Ocean Free Co2 Indicator Solution

[Urban Aquaria]

Recently i found back my old Co2 drop checker and decided to use it again, but i discovered that i had no more pH indicator and 4dkh solution, so i went out to buy the indicator solution and the distilled water/sodium bicarbonate to make some 4dkh reference solution.

I spotted this at a LFS and bought it:



After i got it, i noticed that the instructions only mention to fill the drop checker with the indicator solution, but it doesn't mention anything at all about adding any tank or prepared kh water too... so i was wondering, is this a so-called "pre-mixed Co2 indicator solution"?

As in, the required kh water and pH indicator solution has already been calibrated and mixed properly by the manufacturer?

If that's the case, then it would mean that i don't have to go through the process of being a bartender and pouring and mixing distilled water with sodium bicarbonate here and there. Due to my clunky mixing skills, i'll probably end up with wildly inaccurate kh water anyways.

In addition, does anyone happen to know what particular kh this pre-mixed indicator solution is calibrated at? Could i assume it is also 4dkh, since its a such common reference amongst aquarists? So if the indicator shows green then it should be around 30ppm Co2 levels?

If anyone has used this Co2 indicator solution before, it would be helpful if you could share your experience with it.

Thanks in advance!

[milk_vanilla]

Seems they follow aqualabs indicator works,

I have no idea about this, seems interesting if they really do the job. I'm listening.....

Sent using Tapatalk 2

[Urban Aquaria]

Seems they follow aqualabs indicator works...

I followed your tip and checked out the Cal Aqua Labs website... you're right, they also use a pre-mixed solution too! Thanks for the lead!

Was looking at the product info for their indicator solution: http://www.calaqualabs.com/CO2checkers.html

"It consists of a premade 4dKH solution containing the appropriate amount of indicator. Easy to use, no mixing required. Simply open cap and fill CO2 checker."

Will test out the Ocean Free indicator solution and see if it also works the same too.

[bennyc]

Where did you buy the solution? Can i find out the price from you? I believe the price difference for the two is quite alot.

[Urban Aquaria]

Where did you buy the solution? Can i find out the price from you? I believe the price difference for the two is quite alot.

I got it from Polyart, S$5.50 for a bottle.

[milk_vanilla]

Cool,

Does it finally work?

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[AQMS]

Hi bro i have 4dkh solution 4fl oz 118ml for sale if you want.
It is $17/sgd ready to use but you have to pick it up at Tampines.

[Urban Aquaria]

Okay, i've managed to test it out... i put some of the Co2 indicator solution into the drop checker (without any additional water), set it up in a new tank (no fishes or shrimps, just a few plants) and then adjusted the Co2 injection up to 4-5 bps, after a few hours the color started to turn from blue (its original color from the bottle) to bluish-green, so it seems to work.

Not entirely sure of its accuracy though, as i'm still wondering whats the exact kh reference the pre-mix is based on. At this moment i'm just assuming its probably using the most common 4dkh reference.

[li_gangyi]

I guess you could use some kinda kH test kit to see if it's in the ballpark, trying to read the colour change might be difficult though.

[Urban Aquaria]

Just to update this thread... i recently bought an ISTA all-angle view CO2 indicator (around S$10+ at LFS) which uses a traditional suction cup design so i can position it at various locations in the tank to do Co2 distribution/flow tests.

The Co2 indicator solution that came packaged with it also didn't mention anything about adding tank or 4dkh water either, so i searched online and found their video demo on how to use it to confirm. True enough, they are pre-mixed so can be used directly out of the bottle.



I've tested it in my 2ft tank with pressurized C02 system and inline diffuser (more efficient than my previous in-tank diffuser), at 1-2bps it turned from initial blue to green after a short while. Then i cranked it up to 4-5 bps, and it gradually turned from green to yellow. Adjusted back to 1-2 bps, and it gradually turned from yellow back to green, therefore it does work.

So for those who don't want the hassle of making or buying 4dKH solution, you can just buy these pre-mixed solutions instead and they will do the job of indicating Co2 levels in your tank.

