# placement of drop checker



## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

I have mine on the opposite end of where my CO2 is injected. Dont really think it makes a difference though, the checker fluid changes due to a PH difference when CO2 is added. So probably doesnt matter where it is in the tank, height though... shouldnt matter either, as long as you can see it


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## Rockhoe14er (Jan 19, 2011)

All a drop checker tells you is what the co2 is in that specific area 2 hours ago. I would suggest moving it to different area's of the tank to see if you're getting good co2 distribution all over.


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## 5BodyBlade (Feb 8, 2011)

I keep mine at the opposite corner of the diffuser. I like having it halfway down or lower because sometimes the fine bubbles float around and collect in the opening of the checker giving a false reading.


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## denboka (Dec 2, 2011)

I put mine in the slowest part of my tank and in 2 hrs. it was green is that good, or should I be concerned about other parts.


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## denboka (Dec 2, 2011)

How often should I change the fluid in the drop checker?


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## touch of sky (Nov 1, 2011)

The instructions on mine said 2-4 weeks. I changed it after 3 weeks.


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## Rockhoe14er (Jan 19, 2011)

denboka said:


> I put mine in the slowest part of my tank and in 2 hrs. it was green is that good, or should I be concerned about other parts.


I would just play around try it in other places and see how it changes. You might be surprised. Remember the gas diffusion rate in water is about 10,000 times slower in water than air so you really need to try moving the drop checker to many areas of your tank to get a good idea how well it's mixing.


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## d3snoopy (Apr 1, 2011)

touch of sky said:


> The instructions on mine said 2-4 weeks. I changed it after 3 weeks.


Really? My drop checker's fluid is like 6 mo. old.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

d3snoopy said:


> Really? My drop checker's fluid is like 6 mo. old.


lol 3 months


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Once the drop checker fluid is green you just know that you are somewhere around the desirable amount of CO2 in the water. Next, to fine tune it, you need to increase the bubble rate very slightly, and watch the fish for a day, every hour or so. Look for fish that lay on the botton, lose their color, or gather at a top corner seemingly gulping air. That means too much CO2 for the conditions in the tank. Watch the plants for a few days to see if you notice any improved growth or more pearling. If so, you may still not have enough CO2. Repeat this until either the fish tell you to stop, or you no longer see any improvement in the plants. Now, you will be at a good CO2 level, for the conditions in the tank. Improve the water surface ripple, and you can probably run more CO2 in the water without bothering the fish, and you will need to anyway to make up for an inclreased loss of CO2 from the surface.


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## WhiteRaven (Apr 12, 2016)

Hoppy said:


> Once the drop checker fluid is green you just know that you are somewhere around the desirable amount of CO2 in the water. Next, to fine tune it, you need to increase the bubble rate very slightly, and watch the fish for a day, every hour or so. Look for fish that lay on the botton, lose their color, or gather at a top corner seemingly gulping air. That means too much CO2 for the conditions in the tank. Watch the plants for a few days to see if you notice any improved growth or more pearling. If so, you may still not have enough CO2. Repeat this until either the fish tell you to stop, or you no longer see any improvement in the plants. Now, you will be at a good CO2 level, for the conditions in the tank. Improve the water surface ripple, and you can probably run more CO2 in the water without bothering the fish, and you will need to anyway to make up for an inclreased loss of CO2 from the surface.


When you do this, will the checker color still be the right color? Or will it start showing high CO2? Do you even use a drop checker? I like the idea of having it a quick check if CO2 is getting too high.


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## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*drop checker*

I placed mine in the trash. Bought the best one money could buy. All the fluids that I needed. Never read like it should. Get a ph monitor/controller , and enjoy peace of mind.


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## jrill (Nov 20, 2013)

rick dale said:


> I placed mine in the trash. Bought the best one money could buy. All the fluids that I needed. Never read like it should. Get a ph monitor/controller , and enjoy peace of mind.


+1. Drop checkers don't tell you what you need to know when you need to know it.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

CO2 measurement using drop checker at ..Home | UK Aquatic Plant Society


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Hoppy said:


> Once the drop checker fluid is green you just know that you are somewhere around the desirable amount of CO2 in the water. Next, to fine tune it, you need to increase the bubble rate very slightly, and watch the fish for a day, every hour or so.


Agree with Hoppy above. Any of the methods of measuring co2, within the price range most of us are willing to commit to, are rough estimates at best. Monitoring fish and plants is always best.

That being said, I have one, and I'm not sure why. I guess I just like having a quick visual to substantiate my other methods of control.

It's interesting, my ph with degassed tap water is about 8.25, and my Kh is about 20. I drive my ph down to 7.0, which by most charts would indicate co2 of 60ppm. My drop checker shows greenish yellow color, but the fish never show any stress. I do have lots of surface agitation, but still, I don't believe that number is necessarily correct. 

As an experiment recently, I drove the ph down to 6.85 (85ppm) and the fish did show some signs of stress, but you really had to pay attention to notice. 

As is true with most things in this hobby, each tank is unique, and what works for one may not work at all for another.


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