Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Any suggestions on a portable combo meters? I'd like one bo be able to use in my various tanks.
Thanks.

I'm using Hanna pocket combo meter, TDS,PH,PPM extremely accurate if calibrated correctly, and spare sensor available from net, ususally the cheap version of pocket PH meter available from Ebay are not sensor replaceable, that means you need a new pen every time, plus if you drop them they became faulty.

Combo meter with which functions?... pH is the only one you really need... and maybe temp if you can get a good quality pH meter with built in thermometer.

TDS/EC/CF/ppm meters have no real use in aquaponics... if you want to measure salinity during/after salting you may want a salinity refractometer.

For my hydroponic customers, who do need to test both pH and EC... I don't even recommend combo meters to them. With most good quality brands you'll find the price of the combo meter is usually around the same price as buying the two individual meters, or even more with some brands, but if a combo meter poops itself, or you drop it etc... you've then lost both functions... with individual meters you still have the other non-stuffed meter functioning.

I think the only time combo meters are practical is with small-medium sized "one-man-band" type commercial hydroponic or aquaculture operations where there are many tanks that have to be tested a few times every day. The large operations would have probes permanently mounted in the tanks feeding the info back to a puter in the office... and you'll probably find most of the "one-man-band" operations would have this set-up these days as well.

That sound like my operation, and we can not afford those permanent probe yet...
10 tanks to be tested on the farm and we use the combo to test water EC from the hydroponic seeds propagation system.