Happy to subscribe! I've kept mostly reptiles my entire life. The culmination of my herpetological journey ended with the keeping of Non-protected venomous snakes (all rattlesnakes) such as the Desert Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes). Sadly the law of averages has ran its course and rather than risking a serious envenomation and possible financial ruin; I have decided to move on from deadly reptiles and back into the more docile world of aquariums. I grew up staring into a 55 gallon freshwater tank for the majority of my young life. Every trip to the fish store with my Dad was a memorable moment. This is what brings me back into the realm of aquariums and aquascaping. The nostalgia of being a kid again and staring endlessly into a tank while the mind wanders. I've have raised, bred, bought and sold a myriad of plants and animals throughout my life and nothing is as cathartic as a beautifully designed aquascape with fish to match. As a Master Scuba Diver I would frequently just find a rock formation in the water and just stare for what seems like forever, in total amazement of the micro-ecosystems found beneath the ocean. Freshwater Scuba diving in the Everglades was a completely new experience (and I highly recommend it), albeit somewhat terrifying too because of the alligators in the waterways. The mind starts to run wild when those prehistoric beauties are known to frequent certain waters. Alas, my Scuba days and deadly creatures phase has come to a close and now I'm safely back in my land-locked state of Arizona. I am thrilled to have discovered your channel George and look forward to each and every video. Keep up the good work my friend.

Keep these videos coming George such good learning! Your delivery is excellent and you don’t over complicate it for us viewers wanting to get better at the planted tank hobby!! 👍

Subbed for great content, and seriously I just love your aquariums. Stunningly beautiful

Thank you for sharing that information with us. I have enjoyed watching another one of your great video. Thank you. 👍

Great info! Many people still seem to rely heavily on the ph/kh chart while it's close to useless when using aquasoil and hardscape materials.

Another great little video.

Great job George! Thanks very much.

Great video. Kept simple and yet touches upon the all key subject matter. Thanks :-) A follow up video on typical signs of co2 deficiency in plants, would be fantastic. I`ve found no other videos touching on that subject. Its a diffcult topic, as deficiencies can arise from a lot if reasons. Never the less it seems to me to be a very relevant topic, that a lot of people would benefit from learning about.

These videos are feeling really pro, George. Nice one!

Great video George learning a lot from you keep up the good work

Thanks for the teaching, it helped a lot! I can give you a hint, I'm new to fishkeeping, but I'm using those wi-fi sockets as timers, they have a good price and are easy to adjust, you can also keep track of everything in your aquarium is connected wherever you are! Brazilian hugs!

SUPERB!!!!!! I've been frightened to use CO2 however thanks to your excellent tutorials I will now install it in our next tank. Thank you so much for putting so much thought and effort into these videos George. Could I request one on installing lily pipes etc please? Up until now I've used a hang on the back filter but would love to set up another tank with the beautiful glass lily pipes but haven't a clue which/where/how!

Well done. Thanks for keep such a complicated subject understandable for us noobs.

Very educational video, great work just the things I needed to know thanks!

Thank you, George. That was very helpful.

You did an amazing job on this video!

Very informative!!! Thank you.

Thank you so much for this!

You’re amazing 🤩. I love how anything I need to know, I can just look it up on your acct. you have no idea how much have helped me 😇

Great helpful video as always thanks for uploading.

Brilliant! Thanks George

Very helpful and clear cheers.

George - I really appreciate these videos. Thanks for putting them together. Im new to the hobby and have exceptionally hard water where I’m from. I’m injecting co2 through a co2 art in-line diffuser, but no matter how high I turn up the bubble count and/or pressure from the co2 tank, the liquid in the co2 indicator barely changes from its original blue. In fact, I see no change in colour in the morning when the co2 has been off for 12+ hours and at the end of the day, when it’s been on for 10. I start my co2 two hours before the lights come on, and turn it off when the lights turn off. When it’s on, I do see a moderate amount of bubbles coming out the outflow and some of the plants and algae are lightly pearling. I have one co2 indicator in the tank, and a control outside the tank for comparison. In case it’s useful information, I should also say that I’m into my third week of setting up a 20g tank. In the first week, I did a “dark start”. No plants. No co2. Week two, I planted heavily, performed 50% water changes each day, fertilized. Week three, 59% water change every other day, fertilizing. Is it possible that co2 has trouble dissolving in hard water? I haven’t found any literature to support that.

