# Recommend pH pen/meter please



## Jaap (31 Jul 2014)

Hello,

can you please recommend a good pH pen/meter?

Thanks


----------



## Edvet (31 Jul 2014)

Hanna are good generally, or Milwaukee.


----------



## pepedopolous (31 Jul 2014)

Hi,

I have this one. Works very well. http://www.conrad-electronic.co.uk/...02-ATC-pH-Meter-Stick-0-14pH?ref=searchDetail


----------



## EnderUK (1 Aug 2014)

I got a 5 quid ebay job from China, seems to work okay, probably not as accurate Hanna but it does the job for me. I just have to re calibrate it every so often but it's never that far off the buffer solution pH.


----------



## Andy Thurston (1 Aug 2014)

EnderUK said:


> I got a 5 quid ebay job from China, seems to work okay, probably not as accurate Hanna but it does the job for me. I just have to re calibrate it every so often but it's never that far off the buffer solution pH.


I've just lost all faith in my Chinese ph stick. calibration drifted a full point over night and when re calibrated it didn't give me readings close to what i was expecting and they take forever to give a reading. Spend the money get a good one. They only cost the same as a couple of test kits
This is the one i'm about to buy
http://www.digital-meters.com/chemical-analysis-c2/orp-meters-c27


----------



## EnderUK (1 Aug 2014)

Big clown said:


> I've just lost all faith in my Chinese ph stick. calibration drifted a full point over night and when re calibrated it didn't give me readings close to what i was expecting and they take forever to give a reading. Spend the money get a good one. They only cost the same as a couple of test kits
> This is the one i'm about to buy
> http://www.digital-meters.com/chemical-analysis-c2/orp-meters-c27


 
I went to reclibrated mine this morning for the first time in like 3 months and it was 0.1 out on the 4.0 solution and bang on 6.9 on the 6.89 solution. I didn't bother touching it. Not like I take very good care of it anyways, I might rinse the thing under a tap after dunking it the tank if I remember to. I just don't see the point of spending £50+ on something for me isn't that important, hitting that 30ppm isn't that important for me since I'm on low lighting. As you know Andy the water around here aiming for the 1ph swing doesn't really mean anything and my nominal pH at the begining of the week is completely different by the end of the week.

I use the pH pen as a rough guide to see what the CO2 is doing in my main tank is at and to make sure my invert nano tank doesn't drop below a neutral pH.


----------



## Andy Thurston (1 Aug 2014)

EnderUK said:


> I went to reclibrated mine this morning for the first time in like 3 months and it was 0.1 out on the 4.0 solution and bang on 6.9 on the 6.89 solution. I didn't bother touching it. Not like I take very good care of it anyways, I might rinse the thing under a tap after dunking it the tank if I remember to. I just don't see the point of spending £50+ on something for me isn't that important, hitting that 30ppm isn't that important for me since I'm on low lighting. As you know Andy the water around here aiming for the 1ph swing doesn't really mean anything and my nominal pH at the begining of the week is completely different by the end of the week.
> 
> I use the pH pen as a rough guide to see what the CO2 is doing in my main tank is at and to make sure my invert nano tank doesn't drop below a neutral pH.



I suppose it depends what you want to use it for. In a low light tank, like you say its not that critical but when your trying to use as much light as co2 and nutrients will allow it's pretty important, imo, especially when your drop checker has a 2-3 hour delay.  The meter i linked is quite a lot more than a simple ph meter. It measures ph, tds, conductivity and temperature and is a worthwhile investment to people like me who want to keep some fancy shrimp and/or a very high tech tank
A little OT but my nominal ph would be the same throughout the week apart from the john innes raising it by .2ph per week


----------

