[quote=”An_Outlier” post=5409]Do any of the more experienced people here… [/quote]
I don’t count myself in that number. Nevertheless I may be able to contribute to the topic (for which, thanks – because it’s been on my mind from time-to-time, too).
I have three or four electronic pH-measuring devices : a hand-held ; and a couple of in-tank monitors (but not in Paros tanks). A noticeable feature is that, when freshly cleaned, calibrated and challenged with identical samples, they all return slightly different results! In context, the differentials are perhaps not significant but they’re there nonetheless.
I trust my hand-held one more than the others and use it for Paros water. It’s one of these. I’ve been using it for a couple of years and it hasn’t yet told me that it needs a new electrode. There’s another version (pH110 I think) that has a refillable electrode and which I may go for when the time comes. In the meantime, I’ve found the pH100 really easy to use and to calibrate. I use an Extech conductivity meter, too, and am similarly pleased with it.
One difficulty we have is that electronically testing for pH in low-conductivity water may be somewhat unreliable (because of the way such meters work) so the results must be viewed as indicative rather than absolute. Still, I would rather have some idea than no idea of that parameter!
I guess that the more ‘difficult’ the species of Paros, the greater concern an optimal pH (and/or conductivity) would be.
If I were to abandon my meter and rely on intuition and oak/catappa leaves, I would have to schedule myself to renew the leaves regularly : after a few weeks’ immersion (I found in tests) they cease to acidify and the pH of their host water may actually increase.
Over to the experts : I look forward very much to reading what they have to say….
[Incidentally, does your Username indicate that you’re a Geologist?]