Digital Salinity Monitor

[ChrisBuono]

I already have a refractometer, but I'm considering a digital salinity monitor for ease-of-use. Has anyone had any experience with these? Pros / Cons? Brands to stay away from (or gravitate toward)?

TIA

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sure. Good conductivity probes are a great way to go. Better and easier than a refractometer, for example. The one I use is fairly expensive, but the Pinpoint is a fine unit.

I discuss the method here:

Using Conductivity to Measure Salinity
http://www.aquariumfish.com/aquariumfish/detail.aspx?aid=1804

and I give DIY standards here, although the Pinpoint standard is perfectly adequate:

Reef Aquarium Salinity: Homemade Calibration Standards
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/index.htm

[ChrisBuono]

Thanks!

[kae]

What do you think about this product? Is it worth to try?

http://www.jbjlighting.com/sys_digilab_tss.html

[ChrisBuono]

Might be. Thanks.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It may be fine, but it's pretty funny that it claims to be a 3-in-1 meter, when all conductivity meters read temperature, so that they can compensate for temperature, and conductivity, and this one just chooses to report conductivity in specific gravity and salinity units. :D

In general, I might prefer conductivity so that I know they have made the proper conversion between conductivity and other units. But as long as you calibrate it with a known solution, it would be OK.

[Boomer]

Also Randy, this meter is calibrated with a 30 ppt NaCl solution. The SG table on the link looks like a seawater table for Density, converted back to 15 C, as 35 ppt = 1.026 (1026.00, really 10259.973), which is D @ 15 C NSW. It looks like this meter is going to give a 2 ppt reading to high for NSW. Meaning 33ppt on the meter = 35 ppt NSW or 35 ppt on meter = 37ppt NSW.


The meter should be fine if one uses the PinPoint 53mS and sets the meter to read 35 ppt. But as usaully, being set to NaCl scaling in ppt, it is only going to be good for a narrow range 33-38 ppt

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:thumbsup:

Thanks, Boomer, for checking that out. :)