Here's another barely damp newbie!
I have a question about specific gravity. My eventual hope is to have a mostly coral and invert tank, although I'm following local pressure to cycle with fish at the moment.
Most of the references I've read say to use a temperature-corrected refractometer for SG (zeroed on RO water). This suits me fine, since I work in a lab and it seems like the right thing. However, my readings are (naturally) at great variance from the hydrometer readings I get from various LFSs. None of them consult any correction tables for temperature ... so I recently bought a cheapie hydrometer which claims to be temperature-compensated between 68-85 'F. (?)
My question is - since I can't make these readings agree with each other, do I adhere to the reference method and values, or do I just ignore the refractometer readings and stick with the hydrometer which the livestock are presumably acclimated to? I'm afraid that this is okay for fish, but isn't going to be so okay when I start with corals and inverts. I'm going to be Very Unhappy if I start killing things later on.
Helpful suggestions solicited.
Thanks
~vicki~
I have a question about specific gravity. My eventual hope is to have a mostly coral and invert tank, although I'm following local pressure to cycle with fish at the moment.
Most of the references I've read say to use a temperature-corrected refractometer for SG (zeroed on RO water). This suits me fine, since I work in a lab and it seems like the right thing. However, my readings are (naturally) at great variance from the hydrometer readings I get from various LFSs. None of them consult any correction tables for temperature ... so I recently bought a cheapie hydrometer which claims to be temperature-compensated between 68-85 'F. (?)
My question is - since I can't make these readings agree with each other, do I adhere to the reference method and values, or do I just ignore the refractometer readings and stick with the hydrometer which the livestock are presumably acclimated to? I'm afraid that this is okay for fish, but isn't going to be so okay when I start with corals and inverts. I'm going to be Very Unhappy if I start killing things later on.
Helpful suggestions solicited.
Thanks
~vicki~
