I constantly keep messing up with Salinity. I have a Hanna Salinity checker, Its been very nice to use but lately its been giving me all kinds of crazy readings and I have no clue what I am doing wrong. 2 weeks ago it showed my Salinity was at 38 PPT, This is after I calibrated it with the fluid it came with. Okay this is no big deal and I lowered the levels with some RODI Water. 2 weeks later I am doing a water change (today) It read the Salinity was at 34.8 like it usually does. I did the water change, got it to 35 PPT and decided to recalibrate the checker as it has been a month. Now it is showing my Salinity in the tank is at 30 PPT. I dont know whats going on, any advice? I keep running into Salinity level problems which should be the easiest one to deal with and its just so disheartening.
Need some help with Salinity!
- Thread starter MetaDev
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Saltyreef
I'm not your dad...
High Precision Hydrometer
Ensure that your equipment is reading correctly and your aquarium is at the right salinity with Tropic Marin's High Precision Hydrometer. Many tank inhabitants are sensitive even to minor changes of the water conditions. Unfortunately as we've all experienced, salinity reading equipment as...
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Gtinnel
10K Club member
It would seem like the most basic parameter of this or hobby would be the easiest to test but it often isn’t.
My best advice is to use multiple devices to test salinity and buy or make a solution to verify your equipments readings.
I mostly use one of the Milwaukee digital refractometers and double check with an optical refractometer. I also have the Hanna conductivity pen, but I have never been able to get reliable readings with mine, although I know other hobbyists who love theirs.
My best advice is to use multiple devices to test salinity and buy or make a solution to verify your equipments readings.
I mostly use one of the Milwaukee digital refractometers and double check with an optical refractometer. I also have the Hanna conductivity pen, but I have never been able to get reliable readings with mine, although I know other hobbyists who love theirs.
mike550
Valuable Member
I use the Hanna HI98319 salinity checker and so far no issues. Two things I always do after testing. First, I wash the probe end in RODI water to remove any salt that might dry onto the sensors. Second, I “shake” the probe to get residual water out of the ports, and then air dry before putting it back into the case. Perhaps this will help.
OP
OP
MetaDev
New Member
I thought I had no issues either. It always read about 34.8 or 35, for weeks it did every time I tested. I was a little curious so I recalibrated it to 35 with the Hanna Packet and when I tested my tank again, it showed 30 PPT. I started freaking out a bit so I checked with my Red Sea Refractometer, it also said 30 PPT. Am I just using it too much? I was testing about 2 or 3 times a day for a while there, but it seems crazy to be off 5 PPT in just 3 weeks? I recalibrated it today and its showing 33 PPT as I have been raising salinity slowly by the day and my Red Sea Refractometer is showing 35 PPT. I just dont even know anymore.
guiltfreeaquatics
New Member
+1 on the Milwaukee testers. Would definitely recommend
zbrusko
Community Member
Though my Milwaukee, calibrated with steam distilled water, reads 1.027 using the supplied 1.025 standard (water temp does not appear to affect this) . Fine that I know this and can adjust accordingly. I’ve seen others here report the off by .002 issue. Any known way to resolve this?
QuickrdenU
Active Member
Mine reads 0.001 high to the best of my knowledge. I set it to 1.026 and assume the water will be 1.025. I’d prefer to have a little wiggle room up or down. Salinity is definitely a crazy thing. I’ve even made my own salt solution and compared it with other solutions, refractometers, and hydrometers. I kind of ended up using the average of all those to assume it’s high by a point. Life was much easier when I used to just trust the little hydrometer you fill with water and tap the bubbles out of.
Saltyreef
I'm not your dad...
I trust mine now with a new 1.026 sharpie mark on it
. Custom calibrated with the tropic marin so i dont have to worry about breaking it every time i mix some saltwater lol.
TangerineSpeedo
2500 Club Member
You are using a fresh packet each time you calibrate it correct? Also even then, I have had bad packets. If I get a wacky reading I open another packet and test that, it should read close to 35ppt.
I Have the Hanna, Milwaukee, Refractometer and the Tropic Marin hydrometer. The Hydrometer is the standard but your water must be 25 dg Celsius to be accurate. The Milwaukee is great but it rounds off to the nearest number on PPT, so if your water is 34.5 it will just say 34. I love my Hanna, It is very quick and convenient, but you have to get a feeling for when something is not right with it. You may just have to clean yours. Also, if you are testing your tank water, organics may give you a false reading. I can also cheat with my hanna because since I live close to the ocean I know in my area my water reads 33 ppt with my Hanna. I bring home a fresh jar every week, so that is my double check.
gbroadbridge
2500 Club Member
Did you float the calibration sachet in the tank to bring it to tank temperature before calibrating the device?
gbroadbridge
2500 Club Member
Mine reads 1.028 on water that is definitely 1.026.
I just have a sticker on it reminding me to subtract 0.002
mike550
Valuable Member
Two or three times a day seems excessive. Why are you testing so often?
I test salinity 2-3 times per week just and I’m looking for 33 +/- 1. I don’t get hung up on decimals. Only time I had a bad reading was when the battery was low even though it said 96%.
gbroadbridge
2500 Club Member
The Hanna is supposed to temp correct but does so extremely poorly.
Don't believe me?
Try the experiment yourself.
Calibrate at 20 deg C then heat the sachet to 25 deg C and measure the salinity. It will be off by at least 1ppt.
Sleeping Giant
Proud Canadian Reefer
recalibrate it and check your water immediately afterwards, don't do anything but remove from calibration fluid and immediately check your saltwater.
Is the battery possibly dying?
Is the battery possibly dying?
