# Drop checker??????? Confuse!!!



## drunkenmastera (Oct 21, 2009)

So I brought this drop checker and it came with their own solution. 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...2BLyWhI%3D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT

The solution when I put it in was a slight orange brown. I saw on greenleaf, their solution is blue.
Is something wrong with my solution. 
When putting it in the tank, are you suppose to let water get in it? I think I did it on purpose and it might have mess up the results........


----------



## TLe041 (Mar 20, 2010)

Orange-brown is fine. Once you put it in the tank it'll change to the blue/green/yellow color you're looking for.

But I wouldn't trust that stuff that came with the checker. Who knows what's in there. Just use a few drop of the indicator solution from a pH test kit.


----------



## James0816 (Oct 9, 2008)

TLe041 said:


> Just use a few drop of the indicator solution from a pH test kit.


^ x2

orange-brown eh? sounds odd. All the ones I have tried have always been blue right off the git go. But I strictly use pH reagent now since I always have it on hand.


----------



## virgo888 (Jun 25, 2009)

TLe041 said:


> Orange-brown is fine. Once you put it in the tank it'll change to the blue/green/yellow color you're looking for.
> 
> But I wouldn't trust that stuff that came with the checker. Who knows what's in there. Just use a few drop of the indicator solution from a pH test kit.


Agreed - use a few drops of pH test solutio with your own 4dkh solution.


----------



## drunkenmastera (Oct 21, 2009)

im confuse.... do that ph only test for ph?

Is there a chart i can measure to get level of co2 with ph?


----------



## darkoon (Jun 7, 2010)

PH drops as CO2 concentration in water increases, hence PH reagent is used to estimate how much CO2 is in the water.
google co2 KH/PH chart
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/plants/Podio_CO2_KH_PH_Chart.html


----------



## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

Did you purchase or make a 4 dKH solution to go along with the bromothymol blue low range pH indicator solution that came with the drop checker?


----------



## drunkenmastera (Oct 21, 2009)

Left C said:


> Did you purchase or make a 4 dKH solution to go along with the bromothymol blue low range pH indicator solution that came with the drop checker?


i dont think it came with it, it only came with ph solution.

so i just brought a 4dkh solution to test out the co2 level.


----------



## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

drunkenmastera said:


> i dont think it came with it, it only came with ph solution.
> 
> so i just brought a 4dkh solution to test out the co2 level.


Great! It sounds like you are good to go then. You need both the BB indicator solution and the dKH solution for it to help measure the approximate CO2 level.

You might want to move your drop checker around in your aquarium looking for areas with either less CO2 (dead spots) or more CO2. Then you can "tweak" the CO2 for your aquarium and adjust the flow.

Have you seen wet's thread and posts about using 2 drop checkers with differing dKH solutions to tweak and fine tune the CO2 level a little more accurately?


----------



## drunkenmastera (Oct 21, 2009)

i did read it but I'll go back to it. what do you mean by BB?
is that the ph solution.....


----------



## bosmahe1 (May 14, 2005)

drunkenmastera said:


> i did read it but I'll go back to it. what do you mean by BB?
> is that the ph solution.....


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromothymol_blue


----------



## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

drunkenmastera said:


> i did read it but I'll go back to it. what do you mean by BB?
> is that the ph solution.....


That's correct. BB is easier to write than Bromothymol Blue.


----------

