A WARNING to all those using hydrometers

[theROYSKIE]

about a week ago i posted a thread titled "whats wrong with my bubble coral?" i honestly could not figure out what was wrong with the specimen. there r other corals in the tank including a big healthy branching hammer that were all doing fine and were visually healthy. and the population of calurpa in the tank is healthy and grow like weeds. all my water parameters were excellent, i perform an 8% water change weekly with R.O. water mixed with seachem salt mix and buffed( how shockingly bad tap PH is) and three times weekly the tank would be fed with a multitude of invert food ranging from DT's to the kent line of coral food. so as the bubble's health declined and as it began wasting away i went into emergency mode, 12% water changes every 48 hrs, treated the tank 4 red cyno bacteria( i had found something resembling red slime and decided to leave no stone unturned thinkin that the bacteria might have something to do with the coral's health). yesterday i calibrated my new refractometer and the results were astounding. before purchasing the refractometer i had used the "deepsix hydrometer". i had compared to over a dozen of buddies hydrometers and came to the conclusion that it was fairly accurate. i couldnt have been more wrong.i keep my water at- salinity-35ppt, and sg-1.0255 according to the deep six. the refractometer showed that my salinity was over 40ppt and the sg was over 1.032. my jaw friggin hit the floor. so today,after letting the treatment run its course i performed another water change(with a lower salinity to help balance out the levels) and put activated carbon into the sump to extract anything else that could be harming the tank occupants. the levels now r at approx 1.027 and approx 36.5 ppt. im taking care to not shock the inhabitants from the water they have grown acclimated to the correct levels. the levels should be at optimal in two days time.

already today since the lights have turned on the bubble coral looks like it is on its way 2 recovery.

it just blows me away that companies producing our reefing tools who r supposedly dedicated to quality equipment and development can sell a hydromter that doesnt [profanity]

SO A WARNING TO ANY REEFER USING A FLOATING NEEDLE HYDROMETER, PLEASE MAKE SURE U R GETTING AN ACCURATE READING. CHECK IT WITH OTHER TOOLS USED FOR READING SALINITY AN SG SUCH AS A REFRACTOMETER

this was the bubble three weeks earlier



this was the bubble earlier this week( notice the tissue line wasting away)



this was the bubble coral today



oddly enough the branching hammer was totally unaffected by the whole ordeal

[KurtsReef]

While I understand your upset, do you clean your hydrometer? If not they do "stick" and become useless. I always rinse mine in fresh water as well as pour hot water into it occasionally to keep it from getting any build up.

(Refractor is on my "to buy" list)

[acrylic_300]

Instructions usually state to rinse before and after use with fresh water.

Also you have to tap and tap and tap to get all the air bubbles off the arm.

[capn_hylinur]

I think getting a refractor is an excellent idea--simple because there is less chance for user error. Hydrometers are mechanically sound--it is usually the case of user error like stated above.

An it is a good move bringing your salinity down slooooowly.

As for the bubble coral--I only see a small amount of tissue decay on the left side. Many other factors other then the salinty level could effect the polyp retention. It looks like it is on the bottom so it is getting low light --which it likes.
However it like a good flow and can be come agravated if argonite is kicked in its face. I would suggest raising it a touch on a piece of rock and increasing the flow.

[Boomer]

and a deep six is the worst hydrometer there is period.

[Bryan]

LIke Boomer said deep six the deep six

[bluetmax]

I had the same exact problem with a deep six. I used two different ones, both got the same reading - horribly off - and then I used an Instant Ocean and compared it to a refractometer and it was right on. The deep six was showing .011 higher than what it actually was. I believe something is wrong with their calibration method...

[theROYSKIE]

thanks 4 everyones feed back, but i always rinse and tap the hydrometer, i am an anal retentive reefer, just because everything in the book of bad has happened to me.
the deepsix has been deepsixed

[theROYSKIE]

thanks 4 everyones feed back, but i always rinse and tap the hydrometer, i am an anal retentive reefer, just because everything in the book of bad has happened to me.
the deepsix has been deepsixed

[bertoni]

Well, I'm not surprised that you had problems with that piece of equipment. I had to trash my Deep 6 as well. I'm sorry to hear about your troubles.

[jade2122]

same happened to me last month..deep six hydrometer reading at 1.025 but was actually 1.031. I discovered this one i started to loose my sps colonies and frags. 1 month later and total lost at least 5-7 frags/colonies of sps. Thanks coralife! refractometer will be bought very soon.

[mksalt]

My Instant Ocen hydrometer says to soak it in vinegar for 30 minutes and then rinse every so often.

[bluetmax]

I think I am going to write Coralife and refer them to this thread. It needs to be known, because there are a lot of people who are not aware of this forum and may be solely relying on the hydrometers. In my opinion it could open up a door way to problems for a lot of people.

[bluetmax]

I personally always throw my hydrometer in the bucket that I keep my RO water stored in and just let it soak until I need it.

