Warning

[shrimply]

Don't be tempted to get a Dupla permanent Co2 test. They are as much good as no good. Mine is now reading between optimum and too much at 12ppm. So a BIG waste of a tenner.

 

[jimbooo]

are you sure you are reading it correctly. my jbl one works on KH. you look up the colour it should be at your KH level if it's lighter it's too much co2, darker = not enough.

is it the same kind of thing?

 

[shrimply]

This is it. The idea is you put in the liquid and it constantly changes showing you the corect CO2 levels in the aquarium. The liquid to be replaced everytime you do a water changed. But I have done a pH and KH test today showing me only 12 ppm. The tests were taken from the same place the test is.

 

[jimbooo]

ahh yep thats crap. the jbl one has a 5 colour scale if i remember correctly. each colour has a KH value ie for me at KH 14 light green is the colour i need to be getting (ie 30ish ppm)

the next colour down (green) is say KH 10 and next (dark green) is KH 6 next (dark blue) is KH 2 etc.....

those KH numbers are guesses by the way just to give you the idea.

yours is totally useless as the optimum colour is irrelevant a 2kh tank with 30ppm co2 will not have the same colour reading as a 14kh tank with the same CO2 value

in short your original statement seems correct. am i missing something here that seems as usefull as a chocolate teapot. how can they justify selling it?

 

[shrimply]

I had hoped that after I had got my KH I could get the approxamite values that the colours represented thus always having something to give me a rough idea of what was going on. However unless I learn something new it won't be staying very long.

 

[jimbooo]

thats exactly how i use the jbl one. it's not a true reading just an indication of high or low. why not get the co2 to the correct level and take a pic of the unit. print the pic and use it for your own diy scale.

better to try that than bin it altogether.

 

[shrimply]

Tanks for the tip I will give it a go. Still have to find a way to increase my CO2 first though.

 

[jimbooo]

more yeast plus read my tip on mixing ingredients on the planted board now. it wont be there for long noone seems interested. oh well i tried