Hand Held Ion Probe for Parameter Testing

ingchr1 · Apr 11, 2020

With the emergence of ion probe devices coming out to test various parameters, would it be possible and more cost effective to make some type of hand held unit?

I was think the cost would be reduced by not having pumps and everything associated with what it must take to make the unit work as a whole with pumps.

You would place the unit in calibration/reference solutions, rinse with tank water, then place it into a sample of tank water.

I was thinking of this for those who don't need something connected directly to their tank sampling every day a couple of times a day. Or even for those who have multiple tanks.

Thoughts?

reefwiser · Apr 14, 2020

So there is not a cheap solution for Ion probes. An the testing is pretty complex.

Ion Selective Electrodes - Tech Tips

The Vernier of Ion-Selective Electrodes are great for monitoring four environmentally-important ions: Calcium (Ca2+), Chloride (Cl–), Ammonium (NH4+) and Nitrate (NO3–).

www.vernier.com

It is better to automat ion testing. Just watch the video on the above page

ingchr1 · Apr 14, 2020

There are two products coming out. The GHL ION Director and the Xepta Abex. All though the latter does not have a release date yet. The GHL is priced at $500 and speculation on the Xepta was $700. Each one also requires the addition of dosing pumps to work. A GHL stand alone doser adds $460 and Xepta Autobalance adds $700 (again I think that price was speculation).

The probes are not cheap, but pumps are doubling the cost of the units.

There has to be a more cost effective way.

Granted, if you are going to auto dose based on the results then there is value in the automation. I believe you will have one extra head for dosing with the GHL and the Abex I don't know. Information page for it doesn't appear to exist on the Coralvue site at the moment.

reefwiser · Apr 15, 2020

Ion probes are way more complicated than a ph probe. An have a one year life.

ingchr1 · Apr 15, 2020

reefwiser said:
Ion probes are way more complicated than a ph probe. An have a one year life.

The above devices I referenced have ion probes, not pH probes. Not following your post in reference to pH.

The GHL has a multi-ion probe that tests Ca, Mg, K, Na and NO3. They state a 12 to 18 month probe life with a replacement probe costing $130.

Not sure what the Xepta tests or if it has one or multiple probes, since the page is gone on the CoralVue site.

I miss quoted the price on the GHL, if you buy as a stand alone set it's cheaper at $900 vice $960 buying each component separate. Still half the cost is tied up in the stand alone doser to pump sample and reference fluids.

reefwiser · Apr 15, 2020

I used this I type of ion problems at work. An I am trying to explain that it is not a cheap problem like a PH PROBE.
Just the meter for one Ion proble is 900 dollars. I was in charge of proble calibration at my work.

ingchr1 · Apr 15, 2020

Understood.

GHL has managed to make a hobbiest unit for $500 (minus the doser), with replacement probes costing $130.

There must be away to make a hand held or maybe tabletop unit that can eliminate/reduce the added cost associated with the doser.

reefwiser · Apr 16, 2020

First there would have to be a market way larger than the aquarium market for the device. The amount of units that the aquarium hobby would not justify the cost to build.