Marine Depot Refractometer

Is this all the refractometer that I need, or should I get a different/better one?

http://www.marinedepot.com/Marine_Depot_Aquarium_Refractometer_Refractometers_for_Saltwater_Aquariums-Marine_Depot-MD2101-FITEOPRF-vi.html

That one should work fine. I have this one and have had great results with it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Premium-Aquatics-Salinity-Refractometer-3-yr-warranty-/160586767923?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2563b79e33

Anyone else with a cheaper but reliable refractometer suggestion?

Got mine on ebay for $19.99, had case and everything looks just like the Marine depot one.

Got one for 31.50 including shipping out of california. Thanks guys. Glad I asked.

Got the refractometer in today... it works perfectly. My hydrometer wasn't insane nuts off like I've heard horror stories of. I've read people thinking their salinity was 1.026 but it was 1.018 or something... my refractometer put my salinity at 1.025... which is great. I've been trying to keep it at 1.024 or 1.025 so no complaints! Glad I can be sure with the refractometer though! I was always a bit skeptic of that hydrometer...

Matt
From experience, don't put all your trust in the refractometer, it is calibratable and will get off, from time to time check it with your hydrometer and calibration fluid to make sure it is dead on. Some just calibrate with distilled or RO water.

I agree with double checking the calibration , but I would never calibrate against a hydrometer. Hydrometers are temperature calibrated by the manufacture and do not have auto temp correction like alot of refractometers. also if you hydrometer isnt sitting level the reading will be off, or if a small air bubble gets trapped under the float arm of the hydrometer it will be off. There are just too many variables too be off when using a hydrometer , so i stay as far away from them as i possibly can. This is however just my opinion as well as experience, and others , im sure will see this different but im just trying to help based on what i have seen.

-Bryan

This one I got calibrates using RO. It's a breeze to calibrate... doesn't take but 15 seconds. I could calibrate it every single time I use it and it wouldn't bother me a bit. I'll double check it occasionally to be sure. :-)

Definitely worth having.

This is by far the best Refractometer that i've come across-

http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/552/Vital-Sine-Salinity-Refractometer

$130.00 for a refractometer is ridiculous when the $30.00 ones are just as good, made from the same materials and calibrate with the same screw.

I've owned both, and used them day to day- it has a
much larger visual display, important for getting accurate readings like 3ppt I use for freshwater systems- also it has far superior temperature compensation. I was getting deviations of 5ppt or more with the cheaper one and had to calibrate with 53ms solution every job. The better quality refractometer I calibrate weekly after heavy use and stays with in 1ppt.

Sure the $30 will work if you calibrate often but the $130 one is far superior.

I guess this needs to be right in there with which salt is better, just depends on which one you use.

Would love to show you the difference sometime, but
Honestly for must the marine depot $30 is a better choice