# KA PH co2 chart and it’s meaning?



## Bhu (17 Mar 2018)

Hello

I have a co2 KH. PH chart. I’m dosing co2 via an intank difuser. 

Does it mean if my KH is 9 and my Ph is 6.4 that my co2 is at that ridiculous high level of 107.5 or is that the maximum the water can hold if I add excessive amounts of co2 is 107.5? 

I test the ph with an accurate calibrated electronic meter and KA with a new test kit. Others in my area also test the KA to 9 so I’m happy with that figure. 

Where I live the water has a high KH I have already killed off one load of shrimps and at £85 a time I dont want to kill of another batch due to co2 poisoning (suffocation) 

My co2 liquid water tester is not even a light green it’s more of a dark green but doesn’t have the blue tint to it anymore.  When I lost the first batch of shrimp it went yellow. 

I want to keep the co2 to a maximum to keep unwanted algae’s away and I’m dosing EI as per the instructions. Most. Plants are growing well but my HC gets like a blanket weed that I can pick off with tweezers. I read high co2 can keep that away as well. I’m hoping the shrimps with eat it also. 

Today I noticed that the blanket algae has gone so not sure if the shrimp have eaten it or it died back due to high levels of co2.  One of the smaller shrimp looks like it’s struggling a bit not sure if it’s due to co2 or something else hence my question. 

I have a huge flow of 1200 l/h on a 120l aquarium so flow is no issue. 

Any advice on the KA, PH and co2 chart and it’s meaning much appreciated. 

Thank you

Bhu


----------



## Edvet (17 Mar 2018)

This card is dangerous indeed. Don't use it to see how much CO2 you have or need, in fact throw it away.
Al kind of substances have influence on the pH apart from CO2. and the effect CO2 has on pH is dependend on buffering like hardness gives.
That"s why the general advice is: if you want to see how your CO2 functions do a pH profile.The drop you want is dependent on your KH and light level.


----------



## Bhu (17 Mar 2018)

I’m using the TMC GroBeam 600 Ultima ND - Twin and as said the KH is 9 somquite hard water. 

Really I should just trust the co2 liquid tester in the aquarium in the glass holder?


----------



## Bhu (17 Mar 2018)

Aquarium depth 55cm


----------



## Edvet (17 Mar 2018)

A dropchecker can work if you understand their limits
https://www.ukaps.org/index.php?page=co2-measurement-using-a-drop-checker


----------



## Bhu (17 Mar 2018)

So really at the end of the day it’s just to read the aquarium. Shrimp struggling turn co2 down, algae starting to bloom plants suffer turn up co2 and use minute adjustments until a balance is reached....


----------



## Zeus. (17 Mar 2018)

Edvet said:


> if you want to see how your CO2 functions do a pH profile.



Agree 100% get a cheap pH pen pen and paper and do a graph, best to get stable pH before lights on which takes about 2hrs dependant on your BPS/turnover/surface agitation.
use the DC colour change with a time delay of 1-2hrs to work out what the approx [CO2] is for a given pH


----------



## Bhu (17 Mar 2018)

Ok. Thanks for the advise. I have a good quality ph pen so will plot a graph and see what it tells me.


----------

