Any alkalinity meters worth buying?

Nanook · 09/20/2018, 08:55 PM

Just curious

bertoni · 09/20/2018, 09:03 PM

The Hanna unit gets generally good reviews, but all the meters (and kits) go through reagent problems. I'd try one if I wanted a meter.

Nanook · 09/20/2018, 09:07 PM

Thanks. I’m testing with Lamotte for many years but looking for something I can trend with. Does the Hanna measure it continuously?

bertoni · 09/20/2018, 11:03 PM

Oh, I see. I don't know of a continuous tester, like a pH or ORP monitor. The closest thing would be an auto-titrator, I think. I don't think there's an ISE or other alkalinity probe yet.

Vinny Kreyling · 09/21/2018, 09:26 AM

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2681040
Don't know if this is what you are looking for but a nice read anyway.

bertoni · 09/21/2018, 06:37 PM

That's an auto-titrator. It should work, if built well, but it's rather pricey.

Vinny Kreyling · 09/22/2018, 08:05 AM

It's the only units I know of that will run tests on a schedule.

Uncle99 · 09/22/2018, 12:51 PM

Hanna is accurate and takes just under a minute, best value IMO.

bertoni · 09/22/2018, 03:12 PM

There are commercial auto-titrators available, but they are even more expensive, I suspect.

Crooked Reef · 09/26/2018, 06:32 AM

If you have an apex you could add the new trident meter. It’s not continuous but you can set it up to measure Alk, cal and mag on whatever schedule you want. It’s about a $600 addition to the apex though so if you don’t already have one you are looking somewhere around $1300 for start up costs.

homer1475 · 09/26/2018, 06:34 AM

Only problem with the trident, were still looking at possibly next year before it actually gets released.

And with something so sensitive as parameters, I don't think I would want to jump in on a first generation piece of equipment.

Crooked Reef · 09/26/2018, 06:34 AM

Hanna is simple and accurate. It’s what I use and it does only take about a minute. Fill a cuvette with tank water, pop it in the meter and hit a button. After a few seconds you take the cuvette out and add 1ml of a liquid reagent and pop it back in and press the button again. A few seconds later you have your dkh.

Crooked Reef · 09/26/2018, 06:37 AM

Ah. I thought I saw a recent press release saying it was coming this year. Probably something else though as I haven’t really been paying much attention to the trident. I’m considering an apexel but haven’t decided yet.

homer1475 · 09/26/2018, 06:45 AM

Quarter 4 I think was the last thing i saw. So either around x-mas time or early next year.

LobsterOfJustice · 09/26/2018, 09:51 AM

I have the KH Guardian, it is not without problems but for $600 for the control version I think it’s worth it. There is a monitor only version that is even cheaper. It integrates with Apex. I have had it since the spring and it has already alerted me to a couple issues.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

bertoni · 09/26/2018, 04:07 PM

Have you double-checked the accuracy of the Apex meter much? I'd be very interested in hearing more about your experiences.

LobsterOfJustice · 09/28/2018, 09:03 AM

The KHG lets you “calibrate” based on an outside measurement. I check my alk weekly with a salifert kit and make sure the KHG is tracking close. Out of the box I think mine is reading about 1 dkh high without adjustment.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

sfdan · 09/28/2018, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LobsterOfJustice

The KHG lets you “calibrate” based on an outside measurement. I check my alk weekly with a salifert kit and make sure the KHG is tracking close. Out of the box I think mine is reading about 1 dkh high without adjustment.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I do the same thing with my Alkatronic. I never got it's "default" measurement to be right, but it always reads consistently. So I just tuned it to my Hanna Alk checker and then double check it every other week. The machine has stayed in line with the test kit thus far over the last few months.

bertoni · 09/28/2018, 03:59 PM

Thank you both for the reports. I'm glad to hear that the units are behaving well. Hopefully, we'll get more data from other satisfied users.

bearpeidog · 09/28/2018, 04:49 PM

Alkatronic user here....love it! It’s a bit loud but reliable and you can dose with it (or control an outlet). Depending on your reagent mix, you calibrate it to a known value say from a Hanna test kit. Once calibrated appears to be spot on. Very happy with it. Best of all, you can connect it to an Apex via a BNC cable and obtain reading directly from the Apex if you choose.

Note that Support has been wonderful as well.

Nanook · 09/28/2018, 05:49 PM

Appreciate the replies!

randoma · 10/04/2018, 10:01 AM

I have a Hanna. I find that I generally end up using one of my drop Alk tests though. It ends up taking about the same time and I haven't found the Hanna to be any more, or less, accurate.

