So I have a Red Sea Hydrometer. I used to use it with my old fish tank and it worked great. I got rid of that one and now I put it in my new saltwater tank and it isnt showing any readings. I put salt in and am pretty sure it was enough. Is it possible for a hydrometer to break? Did I just possibly not put enough salt in? Any advice would be great. Thank you.
Help with Hyrdometer
- Thread starter RyanMcLaughlin
- Start date
First off, a plastic Hydrometer is faulty - at best. You are better off going with a Glass Hydrometer, as the readings are far more accurate. Also - do you ever clean your Hydrometer? Mineral and Salt deposits can significantly alter the readings, cause the arm to stick, and even permanently damage the unit, as well as dropping it can. Chances are, if your salt measurements were accurate/per gallon, and your Hydrometer is not reading any significant change - DO NOT continue adding salt, but rather quickly invest in a new, higher grade Hydrometer, and in the mean time, clean yours with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and warm water soak for 20-30 minutes, and make sure you rinse it very thoroughly with fresh water afterwards and allow to air dry, then check salinity again, if a lower than expected reading is produced, or if the arm fails to register, your unit is most likely shot all together.
if you going to be in the salt hobby for a while, why not invest in a refactometer. there digital and just need to be re-calibrated every once in a while. i own a couple and they work very well.
Well as it turns out im pretty sure its not broken because I added what I thought was enough salt from salt I had left over and it was only enough for a 15 gallon tank and seeing as I have a 100 gallon tank I need more salt. I am going to buy more and see how it works then. If it doesnt then I will invest in a new one.