Great Video. Thank you

Hi George, love that drop checker. I am currently running a 30-gallon experiment tank and using a soda stream to put Co2 into my tank, a tube goes straight on the soda stream funnel and into a plastic bottle with its bottom cut off. The gas is injected to fill up the bottle, just press gently on the SodaStream button and it fills up. Very much like the Tropica Plant growth System 60. Going to try out that drop checker looks cool and hope to visit your shop very soon.

Amazing George....a wonderful video long overdue....please please make a video on how to manage co2....(i.e..flow ...etc)...much appreciated George...thanks very much and God bless.

Thank you!👍

I like this video. Thanks for the information. One question, what is the white cubed stand that has the 3 smaller aquariums on it?

Excelent vid.

Great video George! Can I suggest that a good thing to point out if you have the CO2 on a separate timer to your lights sometimes if one of the timers breaks you can have an issue.

Thanks it has helped me dial in my co2... I was putting almost 200ppm in my tank before addition of livestock. Now closer to 30ppm and the shrimp are happy.

Great video! I have a question when I measure co2 level if not enough then just increased and if too much then just decrease it and what about if the level of PH too low or high then what should I do ?

Hey George, whats that tank on your right in the video at 7:30 ? Im absolutely in love with that dual tier design. Do you have pictures of it?

Great content. More bloopers pls :)

luv ya work mate helped me out a lot starting my 1st co2 system how often should u change your drop checker indicater ?? thanks again for the great content

great video im doing just what you say, how long does the solution in the glass last how often do you have to change it?

Hi George I just subscribed to your post. I just started my 50 gallon tank on its first cycle in one week. The water levels need one more week before I do a water change. I also added co2 for my first time and in a previous video you had mentioned that the co2 bubbles should be 4-5. My bubbler is at 2 bubbles per/sec. I have live plants and started to use the co2. But I haven’t turned it off. You mentioned to turn off the co2 an hour before you shut off the lights.? Does this include the blue lights? Anyhow hope to hear from u soon. Keep up on posting co2 love to learn some more.

Hello George do you know if they ship to sweden from aquariums gardens. and thank you so much for the so good info videos you make for us...

Thanks for the video, super enjoyable! One question though, how often do you need to replace that liquid solution from method 2, if I leave it hanging?

just cool tester because my suction cups always releases thermometer and indicators of co2 to float in aquarium freely or sunk.

Great video (as always 😁)! Is solenoid necessary? I just bought a kit with manual precision tap but therefore co2 is diffused non stop. Thx

I have a little point of criticism here: you put the drop checker next to the diffuser so bubbles might get into the drop checker, resulting in an inaccurate level. You should probably place it opposite to the diffuser.

Love those eheim skimmer, I always get shrimp caught in mine. Any tips to avoid catching shrimp?

George the quickest way to bring up the CO2 level safely. If you go bubble by bubble you have to wait 2 hours before the drop checker responds. I have been going bubble by bubble over last 3 hours and still blue. If I go quicker there seems to me a risk of going yellow.

Were do you suggest to put the drop checker please above the Co2 diffuser or the other side. Cheers thks for sharing..

@George Farmer - I currently own a 30 liter fish tank (nano size) and have several plants and a couple of fish. I've purchased a ADA CO2 kit - Forest for my tank and a CO2 checker. I've followed the guidelines for the amount of bubbles used for a nano fish tank (1 bubble / 5 seconds) however, I haven't seen the CO2 checker change colour at all. Should I increase the the CO2 amount? What are your thoughts? Thank you for your informative videos.

LOL nice ending :D

Hi George, how are you and thks for the video? I would to ask you, why the drop checker solution in my aquarium change from blue to colourless after three hours?

