# CO2 level and ADA Aquasoil



## Intros (Apr 26, 2006)

I recently rescaped (three days ago) my aquarium using ADA Aquasoil Malaya. As expected the pH and KH dropped (KH from 5-6 to 4, and the pH to 6,42). My pH controller was set to 6,6 for the previous levels of KH, so it's obviously that now is not triggering the CO2 discharge. I believe that the pH drop has nothing to do with an increase of CO2 level, but to KH drop, so what should I do - wait the pH to rise again (will this happen?, I believe not... ) or lower the pH set for controller despite the KH - pH - Co2 chart? (theoretically at KH 4 and pH 6,4 I should have around 45ppm CO2, and this is not the case, the plants don't pearl any more, and no CO2 was introduce since then in the tank). How should I know (if I will lower the pH set for controller) the new level of Co2 in the tank if part of the decreasing of pH is not due to CO2? Will the drop checker be better for this situation? Thank you for any advices !


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

A drop checker will work fine for you. You put 4 dKH distilled or deionized water in it, add a few drops of pH reagent (the type that is blue at about 7.2 pH and yellow at about 6 pH). It will give as accurate a measure of CO2 as you can get without spending a lot of time and/or money. When the fluid color in the drop checker is green, you will have from about 25 ppm to about 40 ppm of CO2 in the water.


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