Salinity is hands down the most important parameter we test for in a saltwater aquariums, but salinity, and how it is measured, is quite poorly understood. The Hanna Salinity Tester is a new measurement device which is both affordable and accurate and should make testing salinity in home aquariums much easier.
Like any good digital chemistry reader the Hanna Salinity Meter needs to be calibrated, but the tester comes as a kit with five pouches of salinity reference solution. Interestingly, this solution is specially formulated to create the proper conductivity for a salinity of 35ppt, so it’s different from an actual seawater reference.
35 ppt is what we should aim for in a reef tank so it’s reassuring to know that this tester tests most accurately right in the salinity range that we operate in. Calibration is simple and easy, by simply opening one of the packets, placing the tester inside and pressing the calibration button.
One of the things that makes the Hanna Salinity Tester unique is that it uses electrodes made of corrosion resistant graphite, so it won’t corrode and pit the way that platinum coated testers can. We compared the Hanna Salinity Tester to our standard at the Studio, the Hanna benchtop refractometer and were delighted to see very close agreement between the two, with the Tester measuring a salinity of 32.9ppt and the digital refractometer reading out 33ppt.
Some other great features of the Hanna Salinity Tester is a very large digital display which is very easy to read, with salinity readings to the tenth decimal place. Surely it’s an added bonus that Hanna made their Salinity Tester completely waterproof so there’s no fear of dropping the entire assembly in the tank.
With a price tag of just $69 which includes several pouches of calibration reference, the Hanna Salinity Tester is easily the best value in accurately measuring salinity in the aquarium hobby today.
