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What would you call this pH? (second attempt)


jwcarlson
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These are both high range tests.  Done at least twice to confirm same results. 

What would you call left and right? 

Left is water from my aging barrels, right is from a tank I currently have 10 discus in on emergency situation.  It's a 10 gallon.  Has some ammonia and nitrites, will that drive it lower? 

20220313_194806.jpg.fc53dde55a6cb4b91da20df46a58e3e0.jpg

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I'll try again! I see 8.2 on the left and 7.4 on the right (might need standard test). 

You're aging you water?? In what? Is it in an open container?? That could cause the difference you're seeing. What are you trying to achieve here? 

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After testing again and re-looking, I think left is 8.2.  Right is 8.0.

On standard test water on right is clearly off charts high.  On Co-Op test strips the color looked the same for pH, but I don't look for specifics from strips.

 

I age my water be cause it comes out of the tap at pH 7 and ages to 8.2.  Last night I just decided to do a test and see how far off my discus tank was from their temporary tank so I didn't drop them into a massive pH difference and then saw a pretty big difference (in color at least).  So I added a quart of water into the 10 gallon every 7 minutes for about an hour and rechecked.  The color resulted looked like I'd mixed the two results pictured, so I figured that means they were closer.  So I moved the fish over last night.  They seemed OK this AM and ate.  Larger issues going on last week that I won't get into here.

My bigger complaint about the API test set is the colors for pH look absolutely nothing like they do in the tubes (at least to my eye).  The ammonia/nitrite/nitrate seem to track pretty well.  But the pH it feels like I am 100% guessing at what the color is actually trying to show.  In fact, it wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that my "8.2" is actually off the charts high and my pH is like 9.4 in reality.  

 

Edited by jwcarlson
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On 3/14/2022 at 10:03 AM, Widgets said:

I do believe that you are supposed to read the colors with the tubes slightly away from the white background. It does change the appearance of the colors.

Interesting... the instructions (I believe) say "against a white background" which to me would indicate it, well... against it haha.

Let me see if I can find the instructions.

 

Quote

Directions

1. Fill a clean test tube with 5 ml of water to be tested (to the line on the tube).

2. Add 3 drops of pH Test Solution, holding dropper bottle upside down in a completely vertical position to assure uniformity of drops.

3. Cap the test tube and invert tube several times to mix solution.

4. Read the test results by comparing the color of the solution to the pH Color Card. The tube should be viewed in a well-lit area against the white area of the card. The closest match indicates the pH of the water sample. Rinse the test tube with clean water after use.

Might not be the most current version of instructions, but this is more or less what it says in mine.

I have heard some people say that you can pop the cap and look "down" the tube against white, but I tried that and there's absolutely no way that would be possible (unless it was backlit or something, which kind of defeats the purpose).

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I remember reading a post somewhere where someone contacted API for clarification. They were told to leave a gap. I think the lighting has a big impact on the color, and holding the tube against the card does change the light.

I will see if I can find the post...

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Don't waste a bunch of time.  🙂  I believe you.  

I'm really good at following directions and it frustrates me to know end when a company means something different than what they write in their instructions.  

For example, how hard is this? (not shooting the messenger, by the way) 

 4. Read the test results by comparing the color of the solution to the pH Color Card. The tube should be viewed in a well-lit area looking through the side of the test tube towards the white area of the card with a one inch space between the tube and the card. The closest match indicates the pH of the water sample. Rinse the test tube with clean water after use.

Edited by jwcarlson
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On 3/14/2022 at 10:14 AM, jwcarlson said:

I have heard some people say that you can pop the cap and look "down" the tube against white, but I tried that and there's absolutely no way that would be possible (unless it was backlit or something, which kind of defeats the purpose).

I find this helpful for ammonia, trying to differentiate between a pure yellow (no ammonia) and a slight green (a tiny bit of ammonia). But not helpful for anything else.

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It's 2022 and I find myself asking why the testing technology for aquarium water is the same as it was 15+ years ago.  

Also why haven't we come up with grass that doesn't need to be mowed, but we have crops that can get plant killer dumped on them and not die.  How we don't have a $50 testing widget that you just dump water in and it spins around for five minutes and then prints you a little receipt for the results is beyond me.  