[theROYSKIE]

hell ya that is a great idea!
coralife should be made aware
and it is such a vital and important tool that can do so much damage if it is giving an incorrect reading

mine was giving a reading of 1.0255 / 35 ppt salinity
in reality
approx 1.033 / over 40ppt salinity

[rayjay]

What did you use for all those years before you bought the hydrometer? How long have you had this hydrometer before problems arose? How often do you clean the hydrometer in vinegar?
I'm just wondering why the problem just started now for someone in the hobby for so many years and not having had a refractometer before.
I've been using swing arm testors for 14 yrs and not had this problem with up to ten systems on the go for the most part.
I calibrate my swing arms to a certified hydrometer from Fisher Scientific and keep it in calibration by rinsing between uses and cleaning overnight in white vinegar about once a week.
I remember reading a post on here about refractometers that were not accurate as well, so it's basically I feel it's a case of learning the limitations of your tester and doing what's needed to assure proper readings for what you have.
There were a heck of a lot of successful hobbyists around using swing arms for a lot of years way back when refractometers hadn't been mentioned on the forums that I participated in.

[theROYSKIE]

i have had the deep six for about a year and a half
but over the years i have had various other swing arm hydrometers
before and after every use i clean the hydrometer with r.o. water
i do not clean with vinegar every time but on avg a few times a month the hydrometer was vinegared,
my only explanation for y problems have started recently( i lost a big colony of xenia possibly from the sg and salinity being off 3 mnths ago) is because in the last couple of years i have started to step it up in what i have been keeping, i have only been dabbling in the art of lps and sps and other more advanced soft corals 4 the last year and a half or so. before then it was the run of the mill star polyps, button polyps, and assorted mushrooms being that those were all i could afford. perhaps these heartier corals were able to withstand and ultimately acclimate themselves to the high sg and salinity readings of the hydrometer. but it is curious, a few months ago i compared the deep six and a new swing arm hydrometer to a few hydros. owned by a few reefer friends of mine and also to a hydrometer used at one of my LFS. as expected there was the usual variation in reading between the others and my deepsix( probably due to the varying levels of cleanliness) but mine matched the LFS almost perfectly. then i compared those to the one i had just purchased which i had let soak for 5 days. the brand new one was so grossly off i returned it to the LFS, he then checked it and actually sent it back to the manufacturer. could it be that the LFS'S is also off?
perhaps there r lemon hydrometers just like automobiles, some swear by chevy or ford, hydrometer or refractometer.
this ordeal has left me very confused on the whole matter

[wtac]

Originally posted by Boomer
and a deep six is the worst hydrometer there is period.

The RedSea ones are worse. The past 5 I've been given to test vs a refrac gave readings of 1.020 when in actuality was 1.025.

JME

[bertoni]

One problem with the swing arm hydrometers is that bubbles and precipitates can affect the measurement so easily, and the situation isn't necessarily obvious when looking at the device. In addition, people seldom calibrate them, which is a dicey choice.

[Billybeau1]

Originally posted by rayjay
What did you use for all those years before you bought the hydrometer? How long have you had this hydrometer before problems arose? How often do you clean the hydrometer in vinegar?
I'm just wondering why the problem just started now for someone in the hobby for so many years and not having had a refractometer before.
I've been using swing arm testors for 14 yrs and not had this problem with up to ten systems on the go for the most part.
I calibrate my swing arms to a certified hydrometer from Fisher Scientific and keep it in calibration by rinsing between uses and cleaning overnight in white vinegar about once a week.
I remember reading a post on here about refractometers that were not accurate as well, so it's basically I feel it's a case of learning the limitations of your tester and doing what's needed to assure proper readings for what you have.
There were a heck of a lot of successful hobbyists around using swing arms for a lot of years way back when refractometers hadn't been mentioned on the forums that I participated in.

Yes, but there are many more successful hobbyists around now due to new technology and the information highway.

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by rayjay
What did you use for all those years before you bought the hydrometer? How long have you had this hydrometer before problems arose? How often do you clean the hydrometer in vinegar?
I'm just wondering why the problem just started now for someone in the hobby for so many years and not having had a refractometer before.
I've been using swing arm testors for 14 yrs and not had this problem with up to ten systems on the go for the most part.
I calibrate my swing arms to a certified hydrometer from Fisher Scientific and keep it in calibration by rinsing between uses and cleaning overnight in white vinegar about once a week.
I remember reading a post on here about refractometers that were not accurate as well, so it's basically I feel it's a case of learning the limitations of your tester and doing what's needed to assure proper readings for what you have.
There were a heck of a lot of successful hobbyists around using swing arms for a lot of years way back when refractometers hadn't been mentioned on the forums that I participated in.

hmmm--would like to read that post--do you have the link.

Rayjay---you are a vetran in this hobby-- for reefers with considerably less experience---the margin for error from the user is way less with using a refractometer.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

All methods of salinity determination can go wrong and are well served by calibration before use, but inexpensive hydrometers have a tendency to more frequently and severely be off than do refractometers or conductivity measurements.

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by Randy Holmes-Farley
All methods of salinity determination can go wrong and are well served by calibration before use, but inexpensive hydrometers have a tendency to more frequently and severely be off than do refractometers or conductivity measurements.

wow---this is an honour-- to be active in a thread with you, sir.

for once I am speechless er postless

[mksalt]

Originally posted by mksalt
My Instant Ocen hydrometer says to soak it in vinegar for 30 minutes and then rinse every so often.

I was wondering if the actual act of soaking the hydrometer in vinegar for too long or too often can actually affect the accuracy of these simple devices.

[Boomer]

It should not if the Vinegar is well rinsed to remove any of the Vinegar. The reason behind this or using a pH cal solution of 4 is to remove hard water deposits that collect on the arm increasing its weight and giving false lower values. But leaving it in said solution for say days may be another issue, don't know. Many plastics are not affect by pH's.