Water testing for colorblind folk

hamdogg08 · #1 07/03/2007, 04:33 PM

I can't tell the difference between many shades or color. What instruments are out there with something like a digital readout? I've always avoided doing water tests on my freshwater tanks, and kind of HAVE to with a reef setup
thanks
-Dan

papagimp · #2 07/03/2007, 04:43 PM

Technically you HAVE too with a freshwater as well,

but regardless, they do have some digital instruments for various tests, just not for all of them yet. Pinpoint has many, PH, Salinity, Temp, Nitrate, Calcium, stuff like that.

May just wanna see if a LFS near you does water testing and have them do it. Some of the more complicated instruments, like calcium/phosphates, nitrates, ect. can get rather pricey.

marduc · #3 07/03/2007, 05:17 PM

Also depending on what colors you have trouble distinguishing different brands use different color indicators.

For example saliferts alkalinity test goes from blue/green to pink, while the calcium goes from a pinkish red to a clear blue. I only test magnesium periodically, can't recall which color it starts off as, but it ends up gray, and is a definitive color change as well.

I use the pinpoint PH monitor here, it is not too expensive (~$100), and much easier to get an accurate read than any ph test i have found.

zma21 · #4 07/03/2007, 05:26 PM

I'm also colorblind. I have to have my mom tell me what they are, and if she's not home, i have to take them to a friend.

It's quite embarassing.

ahullsb · #5 07/03/2007, 06:00 PM

Not as embarrassing as my friend who in high school, bought some Nike Airs that he though were pretty cool. (blue & white) He didn't realize until he wore them to school the next day that they were girls shoes. (purple & white) Haha. We still make fun of him about it.

kkyyllee · #6 07/03/2007, 06:03 PM

ahah thats great^^

HPD Turbo · #7 07/03/2007, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by zma21
I'm also colorblind. I have to have my mom tell me what they are, and if she's not home, i have to take them to a friend.

It's quite embarassing.

I dont thing that`s embarasing at all.

WaterKeeper · #8 07/03/2007, 06:49 PM

What you really need then is a spectometer/colorimeter. This is an electric meter that measures color intensity. The old Bausch & Lomb Spectronic 20 is can often be found on e-Bay but it is not preprogramed. The LaMotte spectrometers have been preprogramed for many tests, as have the Hach 800 series colorimeters. They are pricey however.

marduc · #9 07/03/2007, 09:13 PM

oh thanks waterkeeper.. now I want one

serum153 · #10 07/03/2007, 10:20 PM

Seachem's Alk and Ph test are very easy to read...I am colorblind and have no problems with it. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals has a very easy to read Calcium test. My Salifert magnesium test kit on the other hand is impossible for me, so my wife helps

dan19955 · #11 07/03/2007, 11:18 PM

I'm not color blind and I've had trouble determing exactly what the reading is at times. Don't feel bad.

coast2coast7390 · #12 07/03/2007, 11:53 PM

^^^dude me too

some times it looks like the color is in between 3 diffrent colors...so i just say its the middle one

Eric55 · #13 07/04/2007, 10:56 AM

I'm not colorblind, but I have a lot of trouble with the shades of Salifert test kits.

Rue · #14 07/04/2007, 11:19 AM

...my colour perception is excellent...I just hate it when I get colours that aren't on the charts...

papagimp · #15 07/05/2007, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rue
...my colour perception is excellent...I just hate it when I get colours that aren't on the charts...

LOL, finally a post I can relate to! I think some of the guys engineering these tests may be a little color blind as well.

BWine · #16 07/05/2007, 08:10 AM

I'm not color blind either but I have trouble determining the specific shades. I usually have my wife help me.

YoitsArson · #17 07/05/2007, 05:58 PM

I guess being colrblind varies because my friend has it and he sees shades but not the actual colors. He uses the Instant Oceans tests and is able to read it off the shades. Hell he can read it better then me.

WaterKeeper · #18 07/05/2007, 06:31 PM

One of the things about color blindness is not everyone has difficulty with the same colors. I had, as far as I know, great color perception until about 8 or 9 years ago. Then I seem to have lost some green yellow/brown perception. Here is a sight that give more info Color Blind.

rhunt · #19 07/05/2007, 06:47 PM

Statistics have it that 9 out of 10 males are color blind to some degree...same here.

I even had extensive tests for it in the Air Force because I was going to cross train into electronics...needless to say...I failed

rbursek · #20 07/05/2007, 08:44 PM

woman carry the gene and us men get it, I do not I have it but I watch my tank resulsts, if you are really worried get a female friend or neighbor to look at the resist, I know the electronic meters cost way too much.
Bob

sbeason · #21 07/05/2007, 08:57 PM

Awesome post. I am an engineer and also really colorblind to blues/greens and reds/oranges.

I too have troubles reading my water specs so my 7 year old son reads it for me after I have done the test. I know he is not colorblind, he just took the test.

I did go with a ph monitor. No guessing there.

Going through engineering school and being color blind was kinda difficult.. especially when I had to wire up hydraulic circuits with green...red... and black. I always got the black wire right.

Thanks hamdogg for starting a great post. -Steve

HBtank · #22 07/05/2007, 09:05 PM

Whoever made the Salifert PH test is colorblind for sure.

That test is whack. At least i can decipher it is somewhere between 7.0 and 9.0 lol

MarkPo · #23 07/06/2007, 07:41 AM

I'm colorblind as well. I second (or third or fourth by now) the idea of getting a female friend or relative to read the chart. I picked up a wife for this- It's a bit more expensive then a colorimeter, but I consider it well worth the price.

I personally find most titration tests fairly easy to read myself, but have yet to find say, a nitrate test that I have any clue about.

And yes, depending on your methodology, freshwater tanks may require very little to no testing after initial setup. With a planted freshwater aquarium and using the estimative index method of fertilization, for example.

hamdogg08 · #24 07/06/2007, 10:22 AM

Having a woman check it out is a great idea! Here, I've had one laying around all this time for ascetic reasons. I didn't know how useful she could be.

Creamhorses · #25 07/06/2007, 06:03 PM

Oh yes.........

Don't do any color coordinated comments without first checking with wife. I've got a brown/ green blue/ purple problem......Crap, I hate those cards that thers can see images, but all I see is dots!!!! But if that's as bad as is it gets. live is GOOD!!!!

CH