# co2 levels and drop checker



## Wistrick (Mar 13, 2007)

I am using a ADA knock off drop checker. I am wondering if I need to up the co2


When the light come on and the co2 starts up in the morning the drop checker is reading blue, How long after co2 starts should it turn to green?

Before my noon burst the checker is bright green

Also after my 3 hours of burst lighting in the afternoon the green in the checker is really light, not a bright green 

BTW I am using A KH 4 standard in the drop checker.

Thanks Dan


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## NE (Dec 10, 2004)

If this was me, I would probably connect the co2 to another timer and set it roughly an hour earlier and if the green is to light at evening i had made a co2 pause in the middle of the day (maybe an hour pause).


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## freydo (Jan 7, 2006)

the colour change depends on when your tank reaches equilibrium with the drop checker when the co2 supply comes on. possibly a couple of hours. light green? as in going towards yellow? if that's the case, you're dosing high co2 and wouldn't need to up the supply. instead you could bring it down.


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## NE (Dec 10, 2004)

Yes, but the dropchecker is blue in the morning and my suggestion was to pre-prime the CO2 in the morning and if the level was to high in the evening make a pause or lower the bubblerate (if possible) to lower the level in the evening if it is to light green / yellow.


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## freydo (Jan 7, 2006)

NE said:


> Yes, but the dropchecker is blue in the morning and my suggestion was to pre-prime the CO2 in the morning and if the level was to high in the evening make a pause or lower the bubblerate (if possible) to lower the level in the evening if it is to light green / yellow.


reading and/or comprehending english is sometimes a challenge for me


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## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

What about Moo Goo Gai Pan? :wave:


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## NE (Dec 10, 2004)

freydo said:


> reading and/or comprehending english is sometimes a challenge for me


Me to, as my native language is not english


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

I only get the blue color when I initially set up the drop checker and from there I never see the blue again.......why is that? Co2 is set up on a timer with the lights


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## NE (Dec 10, 2004)

It takes roughly a couple of hours for the liquid in the dropchecker to reach equilibrium with the aquarium water.
When you add it to the tank, the co2 level in the dropchecker is in equilibrium with the air in the room ~3ppm (blue) and then when you place it in the tank and wait a couple of hours the dropchecker will show the co2 level of the tank.
If your dropchecker is always green then you have the right amount of co2 all the time.


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## Squawkbert (Jan 3, 2007)

If it's gone green by the time your noon burst hits, you're probably doing fine.


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