the accuracy needs we typically have). But if it is not an ATC (automatic temperature compensation) type, then you do need to be careful about the temp of measurement and calibration.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thread getting off topic but meh...This was one question that I was hoping @Randy Holmes-Farley could answer.

Is there anything to the claims of the difference between a Brine refractometer and a seawater refractometer, like what is claimed for this product?

http://www.marinedepot.com/Marine_D...tometers-Marine_Depot-MD2103-FITEOPRF-vi.html

Yes, there is a potentially important difference. The brine types should not be calibrated with RO/DI, while a seawater type can.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, I like conductivity then refractometers better because I can read limewater (kalkwasser) potency with it, and I can get continuous real time readings during transitions like acclimation or when making new salt water. My better one (Orion model 128) reads temp on the same readout, but I also use the Pinpoint a lot (which does not read temp despite the fact that it measures it).

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

Yes, there is a potentially important difference. The brine types should not be calibrated with RO/DI, while a seawater type can.

Very good that is what I needed to know!

Most cheap ones are made for sodium chloride (brine) solutions, but calibrating them with a 35 ppt seawater solution (DIY or commercial ) solves that problem and eliminates worry about their accuracy (within the accuracy needs we typically have).

Also very good to know!

 

[jasonandsarah]

Most cheap ones are made for sodium chloride (brine) solutions, but calibrating them with a 35 ppt seawater solution (DIY or commercial ) solves that problem and eliminates worry about their accuracy (within the accuracy needs we typically have). But if it is not an ATC (automatic temperature compensation) type, then you do need to be careful about the temp of measurement and calibration.

Brine that's it! Lol thanks Randy and I do use a 35ppt calibration fluid. I've had it a long time though. I've also heard they can go up in salinity over time, is this true?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Brine that's it! Lol thanks Randy and I do use a 35ppt calibration fluid. I've had it a long time though. I've also heard they can go up in salinity over time, is this true?

If it is allowed to evaporate, that can happen, but only by evaporation. A 10% decline in volume from evaporation (which would be quite a lot of evaporation from a bottle) would make a 1.0264 solution into a 1.0293 solution. A 1% decrease in volume wouldn't really be noticeable (1.0264 to 1.0267).