Enjoyed that one again George, just a quick one as Im slowly (v slowly)getting my head round the basics of CO2, does it matter where you site the drop checker,I notice you have it directly above the diffuser,will this not give a false higher reading ? Off topic George and possibly for the benefit of others I spoke to Aquarium Gardens today about a few things that I didnt really understand,a guy named Steven (hope I spelt it right,if not I apologise), very polite and very helpful,when I get going I will defo be using them.

Genius video.

Hi! Question do i have to follow the two hour rule of turning on the co2 ahead for 2 hours even for a small 5 gallon tank or one hour of co2 before turning on the light is fine since i have a small tank.

I've been trying to send my liquid green for two days now is this the normal way ? Thanks for the vid 👍

Thank you George, you dead set legend! Any thoughts on the Star Wars scape with Master Toby?

Great video. How long do you have the lights on?

Not only that this was very helpful. you even look like Arnold schwarzenegger.I love it thank you

Thanks

Great video! I have the fancy CO2 counter with the liquid in it. My question is: Should the liquid inside be changed from time to time, and about how often? how do I know the liquid is no longer good, if I have to change it?

Hi there. Excellent video. What diffuser is in the demo tank there? Thank you

Great video ... When CO2 is turned off at night , is there a Ph swing ? ... What I mean is will the Ph change in either direction due to the lack of CO2 ? I am building a 75 gallon discus tank and am considering CO2 for maintaining a 6.6 / 6.8 constant Ph ... Will a Ph solenoid solve this problem both day and night , Thanks ...

Grazzie Giorgio

Hi, I know this is an old video, but do you find this style of "hang on rim" indicator works as well as one mounted inside the tank (more traditional)? I have a rimless but id like to get as accurate as possible. Does this one take about the same time as other styles? I have also heard of these ones having issues with condensation which I'm not sure how it effects readings. Have you ever had an issue with that? Thank you for your videos, they are helpful indeed!

George, when is a good time during the light period to cross reference the KH and PH on the chart, considering the co2 has been running for two hours prior?

George, I know lethargy can be a sign of too much co2 for fish. My fish wont eat when the co2 is on but will once the solenoid shuts it off. My drop checker is yellow but I don't rely on it fully and prefer to use the chart. Will my fish be ok pumping that much co2? I had a small bout of BBA near my diffuser which happens to be the spot of highest flow as well. Should I up the CO2 if that's the case?

122 likes / 0 dislikes - Impressive content/community.

I have 10 tanks that I would like to setup with a co2 system. Is this doable? What would I need? Also do you recommend aquatek regulators? TIA Steve

Hi, which one is the pre mixed soution (4dh + solution) indicator or reference solution?

What do you suggest about pH swings? My drop checker turns green after co2 injection while it goes back to blue after night areation..!!

My co2 drop checker is blue at about 1 hour after the lights turn off and I have it at 3 bubbles per sec but the chart says I’m above the co2 levels 2 hours after the co2 has been running, but like you said I have a lower ph because of the stratum I have, normally my tap water ph is above 8

Is it possible to use the co2 drop checkers with the 4dKH solution for a tank with 6dH and 0-1 KH? I read somewhere that the solution only works with the tank having more than 4KH. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you

Thanks for that George, so you just rely on the drop checker being lime green at the start of photoperiod and staying that way throughout?

Hey George can I run my CO2 24 hours a day as my system hasn't got the means of adding a timer system my drop checker is a perfect colour Cheers Marco

How often do you need to check the Co2? If you have too much Co2 level, how long you need to turn off the Co2 pump before turning it back on? Do you need Co2 to run 24/7 or can be on and off for example 8 hrs per day with 8 hrs lights.

What type of carpeting plant do you have in the first aquarium you were doing the PH, KH testing on? (@ 0:42) Also, what type of rock?? It's beautiful.

