ph,no3 and ammonia readings for my tanks?

Be sure to be sitting down when you get the price.

Makes you realise how cheap drop tests actually are

 

you do get VERY prcises drop test but they cost just shy of the meter's price

 

Yip, but the decent kits that are available for the regular hobbyist are more than sufficient.

Also the probes will need to be re-calibrated regularly with calibration solutions

 

Neil i suggest you go read some of the Prof's posts on why drops/strips dont work.

 

Thanks for the help Henk. One thing that has concerned me in the past with Digi meters is the fact that they need constant recalibration. Thats done with drop test again, and that sort off puts you back at square 1. I should just do more research into this. I'm sure there is an affordable 'multi-meter', like you get for electricity out there that is also reliable. If not. . .we should make one!

 

no it doesnt work like that at all.

You get a calibration liquid in which you put the probe. Set the machine to calibrate the level the liquid is and it calibrates to the liquid

 

ok, so you get supplied with that liquid which then has a 'constant' ph. which makes sense. Just as long as in time that liquids ph doesnt alter. . .or get lost. Henk, can u explain to me TDS metering, which can be used to indicate GH. Again, you get a digi Tds meter, but I was wondering about that. Am i correct in assuming a low Tds indicates low GH?

 

You can buy the liquids as you will eventually run out.

TDS - Total Dissolved Solids - its mostly used with industrial waste water, RO water etc. in RO machines it's an indication of the effectiveness of the RO membrane. I have no idea how TDS effects your GH

 

Tx for your help Henk. I contacted Milwaukeemeters, will wait for their reply. Just on TDS, I might be wrong but I assume the lower your TDS is, the lower the GH. I just dont know how they are related, ie. I dont know what the GH of water with TDS of 80ppm would be. I'll find out.

 

plesure Marco - there must be a graph on the net somewhere that will explain it - other wise ask the Prof

 

I'll first try figuring it out myself. Amazing what one can sometimes learn by 'looking' instead of 'asking'. Afterwards i can always run it by him just for confirmation.

 

Now if the rest of the forum members would learn this basic principle!Research, will give you the theoretical answers, so when you come on with the question, you don't oen you mouth and prove to us how stupid you are. Then the questions can be asked more logically, and the forum can then give PRACTICAL advice on what they have personally experienced. Sometimes practical knowledge is different to theoretical!

 

Here is a run down which does sort of make sense, so if anyone was interested. Calcium and Magnesium mainly influence the hardness of water, yet water can be metered and show a high level of TDS (total dissolved solids) and yet bacause of low levels of Cal/Mag it can actually be quite soft. And obviously vice versa. It makes sense doesnt it. So i guess a TDS meter does not nescessarily indicate hardness of the water.