# Drop Checker set up???



## DaveK (Jul 10, 2010)

Usually you would fill it with only the 4 dkh solution. Some of them already have the pH indicator added. If not 2 or 3 drops of that is added. The amount of pH indicator isn't that critical. 

However, check with the directions that came with the solution. Perhaps it's different.


----------



## eser21 (Apr 19, 2011)

i also bought mine on e bay from china and put 4 drops in as instructed but couldnt figure it out, i came to the conclusion that you still need to get the 4 dkh yourself then add the 4 drops of solution supplied (i think it is just ph checker supplied) still waiting for the 4dkh to be delivered so could tell you hopefully tomorrow...


----------



## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

Ok, it's labeled as "CO2 level indicator reagent" and there's a color chart and some Chinese letters and stuff. The bottle is labeled "CO2 Test" the instruction on the back 
1. add 5 drops
2. Refill aquarium water to the level line
and it shows a drawing of an old Dupla style DC, but I think I need to redo it without the pH solution, I'll try that, it was nice and blue but I used water from my glass of Brita. So I did it wrong, the letters are so, so tiny I almost can read it with my glasses on and my arm extended.


----------



## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

I added 5 drops and a couple of ml of tank water and it turned a med green and I was cranking the CO2 all day, but it's been lights out for 3 hrs so that's about right, thanks folks. I guess I was remembering a DIY solution or something.


----------



## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

Tank water makes the drop checker inaccurate because it's not pure 4dKH solution anymore, so you can't interpret it like you would like to (i.e. green doesn't mean 30ppm CO2 anymore due to tank water, etc).


----------



## Crispino L Ramos (Mar 29, 2008)

It should turn blue when 3 to 5 drops of reagent is added to about 1.5 ml of 4dKH solution. It should fill the regular size drop checker halfway.


----------



## eser21 (Apr 19, 2011)

yep, i put filter water in and it went dark green and then put it above my co2 excess bubble out let, turned up the co2 for 10 mins to see if it works and didnt change colour at all... 4dkh is a must i think...?


----------



## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

Well I'm going to give it a go as per the instructions on the bottle, everything is pearling away at 2 bps but the DC is dark green so I cranked up the CO2 to 3.5 bps and I'll check the DC in an hour or two and see what happens. BTW the reagent solution is an orange color that turns blue when it hits filtered tap water.


----------



## jrman83 (Nov 22, 2010)

I've been using my DCs with the provided solution and tank water. I just got some 4dkh solution. Sort of anxious to see what the diff will be with my current set amount of CO2 into my tanks. I've been pushing yellow on 3 of 4 tanks for a while now. Going to try it out tonight.


----------



## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

I just dumped it again and tried it with 4 drops and tap water so it would start out blue, the instructions are for a different type of DC, so I going to play around to see what I get. Whats the instruction with your 4dkh solution jrman83????


----------



## Bannik (Apr 2, 2011)

I have the same drop checker solution. Using anything other than 4dkh water means you can't get an accurate measurement. Sure it'll change color, but that doesn't mean anything other than you have CO2 in your tank. It would be like having a thermometer without any markings. Sure the mercury will rise, but you still have no idea what the temperature is.


----------



## jrman83 (Nov 22, 2010)

150EH said:


> I just dumped it again and tried it with 4 drops and tap water so it would start out blue, the instructions are for a different type of DC, so I going to play around to see what I get. Whats the instruction with your 4dkh solution jrman83????


The stuff that came with my DC, you add 3-4 drops then the rest is tank water. I used the 4dkh solution in place of anywhere it said use tank water and added in the ph regeant and it all started out dark blue and 3 of the 4 are now green. I have two different types of DCs - one of them is the one made by Red Sea. Worked fine with that one also.


----------



## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

Bannik said:


> I have the same drop checker solution. Using anything other than 4dkh water means you can't get an accurate measurement. Sure it'll change color, but that doesn't mean anything other than you have CO2 in your tank. It would be like having a thermometer without any markings. Sure the mercury will rise, but you still have no idea what the temperature is.


Drop Checkers are not precise just something to make you aware your CO2 may be going toward the high end of the scale we use to keep our fish alive. So if it turns light green or yellow I can check my pH and if it's 6.4 or lower I most likely have a good amount of CO2 in my water, that's all I want.


----------



## Bannik (Apr 2, 2011)

150EH said:


> Drop Checkers are not precise just something to make you aware your CO2 may be going toward the high end of the scale we use to keep our fish alive. So if it turns light green or yellow I can check my pH and if it's 6.4 or lower I most likely have a good amount of CO2 in my water, that's all I want.


There is a difference between being precise within a fraction of an inch and missing your target by a mile. If your tank water is extremely hard by the time you hit even dark green you could be at 80 ppm and putting your fish at risk. And if you use plain distilled water your checker could be yellow and only have 15 PPM.


----------



## kevmo911 (Sep 24, 2010)

No sense in making a vague indicator more complicated than it need be. Buy some 4dKH water from somebody here or on Evilbay, use a few drops of pH indicator solution (if it looks orange but turns blue when it hits water, it's probably the right stuff), and stick it in the tank. The number of drops of indicator isn't important - just use enough drops to clearly see a color. After an hour or two of CO2 injection, if it turns green-ish, it's working.

Don't use tank water. Or tap water. If you're gonna use a drop checker at all, use the correct solution. It's inaccurate enough at the best of times.


----------



## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

Thanks Kevmo, that pretty much what I was doing but I wasn't sure about the number of drops and this nano DC is so small it doesn't hold much water so I am reducing the amount of drops.


----------



## jrman83 (Nov 22, 2010)

Bannik said:


> If your tank water is extremely hard by the time you hit even dark green you could be at 80 ppm and putting your fish at risk. And if you use plain distilled water your checker could be yellow and only have 15 PPM.


Great explanation. Using tank water in the DC I have noticed how easy it has been to get mine to change color when I may have gotten my % or RO water a little higher than normal.


----------

