Co2 long term tester

[wolf]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum . I like to to know if anyone has use the sera long term Co2 tester.
I was wondering ....

1. My tank size is 63 x 39 x 40 cm, KH - ( 4 to 5 ),ph 6.8 and that puts me in the recommended C02 level ( 19 to 24 )ppm but the color is still ( light-green which indicates too much co2 ) instead of dark green. My bubble count is 1.5 bubble per sec.

2. For high light / co2 req like riccia and red stem plants, if I increase the bubble count, would it not throw the chart values and balance off. Then what's the use of the co2 tester ?

appreciate your comments, Thanks !!

[wolf]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum . I like to to know if anyone has use the sera long term Co2 tester.
I was wondering ....

1. My tank size is 63 x 39 x 40 cm, KH - ( 4 to 5 ),ph 6.8 and that puts me in the recommended C02 level ( 19 to 24 )ppm but the color is still ( light-green which indicates too much co2 ) instead of dark green. My bubble count is 1.5 bubble per sec.

2. For high light / co2 req like riccia and red stem plants, if I increase the bubble count, would it not throw the chart values and balance off. Then what's the use of the co2 tester ?

appreciate your comments, Thanks !!

[wolf]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum . I like to to know if anyone has use the sera long term Co2 tester.
I was wondering ....

1. My tank size is 63 x 39 x 40 cm, KH - ( 4 to 5 ),ph 6.8 and that puts me in the recommended C02 level ( 19 to 24 )ppm but the color is still ( light-green which indicates too much co2 ) instead of dark green. My bubble count is 1.5 bubble per sec.

2. For high light / co2 req like riccia and red stem plants, if I increase the bubble count, would it not throw the chart values and balance off. Then what's the use of the co2 tester ?

appreciate your comments, Thanks !!

[wolf]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum . I like to to know if anyone has use the sera long term Co2 tester.
I was wondering ....

1. My tank size is 63 x 39 x 40 cm, KH - ( 4 to 5 ),ph 6.8 and that puts me in the recommended C02 level ( 19 to 24 )ppm but the color is still ( light-green which indicates too much co2 ) instead of dark green. My bubble count is 1.5 bubble per sec.

2. For high light / co2 req like riccia and red stem plants, if I increase the bubble count, would it not throw the chart values and balance off. Then what's the use of the co2 tester ?

appreciate your comments, Thanks !!

[kc]

Forget about bubble counting. I realised that bubbles got sizes. Some bubble are bigger and some smaller!!! Do your adjustment based on the co2 reading from sera.

The above is from my own experience. Don't get offended if I'm wrong.

[PeterGwee]

Every tank has its different bubble setting..imo the sera kit does not really work well....try to gauge by your plants growth, bubbling..and the fishes behaviour..make sure the fish do not breathe hard or comes to the surface to gasp for air unless all the fish you own are guppies..shrug~

[kubrich]

i seem to be having the same problem with my sera co2 tester but the plants seem to be doing fine...as yet i do not have any fishes to gauge the co2 content....

[bclee]

If you do not have any fishes, you can just pump in as much CO2 as you want or as much the water can hold!!

Sera indicator works fine for me. Surprised to hear negative feedback. The Sera CO2 indicator contains alcohol and easily go bad if not kept properly. Could be the kit was not properly kept in the shop?

BC

[kubrich]

not sure about that but i keep mine well capped and in a zip lock bag to prevent the alcohol from evaporating too quickly

[wolf]

Thanks guys for the feedback !
bclee, can you share how / when you use it? Did the color turned dark green when the values ( ph / KH ) are balanced ?
I have fishes and riccia / red stem plants in my tank, assuming my test kit is working fine and I get dark green color ( balance co2 )at first, if I increase the bubble / sec, which is what the plants need ,wouldn't the co2 tester color turn to light green ( too much co2 ) ?

Appreciate your advice, and thanks !!

[PeterGwee]

Wolf, those test kit takes some time to react to the change in the amount of CO2 in the water...you should not really get an instant reaction of the kit. From my experience..the kit takes about at least 1 hour to stablise..in the mean time use your fishes and plant bubbling to gauge.

Regarding your increase in bubble rate will cause the kit to change to light green which means overdose of CO2, it depends on the photosythnesis rate of your plants..if they photosythnesis rate is high, then the CO2 consumption will even out the increase in bubbling rate. Which means you shouldn't see any change in colour if the consumption rate is high.

High photosythnesis rate = High CO2 consumption. []
Hope this clears your doubts.

[bclee]

Actually I set my CO2 such that the indicator is turning light green. I calibrated this with KH/pH test which roughly tell me that I am at about 35ppm.

I am a CO2 maniac . I always pushed the CO2 to the limit.

BC

[PeterGwee]

TOPGUN huh...always push to the limit...

[wolf]

Thanks guys for your replies ! In fact that's what I did. Because of my plants' requirement, with the ph / Kh test, I'm getting around 30 to 35 ppm and the co2 test kit already shows light green.
But I'm beginning to doubt the use of the kit because since it is already in the light green range ( I'm asumming slightly excess co2 ), there's no telling when you get REALLY excessive co2 ( if for some reasons your ph start to drop drastically ! ). That's because the test kit will not change to another color to warn you of the danger.
I hope you know what I mean or am I missing out something.

[vinz]

It really depends on the kit maker's idea of the ideal CO2 level. Obviously, to them >30ppm is not optimum levels. Read the manual, they might indicate what they think is optimum. Probably in the twenties.

The colour might go really, really light green or yellow? As a manufacturer, I wouldn't bother printing the chart any furthur if light green already indicates excessive or dangerous levels of CO2.

[wolf]

Just curious to know if anyone has actually seen the color turning to yellow.Then again its very difficult to tell the difference btw light green and very light green. This color thing is driving me nuts ! ( a bit regret buying the kit )
I guess I just have to go by some " argaration." and watch the behaviour of the fish.

[PeterGwee]

Kits cannot be 100% accurate imo. Your fish behaviour and plants growth is your priority! Imagine you see your fishes breathing very hard while the kit shows good CO2 level..which one you believe? I hope not the test kit..LOL []

[bclee]

In my experience with Sera kit, the colour will be something like yellow (very much lighter colour then light green) when I start to have problem.

BC