7Enigma
Aquarium Advice Addict
So I've been using the RedSea drop checker with a 4 degree KH solution and double the amount of pH reagent to make the color easier to read.
I've had a wierd result that made me think the test had been affected in some way (say some tank water got in the checker or the hole was clogged), because after putting the checker in the tank it failed to ever turn BACK blue after going green. I thought this was odd because I would assume it should go back pretty readily after the CO2 goes off (off at 10pm and not back on until 12pm the next day).
So thinking the checker solution was bad I took it out of the tank and set it on my desk. I came back a couple hours later and it was dark blue!
I'm wondering if the amount of plants I have in the tank are keeping the dissolved CO2 levels at/above 30ppm when I'm not injecting any CO2?
I've double checked the solution and it indeed takes exactly 4 drops of KH solution for the change and I made it on the large 5L scale as in the OP.
And for anyone else trying this out here's my recommendation (especially if using the Red Sea checker):
1. Place it in a place where you can EASILY see the color change. I had originally had it dead center in the tank on the front glass so it was in an even spot in the tank (so I wouldn't see overly high or low levels due to my mist PH dispersion). That was great except I couldn't ever get a reading because looking through the checker was looking into my plants! (surprise they are green ). What I did was put it near the upper left corner so I can look down through the tank against the white plastic and it allows me to guage the color (and its far away from the PH so I don't feel I'm reading elevated levels).
2. Tilt the checker once its below the water line to get the majority of the bubble out of the opening. The larger this gas layer, the slower your checker will change. I look carefully from the bottom of the tank and tilt just enough to get a big bubble out. There is still a small bubble underneath, but it should respond much faster than if you just placed it in the tank. Definitely don't tilt it enough to allow spillage of the solution into the water as you will contaminate your tank (probably not that serious), but you also risk contaminating the fluid in the drop checker and invalidating your results.
I've had a wierd result that made me think the test had been affected in some way (say some tank water got in the checker or the hole was clogged), because after putting the checker in the tank it failed to ever turn BACK blue after going green. I thought this was odd because I would assume it should go back pretty readily after the CO2 goes off (off at 10pm and not back on until 12pm the next day).
So thinking the checker solution was bad I took it out of the tank and set it on my desk. I came back a couple hours later and it was dark blue!
I'm wondering if the amount of plants I have in the tank are keeping the dissolved CO2 levels at/above 30ppm when I'm not injecting any CO2?
I've double checked the solution and it indeed takes exactly 4 drops of KH solution for the change and I made it on the large 5L scale as in the OP.
And for anyone else trying this out here's my recommendation (especially if using the Red Sea checker):
1. Place it in a place where you can EASILY see the color change. I had originally had it dead center in the tank on the front glass so it was in an even spot in the tank (so I wouldn't see overly high or low levels due to my mist PH dispersion). That was great except I couldn't ever get a reading because looking through the checker was looking into my plants! (surprise they are green ). What I did was put it near the upper left corner so I can look down through the tank against the white plastic and it allows me to guage the color (and its far away from the PH so I don't feel I'm reading elevated levels).
2. Tilt the checker once its below the water line to get the majority of the bubble out of the opening. The larger this gas layer, the slower your checker will change. I look carefully from the bottom of the tank and tilt just enough to get a big bubble out. There is still a small bubble underneath, but it should respond much faster than if you just placed it in the tank. Definitely don't tilt it enough to allow spillage of the solution into the water as you will contaminate your tank (probably not that serious), but you also risk contaminating the fluid in the drop checker and invalidating your results.