Trident NP thoughts....

[chondro]

I was lucky enough to be able to snag 2 of the new Trident NPs. Thought that I give my opinion seeing how there is very little to no reviews whatsoever on this thing.

First , Yes it is still the same crappy housing. They did not improve it whatsoever. The drawer sucks the light cover continuously falls off . It still feels like a flimsy cheap plastic Chinese toy. Not an expensive high-end piece of reefing equipment.

Now with that out of the way.... The most important thing is the testing accuracy and the ease of setup.

As far as setup goes it's as you would expect. Very similar to the original Trident. There's one step you need to do as far as mixing your reagents that takes about 25 minutes but other than that they make it incredibly easy to set up and install. If you've done an original trident this will be no problem.

Testing and accuracy. Test takes about 45 minutes give or take 5 or 10 minutes. I did not have to calibrate it out of the box. It was already calibrated. And according to my Hanna checkers the phosphate levels are dead on. The nitrate level varies from the Hanna by 2 points give or take. So accuracy out of the box at least for me has been stellar.

I have been a Trident user for 4 years now. I have had a total of eight units . And to be honest it's a PITA. I have been constantly searching for something to replace it. I have tried everything out there. Spent and wasted thousands and thousands of dollars on these auto testers. Every one of them are worthless. Except the Trident. It's a love-hate relationship for sure because I have to calibrate it every time I change reagents. It's guaranteed to be about once every 3 months I'm going to have to go in there and fiddle with it because of some error. But at the end of the day with these testers it's all about accuracy. And so far nothing comes close to the Trident. I expect the same issues/ accuracy with the new NP. However with that said, I am still on the lookout for an appropriately built less fidgety automatic tester. I will still be picking up the Hydros when it gets released. But until then I'm still loving/ hating my Tridents.

 

[CO2TLEY]

Interesting info, i just got a trident a couple weeks ago and loving it. I’m already looking forward to the NP when it’s more readily available

 

[chondro]

Interesting info, i just got a trident a couple weeks ago and loving it. I’m already looking forward to the NP when it’s more readily available

If I could give you some advice seeing how you're a new user. Make sure you have the Hanna Alk tester, the Red Sea Pro calcium tester, and the Aquaforest magnesium tester. Test your water with those three tests then use those test results and a water sample from your tank to calibrate your trident. Do not use the included Trident calibration fluid. It is junk. Make sure you calibrate every time you switch reagents.

 

[areefer01]

If I could give you some advice seeing how you're a new user. Make sure you have the Hanna Alk tester, the Red Sea Pro calcium tester, and the Aquaforest magnesium tester. Test your water with those three tests then use those test results and a water sample from your tank to calibrate your trident. Do not use the included Trident calibration fluid. It is junk. Make sure you calibrate every time you switch reagents.

Maybe add "opinion" when you say the calibration solution provided by Neptune is junk. In my experience I have found the calibration solution to be spot on. There is a detailed post on the Reef Beef discord whereas Jim Welsh, Trident creator, talks about it. After use I actually date mine and store. If for some reason I run into a series of questionable results I can move the sample line, prime, and run a test to verify before doing anything else. Works for me. I also keep a bottle of Fauna Marin multi reference for similar use.

Calibration solution is part of the reagent kit and should be done with replacing them. When purchasing a 6 month kit the B and C reagents more than likely will have different lot numbers. Thus the included calibration solution and note to do so after replacing reagents 48-72 hours of swap. It is in the documentation.

 

[chondro]

Maybe add "opinion" when you say the calibration solution provided by Neptune is junk. In my experience I have found the calibration solution to be spot on. There is a detailed post on the Reef Beef discord whereas Jim Welsh, Trident creator, talks about it. After use I actually date mine and store. If for some reason I run into a series of questionable results I can move the sample line, prime, and run a test to verify before doing anything else. Works for me. I also keep a bottle of Fauna Marin multi reference for similar use.

Calibration solution is part of the reagent kit and should be done with replacing them. When purchasing a 6 month kit the B and C reagents more than likely will have different lot numbers. Thus the included calibration solution and note to do so after replacing reagents 48-72 hours of swap. It is in the documentation.

I said what I meant and meant what I said. I'm not the only one who feels this way. To be sure that I wasn't losing my mind I sent six bottles of calibration solution for testing. All six bottles were way off. Ever since I've been doing my own calibration my tridents have been accurate. When using the supplied calibration fluid they've been off. I don't need you to tell me what I need to say.

 

[areefer01]

I said what I meant and meant what I said. I'm not the only one who feels this way. To be sure that I wasn't losing my mind I sent six bottles of calibration solution for testing. All six bottles were way off. Ever since I've been doing my own calibration my tridents have been accurate. When using the supplied calibration fluid they've been off. I don't need you to tell me what I need to say.

Just goes to show how two hobbyist use the same piece of equipment with different experiences.

 

[rtparty]

In almost 2 years of running the Trident I only calibrated it once and it made things worse. I “calibrated” it to my own kits that I trusted (for some odd reason.)

