CO2 Drop Checker

[dadsoldtruck]

So i've come to the realization I need to set up a CO2 system. I'm making my own CO2 reactor and bubble counter, and was told a drop checker is the most accurate way to check your levels. I know there is a way to make your own DC, but what abiout the solution? What is the solution made out of? I'll most likely buy solution, but I'm just wondering what it is made out of and how does it work. Thanks

 

[jcardona1]

you can make it with distilled water and baking soda if i remember correctly. theres guides on there how to make. nothing to it, but you need to be very accurate so you end up with a solution that is truly 4dkh. thats why i just ended up buying it, no room for error

 

[dadsoldtruck]

i get the 4 dkh part, but what do you put in to change the color?

 

[jcardona1]

oh thats simple! after you put the 4dkh solution in your drop checker, you add a few drops of ph reagent, the stuff liquid in your standard test kit. you add drops until a gets a nice deep blue color.

after that, just put it in your tank and the colors will change as co2 enters the drop checker to reach equilibrium. the co2 gas inside the drop checker will change the color of the solution. since the hardness is constant at 4dkh, we can then conclude that a green color equals roughly 30ppm of co2, which is considered optimal.

 

[dadsoldtruck]

Does anyone have a recipe for the solution?

 

[jcardona1]

One way is::

Add 6 grams of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to one liter of distilled water. This gives you one liter of water with a KH of 200 dKH. Then take 10 ml of that water and mix with 490 ml of distilled water (a dilution of 1 in 50) and you get 500 ml of 4 dKH water.

This makes 5000ml of 4dk solution (providing you use all 1000ml of 200dkh water) so you could sell some on if you wanted.

Make sure you have a set of scales (.01 degree of accuracy) and test the solution after. Exact measurments is important.


And another way is::
To make a KH standard using baking soda you would need the following.
• distilled water
• baking soda (new and unopened would be best)
• .01 gram scale (a calibration weight)
• 500 ml graduated cylinder
• 50 ml graduated cylinder

 

[sostoudt]

I made it recently, i guessing but heres what i think i remember doing, one teaspoon baking soda per 5 liters of water.
that gives you 40 kh.

then take some mixture, add one part of solution to 9 parts pure water. then you get 4kh



theres 4.8 grams of baking soda in a teaspoon
edit: 0.99 grams per liter gives you 40 kh, as you can see my way isnt extremely exact but it gets the job done for me.

 

[dadsoldtruck]

can you use RO water, or does it have to be distilled?

 

[sostoudt]

can you use RO water, or does it have to be distilled?

yea there basically equivalent, the goal is just to have pure water free of substances that would alter ph or kh

 

[dadsoldtruck]

Sounds good to me!!! Thanks guys for your help!!!