Milwaukee MA887 Salinity tester reading off!!!!!

[fragit]

I called them they said distilled water from grocery store/pharmacy.

Do you mind clarifying whom them and they are you are speaking of?

 

[Lavey29]

I called them they said distilled water from grocery store/pharmacy.

This is what I use just make sure it is not mineral enriched.

 

[Gtinnel]

Correct, when I ran out, I used RODI for calibration and that put the unit off. It was saying 1.026 when in reality my water was 1.023. You need to use distilled water to calibrate it. When I did this then it matched their verification fluid at 1.026.

I've tested my own diy reference solution after calibrating with rodi and it wasn't off. I also don't trust their reference solution, when I first got mine and calibrated it with the provided distilled water it never matched the provided reference solution.

Plus the instructions from Milwaukee say to use distilled or de-ionized water to calibrate with. So I don't see why rodi water would cause an issue. I would make your own reference solution and check that to validate your calibration.

 

[Magik884]

Do you mind clarifying whom them and they are you are speaking of?

Sorry for the vauge reply. I called milwaukee instruments to find out about the distilled water used to zero their salinity tester.

 

[Lavey29]

I've tested my own diy reference solution after calibrating with rodi and it wasn't off. I also don't trust their reference solution, when I first got mine and calibrated it with the provided distilled water it never matched the provided reference solution.

Plus the instructions from Milwaukee say to use distilled or de-ionized water to calibrate with. So I don't see why rodi water would cause an issue. I would make your own reference solution and check that to validate your calibration.

I thought mine was fine too until my ICP test came back at 1.023. As I back tracked the problem because I always mix at 1.026 I discovered that my RODI was giving a slightly off calibration for the unit. Not major but enough. When I tried distilled for calibration it brought everything back in line for me.

 

[Gtinnel]

I thought mine was fine too until my ICP test came back at 1.023. As I back tracked the problem because I always mix at 1.026 I discovered that my RODI was giving a slightly off calibration for the unit. Not major but enough. When I tried distilled for calibration it brought everything back in line for me.

Well I think I will try testing a sample after calibrating it both ways and see if I get a difference. I've calibrated with rodi and it matched my diy reference solution, my optical refractometer, and my apex salinity probe (at least when the probe isn't giving me insanely wrong readings).

I also just sent in an icp, although it was the cheap fauna marin, so I'm not even sure if it gives salinity.

 

[doubleshot00]

Ive used ro and distilled and they both show 1.00 today but yesterday they both read 1.001. Should i just assume its reading a bit high?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ive used ro and distilled and they both show 1.00 today but yesterday they both read 1.001. Should i just assume its reading a bit high?

why not recalibrate that to 1.000?

 

[doubleshot00]

why not recalibrate that to 1.000?

I was going to but like i said last night it was 1.001 but today its 1.000. Do you think light can be a factor? I was using it in my garage last night under a dimmer light.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I was going to but like i said last night it was 1.001 but today its 1.000. Do you think light can be a factor? I was using it in my garage last night under a dimmer light.

That change is within it’s stated specifications. Might be lots of different factors, including a small random error.

 

[doubleshot00]

That change is within it’s stated specifications. Might be lots of different factors, including a small random error.

Do you think its a big deal on having having a .001 variance? Will coral like lps have an effect on a variance like that? lots say it says 1.026 but may be 1.025 or 1.027.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you think its a big deal on having having a .001 variance? Will coral like lps have an effect on a variance like that? lots say it says 1.026 but may be 1.025 or 1.027.

Reef aquaria seem to operate fine at a reasonably wide range of salinity. Certainly 33-36 ppt, which is sg of about 1.025 to 1.027, probably even wider.

 

[doubleshot00]

Reef aquaria seem to operate fine at a reasonably wide range of salinity. Certainly 33-36 ppt, which is sg of about 1.025 to 1.027, probably even wider.

 

[Reef.]

Reef aquaria seem to operate fine at a reasonably wide range of salinity. Certainly 33-36 ppt, which is sg of about 1.025 to 1.027, probably even wider.

Old post but would you mind confirming if you are saying an aquarium is fine with a fluctuating salinity of 33-36 ppt or that a consistent salinity between those lvls you stated?

 

[BeanAnimal]

Old post but would you mind confirming if you are saying an aquarium is fine with a fluctuating salinity of 33-36 ppt or that a consistent salinity between those lvls you stated?

Small fluctuations are fine, but stability is preferred.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Old post but would you mind confirming if you are saying an aquarium is fine with a fluctuating salinity of 33-36 ppt or that a consistent salinity between those lvls you stated?

Small changes are OK, but I was focusing on a stable level being OK within a fair range.

 

[Jonnykat]

Like if you test water you know is 79° and the Milwaukee checker thinks it is a degree or two different what effect does it have on the results?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Like if you test water you know is 79° and the Milwaukee checker thinks it is a degree or two different what effect does it have on the results?

Small enough to not worry about, but that potential error is likely built into it claim of +/- 2 ppt.