Come to find out, my Trident was correct and my magnesium test was wrong. Then add in Randy’s whole no magnesium testing and I never cared about magnesium again. I simply had the numbers because the Trident has them. I never paid attention. I actually didn’t even care much for the calcium testing but it was always accurate enough for me. I’d rather have Alkalinity, Nitrate, and Phosphate as my big 3. Dose calcium in proportion to my alkalinity and all will be well. 380, 440, 500ppm….doesn’t matter.

My Trident never had issue in almost 2 years. The drawer sucks. I agree there. The lines get kinked way too easily with that design. Neptune really ought to look at the Mini Trident design going forward.

There are thousands upon thousands of Tridents in use. The issues are relatively small with all things considered.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I was lucky enough to be able to snag 2 of the new Trident NPs. Thought that I give my opinion seeing how there is very little to no reviews whatsoever on this thing.

First , Yes it is still the same crappy housing. They did not improve it whatsoever. The drawer sucks the light cover continuously falls off . It still feels like a flimsy cheap plastic Chinese toy. Not an expensive high-end piece of reefing equipment.

Now with that out of the way.... The most important thing is the testing accuracy and the ease of setup.

As far as setup goes it's as you would expect. Very similar to the original Trident. There's one step you need to do as far as mixing your reagents that takes about 25 minutes but other than that they make it incredibly easy to set up and install. If you've done an original trident this will be no problem.

Testing and accuracy. Test takes about 45 minutes give or take 5 or 10 minutes. I did not have to calibrate it out of the box. It was already calibrated. And according to my Hanna checkers the phosphate levels are dead on. The nitrate level varies from the Hanna by 2 points give or take. So accuracy out of the box at least for me has been stellar.

I have been a Trident user for 4 years now. I have had a total of eight units . And to be honest it's a PITA. I have been constantly searching for something to replace it. I have tried everything out there. Spent and wasted thousands and thousands of dollars on these auto testers. Every one of them are worthless. Except the Trident. It's a love-hate relationship for sure because I have to calibrate it every time I change reagents. It's guaranteed to be about once every 3 months I'm going to have to go in there and fiddle with it because of some error. But at the end of the day with these testers it's all about accuracy. And so far nothing comes close to the Trident. I expect the same issues/ accuracy with the new NP. However with that said, I am still on the lookout for an appropriately built less fidgety automatic tester. I will still be picking up the Hydros when it gets released. But until then I'm still loving/ hating my Tridents.

I modified my Tridents to the Mini and run a custom schedule. I was hoping the NP would be a more condensed tester as my sump space is limited. Then come to come to find out that the reagents only have a shelf life of two months after mixing. It seems they found a way to keep people on that reagent “subscription” plan while still charging more for the product initially. And couple that with a 45 minute test duration, when I already have Hanna checkers, it’s a pass for me. Thank you for your review!

 

[areefer01]

I modified my Tridents to the Mini and run a custom schedule. I was hoping the NP would be a more condensed tester as my sump space is limited. Then come to come to find out that the reagents only have a shelf life of two months after mixing. It seems they found a way to keep people on that reagent “subscription” plan while still charging more for the product initially. And couple that with a 45 minute test duration, when I already have Hanna checkers, it’s a pass for me. Thank you for your review!

I think you may find that testing times, or duration, will be similar among automated testing products. Sam/Parker's review of the Kamore mentioned some of the testing times as well. My opinion is that the actual amount of time needed to finish will depend on the hobbyist nutrient level. Besides it is automated so truthfully it doesn't matter and won't prevent the other Trident from running its test if the hobbyist has one.

 

[Stevorino]

I can't wait.

I was initially disappointed with my OG Trident when I got it years ago. But after years of use, I now know what it is and what it isn't, and absolutely love it.

Last week I was 5 hours away and noticed my alk had drifted 0.1 down from the normal steady ~8.6. Within 30 seconds I had upped my Kalk dosing and moved on with my day.

I cannot wait to have this level of control with Nutrients.

 

[rtparty]

I modified my Tridents to the Mini and run a custom schedule. I was hoping the NP would be a more condensed tester as my sump space is limited. Then come to come to find out that the reagents only have a shelf life of two months after mixing. It seems they found a way to keep people on that reagent “subscription” plan while still charging more for the product initially. And couple that with a 45 minute test duration, when I already have Hanna checkers, it’s a pass for me. Thank you for your review!

Did Neptune “engineer” the reagents to have a 2 month shelf life?

We’ve seen that mentioned and I’m sure the acids involved play a major role but we were also told the OG Trident reagents have a 2 month shelf life. That’s been proven false by the many of us that ran them half the time and got consistent results.

 

[chondro]

In almost 2 years of running the Trident I only calibrated it once and it made things worse. I “calibrated” it to my own kits that I trusted (for some odd reason.)

