Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Product sources DO monitoring

I’m interested in tracking my DO in my ponds, especially through the winter.
In another thread, I saw YSI recommended. I found this:
https://www.ysi.com/prosolo-odo?utm...m_medium=Web&utm_campaign=Enablement

It looks like the cost is about $1700 by the time you buy the unit and the probe. Are there more economical options I’m missing, or should I bite the bullet and spend the money?

The Chemetrics test kit is adequate, accurate and affordable.

https://www.amazon.com/dissolved-oxygen-test-kit/s?k=dissolved+oxygen+test+kit

I have cross checked my Chemetrics test kit against a YSI meter and have found the Chemetrics to be very accurate for what we need as far as pond water DO checks.

Thanks for the input. The Chemetrics definitely fits in my budget better. Won’t get in near as much trouble with the wife.

Can you take samples at depth with it, I’ve figured out how to get a sample, but will collecting it and testing it impact the DO?

The Chemetrics test kit requires that you get a sample of water and put it in a test vial. There is no probe-on-a-cord to make it easy and most meter's cords are too short to get very deep anyhow. I will take a long piece of 1/2" pvc pipe, hold my thumb over one end and push the other end into the pond at the depth I want to test (keeping the thumbed end above the water), then release my thumb...the pipe fills with water from that depth, put my thumb back over the end, pull the pipe out of the pond, and let it drain into a jar...then test that. This is best done from a dock or boat.

As long as you perform the test right after you take the sample the results will be fine. When I cross checked the Chemetrics against the meter, I tested water at the pond in 3 foot of water with the meter, took a sample with the pipe, walked back to the shop with the sample jar, tested with the Chemetrics and they tested equally. The time between taking the sample and testing with the Chemetrics was about 5 minutes. I'd guess that a time lapse of 10-20 minutes might make a difference (especially if your sample jar does not have a lid - I fill it to the top and lid it without any air in it), but the Chemetrics kit does not have near the resolution that a meter would and that fine of resolution is not critical for pond testing.

For example, the above test may have showed 6.2 DO on the meter, but the Chemetrics test showed somewhere between 6 and 7. Between 6 & 7 tells you what you need to know, whereas the absolute reading of "6.2" is overkill.

I have a 10 meter lead on my O2 probe.

Agree with the Chemetrics test data being good enough.

I'm not just a "pond owner" though, and the probe also allows me to check O2 levels in the fish hauling tanks quickly. No way could I spend 5 minutes per tank testing O2 levels.

Thanks again! That is great input. I love the pvc idea. I’m mostly going to be checking through the ice, so getting the samples will be easy. The Chemetrics should work fine for me.