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Consistency Deficiency

Hi all,
and I've even purchased new calibration solutions, but still the problem persisted, so ended up replacing the electrode and is now working fine.
The issues are usually to do with the electrodes.

There is a discussion of pH meters in <"Reccomended PH Probe">.

If you want accuracy you are probably talking about <"Solid State meters">. <"https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/elsa.202100147"> or some <"fairly expensive electrodes">.

cheers Darrel
 
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Try 0.4M HCl solution to clean the glass probe. Then soak in clean KCl solution for 24hr and try re calibrating.
Fingers crossed for you.
Ive got 30% "technical grade" HCL, do you know how to dilute it down to 0.4M? Ive also seen 0.1 molar suggested. Im not intimately familiar with conversion from % to molar :shy:
 
Hi all,
Ive got 30% "technical grade" HCL, do you know how to dilute it down to 0.4M?
Not trying to be funny, but the answer to that is very, very carefully. The problem is that 30% HCl is 9.4 molar and pretty nasty stuff.

The reaction is exothermic and you need to add the acid to the cold water, while wearing suitable protective clothing.

cheers Darrel
 
Not trying to be funny, but the answer to that is very, very carefully. The problem is that 30% HCl is 9.4 molar and pretty nasty stuff.
The reaction is exothermic and you need to add the acid to the cold water, while wearing suitable protective clothing.
Yes, that part I have got under control. Always acid to water, not water to acid. I use a large face shield, gloves for chemical use and a waterproof long sleeved coat. I also do it outside.
I diluted the Nitric acid and Phosphoric acid down in percentage yesterday and it went just fine :)
Its the calculation to convert % to molar I was asking about, maybe I wasnt clear enough 😊
 
Hi all,
Yes, that part I have got under control. Always acid to water, not water to acid. I use a large face shield, gloves for chemical use and a waterproof long sleeved coat. I also do it outside.
Perfect
Its the calculation to convert % to molar I was asking about, maybe I wasnt clear enough
30% HCl is 9.4 molar
Just maths, 9.4 / 0.4 ~ 24, so 40 mL 30% HCl added to ~1 litre water and ~10 mL for 0.1 molar.

cheers Darrel
 
Hi all,

Not trying to be funny, but the answer to that is very, very carefully. The problem is that 30% HCl is 9.4 molar and pretty nasty stuff.

The reaction is exothermic and you need to add the acid to the cold water, while wearing suitable protective clothing.

cheers Darrel
Reminds me something Darrel...

Yes, that part I have got under control. Always acid to water, not water to acid. I use a large face shield, gloves for chemical use and a waterproof long sleeved coat. I also do it outside.
I diluted the Nitric acid and Phosphoric acid down in percentage yesterday and it went just fine :)
Its the calculation to convert % to molar I was asking about, maybe I wasnt clear enough 😊
Short story. A few weeks ago I asked my wife to buy some drain cleaner as we had a clogged bathroom sink. She did and brought a liquid bottle. I was expecting some mild acid or sodium hydroxide. For some reason manufacturers add an inner plug after the screw cap. Anyhow, when I levered out the inner plug a jet of microscopic drops splashed my hand, pants, face, arms and neck. The effect was immediate and the sting was strong. Nowhere on the bottle did it say it was sulfuric acid. I was pretty upset. Luckily all was rather superficial so no scars but I still have a reminder on my shorts:
IMG_9972.JPG

Careful @Hufsa
 
Hi all,
Reminds me something Darrel...
I was thinking of you when I wrote it. I've had to do more with conc. acids at work while we've been short-staffed and I really don't like it.
I was pretty upset. Luckily all was rather superficial so no scars but I still have a reminder on the my shorts:
I've ruined a lot of clothes over the years, you don't think any has ended up on you, but a week later all the cotton clothes you were wearing look like lace.

cheers Darrel
 
Anyhow, when I levered out the inner plug a jet of microscopic drops splashed my hand, pants, face, arms and neck. The effect was immediate and the sting was strong. Nowhere on the bottle did it say it was sulfuric acid.
Careful @Hufsa
Definitely. Its really important to respect chemicals.
Its also why I only want to deal with less concentrated acids, so I buy the least concentrated solution I can find.
If that is still a bit high I carefully make a new solution of a lower percentage, so that exposure (and risk) of the strong stuff doesnt have to be a regular occurence.

My getup yesterday looked like something out of an episode of Breaking Bad, but its better to be too cautious than not cautious enough.

Im not entirely sure if my demeanor gives the impression that I am incapable of taking safety precautions, or if the numerous warnings that always follow when I ask about anything related to acids is more targeted towards any who might be reading these posts. But I would appreciate now that we have been over this a few times already, if next time we could perhaps link to the posts about safety precautions and then proceed to the calculations I was asking about without too much further ado.
 
proceed to the calculations I was asking about
So, I'm sorry, I was mistaken. The solution is NOT sulfuric acid but hydrochloric acid. 0.034 %. Very diluted, at least in that I was correct. Manufactured by HANNA instruments, priced accordingly.
That means 0.34 grams HCl in a liter.
Your source is 30 % HCl, so you need 1.133 g HCl [30 %] and 998.867 g H2O.
 