Come to find out, my Trident was correct and my magnesium test was wrong. Then add in Randy’s whole no magnesium testing and I never cared about magnesium again. I simply had the numbers because the Trident has them. I never paid attention. I actually didn’t even care much for the calcium testing but it was always accurate enough for me. I’d rather have Alkalinity, Nitrate, and Phosphate as my big 3. Dose calcium in proportion to my alkalinity and all will be well. 380, 440, 500ppm….doesn’t matter.

My Trident never had issue in almost 2 years. The drawer sucks. I agree there. The lines get kinked way too easily with that design. Neptune really ought to look at the Mini Trident design going forward.

There are thousands upon thousands of Tridents in use. The issues are relatively small with all things conside

I think you may find that testing times, or duration, will be similar among automated testing products. Sam/Parker's review of the Kamore mentioned some of the testing times as well. My opinion is that the actual amount of time needed to finish will depend on the hobbyist nutrient level. Besides it is automated so truthfully it doesn't matter and won't prevent the other Trident from running its test if the hobbyist has one.

I can confirm this, at least in my case. I might be one of the few that have two units running at the same time.

NP 1 Total time to test 37 minutes 19 seconds. Reading was 25.9 NO3 and 0.01 PO4

NP 2 Total time to test 49 minutes 28 seconds
Reading was 36.9 NO3 and 0.37 PO4

That's a big difference in runtime.

 

[rtparty]

I can confirm this, at least in my case. I might be one of the few that have two units running at the same time.

NP 1 Total time to test 37 minutes 19 seconds. Reading was 25.9 NO3 and 0.01 PO4

NP 2 Total time to test 49 minutes 28 seconds
Reading was 36.9 NO3 and 0.37 PO4

That's a big difference in runtime.

Stands to reason since the one running longer has higher nutrients

 

[reely989]

Interesting info, i just got a trident a couple weeks ago and loving it. I’m already looking forward to the NP when it’s more readily available

You'll see what he's talking about after a couple of months and you have to start fiddling with it. It's definitely a mixed bag of a product. Hopefully the new coralvue tester is accurate. Otherwise, like the OP said, Trident is still about as good as it gets.

 

[Om84]

I said what I meant and meant what I said. I'm not the only one who feels this way. To be sure that I wasn't losing my mind I sent six bottles of calibration solution for testing. All six bottles were way off. Ever since I've been doing my own calibration my tridents have been accurate. When using the supplied calibration fluid they've been off. I don't need you to tell me what I need to say.

+1
Provided calibration fluid is garbage for me too. I always have to calibrate with other tests.

 

[braaap]

You'll see what he's talking about after a couple of months and you have to start fiddling with it. It's definitely a mixed bag of a product. Hopefully the new coralvue tester is accurate. Otherwise, like the OP said, Trident is still about as good as it gets.

I’ve never once “fiddled” with my Trident. Set it up. Calibrated it. And it runs. I’ve never had a failed test. Never had an issue. Most issues people have are user error.

I never calibrate mine when I switch reagents. I use ABC. I’ve gone though tons of 6 month kits and I just check every couple of months manually. Always close.

That said the second I can order a Maven and ditch my last Apex product I will.

 

[areefer01]

I never calibrate mine when I switch reagents. I use ABC. I’ve gone though tons of 6 month kits and I just check every couple of months manually. Always close.

Note: I've not used ABC reagents but my understanding is that they do not use lot numbers. Now one can read into this but if they are buying in bulk or making in bulk and dyes or product doesn't change then no lot number and no need to calibrate as frequent.

Neptune reagents have lot numbers. 6 month kits will all have the same ALK lot numbers but B and C will not. Thus the calibration solution in each 2 month kit.

Lots and dyes all have various opinions I know so not getting into that. Hope your day is well.

 

[reely989]

I’ve never once “fiddled” with my Trident. Set it up. Calibrated it. And it runs. I’ve never had a failed test. Never had an issue. Most issues people have are user error.

I never calibrate mine when I switch reagents. I use ABC. I’ve gone though tons of 6 month kits and I just check every couple of months manually. Always close.

That said the second I can order a Maven and ditch my last Apex product I will.

Lucky you. I had to send mine back twice, had leaks, clogged lines etc. I expect maintenance on stuff like this but the design of it really makes it an annoying endeavor.

 

[jphilip813]

I said what I meant and meant what I said. I'm not the only one who feels this way. To be sure that I wasn't losing my mind I sent six bottles of calibration solution for testing. All six bottles were way off. Ever since I've been doing my own calibration my tridents have been accurate. When using the supplied calibration fluid they've been off. I don't need you to tell me what I need to say.

 

[AquamanE]

I said what I meant and meant what I said. I'm not the only one who feels this way. To be sure that I wasn't losing my mind I sent six bottles of calibration solution for testing. All six bottles were way off. Ever since I've been doing my own calibration my tridents have been accurate. When using the supplied calibration fluid they've been off. I don't need you to tell me what I need to say.

Agree 100%. Trident user since it came out.