- Location
- Bellmore, NY
Tommy if you want exact go to your LFS and spent the $5. This is the "close enough" recipe...
calibration fluid for a Refractometer
- Thread starter TommyP
- Start date
- Location
- Suffolk county, NY
Yeah I can always do that. Sorry for all the questions, I'm just not good with this stuff but I have all the info I need now. I appreciate all the help.
- Location
- Suffolk county, NY
Ok so I got calibration fluid.
It's reading 1.030! When I test my tank it shows 1.026 which I what I thought its been. Just did a water change going to wait a little while and retest sg.
It's reading 1.030! When I test my tank it shows 1.026 which I what I thought its been. Just did a water change going to wait a little while and retest sg.
- Location
- Duluth, Minnesota
You were probably off on your mixing. That's why I saw buy a cal solution for like $ 8.00 . The biggest error is usually the teaspoon and how it was filled and going by volume due to balk density.
What do you mean it is reading 1.030. The tank is reading 1.030 and it use to read 1.026 before you cal it ?
What do you mean it is reading 1.030. The tank is reading 1.030 and it use to read 1.026 before you cal it ?
Last edited:
- Location
- Suffolk county, NY
I didn't calibrate the refractometer yet. When I dropped the solution it read 1.030. I can't friggen find a small enough screw driver lol
- Location
- Suffolk county, NY
Just calibrated it. My salinity in my tank is at 1.022-1.023. Should I bring it up to 1.026?
- Location
- Duluth, Minnesota
Very slowly, 1 point / day
- Location
- Suffolk county, NY
Ok. I was thinking about maybe adding some salt to my top off container. Would this be a good idea? How would I do this
- Location
- Duluth, Minnesota
Do you have anything in that top off water, like Kalk ?
- Location
- Suffolk county, NY
Nope just rodi water in a brute pail next to my tank.
Tommy P. Just wanted to ask a question on your thread for Boomer related to specific gravity (sg).
I noticed my NaCl (not seawater) refractomer a cheap one. don't know the brand and another brand Sper scientific both have specific gravity and corresponding ppt concentration at 1.025 and 35ppt. I thought natural seawater was 1.0264 and 35 ppt (parts per thousand)
However the natural sea water refractometer sold by the Filter Guys mentioned on the previous page of this thread clearly show the corresponding sg of 1.0264 and 35ppt when looking through the prism to indicate sg.
Then I came across a dr. foster's and smith page showing the values of red sea coral pro salt as follows: So are they incorrect?
* Replicates natural seawater to help support delicate marine life
* Enriched with refined minerals to safely elevate calcium levels and buffer capacity
* Natural, evaporated sea salt
Coral Pro Salt is specifically formulated for use with reverse osmosis water. Natural, evaporated sea salt is enriched with refined minerals to safely elevate calcium levels and buffer capacity. Replicates natural seawater to help support delicate marine life and invertebrates in home reef aquariums. Salt is produced by small batch process to ensure homogeneity and consistency of the salt mixture. Chemically balanced formula is nitrate and phosphate free.
Table shows calcium levels of Coral Pro mixed in RO water at 24?C/75?F and salinity.
s.g. Salinity Calcium Qty of Salt 1.021 30.6 ppt 420 ppm 33.4 g/l 1.4 lb/5 US gal 1.023 32.8 ppt 450 ppm 35.8 g/l 1.5 lb/5 US gal 1.025 35.0 ppt 480 ppm 38.2 g/l 1.6 lb/5 US gal Please click on "More Information" for instructions.
I noticed my NaCl (not seawater) refractomer a cheap one. don't know the brand and another brand Sper scientific both have specific gravity and corresponding ppt concentration at 1.025 and 35ppt. I thought natural seawater was 1.0264 and 35 ppt (parts per thousand)
However the natural sea water refractometer sold by the Filter Guys mentioned on the previous page of this thread clearly show the corresponding sg of 1.0264 and 35ppt when looking through the prism to indicate sg.
Then I came across a dr. foster's and smith page showing the values of red sea coral pro salt as follows: So are they incorrect?
* Replicates natural seawater to help support delicate marine life
* Enriched with refined minerals to safely elevate calcium levels and buffer capacity
* Natural, evaporated sea salt
Table shows calcium levels of Coral Pro mixed in RO water at 24?C/75?F and salinity.
s.g. Salinity Calcium Qty of Salt 1.021 30.6 ppt 420 ppm 33.4 g/l 1.4 lb/5 US gal 1.023 32.8 ppt 450 ppm 35.8 g/l 1.5 lb/5 US gal 1.025 35.0 ppt 480 ppm 38.2 g/l 1.6 lb/5 US gal Please click on "More Information" for instructions.
Last edited:
- Location
- Duluth, Minnesota
NSW is 1.0264 @ 35 ppt.
I have no clue why a refract would have 1.025. What the are probably looking at is corrected Density, which is about one unit lower, ie, 1.025 instead of 1.0264. Density does not equal Specific Gravity.
