[salmon]

Anyone have any recommendations for when to change the indicator solution? Using DIY on a 13g if that makes any difference.

 

[Dempsey]

Assuming that you are using 4dkh water and some sort of ph reagent, You could change it as often as you want. I change mine from every week to even once a month. Some folks change it every week after a water change.

I really only do it when I remember for reassurance.

 

[jreich]

this may sound like an obvious answer, but i used to just change it when it stoped working. i 1 point i went as long as 6 months before it died, other times it took less than a month.

 

[salmon]

Thanks Dempsey and jreich! I'm still a newb with this stuff and all the fine details.... :icon_redf

To add to my question, when it "expires" , does it cause a fairly quick change in in color?

 

[jreich]

Thanks Dempsey and jreich! I'm still a newb with this stuff and all the fine details.... :icon_redf

To add to my question, when it "expires" , does it cause a fairly quick change in in color?

when it stops working it gets stuck blue or green/yellow or turns clear.

 

[Hoppy]

If you really hone your plant observation skills by looking carefully at the plants each day or more often, you will soon decide that you don't need the drop checker "crutch" any more, and you will remove it and rely on what the plants tell you. At worst, you will have determined the approximate CO2 bubble rate that you need to use, and just set that when you need to. I don't see any reason to need a drop checker longer than a few months, except when you change tank sizes, change light intensity and fertilizing routine, etc.

 

[salmon]

thanks jreich....exactly what i was trying to figure out.

thanks Hoppy! that's great advice I will surely take. I can semi-relate to this in regards to relying on what the plants need in comparison w/ terrestrial plants (have a green thumb with those but finally beginning to get it with aquatic plants) I feel I could use my "crutch" a little longer since it turns out after posting my question, that the DC indeed detected a drop as my diffuser completely stopped days after, although it was still producing bubbles when I posted, just not enough to keep the solution green.

thanks for everyones help.