A tiny but crucial tool for anyone who is serious about keeping their aquarium healthy is an aquarium drop checker. It supports the monitoring of the water’s carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, which is essential for the health of fish and plants alike. In addition to fostering plant growth, proper CO2 levels also guarantee a balanced environment for aquatic life.
The drop checker responds to the amount of CO2 in the water by changing color. With the help of this visual indicator, aquarists can easily adjust CO2 levels to avoid problems like stressed fish or poor plant growth. Maintaining the proper balance can be difficult without a drop checker, particularly in planted aquariums.
You can make significant improvements to the general health and appearance of your aquarium by learning how to use a drop checker and why it’s important. Regardless of your level of experience, this tool can have a big impact on building a vibrant underwater ecosystem.
A straightforward yet crucial tool for keeping an eye on the CO2 levels in your aquarium and maintaining a healthy environment for your fish and plants is an aquarium drop checker. You can precisely regulate the concentration of carbon dioxide by using the real-time feedback it provides. This promotes healthy plant growth and keeps aquatic life safe.
Purpose
One complex term in Russian is derived from the English drop and check. The first gadget ever created resembles a drop. Although there are now other forms, aquarists still favor using this one.
For plants to survive, the aquatic environment must have enough dissolved CO2 and intense light. In particular, plants with reddish-brown foliage require this.
An aquarium’s carbon dioxide content is measured over an extended period of time using a drop checker. You can evaluate the situation objectively with the help of this device. The amount of carbon dioxide in the air is progressively changed based on the data collected, which modifies the amount of aquatic plant vegetation. The artificial reservoir’s lighting is observed concurrently.
Note: The illumination power is decreased to 0.5 watts per liter when the carbon dioxide concentration is lowered from 30 mg/l to 15 mg/l. It is impossible to use this control without a drop checker.
Operating principle
The drop checker is filled with a unique liquid, an acid-base indicator CO2, in order for it to function. The most common one is bromothymol blue. Release the completed factory indicator solution, which was created with the dye ratio and carbonate stiffness in mind.
The gadget is submerged in the aquarium after being filled with indicator liquid. The following is the operating principle:
- Through the air layer between the indicator liquid and water in the funnel, the indicator is saturated with carbon dioxide.
- CO2 reacts with water and releases carbonic acid.
- It, in turn, affects the pH level. The more CO2, the lower the hydrogen index.
As a result, using the indicator’s colors to gauge the water’s level of carbon dioxide saturation is simple. Green denotes the average, blue denotes oversaturation, and yellow represents little gas. The color shifts gradually over the course of two to thirty minutes.
How to install correctly
You must correctly use the drop checker in order to obtain the appropriate characteristics of the carbon dioxide content in the aquatic environment:
- draw 1.5 ml of indicator liquid into a syringe and release it into a drop;
- turn the device over carefully so as not to spill the solution;
- holding in this form, immerse in the aquarium;
- using a suction cup or other fastener, fix it to the wall in a place convenient for observation.
The vessel stays filled with air, not water, if the installation is done correctly. After two hours, the device will display the gas concentration in the water. The length of the air column and the size of the contact area between the two environments will determine how quickly this process moves along. Since plants don’t use up carbon dioxide at night, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere can double during this time.
Be aware that in order for vegetation to reach the ideal level of gas concentration, live plants in a lit aquarium require 30 parts per million of CO2.
Manufacturers
Drop checkers are produced by numerous businesses. The most well-liked ones are:
- ISTA (Taiwan). They produce devices of different designs. Some have the shape of a ball, while the length of the air layer is minimal. There are devices in the form of a cone or a rectangular parallelepiped.
- VIV (China). Glass devices without suction cups. Hang on the edge of the tank. Looks like an elegant accessory to an artificial pond.
- Sera GmbH (Germany). The devices consist of a transparent cone-shaped chamber for the indicator and a cylindrical capsule with a transition zone.
- Aquayer (Ukraine). Drop checkers have a traditional shape. The CO2 content is determined half an hour after immersion in an aquatic environment. These are high-quality and inexpensive devices that completely solve the problem.
It is not necessary to overspend on pricey branded electronics. The quality and speed of monitoring do not significantly differ between expensive and inexpensive devices. The design and longevity of the materials employed account for nearly all of the variation. While an accurate color scale with CO2 concentration decoding is important to some aquarists, others find devices with a simple scale that shows deviations from the norm to be convenient. There are some devices that have an additional scale that indicates the level of acidity.
It should be noted that the devices come with pre-made or concentrated indicator solutions that need to be diluted with distilled water. Selecting an indicator of superior quality is essential if you want to obtain the right outcome.
| Term | Explanation |
| Aquarium Drop Checker | A small device used to monitor the CO2 levels in an aquarium. It changes color to indicate whether the CO2 concentration is too low, too high, or just right. |
| Why It’s Needed | Maintaining proper CO2 levels is crucial for the health of aquatic plants and fish. A drop checker helps ensure a balanced environment. |
A drop checker is a basic but necessary tool for anyone who takes their aquarium maintenance seriously. By giving you real-time feedback on the water’s CO2 levels, it makes sure your plants flourish without endangering your fish.
You can eliminate uncertainty and maintain a steady aquarium environment by using a drop checker. This keeps your aquatic life from experiencing problems like stress or an overgrowth of algae.
A drop checker is an invaluable addition to any aquarium setup, regardless of experience level. It facilitates CO2 level management, resulting in a more colorful and harmonious undersea environment.
