Salinity checker buying two?

[Notsolostfish]

I wanna buy my first salinjty checker, as i have seen by everyone mixed reviews. Should i get the hanna checker, and regular refractomer, and compare both?

 

[Pod_01]

My recommendation is Tropic Marin® High-Precision Hydrometer:

Messzylinder und Präzisions-Aräometer/hy | Produktinformationen

www.tropic-marin-smartinfo.com

No calibration required, really easy to use if you get the measuring cylinder.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

My recommendation is Tropic Marin® High-Precision Hydrometer:

Messzylinder und Präzisions-Aräometer/hy | Produktinformationen

www.tropic-marin-smartinfo.com

No calibration required, really easy to use if you get the measuring cylinder.

100% this^^^!!

 

[Tiki_Reef]

I wanna buy my first salinjty checker, as i have seen by everyone mixed reviews. Should i get the hanna checker, and regular refractomer, and compare both?

If you are going to spend that kind of money I personally would pay the few extra bucks and get the Milwaukee digital refractometer, I have one and it is easy to use and pretty darn accurate.

MA887 Digital Seawater Refractometer - Milwaukee

The new Milwaukee MA887 Seawater Digital Refractometer encompasses 3 different types of user selected scales for the measurement of seawater providing for a much more precise evaluation. Each scale is temperature compensated. PSU - The newest type scale standard – Letters stand for Practical...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[AydenLincoln]

I have the Hanna Salinity meter and I love it. Not such a big fan of the refractometer due to calibrations and not being an instant read but I definitely recommend a hydrometer instead cheap and effective.

 

[Gtinnel]

Just like every piece of equipment in the hobby you will find people who love and people who hate it. I personally love my Milwaukee digital refractometer and hate my Hanna conductivity pen.
Getting two separate methods to test salinity along with buying or making some calibration/reference solution seems like a very good way to go.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

A Hanna checker and a refractometer is NOT going to read the same so unless you want to pull your hair out choose one or the other.
A refractometer measure the amount of light refracting through a liquid. in this case NSW
A Hanna Checker is like a TDS meter and measures the amount of sodium chloride in the water.
I love my Hanna Checker, It makes adjustments for temperature and it is simple and easy to use.
BUT it will read low.
For example: I will calibrate the Checker using their 35ppt solution. Then if I measure actual ocean water, direct from the ocean, a few blocks away, it will read 32.5 - 33 ppt. So if you prepared your mix to their 35ppt, in reality it would be running 37-37.5 ppt.
So if you want to use the HC, calibrate with the 35ppt solution that comes with it, find a known source of ocean water or a hydrometer (tropic marin), measure that, and what ever that number is (ie: 32.5) that is your reading you want to see on your meter when your checking your salt mix.
This has been MY experience, others may have different experiences, but this is mine, that I am sharing with you.

 

[shakacuz]

used to use a refractometer. once i switched to the tropic marine hydrometer, i never second guess my SG readings

 

[Notsolostfish]

used to use a refractometer. once i switched to the tropic marine hydrometer, i never second guess my SG readings

Isnt hydrometer affected by temp

 

[Pod_01]

Isnt hydrometer affected by temp

All of the devices need to make temperature correction, the TM Hydrometer requires manual adjustment.
I don’t thing the variations is an issue if your water temperature is 76-79 deg F but you would need to make corrections if you mix new salt water and it is at like 50 deg F.
I used refractometer and salinity probe but eventually settled on the TM hydrometer. It provides the least amount of stress.
Good luck.