# How long for drop checker to change?



## TBRO (3 Aug 2018)

I’ve just got a new regulator so, I’m trying to get the BPS right. My diffuser is at the bottom right and the drop checker is at the top left. After six hours, it’s still only a blue/green not the apple green desired.

Plenty of flow, two external filters and a hydor 900. 

Should I change the drop checker position or increase BPS? BPS already seems high 2 - 3 a second. Maybe the Neo diffuser is too small?

Thanks for any advice. T


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## zozo (3 Aug 2018)

Approximately 2 hours.. 

It's gass exchange of co2 from the water into the dropcheckers airbubble, again into the solution, lowering its pH from 8 (blue) and change color to green about a bit bellow 7.
This gass exchange from water to solution takes its time, even if there already is enough co2 in the water. Rather use a pH profile from the tank water to approximately know where you are at a bit quicker. The drop checkers color is your permanent visual alarm bell to let you know if or when its time to do a pH profile check.

If you do not have a pH probe to measure, than do very little changes in the bps sit back and wait 2 hours. It's time consuming, but it is what it is.


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## Franks (3 Aug 2018)

How big is the tank? Looks around 200 litres?

I know bps isn’t a measure of how much gas is being injected but considering mine is uncountable in my 155 litre I’d recommend you keep adding 1 bps every 4 hours, review and monitor the changes until the deep blue colour starts to change. 

Or buy a pH pen for more accurate instant results. 


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## PAYN3Y (3 Aug 2018)

I’ve got mine on at least 10bps to get my drop checker a nice bright green.


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## TBRO (4 Aug 2018)

Thanks for the advice guys, I’ll gradually up the CO2, tank is around 180 L. Got a good colony of CRS so I don’t want to gas them all!

PH pen recommendations? 

Cheers, T


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## Zeus. (4 Aug 2018)

A cheapo pH pen has its uses but can be short lived, IMO a cheapo pH pen with twin point calibration is still very useful when getting you pH profile right and quite a selection on Amazon and EBay.
Decent ones are better OFC but can easily cost X10 the cheapo ones. I got a 
HANNA INSTRUMENTS  HI-98129  PH Meter / Tester, 0pH to 14pH, 0.01, 0.05, 0 °C, 60 °C but not cheap. Started off with a cheapo one


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