Swing arm SG meter way off!

[jaustin]

I've been using a swing arm SG meter for over a year now. I keep my sg between 1.025 and 1.026. I often rinse the meter out with RO water after using it and i then hang it up. After hearing all the horror stories from people online i purchased a Refractometer. I also bought a bottle of cal fluid (53.0ms) by Pinpoint. The refractometer came in and i let it adjust to room temperature 76-77degF. I checked calibration with the Pinpoint fluid and it needed a tiny bit of adjustment. I then put my water on it and my SG was 1.030.

That would explane some of my slow growth and coral coloration problems. I've noticed in my tank that the PE on my acros, GSP, LPS, ect hasn't been as good as it has in the past.

It's been two days and my sg is down to 1.027. It should be 1.025 by the end of the week. Hopefully i'll have better luck with my corals growing and coloring.

Bottom of the line is, get a refractometer. Take those swing arm pieces of junk and throw them the hell away.

 

[jaustin]

Would the high SG cause coloration and growth problems?

I read about using RO to cal the Meter. I just happen to come across the cal fluid online and decided it couldn't hurt.

 

[jaustin]

Yeah I dose CAL. I have a miled Kalkwasser solution for my top off that keeps my ALK and PH up and a little for cal, but i also add Calcite to keep it at 420-450.

Alk has been between 8-9 DKH
Ph is 8.2
Temp is 77-78
Mag is 1500
Nitrate is 0
Nitrite is 0
Amonia is 0
Phos is low (Salifert says 0) I do not have alagae problems.

Light should be good I have two 15K Iwasakie 175W lamps that are about 6 months old. and two new 90W URI super actinic VHOs'

t

 

[jmaneyapanda]

high salinity can cause a slew of metabolic issues with corals, including coloration and growth issues.

Barbara, FWIW, I had an enormously argumentative and in depth discussion with boomer from RC, and Randy Holmes Farley about refractometers calibrated with RODI. Essentially, for a quality refrcatometer (not a cheap ebay mystery one), the accuraacy will be suitable. However, ALL aquarium refractomoeters are designed to read table salt salinity, noit marine salt salinity, so their slope will be slightly off with RODI calibration. Calibration fluid would be more accurate. But, if it is a good refractometer, you are probably splitting hairs.

 

[treyeleven]

I have had good luck with the marineland instant ocean hydrometers(if they dont break first)- seems to be right in the neighboorhood of the refractometer readings. I have two deep sixes and they both read 4 points too low, ie read 1.026 when its really 1.030.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Treyeleven;216175 wrote: I have had good luck with the marineland instant ocean hydrometers(if they dont break first)- seems to be right in the neighboorhood of the refractometer readings. I have two deep sixes and they both read 4 points too low, ie read 1.026 when its really 1.030.

Not to burst your bubble, but if you test 10 of them, you'll probably get 10 different readings. They are unreliable, both short term, and defintiely long term. Invest in a refractometer.

 

[treyeleven]

jmaneyapanda;216181 wrote: Not to burst your bubble, but if you test 10 of them, you'll probably get 10 different readings. They are unreliable, both short term, and defintiely long term. Invest in a refractometer.

Check this out...

 

[jaustin]

high salinity can cause a slew of metabolic issues with corals, including coloration and growth issues.

I hope your right! My corals grew fast up untill about 8 months ago...things just slowed down to a crawl...

Hopefully in a month with the SG where it should be i can get some growth and maybe some better (not brown) color out of my Acros.

 

[treyeleven]

Don't get me wrong though.... If I was independently wealthy I would have all the best gear and a membership already, but for those starting out/laid off I think it is econimical to compare hydrometer readings to a refractometer(friends or LFS), once every couple of months.

 

[skriz]

ebay refractometers are just too cheap not to get them if you're strapped for cash. This is really not a forgiving or cheap hobby.

 

[tebriel]

Barbara;216138 wrote: As long as the water measures zero PPMs, I think you're good using it to calibrate the refractometer.

