DIY Drop Checker - Page 13 - DIY Aquarium Projects

hoppycalif · 12-03-2006, 12:38 PM

That certainly looks effective if not beautiful. And, if you only want to verify that your bubble rate is giving you the amount of CO2 you desire, this should work perfectly. Hey, maybe we could get Home Depot to buy a few of the ADA ones for their tool rental department?

For those who don't read many other aquatic plant forums, Tom Barr did some experimenting with this device and came up with the idea that you could get rid of the air gap entirely, and speed up the response rate considerably, just by using a gas permeable membrane to hold the reference KH solution. Then, if that membrane is in the form of a stocking over the business end of a pH probe, you have a CO2 probe - with fast reaction and great accuracy. He has done a prototype, of sorts, and it works. And, he is working towards getting this available for all of us.

fredyk · 12-04-2006, 08:46 AM

This drop checker, from you, works really well, hoppy, thanks.
Mark

schaadrak · 12-04-2006, 09:17 AM

Tyvek (the stuff they wrap houses with before they add the siding) is a gas permeable membrane that is pretty much available anywhere. I've only seen it sold in the big rolls, but if there's any new houses being built around, your sure to find scraps of it.

I remember I worked for a place that sold raincoats made out of Tyvek. The company gave us a display that was a clear cylinder with a sheet of it in the middle dividing it in two. Water was poured into the top chamber and an air pump was connected to the bottom chamber which forced air through the Tyvek and up through the water. Even while the pump was off there was never any water in the bottom chamber.

hoppycalif · 12-04-2006, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schaadrak

Tyvek (the stuff they wrap houses with before they add the siding) is a gas permeable membrane that is pretty much available anywhere. I've only seen it sold in the big rolls, but if there's any new houses being built around, your sure to find scraps of it.

I remember I worked for a place that sold raincoats made out of Tyvek. The company gave us a display that was a clear cylinder with a sheet of it in the middle dividing it in two. Water was poured into the top chamber and an air pump was connected to the bottom chamber which forced air through the Tyvek and up through the water. Even while the pump was off there was never any water in the bottom chamber.

Now that is a creative burst of inspiration!! I should be able to find some scraps of Tyvek, and I had forgotten completely that it is a semipermeable membrane, and a very rugged one at that. If I can find some scraps at Home Depot, for example, I will try to make a KH reference "condom" for my pH meter and see how it works. THANK YOU!! If you also post at Tom Barr's forum I suggest you post this there. If I don't see it in a day or two I will post the idea myself.

redstrat · 12-04-2006, 12:25 PM

Hoppy do you have any more of the Drop checkers you built that you were selling??? I'd be really interested in buying one from you.

hoppycalif · 12-04-2006, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davis.1841

Hoppy do you have any more of the Drop checkers you built that you were selling??? I'd be really interested in buying one from you.

No, I only built two, just to demonstrate that you can easily make one and it works well. I was also trying to see which configuration would work best. I may make a few more sometime, but it isn't likely, and I don't want to do this for profit. I do have a big hunk of 1" acrylic tube and 5/8" acrylic tube left over, if someone wants some. I could easily cut it into 8 inch pieces and ship that by priority mail, but you would still need to buy from somewhere a tube of medium viscosity acrylic cement and a small scrap of thin acrylic plastic.

redstrat · 12-04-2006, 06:07 PM

thats ok hoppy, I just thought you were making a few extras before.. no problem. I dont have the time to DIY one myself right now so I'll probably just pay the extra for the e-bay ADA look alike version. although, I may have time in a couple weeks to build one diy... we'll see.

schaadrak · 12-05-2006, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoppycalif

Now that is a creative burst of inspiration!! I should be able to find some scraps of Tyvek, and I had forgotten completely that it is a semipermeable membrane, and a very rugged one at that. If I can find some scraps at Home Depot, for example, I will try to make a KH reference "condom" for my pH meter and see how it works. THANK YOU!! If you also post at Tom Barr's forum I suggest you post this there. If I don't see it in a day or two I will post the idea myself.

You're welcome and post away. I barely have time to post in this forum.

redstrat · 12-08-2006, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoppycalif

Dennis, how did you seal around the probe, to keep the air from leaving the drop checker? Incidentally, you beat Tom Barr to this! He has been posting about making one of these by mid December. The only non-fool-proof part of this design that I see is the electrical interferrence issue. How do you satisfy yourself that the probe is not being affected by interferrence?

I just came across this little part that sounds like its made for a situation just like this. Check it out.

Also does anybody know what kind of indicator solution is used in the Red Sea Drop Checker/"Co2 Indicator"????

caymandiver75 · 12-12-2006, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davis.1841

I just came across this little part that sounds like its made for a situation just like this. Check it out.

Also does anybody know what kind of indicator solution is used in the Red Sea Drop Checker/"Co2 Indicator"????

Isn't it bromthymol blue?