Breaking Bad
My sons bought a DVD of this, they said it reminded then of me. Still in its raper, must get around to watching it
I'm pre 1976 Health & Safety at Work Act. No one in a chem lab had eye protection or gloves. You pipetted by mouth even strong acids and cyanide solutions and I was the only non smoker. You were not a chemist until you set your self on fire.
But be careful we now live in different times.
 
Im trying to think of what I can do for my tank while im waiting for the last parts needed for the custom 20" CO2 reactor, and while im trying to bring the ph pen back to life so I can actually see whats going on 🤔

(Oh right I forgot to answer Happi about my CO2 :facepalm:);
Right now its through a shitty Yidao external reactor (I know some people like these, I just hate mine with a passion). Its not doing a good job on my tank.

Recent days green thread algae growth has just exploded again and I hardly know what end to start in to try to get my tank back on an even keel.
Im on board with "time and water changes" in many cases, but when the fundamentals are so off and the tank is screaming for help, I dont know if thats gonna cut it in this case.
For example the Rotala Blood Red is very upset, and this one was growing well before I mucked around with the CO2, which to me makes it very likely that the BR is complaining about just that (recent CO2 changes).
Kinda feel like I have both hands tied behind my back when the injection doesnt seem right but I cant really measure it either :sour:
Like how am i supposed to fix that (if I cant just throw copious amounts of money at the problem until the problem goes away).

I was pulling out gobs of hair algae today and while I was doing that I started thinking I need to slow this disaster down a little bit. I was advised to maybe hold off on lowering the light, but ive mulled it over and I think I need to turn the heat down a little bit on this situation for a period of time (And by that I mean the light). Its just a band-aid and not a fix, but it would buy a little time to get things on the right track again.

I also picked up a bottle of Tropica Specialized the other day that ive been using for the plants in my quarantine tank (will post more about that one later), but im tempted to give this one a try in the main tank for a while.
Im feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the stuff thats going on with the tank and other things IRL, and wouldnt mind a break from making custom ferts. And if something is off about the way im making them or the specific contents, then using something premade for a little while would be a good way to see whats what with that.

Thats two changes so that should be more than enough for now.
Ill make the adjustments tonight and then just keep pulling out algae, doing my best at cleaning intakes and doing water changes, and give it a bit.
(But ill be glad to get that Yidao reactor out of there when I can 😠)
The custom reactor is mainly waiting for the CO2 fittings (where the gas enters the filter housing (I dont want to push fit any hose)), the fittings are allegedly somewhere in the country so im hoping they turn up soon.
Technically also waiting for a custom printed adapter part to screw in the bottles to the top of the filter housing, but that one should be ready soon also.

Dont really have any pictures to share other than this one;
20230316_113418.jpg

Im not actually a cryptocoryne whisperer like some might have thought (I had my doubts all along).
Its actually the case that I am so good at being bad with plants, that I can make almost any cryptocoryne think thats is dying and needs to put out a flower as a last ditch attempt to survive.
(Well technically it might actually be dying, I wouldnt put it past me).
Cryptocoryne "Purpurea" got so stressed that two out of three plants have thrown out spathes. I guess I understand better now why they are called Purpurea 🤷‍♀️
The pic is from thursday, the spathes hadnt opened still today but ill try to catch a photo of them once they do.

It somehow feels like im actually getting worse at all of this. I dont know how thats possible, but it sure looks and feels like it.
Its not exactly what I had in mind when I was thinking to boldly go where no man has gone before ...but alright... :bored:
 
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I finally caught up 57 pages, and a rivitting read all the way :)

I'm sure this will make 100 pages & I'll be quietly reading along with many, many others, you have a no nonsense style, and a get up and go outlook, .. wicked
I'm sure you are an inspiration to a lot of people, & you will eventually resolve things. Give it time.
 
I just unceremoniously unplugged the autodoser last night. I could technically set it up to dose Tropica (if I wanted to) instead of the DIY ferts, but if I dose daily by hand for a while then we can also make sure any obscure issues with the autodoser isnt contributing to my tanks generally terrible state of affairs.

