# Newbie? Ph/Kh and C02 Chart help



## Damonc1964 (Aug 23, 2009)

Ok so I bought these test strips








And these are my readings
Gh - 180 ppm (mg/l)
Kh - 240 ppm (mg/l)
Ph - 6.5-7.0
no2 - 0
no3 - 0

How do I convert this to Co2 ppm? ](*,)

Thanks,
Damon


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Damonc1964,

Here is a link to a site I used until I got a drop checker which I use with a 4.0 KH indicator solution. Scroll about half way down the page to get to the calculator.

I input a 6.75 PH (1/2 way between 7.0 and 6.5) and 240 ppm KH and the result was approximately 71.5 ppm CO2....which is high. If you used an API PH test kit, which uses a liquid indicator, you could get a more accurate reading.


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## Damonc1964 (Aug 23, 2009)

Thanks for the help. I do have the PH test solution you referred to. I used that and my ph is 6.4.

I have disconnected my DIY C02 system until I can get a KH test kit tomorrow and get a more accurate reading. 

I'm using a 2 liter bottle of yeast mixture (2 cups sugar/2 tbsp yeast) and a DIY reactor on a 55 gal tank. I didn't think that I could generate enough C02 with this to get that high of a reading. The reactor is crude but works pretty good.

I have been thinking of getting a drop checker. What brand do you have and are you happy with it?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Damonc1964,

I wouldn't think that one 2 liter bottle of DIY CO2 could give you a CO2 level that high either; possibly the KH reading with the test strips is off. I bought my drop checker overseas but it was very similar to this one but it did not come with the 4 dKH solution that the one from Green Leaf offers.


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## Damonc1964 (Aug 23, 2009)

Ok I have had the co2 turned off for a day now and I bought a Kh test kit. My numbers today are a Ph of 6.8 and a Kh of 143.

Something I forgot to add was I was using Seachem excel too, about a cap a day.

I went to the chalculator and put these numbers in and it gives me a co2 reading of 679, obviously not right. Am I supposed to convert the Kh reading of 143 in someway? ](*,)


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Damonc1964,

Your KH of 143 is ppm (8 degrees), if you input 6.8 in the PH box and 143 in the ppm box you will find you have about 38 ppm of CO2.


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## Damonc1964 (Aug 23, 2009)

Doh!

Thaks for all your help with this.


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