Hi George, I have a question. I switched from glass diffusor to inline atomizer and cannot get better dropchecker color than dark green. In this case tank is full of mist which does not look good for me. Is it an issue? Should dropchecker work the same with glass diffusor and mist from atomizer? I have noticed that monte carlo is able to start pearling approx. 30min from lights on. I couldn't find any clear explanation on internet, I would like to hear your opinion or experience. Thank you.

Dear George, Greetings from Greece There is a small issue with my CO2 injection system, and I would like your professional advice. Unfortunately, here the water is hard, around 13-15GH. My PH is 7.6 and I realized after some time that if I want a PH drop point before the lights kick in, then I have to, not only have 2 hours before the injection to start, but also more than 3,5b/s which is kind of stressful to me, and not to the inhabitants (yet) (15 days ish). Do you believe that the only solution seems to be the RO system, and then re-mineralize the water? Thank you in advance! 😊

Hey george, could you please make a vid on how to treat white spots or ich (or ick?)

Which tanks have you got in the background (make/model) please?

Does the liquid in the glass need replacing at some point or will it keep registering whether the CO2 goes up or down?

Did you mention that if the KH in the water column is lower than 4, the color (colour for british...haha) will often always show a nice lime green or even yellow.

I made the mistake of having a blue background on my tank so reading the drop checker is difficult haha. Gonna paint one side of it white so i can get a more accurate reading.

My Co2 diffuser is in the middle of my tank. My drop checker is on the side of my tank about 70cm away from the diffuser. Does that give a different reading than putting it near the diffuser? (I have good flow in my aquarium with my wave maker) Where is the best place to place the drop checker in conjunction with the diffuser?

Hi George,just wondering what your thoughts were on liquid CO2,is it any good on its own for instance,value your advice bro.

I have this same bubble checker and mines I don’t think works. 20 gallon tank hand full of plants and co2 is at 2 bubble per seconds should I increase it every 2 hours till the checker changes? (First time yawing it btw)

Hi George, does the checker need to be above the infuser or should it be at the other end of the tank? Keith

Notice you used a drip ph test kit. I bought a hand held meter that checks for ph/tds/ec . I prefer the actual number the meter gives me but what is your opinion on this? Do you prefer one or the other?

Can you get any other kind of drop checker that doesn't hang over the tank or something similar? My tank has a massive fixed rim/shroud/thingy on it (Roma 240) so I can't get anything to hang over the edge.

What is the difference in 8.4 dKH & 4.2 dKH solutions for the drop checker?

Hi George/All, I'm new to the hobby and my tank is currently cycling. I have CO2 installed (which I switch off at night) and a drop checker to go with it. Some of my plants have a higher level requirement than others, so will the drop checker just measure safe limits overall?

George please make a video on how to manage the flow in an aquarium ...

i have a 100 litre tank got around 3 bubbles per second im using fluval stratum which makes my kh zero... so i have no idea how to check the co2 chart i have green in the drop checker

Hi George, I have a question my -co2 drop checker always shows yellow even when the co2 is off for quite some time. Is it because of the aquasoil that i am using which is ada africana soil which buffers the water to 6 ph?

I just bought the dropchecker liquid and its color is green in the bottle before i pour it into the dropchecker glass..how do i know the result if the color is already green as the default?

Sorry I may of missed it in the video but how often do you change the solution in the drop checker

My drop checker is green when my tank CO2 is around 5ppm and it turns yellow start from 15ppm. I can't say my plants has adequate CO2 when it is in green (which in the label says that) until I test it out with CO2 test kit. So the only way I can do is use both, get the reading from CO2 test kit and compare to drop checker's colour.

I have a question about leaving the Co2 on all the time. Was under the impression the PH swings can stress fish?

What kind of CO2 diffuser are you using? Seems to be working better than mine.

if you're using ada aquasoil which leaches ammonia, wouldn't that affect the reading? how do you estimate or read the co2 drop checker then?

Hey, What do you think about those diy co2 kits with 2 Coke bottles you can find on eBay and Amazon? And can I turn it off over night?

How to make co2 bubbles cover all plants in the tank ?

Hey George what do you think about Ada ferts brighty seris?