what is the best way to check your PH?

[nimo69]

Need to find the best way ?????? anyone please help
nimo69

[Cosmo]

Nimo,

Not exactly sure what you're asking :confused:

If you mean tester wise, a digital meter is the best but the most expensive as well. Regeant kits or test strips are ok so long as you don't have very acidic water... if the lowest reading on your color chart is 6.2 for example, and you get a reading of 6.2, all it's really telling you is that your ph isn't ABOVE 6.2... might be 4 or 5 or 6.2

If you mean the best time to test, then after the water has aged with airation to drive out the CO2, your tap water may or may not be stable right out of the tap. Test it out of the tap and then again after it ages, if you get the same reading then you're ok out of the tap... if you get different readings the the PH will change in the tank if you don't age it first.

hth
Jim

[korbi_doc]

:thumbsup: good advice Jim!!

[Carol_Roberts]

I use the aquarium Pharmeceutical test kits. You fill a test tube to the line with tank water and then add a certain number of drops. Then compare the color of the test tube to the enclosed chart.

Jim is correct - check the water directly from the tap and the water in the tank prior to a water change. Most likely the numbers will be different. I have moderately hard water. My pH from teh tap is 6.6 and it raises to 7.8 with aeration (agitation, circulation)