Automated Water Testers for Reef Tanks: Which Ones Do You Prefer?

[Daniel@R2R]

It’s wild to think back on how automated water testing used to be something we only dreamed about. Fast forward to today, and we have devices like the Neptune Trident & the new Trident NP, Reef Kinetics' Reefbot, and Focustronic's Alkatronic and Mastertronic that have completely changed the game for reef tank maintenance.

For those of us who've been in the hobby for a while, it's incredible to see how these testers are helping to keep parameters like alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, phosphates, & nitrates in check without the manual hassle. Automated testers have been out for a few years now, and I’m curious how everyone feels about them after some hands-on experience.

• Which automated tester would you recommend to someone who is looking at them?
• How user-friendly is the setup and maintenance of each?
• Which unit gives the most accurate readings?
• How often do you rely on your automated tester, and has it improved the stability of your tank?
• Are there any downsides you’ve encountered, or does it still feel like the future we once hoped for?

Personally, I remember when keeping up with testing was one of the most tedious parts of reefing. Now, with these devices, it feels like we’ve entered a whole new era of tank management! Looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks—whether you’re using them now or still testing manually, let’s discuss the pros and cons of automated testing and how it’s changed the hobby.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I have two Tridents and wouldn’t have time to keep sps coral without them. They both work great and stay pretty consistent with the “gold standard” Hanna checkers. I calibrate them with the provided solution from Neptune Systems. It’s necessary for me at this point to have automated testing and dosing, as alk consumption is high. Imo, it depends on your lifestyle and coral species if automated testing can be worth it for you.

 

[harper]

I had the alkatronic and mastertronic. I currently use the Hydros X10/IV for alkalinity testing.

I would not buy any of them at this point and would wait for the next generation.

The alkatronic and mastertronic took a lot of time for maintenance. They had a lot of inconvenient issues. Because everything is encased it's difficult to maintenance. Alkatronic main board fried at just over a year. Mastertronic actuator stuck after 2 years. I am happy not to mess with them anymore.

The Hydros X10/IV alkalinity testing has been some work. I test every 4 hours and a couple test per day will be out of scope but it's consistent enough to be usable. But for the price I would not recommend.

 

[UtahReefer]

I have the Hydros System so eagerly waiting to see how the Maven works out.

 

[VintageReefer]

I just installed a kh guardian - it auto tests my alkalinity every 4 hours and will auto dose sodium bicarbonate to keep my alk at the desired level

What sold me was 1) these guys were the first company to create an alkalinity system like this and seem to have the best tech for it, and history

Price - 400$
+ 50 if you want to add on orp, temp, and salinity monitoring module/probes

So 450 to get all this. I ended up spending 100+ in extras to get it functional. I wanted wifi access, I needed dosing containers, orp probe, and second ph probe.

So far I like it. Setup was rough in the moment, but looking back I could do it in half the time now

 

[jimk60]

It’s wild to think back on how automated water testing used to be something we only dreamed about. Fast forward to today, and we have devices like the Neptune Trident & the new Trident NP, Reef Kinetics' Reefbot, and Focustronic's Alkatronic and Mastertronic that have completely changed the game for reef tank maintenance.

For those of us who've been in the hobby for a while, it's incredible to see how these testers are helping to keep parameters like alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, phosphates, & nitrates in check without the manual hassle. Automated testers have been out for a few years now, and I’m curious how everyone feels about them after some hands-on experience.

• Which automated tester would you recommend to someone who is looking at them?
• How user-friendly is the setup and maintenance of each?
• Which unit gives the most accurate readings?
• How often do you rely on your automated tester, and has it improved the stability of your tank?
• Are there any downsides you’ve encountered, or does it still feel like the future we once hoped for?

Personally, I remember when keeping up with testing was one of the most tedious parts of reefing. Now, with these devices, it feels like we’ve entered a whole new era of tank management! Looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks—whether you’re using them now or still testing manually, let’s discuss the pros and cons of automated testing and how it’s changed the hobby.

Great topic! It would also be useful to know the ongoing expenses to keep them running and calibrated

 

[Reef Puncher]

I have the Hydros System so eagerly waiting to see how the Maven works out.

im planning on buying one with my christmas bonus.....IF...IF the reviews are good. i havnt seen any reviews yet.

 

[William Chiavetta]

It’s wild to think back on how automated water testing used to be something we only dreamed about. Fast forward to today, and we have devices like the Neptune Trident & the new Trident NP, Reef Kinetics' Reefbot, and Focustronic's Alkatronic and Mastertronic that have completely changed the game for reef tank maintenance.

For those of us who've been in the hobby for a while, it's incredible to see how these testers are helping to keep parameters like alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, phosphates, & nitrates in check without the manual hassle. Automated testers have been out for a few years now, and I’m curious how everyone feels about them after some hands-on experience.

• Which automated tester would you recommend to someone who is looking at them?
• How user-friendly is the setup and maintenance of each?
• Which unit gives the most accurate readings?
• How often do you rely on your automated tester, and has it improved the stability of your tank?
• Are there any downsides you’ve encountered, or does it still feel like the future we once hoped for?

Personally, I remember when keeping up with testing was one of the most tedious parts of reefing. Now, with these devices, it feels like we’ve entered a whole new era of tank management! Looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks—whether you’re using them now or still testing manually, let’s discuss the pros and cons of automated testing and how it’s changed the hobby.

I really want to get one but none of them are in my price range

 

[Naturalreef]

I had Mastertronic, Alkatronic, Dosetronic. As mentioned above, the maintenance on the machines became too much where I wasn’t enjoying the hobby. When I had Neptune, trident was easy and accurate once you learned that you had to clean the curvette regularly. Reagents became too expensive.

I am currently using Reef factory KH Keeper and Smart Tester for PO4. KH keeper took a while to settle in. Smart tester has been a pleasant experience. I calibrate KH Keeper once a month and Smart tester every 4-5 months when changing reagents. The low maintenance with Reef Factory has allowed me to enjoy the hobby again.

 

[m.kristoff]

I have had Mastertronic, alkatronic and dostronic. If you like to tinker and spend more time calibrating and troubleshooting ,then they are great! When they work, they are pretty accurate.

Ran a reef factory KH keeper and it was fine. not as polished as the Alktronic but it is several hundred cheaper.

I got rid of all of it and run a Trident using ABC reagents calibrated with my tank water. I spot check it and it always seems to be consistent. Very easy to maintain and the test results are solid. I plan to add the NP when they get the bugs worked out

 

[Scottiemac]

Currently I'm running the Mastertronic, but am becoming increasingly dissatisfied with it. When the Hydros Maven comes out I'll be jumping on it.
I also have an Alkatronic, which was great for a while but for some reason it won't sync with my controller anymore, which makes it useless as an automation tool.