# Inaccurate hydrometer?



## willieturnip (Aug 30, 2009)

I heavily modified the skimmer on my nano tank earlier, in a hugely positive way. In no time it had sucked out tons of crud.

I then checked the salinity with my hydrometer (cheap, but for aquarium use). It was high, 1.028ish. I topped the tank up and the salinity went back to 1.024 or thereabouts. 

My skimmer is now not foaming whatsoever. It is bubbling up a bit, but certainly not how it was or how I expect it too.

Could it be that the hydrometer is inaccurate causing me to have the tank at an extremely low salinity, which is in turn stopping the skimmer from functioning correctly? This is just a stab in the dark - I know that skimmers don't foam in freshwater like they do in salt.


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## willieturnip (Aug 30, 2009)

willieturnip said:


> I heavily modified the skimmer on my nano tank earlier, in a hugely positive way. In no time it had sucked out tons of crud.
> 
> I then checked the salinity with my hydrometer (cheap, but for aquarium use). It was high, 1.028ish. I topped the tank up and the salinity went back to 1.024 or thereabouts.
> 
> ...



Edit: Oops, wrong sub-forum. :|


EDIT: Arrgghh, that was meant to be an edit! In all fairness it is 3:30am..


Edit: It's started kicking foam out again. I'm not even sure if it ever stopped anymore, I need some sleep. :lol:


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## zaitmi (Sep 23, 2009)

*okay. yes.*


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## molliefan09 (Sep 21, 2009)

if you are concerned about your hydrometer being off you can check it by piutting a drop of saline on it and it should read 1.000


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

molliefan09 said:


> if you are concerned about your hydrometer being off you can check it by piutting a drop of saline on it and it should read 1.000



I think that's for a refractometer. Hydrometers need to be filled with water to get a reading.


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## CamryDS (Oct 5, 2009)

wake49 said:


> I think that's for a refractometer. Hydrometers need to be filled with water to get a reading.



pick up a refractometer, you'll never regret it.

I want to throw my hydrometer against the wall and smash it.


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## Twistersmom (Dec 9, 2008)

I only have brackish tanks, so I do use a hydrometer. (even though, not as accurate as a refractometer) I was concerned at one time, that it was giving me inaccurate readings. I took some tank water to the LFS to be tested for comparison.


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