That RS stuff is just showing what levels you will get at different mixing rates with their salt. They do not show one for 1.0264, for oblivious reasons. Meaning, the levels of Calcium would be ~ 500 ppm. NSW Calcium is 420 ppm Calcium @ 35 ppt and the have 420 @ 1.021, 30.6 ppt. You are reading into the RS stuff, as if their last mix is 1.025, same as your refract or the Sper.
Sper Scientific
Where did you get that 1.025 =35 ppt. I do not see it on their website. They only have one Hand Held, NaCl refract. I see no image of the lens. And Sper actually does not manufacture allot of their stuff.
http://www.sperdirect.com/salt-refractometer-w-atc-0-229-prd1.htm
Vee Gee, on the filter guy, is a real refract manufacture and the real name of the company, that actually makes what they sell.
http://www.veegee.com/index.html
Look at this table
Temperature Corrections for Hydrometers
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/rhf/index.htm
Now, can you have 1.025 = 35 ppt. Yes, look at the table, @ 29 C ( 84 F ) it is 35 ppt. As I said your refract and the Sper are probably incorrectly using the term Specific Gravity for D.
Calculator
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/rhf/conversion.htm
I have no clue why a refract would have 1.025. What the are probably looking at is corrected Density, which is about one unit lower, ie, 1.025 instead of 1.0264. Density does not equal Specific Gravity.
That RS stuff is just showing what levels you will get at different mixing rates with their salt. They do not show one for 1.0264, for oblivious reasons. Meaning, the levels of Calcium would be ~ 500 ppm. NSW Calcium is 420 ppm Calcium @ 35 ppt and the have 420 @ 1.021, 30.6 ppt. You are reading into the RS stuff, as if their last mix is 1.025, same as your refract or the Sper.
Sper Scientific
Where did you get that 1.025 =35 ppt. I do not see it on their website. They only have one Hand Held, NaCl refract. I see no image of the lens. And Sper actually does not manufacture allot of their stuff.
http://www.sperdirect.com/salt-refractometer-w-atc-0-229-prd1.htm
Vee Gee, on the filter guy, is a real refract manufacture and the real name of the company, that actually makes what they sell.
http://www.veegee.com/index.html
Look at this table
Temperature Corrections for Hydrometers
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/rhf/index.htm
Now, can you have 1.025 = 35 ppt. Yes, look at the table, @ 29 C ( 84 F ) it is 35 ppt. As I said your refract and the Sper are probably incorrectly using the term Specific Gravity for D.
Calculator
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/rhf/conversion.htm
Boomer thanks for the response. The sper scientific salt refractometer I have and I suspect all non seawater refractomers have two scales: On the right hand side % and on the left hand side D 20/20 or Dd.
When I look through to get a reading the 35% on the right hand side exactly corresponds to 1.025 on the left hand side. The scale on the right hand side goes from 0% to 100% and on the left hand side 1.00 to 1.07
The D from what you are saying is specific density. Therefore when you calibrate with solution that is supposed to be at 1.0264 or 35% which one should you calibrate to since the scales don't line up? Looks like it should be calibrated to 35% since the left hand side is not specific gravity although sper scientifc says it is (incorrectly as you pointed out.)
I've been calibrating at 35% and not using the scale on the left hand side so I should be ok
I can try to post a pic of what I am seeing on the Sper scientific.
As far as RedSeaMax Coral Pro salt I was reading into it but I don't think they should report 35ppt as 1.025. They should just leave it at 1.025
When I look through to get a reading the 35% on the right hand side exactly corresponds to 1.025 on the left hand side. The scale on the right hand side goes from 0% to 100% and on the left hand side 1.00 to 1.07
The D from what you are saying is specific density. Therefore when you calibrate with solution that is supposed to be at 1.0264 or 35% which one should you calibrate to since the scales don't line up? Looks like it should be calibrated to 35% since the left hand side is not specific gravity although sper scientifc says it is (incorrectly as you pointed out.)
I've been calibrating at 35% and not using the scale on the left hand side so I should be ok
I can try to post a pic of what I am seeing on the Sper scientific.
As far as RedSeaMax Coral Pro salt I was reading into it but I don't think they should report 35ppt as 1.025. They should just leave it at 1.025
Last edited:
- Location
- Suffolk county, NY
Mine looks like that too. The 35 lines up with 1.026
- Location
- Deer Park,Long Island,11729
:thrash:I got my VeeGee today from The Filter Guys and I love it!
Great product, quick delivery
Great product, quick delivery
- Location
- Suffolk county, NY
Nice!
- Location
- Jersey City
- Location
- Duluth, Minnesota
Guys, that Spear lines up to 1.026. Put that photo in a imaging program, square it and draw a line from the 35 ppt straight across, it is above the 1.025 mark or use a ruler and it is 35 ppt = 1.026
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