Tropica suggestions on the bottle are for weekly dosing.
I reckon this is probably because most normal people (so not UKAPS members, sorry 😁) see daily dosing as a hassle to keep up with, and having them dose once a week is better than having them not dose at all.
But I, in all my inconsistent glory, want to dose the main tank daily with this stuff. Mostly because im concerned the plants are going to take offense at something and come out pale again.
So Im gonna try my darndest to dose daily so micro supply is fairly even. Give Tropica ferts the best chance of working.
Ive made a little sticky note by the tank where I have to check off having dosed each day, and I hope this will keep me on track.
Since im dosing daily and it would be very silly to try to dose "one and a half pump", I rounded up a bit. So for my 250l tank it will be 2 pumps, or 28ml weekly.
That should give the tank something like this;
N 1.501 (NO3 6.64)
P 0.112 (PO4 0.34)
K 1.154

Mg 0.437
S 1.019
Cl 0.56

Fe 0.077
Mn 0.044
B 0.004
Zn 0.002
Cu 0.007
Mo 0.002

Thats pretty different from what my tank is used to, but its not like what it used to get was a marvelous triumphant success overall, so I dont think trying something else for a bit is too bad of an idea.
Worst case the frogbit will complain first and then I can always swap the tank over to the old stuff.

Just for my own notes I'll write what the tank was on until last night. 13.03.23 I tweaked the micro amounts down a little bit;
..I tuned the autodose amount of the micro solutions down a little bit, Fe from 0.5 to 0.428, Mn from 0.25 to 0.214, B & Zn from 0.033 to 0.0253 and so on. (For my own notes, from 7, 7, 30ml to 6, 6, 23ml)
So this weekly:
Fe 0.428
Mn 0.214
B 0.0253
Zn 0.0253
Cu 0.00767
Mo 0.01073
Ni 0.00007
(Macro same for a while (a long while if you count it in Hufsa years), 10 NO3, 0.8 PO4, 15 K.)
This amount of micros in around/about this ratio is the "best working" recipe that I have tried out so far on my tank.
Its what the frogbit was doing pretty well on earlier this year too. Not perfect but best so far.

I took a photo of the frogbit today so we have something to compare with after a while on Tropica.
20230322_123236.jpg

It looks a bit better than last photo, less curly. Still seemingly struggling with something mobile. Not convinced its nitrate for sure, but dont have any plans to try to figure it out right now either, there are way bigger fish to fry.
(Like my out-of-control CO2 injection and massive algae infestation)


So its gonna be a lot less ferts overall, but the micro ratios are not entirely dissimilar, if you scale mine down to the same level. There are two main differences though, Tropica has less Zinc (2.75x less) and more Cu (4.2x more).
Not sure if they use chelated or not. And of course the macros are a fair bit different with much lower K.

The plan (always subject to change) is to not do any front loading for a while. So just Tropica daily, closeish to recommended dose.
I think I also need to limit myself to 50% water changes.
I dont want to go cold turkey on the ferts for my plants, but I do sort of want to clear out a little bit of the stuff thats already in the water, in case it could interfere with how the Tropica ferts are balanced.

Im trying to.. what is the saying.. Cross my i's and dot my t's.
Yep thats the one 🥴
Since my tank is being weird, (and perhaps struggling more than normal or in ways that arent entirely easy to figure out), and the owner of the tank is also weird.... as a part of trying to trouble shoot this mess I want to cut down on some of the weird stuff I do.
Just behave more like a normal aquarist really.

A lot of people use premade ferts with success. Why shouldnt it work for me? (Im not saying it will work, but why wouldnt it?)
A lot of people have a filter on their tank that they have spent a normal amount of hours thinking about, and it works fine. Their flow is fine.
They have a drop checker, and if we're lucky they have heard of- or might have done a PH profile. The plants grow fine.

My tank is not looking fine.
Some times it feels like the harder I try the less fine it does.
So maybe its too much weird. ..A weird overdose if you will. Trying so hard you make it all worse.
I dont know, im just thinking out loud. (Also if im writing weird posts on the internet I wont have time to do weird things to my tank, so its better this way).

But this is why I want to try to limit the stuff I do that is not conventional. Trying to cross all the t's and dot the i's, make sure I do as few unusual things as I can, and see if that helps the tank a bit.
Because fine would be a big upgrade from the current state.
 
I think its a good idea to try a premade fert for comparison. Just checking, is there any downside to dosing the relatively lean Tropica but maintaining near-EI levels of Fe? (0.4-0.5ppm?)

On the internet there are some stories one can google about BBA and excess Fe dosing, but we won't go there :)
 
I think its a good idea to try a premade fert for comparison.
Me too 😊
Its been considered for a long time (like pre last summer?) but I always had "just one more thing" I wanted to try first.
But the bottle was at hand, I dont feel like making DIY right now, and we can potentially cross off a few things from the potential problem list. (Like autodoser inconsistency, mixing errors, salt problems, all kinds of little details). Not that something like this would cause all of the problems im having, but I wanna rule out as many small contributing causes as I can, while I wrestle with the big ones.

Just checking, is there any downside to dosing the relatively lean Tropica but maintaining near-EI levels of Fe? (0.4-0.5ppm?)

On the internet there are some stories one can google about BBA and excess Fe dosing, but we won't go there :)
Depends on who you ask I think ;)
I remain agnostic for now 😁
 
So, I'm writing down the note: On March 22nd, 2023, Hufsa turned a new page in her hobbyist life.
Now let's wait until she announces another turn...
 
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