09/20/2018, 08:55 PM	#1
Nanook Ancient Eskimo Legend Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 41,852 Blog Entries: 11	Any alkalinity meters worth buying? Just curious __________________ The wind blew, the chit flew, and then they came two by two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Tank Info: 375g Tanganyikan Tank & 470g mixed reef

09/20/2018, 09:03 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	The Hanna unit gets generally good reviews, but all the meters (and kits) go through reagent problems. I'd try one if I wanted a meter. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/20/2018, 09:07 PM	#3
Nanook Ancient Eskimo Legend Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 41,852 Blog Entries: 11	Thanks. I’m testing with Lamotte for many years but looking for something I can trend with. Does the Hanna measure it continuously? __________________ The wind blew, the chit flew, and then they came two by two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Tank Info: 375g Tanganyikan Tank & 470g mixed reef

09/20/2018, 11:03 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Oh, I see. I don't know of a continuous tester, like a pH or ORP monitor. The closest thing would be an auto-titrator, I think. I don't think there's an ISE or other alkalinity probe yet. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/21/2018, 09:26 AM	#5
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2681040 Don't know if this is what you are looking for but a nice read anyway. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

09/21/2018, 06:37 PM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	That's an auto-titrator. It should work, if built well, but it's rather pricey. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/22/2018, 08:05 AM	#7
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	It's the only units I know of that will run tests on a schedule. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

09/22/2018, 12:51 PM	#8
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Hanna is accurate and takes just under a minute, best value IMO.

09/22/2018, 03:12 PM	#9
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	There are commercial auto-titrators available, but they are even more expensive, I suspect. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/26/2018, 06:32 AM	#10
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	If you have an apex you could add the new trident meter. It’s not continuous but you can set it up to measure Alk, cal and mag on whatever schedule you want. It’s about a $600 addition to the apex though so if you don’t already have one you are looking somewhere around $1300 for start up costs. __________________ “In wine there is wisdom; in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef. Biocube 29 lionfish tank. Mantis tank.

09/26/2018, 06:34 AM	#11
homer1475 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 5,313	Only problem with the trident, were still looking at possibly next year before it actually gets released. And with something so sensitive as parameters, I don't think I would want to jump in on a first generation piece of equipment. __________________ 80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work"

09/26/2018, 06:37 AM	#13
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	Ah. I thought I saw a recent press release saying it was coming this year. Probably something else though as I haven’t really been paying much attention to the trident. I’m considering an apexel but haven’t decided yet. __________________ “In wine there is wisdom; in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef. Biocube 29 lionfish tank. Mantis tank.

09/26/2018, 06:45 AM	#14
homer1475 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 5,313	Quarter 4 I think was the last thing i saw. So either around x-mas time or early next year. __________________ 80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work"

09/26/2018, 09:51 AM	#15
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	I have the KH Guardian, it is not without problems but for $600 for the control version I think it’s worth it. There is a monitor only version that is even cheaper. It integrates with Apex. I have had it since the spring and it has already alerted me to a couple issues. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

09/26/2018, 04:07 PM	#16
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Have you double-checked the accuracy of the Apex meter much? I'd be very interested in hearing more about your experiences. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/28/2018, 09:03 AM	#17
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	The KHG lets you “calibrate” based on an outside measurement. I check my alk weekly with a salifert kit and make sure the KHG is tracking close. Out of the box I think mine is reading about 1 dkh high without adjustment. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

09/28/2018, 03:59 PM	#19
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Thank you both for the reports. I'm glad to hear that the units are behaving well. Hopefully, we'll get more data from other satisfied users. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/28/2018, 04:49 PM	#20
bearpeidog Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Milton, Vermont Posts: 560	Alkatronic user here....love it! It’s a bit loud but reliable and you can dose with it (or control an outlet). Depending on your reagent mix, you calibrate it to a known value say from a Hanna test kit. Once calibrated appears to be spot on. Very happy with it. Best of all, you can connect it to an Apex via a BNC cable and obtain reading directly from the Apex if you choose. Note that Support has been wonderful as well. __________________ Bill Current Tank Info: 180 gallon Starfire, 3-Radion G1, Tunze with 7091 Controller, 2- ecotech mp40s, MP60, Panworld 250 return pump, TunzeATO, XP2000ss Reef Octopus Skimmer, Theiling rollermat

09/28/2018, 05:49 PM	#21
Nanook Ancient Eskimo Legend Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 41,852 Blog Entries: 11	Appreciate the replies! __________________ The wind blew, the chit flew, and then they came two by two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Tank Info: 375g Tanganyikan Tank & 470g mixed reef

10/04/2018, 10:01 AM	#22
randoma Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 56	I have a Hanna. I find that I generally end up using one of my drop Alk tests though. It ends up taking about the same time and I haven't found the Hanna to be any more, or less, accurate.