# Drop checker not changing color... help?



## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

are you using PH solution and 4dkh water?


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## speedoflife (Jun 12, 2011)

Noahma said:


> are you using PH solution and 4dkh water?


Yupp! The buddy that gave me the 4dkh uses the same solution and it is very accurate in his tank (changes all the way to yellow in the afternoons).


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## h2oaggie (Feb 28, 2011)

I am the above mentioned buddy. I made the dkh solution at work, where I have access to a calibrated scale and a spectrometer. I know its accurate 

What pH drops are you using? It needs to measure from pH 6.0-7.6. Others will change color at different pH's.


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## speedoflife (Jun 12, 2011)

It's the standard pH drops (not high range or low range). Yeah man, I'm lost here. The reactor was working so perfectly for a while, but now it creates a significantly larger "bubble" that won't go away. My algae doesn't pearl anymore either. The bubble rate also drops a lot faster than it used to, which is pointing towards a leak. I've taken apart the needle valve and sealed everything up, taken apart the pressure gauge and checked everything for leaks. Every single part of the system has been looked at inside out, and there simply couldn't be leaks that I know of. When I went to bed last night, there was a "pocket" in the reactor, and it didn't go away over the night, which never happens (CO2 is off during the night). I just re-teflon taped all of the connections and re-siliconed the airline connections (into PVC, into bubble counter, etc..). The system has been acting strange, and the drop checker just confirms that. I might be stuck on a obsessive paranoia, but is it possible for air to get into the CO2 tanks when they are filled? There is CO2 in them for sure (my paintball gun says so), but the CO2 should be absorbed by the water relatively quickly, yes? 
I'm just considering getting the atomizer like you haha!


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

Do you have a standard diffuser you can try for a bit? Start ruling out items, you said everything is sealed, now try to remove the reactor from the equation and see if it is something with the tank.


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## scapegoat (Jun 3, 2010)

check your outlet for bubbles... having issues with my RG reactor as well and i'm seeing bubbles... reactor isnt doing its job b/c filter flow is too fast! sounds like you might be having the same issue


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## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

Bear in mind it takes hours for that stupid drop checker to change colors. Watch your plants and fish, not silly drop checkers..


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

xmas_one said:


> Bear in mind it takes hours for that stupid drop checker to change colors. Watch your plants and fish, not silly drop checkers..


Drop checkers might not be very accurate, but they do give an indication that you are getting in the rough area of co2 that is needed. His is not changing color at all, which tells us that there is something wrong, a reaction should happen within a few hours. It sounds like he has had it running for more than just a few hours.


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## scapegoat (Jun 3, 2010)

Noahma said:


> Drop checkers might not be very accurate, but they do give an indication that you are getting in the rough area of co2 that is needed. His is not changing color at all, which tells us that there is something wrong, a reaction should happen within a few hours. It sounds like he has had it running for more than just a few hours.


agreed.

there is also no reason not to use one. they're cheap and give you some idea as to what is going on.


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## speedoflife (Jun 12, 2011)

Unfortunately, don't have a diffuser.
Zero, and I mean zero, bubbles escape the reactor. I know this for a fact.
I had the drop checker in yesterday as well and nothing happened then. Yeah I had it running for hours yesterday, and I had it on for about 3 hours this morning before cutting it off to seal everything. I'm going to test my new sealing by letting a pocket form and seeing if it goes away overnight. I'll report back in with the results. If any air gets into this thing (a leak), it will make a pocket.
Thanks for your help all!


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## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

I have a drop checker that was made by a member and it has a really small opening. I left a big air gap in there once and it took two days to change. The more I fill it up with solution the faster it changes. Maybe just give it time. If you keep taking it out of the tank, I believe you will have to start the whole process over again.


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