[felix_fx2]

can compare both ista and OF.
is the color change rate about the same?

[Urban Aquaria]

can compare both ista and OF.
is the color change rate about the same?

Yeah, they are the same... i tried the OF solution in another drop checker to do a comparison and it also changes color at around the same rate, looks like they are both the same solution.

I guess the OF version is just a re-brand of the ISTA one, even the bottle look the same, just different label sticker.

[felix_fx2]

Yeah, they are the same... i tried the OF solution in another drop checker to do a comparison and it also changes color at around the same rate, looks like they are both the same solution.

I guess the OF version is just a re-brand of the ISTA one, even the bottle look the same, just different label sticker.

all the bottles look like eye drop bottle to me. just want to know if the reaction speed same anot.

Sent from my GT-N7105

[kohanson]

Yeah, they are the same... i tried the OF solution in another drop checker to do a comparison and it also changes color at around the same rate, looks like they are both the same solution.

I guess the OF version is just a re-brand of the ISTA one, even the bottle look the same, just different label sticker.

Nice, thanks for trying out both the solution. Maybe i will make a trip to seaview this weekend to take a look.

[li_gangyi]

all the bottles look like eye drop bottle to me. just want to know if the reaction speed same anot.

Sent from my GT-N7105

I don't think brand will affect reaction time, the drop checker design might, depending on how big the opening is (more surface area to the water probably will mean CO2 can difuse into the air pocket faster). The solution itself is just made with a few drops of pH indicating solution and the rest 4dKh water...

[qngwn]

I don't think brand will affect reaction time, the drop checker design might, depending on how big the opening is (more surface area to the water probably will mean CO2 can difuse into the air pocket faster). The solution itself is just made with a few drops of pH indicating solution and the rest 4dKh water...

Yes bro you're right. Not just the opening to the tank water, but also the surface area of the co2 indicator. it afterall, needs to react with the air to change the colour. thus a larger surface area allows for a faster reaction, leading to a quicker change in colour. However there are debates as to how accurate the co2 indicator is and how fast it reacts, and besides the bromothylmol blue of the co2 indicator solution, the only other factor in play is the 4dKh water.

So perhaps the purity of the 4dkh water matters when it comes to these details?

[fatmax]

I hear you folks mentioned about 4Dkh solution and I did read online about it too. However when I was at this LFS viewing their drop checkers. The staffs told me to use aquarium water than add a couple of drops of the solution that came with it! So is that also usable? Did they suggest that because they do not sell 4Dkh solution?

"Speed of light is faster than the Speed of sound"
Thus people always appear brighter until they speak!

[Ingen]

I hear you folks mentioned about 4Dkh solution and I did read online about it too. However when I was at this LFS viewing their drop checkers. The staffs told me to use aquarium water than add a couple of drops of the solution that came with it! So is that also usable? Did they suggest that because they do not sell 4Dkh solution?

"Speed of light is faster than the Speed of sound"
Thus people always appear brighter until they speak!

I did that and the drop checker turned yellow with 2bps, but the fishes don't seem to be out of air. I let it be until I saw the OF solution and decided to try again, guess what? It stayed blue for the two days I had it in the tank. Thinking I might have set it up wrongly, I turned the co2 to double if not more of 2bps and I noticed mad pearling of HC within 30mins of lights on, and the drop checker turned to light green near to yellow at the end of the 5 hour light period and I have co2 on an hour before light.

I checked this morning and the drop checker is currently blue as the co2 is off throughout the night.

Conclusion, tank water may not be the most ideal or maybe just my tank water.

[Shadow]

You cannot use Aquarium water, especially if you are using soil that alter your ph/kh.

I have some writing about drop checker in my blog that will help you understand how it work.
http://aquatic-art.blogspot.sg/2011/...-aquarium.html

[qngwn]

When the LFS say using tank water, would be aged water, as tap water or boiled water sometimes contain traces of other elements that would affect the accuracy of the colour of the indicator.