Refractometers, are they all the same.

[William]

A few weeks ago I dropped my Vital Sine refractomter in the aquarium and it has not worked well since so I went looking for a replacement.

I had many times been frustrated by how close together the lines are and wished the scale was not so wide range. When I read the description of the Marine Depot "Aquarium Pro" model, I was sold. Especially considering it was $80 cheaper.

http://www.marinedepot.com/Marine_Depot ... RF-vi.html

Easier to Read
One of the other problems with most Refractometers is the scale displayed normally reads from 0-100ppt when we are really only interested in the region from 30-40ppt The Reef Meter Refractometer has therefore been specifically designed to read from 0 1.020-1.040 which gives you 2.5 times the resolution of a normal 0-100 scale.
Almost all hand held salt water refractometers available to the hobby.

So it arrived and tried it out. What a disappointment. The scale really only shows the 1.020 - 1.040 range. But their claim that the scale is in any way magnified is completely bogus.

The picture below I took photographs looking though the refractometers and placed the photographs next to each other. The cyan horizontal lines show that the scales match each other identically (I was actually surprised how perfectly the two pictures lined up).

RefractometerComparison.jpg

Does anyone actually think that masking part 2/3 of the scale makes a refractometer it easier to read? Are there any refractometers out there which actually do have a magnified scale?


Should I make a stink about the misleading description and return the marine depot refractometer?

[spawner]

There is one made in Japan that is really great, all the rest mostly stink, cheap imports. Your Vital is an ok one but I'd rather have a conductivity meter any-day. If you don't want a conductivity meter then get a plastic hydrometer, they are as good as the cheap imported refractometer. So RETURN IT.

Here is the good one: http://www.atago.net/english/products_hsr.php

[jeff@zina.com]

Floating glass hydrometers are cheap and accurate as well. Mine is a rather inexpensive version with the same scale.

Jeff

[EasterEggs]

I'm not aware of any magnified scales, but I would definitely return that hydrometer to Marine Depot. That description is very misleading.

If you don't want a conductivity meter then get a plastic hydrometer, they are as good as the cheap imported refractometer.

Yikes! I have two float arm hydrometers. One is out by 0.006, the other 0.008. I think a cheap imported refractometer would be more accurate than that! Calibration fluids are pretty easy to use.

[Luis A M]

Sometimes we need all the rank.1.000 for calibration with distilled water or find out if we put FW by mistake somewhere.And I prepare SW at 1.040 and also need to check the salinity of BS cultures,above 1.050

[Suzy]

The only thing with using the float arm noes is sharing them between tanks, IMO. With the refractometer, I can have a sryinge for each tank and I dont have to bleach equipment in between them as much.

[DanUnderwood]

I have to agree on the cheap refractometers. We borrowed a YSI meter from a lab and tested it against our refractometers and were shocked at how far off they were.

Dan

[EasterEggs]

Ok then, I have a Link brand refractometer which I think was over $100 (I've had it for years). Is this a "cheap" one or a decent one?