I used my RO/DI to calibrate my refractometer and it was off by .003 when I calibrated it with the pinpoint salinity fluid, I'd say it's worth it!

 

[johnr2604]

Just a thought and read this in a magazine I picked up at MACNA. You can make your own calibration fluid 96.35ml of RODI then 3.65 grams of sodium chloride then adjust to 35ppt. Not recommending this but thought it was interesting info.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Treyeleven;216188 wrote: Check this out...

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i4/hydrometers/Impressions.htm">http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i4/hydrometers/Impressions.htm</a>[/QUOTE]

Well, this contradicts your original post, but I will, and always will deride swing arm hydrometers. Especially over time, they will degrade accuracy quickly. I knwo this from experience and thousands of other aquarists claims. But to each there own.

 

[johnr2604]

ares;216354 wrote: question is, who here has the equipment to measure to hundreths of a ml or grams?

Thats what I was thinking too LOL, but like I said it was just some interesting reading because they covered accuracy of different ways to measure SG

 

[stickx911]

wow, and I was told to just use some tap water to calibrate...did not think it would make a .003 difference.

 

[jaustin]

Thanks for all the comments! My Hydrometer was over a year old. It looks like it was just time for it to be retired. I took my refractmeter to my LFS here in Valdosta to check his hydrometer cal and they were off too. He had a couple of them that were reading the same sg but then both were off. His hydrometers said his water was 1.023 when in fact they were 1.025. Same with mine at home only i was keeping my SG at 1.025 with me Hydrometer and it was alot higher (1.029-1.030).

Does anybody have or know anybody that had high SG and coral growth problems?

I have been struggling with my red montipora cap, german blue acro, and my zooanthids. The SPS corals have lost their colors mostley and the Zooanthids do not grow. My LPS is growing as well and my Xenia and GSP.

My SG is now 1.027 and it will be at 1.025 by the end of the week. Hopefully in a month i can get my SPS to begin coloring back up and hopefully start growing!

My red monti cap grew like a weed when i first had it. Then it slowed way down and turned pink.....and it's been that way for a long time now 8 months.

 

[stickx911]

I had a fluke with my old swing arm and my salinity rose to 1.029, all my corals grew twice as fast. Many on here told me that it is irrelevant, but that is what I experianced

 

[treyeleven]

Originally Posted by Treyeleven http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?p=216188#post216188">[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/images/buttons/viewpost.gif" alt="" /></a>
[I]Check this out...

[IMG]http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i4/hydrometers/Impressions.htm">http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume...mpressions.htm</a></em>
[QUOTE=][B]jmaneyapanda;216347 wrote:[/B] Well, this contradicts your original post, but I will, and always will deride swing arm hydrometers. Especially over time, they will degrade accuracy quickly. I knwo this from experience and thousands of other aquarists claims. But to each there own.[/QUOTE]


Jman, how does this contradict? I said I had good luck with the Instant Ocean ones. They are precise and accurate when you first purchase(article supports this). I agree, hydrometers tend to loose accuracy over time, yet often remain precise- What then becomes important is comparing your hydrometer reading to a properly calibrated refractometer to know if your off at all (does that make sense?). Its as easy as reading your water and taking a sample to the lfs to compare readings.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

As one can see from the above chart, all the hydrometers were both precise and accurate. I must admit that I found this to be a bit of a shock! To see such a high degree of accuracy and precision out of a $15 cheap piece of plastic astonished me.

That is from the link you provided.

I have had good luck with the marineland instant ocean hydrometers(if they dont break first)- seems to be right in the neighboorhood of the refractometer readings. I have two deep sixes and they both read 4 points too low, ie read 1.026 when its really 1.030.

That was from you. The link you provided states that there is a quality factor across the board (which I wholeheartedly disagree with), while you state that one brand is consistantly off. That is what I find confusing, they dont agree.

Nonetheless, in my opinion, it is not if, but when, you will burned by using a hydrometer. But, to each there own. I have seen so many hydrometers that were so far off, even out of the package, that I will never use one again for any reason.