I do wonder what stores use to test your water.  Everyone holds that up as though it's a very good option.  I've never done it, but wondering what fancy thing they've got...  And how expensive it is 😄

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On 3/14/2022 at 11:17 AM, jwcarlson said:

 

I do wonder what stores use to test your water.  Everyone holds that up as though it's a very good option.  I've never done it, but wondering what fancy thing they've got...  And how expensive it is 😄

My store had API kit just like I have at home 🙂 

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On 3/14/2022 at 11:26 AM, KaitieG said:

My store had API kit just like I have at home 🙂 

I've always kind of figured this was the case.  Or they have strips of some sort.  

 

I will say that the Co-Op strips were spot on for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate when I checked them against the API test kit.  The argument could be made that the strips might be easier to detect traces of the things you're testing.  I will say that I don't look at any of the other colors on the test strip though as my values are off scale for most of them and the pH colors are all too close for me to figure out (or at least I've yet to figure out how to tease out what I think that test is).  Which is why I've posted this thread twice 😄

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On 3/14/2022 at 11:31 AM, jwcarlson said:

I've always kind of figured this was the case.  Or they have strips of some sort.  

 

I will say that the Co-Op strips were spot on for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate when I checked them against the API test kit.  The argument could be made that the strips might be easier to detect traces of the things you're testing.  I will say that I don't look at any of the other colors on the test strip though as my values are off scale for most of them and the pH colors are all too close for me to figure out (or at least I've yet to figure out how to tease out what I think that test is).  Which is why I've posted this thread twice 😄

I have trouble with PH tests too--mine is VERY similar to yours and I have the same issues with it coming out of the tap just above 7 and turning to 8.0-8.2 ish over the course of a day or so, depending on the tank.  Have yet to find a test that's easy to read when it comes to colors in that range!  

I have also found the coop strips to be accurate and fast, but I preferred the nitrate test on the tetra strips I used to use because there was more variation in the pink tones throughout the nitrate range.  Switching between those two brands I'm always like "Oh, almost no nitrates...wait a minute..." because the color for 50 on the coop strips is like 10 on the tetra strips.  Just takes some getting used to.  I rarely use my API kit anymore because the strips are just so much faster.

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@KaitieGNitrate tests are currently the bane of my existence. Based on the ACO strips, I need to be fertilizing like crazy and my plants are all going to die. Based on my API test kit, I'm a horrible fish keeper who should be ashamed of keeping my fish in such a nitrate-infested tank of sewage runoff.

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On 3/14/2022 at 12:20 PM, B1gJ4k3 said:

@KaitieGNitrate tests are currently the bane of my existence. Based on the ACO strips, I need to be fertilizing like crazy and my plants are all going to die. Based on my API test kit, I'm a horrible fish keeper who should be ashamed of keeping my fish in such a nitrate-infested tank of sewage runoff.

Same here. I'm going with the ACO, since my fish seem to be fine and I'm not having algae issues. Especially after watching a video here in the forum of Cory testing them with a known nitrate solution.

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I also hold the tubes away from the white background to allow light to pass through the solution. Another thing I do is hold them up in front of my monitor in a white area. I do this for nitrates which are sometimes the hardest for me to read when they are higher. The other thing I do is place a white paper towel behind my test tubes in their holder. 

Sorry for the sideways pic. We are having issues today, I guess.

IMG_0718.JPG.953728c852ef42cbf10b2ed34240b3ad.JPG

IMG_1172.jpg.b6d71e51cf5cd262410c707ef4ef291b.jpg

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On 3/14/2022 at 7:55 AM, jwcarlson said:

My bigger complaint about the API test set

Brother, I hate the API test set. I wish somebody else could put one together.

My problems: I don't have total feeling in my hands, so I've dropped and broken every single thin glass test tube. I managed to cross contaminate and ruin a set by switching the reagent lids. Their "yellow" 0 ammonia test is actually green. Speaking of colors, why would you titrate yellow -> green and blue -> purple?? Seems like something a chemical engineer could change. And you can't buy a set with just the 3 big tests. 

I'm hoping that home-calibratable, digital tools are available in the future. 

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I'm glad it's not just me.

 

Checked again tonight... tank water was again about 7.8 or maybe 8.  Aged water 8.2 MAYBE like 8.3 if I'm doing my guessing.  Holding it out from the card might make a bit of a difference, I guess.  It's still all guess work IMO.  I will say, though, than an unreliable digital instrument is probably worse than the color coding guessing game.

Edited by jwcarlson
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