drop checker

[mcaquatic]

I run co2 for eight hours a day. About after how many hours would it be ideal for my drop checker to turn green?

[Jbuck]

I think in an ideal world it should be green for when your lights come on. So ur plants have optimum co2 levels. I have no personal experience yet this is just based on research I have done. Hopefully have co2 set up satrday

[nokturnalkid]

Yep, dc should be green by the time the lights come on. That's why most people will start their co2 about an hour or so before the photoperiod starts. Usually, the dc will be light green-yellowish by the time lights go off. Remember to adjust slowly and watch the fauna whenever you tinker with your co2

[Trickerie]

Originally Posted by mcaquatic

I run co2 for eight hours a day. About after how many hours would it be ideal for my drop checker to turn green?

With proper amounts of surface agitation and co2 injection, if you turn your co2 on 1 hour before lights on, and off 1 hour before lights off, you will have ample amounts of co2 for your photo period.

[Aquaticfan]

First thing would be is that there are several things that can effect if and how fast a Drop checker will react to the Co2 in the water. Placement, current in the tank and other factors add into it. Drop checkers while a good tool are far from accurate and most cases slow. On the fast side of most, again depending on factors involved is 30 minutes. Slowest is half a day. Average is about an hour or two. How your Co2 is being introduced into the water also makes a difference. If your running a external reactor like a griggs or a Cerges it will take longer as the Co2 has 100% dissolve. Where as an atomizer is faster due to the free floating bubbles in the water and less dissolve.

Even turning on an hour before lights on might not change the color or much. Its more important to watch your livestock and make sure no issues with them.

[mcaquatic]

nice thanks. won't put fish in for about a week. will play with the drop checker until then

[Qwedfg]

Is there any way to use a drop checker in a tank that mists co2? Mine is always yellow-green but it gets misted pretty heavily by diy c02.

[Aquaticfan]

Originally Posted by Qwedfg

Is there any way to use a drop checker in a tank that mists co2? Mine is always yellow-green but it gets misted pretty heavily by diy c02.

yes you can. but as I mention before there are things that effect drop checkers more easily. One being misted bubbles of Co2 vs dissolved Co2. A misted bubble say from an Atomic diffuser makes the water look like 7up. Filled with bubbles. These bubbles release the co2 into the opening of the drop checker more easily and make it have a quicker and less accurate effect of how much co2 is in the water that actually useable. It dosnt mean your plants arent getting any, but they may not be getting enough. Especially if most the Co2 is just rising to the surface with ease.

There is several things that can influence a Drop checkers color and how fast it changes or if it changes.

Light, Plant load, Current/Flow, Placement of where and high or low, Type of method you add Co2 ones that cause lots of free floating Co2 bubbles Vs none seen like when using a Griggs or Cerges reactor and more.