Which is more accurate? Hanna Salinity Checker or BRS refractometer

[LordNecro]

I was doing a large water change to lower nitrates as my cycle just finished and I’m going to pick up a pair of clowns today or tomorrow. I mixed a little too much salt. Hanna Salinity checker measures my tank Salinity as 34.6 ppt while BRS refractometer reads 36ppt. I just calibrated they refractometer today and Hanna Salinity checker maybe a week ago and used it frequently. Which one should I trust? Currently removing saltwater and replacing with some rodi I have ready.

 

[member 99594]

Did you use calibration fluid for both?

 

[LordNecro]

Did you use calibration fluid for both?

Yup. For Hanna I used the standard calibration packet it comes with. BRS refracto juice/calibration solution for the refractometer

 

[intricate_reefer]

I would say the refractometer if it was just calibrated. I’ve read of people having all kinds of issues with the digital ones. Cheaper refractometers are known to lose calibration very easily so I would just make sure you calibrate it each use with solution that isn’t too old. If you want one that doesn’t lose calibration look into the VeeGee ones, I have one and it’s great.

 

[member 99594]

I’d say what vaporcompany said if you were that worried. I don’t think the range you are talking about is all that bad.

just stick with one and use it and make sure your calibrate it once in a while.(Monthly)

 

[piranhaman00]

You need to calibrate before every use! It doesn’t matter if it was calibrated the same day.

 

[LordNecro]

I would say the refractometer if it was just calibrated. I’ve read of people having all kinds of issues with the digital ones. Cheaper refractometers are known to lose calibration very easily so I would just make sure you calibrate it each use with solution that isn’t too old. If you want one that doesn’t lose calibration look into the VeeGee ones, I have one and it’s great.

Thanks! Yeah I decided to trust the refractometer. Salinity down to about 34.5 now. My nitrates are still high even with 2 50% water changes. They are about 20 now. I might clean the filter sock and sponge and see if it helps?

 

[Victor_C3]

I’ve had two Hanna salinity testers and neither of them ever could be trusted. I bought one 10 years ago and I thought maybe I just got a bad one so I bought another one a few months ago, when I was starting my current build. Neither of them were ever accurate.

With both of them, I’d calibrate the tool as directed, test calibration fluid immediately after I had just calibrated the tester and then get a totally different number. It wouldn’t even hold its own calibration for the 30 seconds it took for me to retest the calibration fluid.

I’d trust the optical refractometer or even a cheap float salinity tester before the Hanna device.

 

[Rjmul]

I’ve had two Hanna salinity testers and neither of them ever could be trusted. I bought one 10 years ago and I thought maybe I just got a bad one so I bought another one a few months ago, when I was starting my current build. Neither of them were ever accurate.

With both of them, I’d calibrate the tool as directed, test calibration fluid immediately after I had just calibrated the tester and then get a totally different number. It wouldn’t even hold its own calibration for the 30 seconds it took for me to retest the calibration fluid.

I’d trust the optical refractometer or even a cheap float salinity tester before the Hanna device.

I decided to buy a Hanna salinity tester myself, and I'm really not impressed. When used in my tank it reads 1.025 at first then after a few seconds drops to 1.024. Super calibrated refractometer reads no issue. Not a fan. Waste of money

 

[LordNecro]

I decided to buy a Hanna salinity tester myself, and I'm really not impressed. When used in my tank it reads 1.025 at first then after a few seconds drops to 1.024. Super calibrated refractometer reads no issue. Not a fan. Waste of money

Yeah I shouldn’t have bought it if wasn’t going to be accurate. Just seemed easier than recalibrating the refractometer every time I use it

 

[Rjmul]

Yeah I shouldn’t have bought it if wasn’t going to be accurate. Just seemed easier than recalibrating the refractometer every time I use it

You end up paying for convenience with sanity and peace of mind

 

[hart24601]

I made the switch to Hanna checker and have loved it. I calibrate it monthly although I have not seen any drift. It does take a couple seconds to settle but it’s literally a couple seconds. I had the icecap pen and that was junk, so bad it went in the garbage as I didn’t feel right even giving something that bad to anyone else. I also used the Milwaukee digital but the accuracy is just too far off for my preferences. I trust the checker over my old refractometer simply because it’s harder for me to see it now.

 

[SPSReeferMI]

+1 on trusting the refractometer. I recently had a similar challenge - I was using Hanna Salinity tester with Apex as a backup. My salinity shot up as a result of my Hanna tester failing.

I decided to pull the trigger on the Tropic Marin high precision hydrometer. Has anyone else considered this? I feel it’s easy to shut off pumps on my tank and pop it in for an accurate reading.