It is not always easy to read water test results correctly. Even the same color shown to different people may result in different readings, as different people often see the same color a little differently.
There are devices named colorimeters, which can convert colors to numeric values. If i understand it correctly, they just determine color of the solution and then convert it to some numeric value. For example a set of Hanna colorimeters: http://shop.hannainst.com/products/checker-colorimeters.html
But their colorimeters require test solutions (chemicals), that are not cheap.
But maybe colorimeter can be used also for other vendors? I wonder if following is possible:
1) Buy some colorimeter.
2) Prepare "colored" water using your preferred test vendor (I assume you already have test kit from some vendor like API, Seachem, etc.)
3) In addition to reading approximate value with your eyes, use colorimeter to determine precise numeric value.
4) Use some reference table created by community to convert number from step #3 to Nitrates, phosphates, etc (depending on what you've been testing).
For example, reference table could look something like
etc.
Similar reference table for Phosphates, and other parameters we are testing.
Benefits:
- more precise and consistent reading of test results. No more guessing
- continue using test solutions from the vendor you trust
But this approach will not work if one colorimeter cannot measure multiple colors. For example Hanna sells different colorimeters for different parameters, and that makes me think that one colorimeter can't measure different colors.
What are your thought on this?
There are devices named colorimeters, which can convert colors to numeric values. If i understand it correctly, they just determine color of the solution and then convert it to some numeric value. For example a set of Hanna colorimeters: http://shop.hannainst.com/products/checker-colorimeters.html
But their colorimeters require test solutions (chemicals), that are not cheap.
But maybe colorimeter can be used also for other vendors? I wonder if following is possible:
1) Buy some colorimeter.
2) Prepare "colored" water using your preferred test vendor (I assume you already have test kit from some vendor like API, Seachem, etc.)
3) In addition to reading approximate value with your eyes, use colorimeter to determine precise numeric value.
4) Use some reference table created by community to convert number from step #3 to Nitrates, phosphates, etc (depending on what you've been testing).
For example, reference table could look something like
Code:
Vendor Colorimeter Value Nitrates
API 12 1
API 38 10
Seachem ...Similar reference table for Phosphates, and other parameters we are testing.
Benefits:
- more precise and consistent reading of test results. No more guessing
- continue using test solutions from the vendor you trust
But this approach will not work if one colorimeter cannot measure multiple colors. For example Hanna sells different colorimeters for different parameters, and that makes me think that one colorimeter can't measure different colors.
What are your thought on this?
