# properly reading a co2 drop checker?



## mos90 (Jul 7, 2009)

ok here is the senario. 125gal co2 inj with ph controller. ph right now is at 6.8 . p04 is high right now so the kh/ph chart is out the window. usually i keep my kh around 4. but ive noticed some algea growth that i cant seem to get rid of. figured it had to be lack of co2. so i rechecked kh and tested very low around 2. definately causing low co2 levels. but drop checker still a darker green color. 

so last night i added 2tsp of kh plus should raise up 1. ill recheck tonight. 

as with most of us im always afraid to raise c02 too much and cause fish deaths. so the bottom line is , do i raise the kh back up to 5 and stay at 6.8 ph? leave the kh at its natural level and lower the ph and just watch the drop checker?


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## Bryeman (Aug 24, 2009)

Might not be the best answer, but from my own experience (I have 2-2.5KH) I always lower the pH by adding more CO2, but do it slowly. I run 6.0-6.1 pH right now in my 125g with pH monitor. Seems to be the sweet spot on my tank. Great plant growth, happy fish, no algae (besides some spot algae), etc.

Again, just my experience.


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## Andy Ritter (Nov 26, 2008)

What is the kH of the water used in your drop checker? The kH of your tank water is actually irrelevant unless you are trying to target a certain pH. Most people use 4 kH water in their drop checkers and aim for typically a light green color for optimal CO2 concentrations (note that many people have completely different opinions on what "optimal" is). Your tank could have water with ANY kH amount and the CO2 concentration is going to show the same in the drop checker. In other words, 30 ppm of CO2 will make the drop checker solution show light green (as long as you are using 4 kH water in it) no matter if your tank water is 0 kH or 50 kH.

I wouldn't mess with the kH of your tank water unless you are unhappy with the pH (although I'm not sure that you need to worry about it anyway). You just adjust the pH of the tank to get the drop checker to show light green.

If you haven't already done so, I would suggest that you read up on proper drop checker usage here on APC. There is lots of valuable information that will be very helpful (that's where I learned how to do it).

I hope that this has helped.

Andy


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## mos90 (Jul 7, 2009)

ok thanks. i use 4dkh solution. ill just leave the kh alone and drop the ph slowly. right now drop checker dark green with tint of blue. ph 6.8... i will try to lower 1 a day until its good.


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## mos90 (Jul 7, 2009)

ok heres what happened last night. slowly lowered ph controller to 6.5 from 6.8 drop checker didnt change much but some. then when airstones came on after lights went out . co2 system ran all night and this morn ph 6.8 again. turned off the airstones and ph started to drop again. had to tell how many bubbles per sec i was set at. should i look at bubble counter or at the inline diffuser to count them? cause it was as least 3-4 at the counter. 

should i turn off airstones at night until i get to the right c02 levels then run them for from 1 hour before the light turn off then for how long? all night?


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## Andy Ritter (Nov 26, 2008)

I don't run air stones ever. I just let the pH controller turn the CO2 on and off as needed. I've never had a problem with the fish, and the pH has always been within the set points in the morning, so I have never understood why anyone would run an air stone if they are using a controller. I have the Pinpoint pH controller, which actually has another output that you can plug in an air pump in the event that the pH goes too low, but I don't even own an air pump. Like I said, I've never seen any need for one. 

I have a bubble counter, but never really pay that much attention to exactly how many bubbles per second there are. I just look at it to see if CO2 is flowing when it is supposed to be. I would imagine that I have somewhere around 3-4 bubbles per second too, but am not sure. In my opinion, it's not that important since it is going to the reactor and not straight into the tank. I think you would only need to worry if it was going in way too slow or way too fast. 

Andy


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## mos90 (Jul 7, 2009)

i will try with no airstones. but i wont raise c02 levels without light on for now. just in case of lack of oxygen at night. 

i think you need to find the ideal bubble count so it holds the proper ph and stay on longer.


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## mos90 (Jul 7, 2009)

so far so good. ph 6.3 and stays pretty constant with no airstones. co2 does run some at night and on most of the time with lights on. drop checker is a medium green. i think its close. 

ive noticed a large amount of algae starting to fall off leaves and plants already starting to look better. 

im beginning to think my c02 levels were most of the problem.


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## Bryeman (Aug 24, 2009)

On my 125g, with 2 - 2.5 KH, I run about 6.0-6.1pH. You may find yourself getting to that level. Test kits can be very inaccurate, and if you take this into account, your current readings may not be accurate (you don't have enough CO2 still). If things continue to improve, great, but if not you may want to drop to 6.2pH for a few weeks, then to 6.1 if still no improvement, etc.

You're on the right track though, so stay the course!


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## mos90 (Jul 7, 2009)

i am waiting for my cal aqua double drop checker. should be easier to determine good co2 levels with it. will make adjustment after i get it.


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## mos90 (Jul 7, 2009)

at a ph of 6.4 after lights go off without running airstones the Disolved oxygen was dropping way to low, 3.3 . i have a pinpoint d.o. meter. i dont like it drop lower then 5. so i turned airstones back on set on low. ph stayed at 6.5 all night, granted the co2 run some but d.o came back up to 5.3 .


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## shakiraa (Oct 10, 2009)

mos90 said:


> i am waiting for my cal aqua double drop checker. should be easier to determine good co2 levels with it. will make adjustment after i get it.


Hi bro, plz share with us some review after you get iy, i'm interested in getting one also. thanks.


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