BigBens Restart.

[Martinspuddle]

Has anybody used a pH pen that they consider reliable please? I'm running a little breeding project with my Dicrossus Filamentosis and I'm dropping the pH a lot at the moment. The test kits don't accurately give a low pH reading.

That all depends on how much you want to spend. These Chinese pH testers do work but I question accuracy of many of them. I ended up going back to JBL pH liquid test.

Going above the £50 mark and you start finding the professional models for agriculture, aquaculture and hydroponics. A few links below.

DTK PH-1 pH pen

This one was tested by Practical Fishkeeping magazine and found to the best of the bunch. PFK - Aquarium pH tests — on test!

Hanna - HI-98100 Checker Plus pH Tester

Thermo Scientific - Expert pH Tester

[fr499y]

Milwaukee are the best when it comes to ph pens, hanna also up there for quality and reliabilty

[BigBen]

Thanks guys. I hadn't realised they cost so much to be honest, I'll pass for intrigue. When I worked in labs 10 years ago a professional one cost about £15

[Martinspuddle]

When I worked in labs 10 years ago a professional one cost about £15

Cost a tad more now, lord knows why.

This one somewhat cheaper: Amazon - Milwaukee pH Meter

[plankton]

It could well be as they're both hoplisoma sp., just don't let him stay with females (I think he's a he).
I've never tried a pH pen, only TDS.

[BigBen]

Had a bit of a play in my Concolor tank this afternoon. I think it will look good once the sagittaria spreads a bit more.

[plankton]

Where are the concolors?

[BigBen]

Where are the concolors?

I can see one under the wood. I'll leave it to you to spot

[BigBen]

Looked at my Facebook memories this evening and seen that I bought this girl 12 years ago today. My wife named her and her chap Pongo and Perdita. Pongo died about five years ago so didn't expect to still have her going now. She's changed a bit of late and spends a lot of time on the glass, which she hasn't done since she was a little algae munching machine. She also shows stress colours a bit on her back. You can kind of see it on this photo.

[plankton]

12 is a good age!
Having got a few of them now, I'm not so sure they are "stress" patches, they appear to be more of a communication or camouflage thing.
When "grumpy" finds his food he changes (and waves his tail) a lot warning the rest of the tank to get away, and they're only guppies and pandas....he's about 5 or 6 times the size of the pandas.