Is this a good Hydrometer??

OHHHH i thought it was something like those weird tube things with the crystals that make cool looking colors/ shapes xD sorry lol i might get one then.. right now i use a normal hydrometer and i like it but eh i dislike cleaning it hitting it to get the bubbles off and ya its annoying....

 

I haven't gotten a refractometer yet but I will soon be purchasing one. I have been using my deepsix hydrometer for about a month now and it matches up with what the LFS store reads but everyone on here swears against them so I am worried that I have come to rely on it too much.

 

I use this Hydrometer i don't know what kind but i do know i have used them because back when i was little i used to go to a camp for the ocean and wild life and they used them to test the ocean water so i used it for my tank....

 

+1 for getting a refractometer. I thought it would be hard to use as well but its actually really easy.

 

Found it lazy me

Instant Ocean Hydrometer - Water Test Kits - Hydrometers at BigalsOnline

 

This thread has intrigued me. I'd never heard of a refractometer. I think I'm going to have to buy myself one.

 

Nor have i.... i am going to get one two.. ;D;D;D i like things with big words


WOW $60.00 holy cow http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp28744/si3675052/cl0/milwaukeeinstrumentsrefractometer

 

I used this exact one. New out of the box it didn't agree with my refractometer. There are some who seem to be under the impression that a properly cleaned and used refractometer is equally as accurate as a refractometer.

IME, that's simply not true. They are not reliable even if properly used. If you don't need to be 100% precise 100% of the time, they're fine. But in a small aquarium (anything smaller than the ocean), variance isn't something we can afford.

The problem is, you don't know if your hydrometer is accurate until you compare it against a refractometer. At which point, even if it is, you already have a refractometer that's easier to use, more accurate, and a heck of a lot less messy.

Given the low cost of a refractometer (relative to this hobby's prices), I don't see any argument to use a hydrometer over a refractometer.

 

You can get a good refractometer for around $30-$35 shipped. They start at about $20 plus shipping on ebay.