Holy Mess.... Mindstream
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rushbattle
Valuable Member
Same here.
I considered the mindstream, but it seemed to me that the parameters it persistently monitors were in fact generally not useful enough to warrant the $1000 up front +$3x0/year, IMO.
Persistent Alk monitoring is definitely important.
Cal and Mag you'll generally get in parallel with alk; a monthly double check with hobby grade kits (and occasional ICP test) seems much more reasonable than laying down that amount of money.
Salinity allegedly has been a weakness of the nepttune, but I monitor it fairly frequently with analog equipment and I think I generally have a good handle on it (Even if I leave for a week or two).
pH: is this so critical? In my admittedly limited research and experience, I've generally heard that people don't watch this; it will be what it is. One can measure it once or twice a month (with a $30 hand probe, BTW) to be sure it's in required parameters if one really wants.
O2, CO2: knowing this is nice, but how much does it matter for a reef? And more to the point, at what point do you have a "problem", how do you solve a problem with these measurements, and what effect does it have on, say, fish and corals?
K: another thing that - at least from a brief search - seemingly should not normally be depleted. It seems to me a seasonal or twice a year potassium check (via ICP test or not) would be enough?
NH3: unless something dies or you're massively overfeeding, shouldnt your tank always be 0? And how often does something (singular) dieing lead to a massive problem in a tank?
I get that it's nice that it's a tiny thing you can stick in a part of your sump that doesn't consume water or require calibration. (assuming it works as advertised and does not have any initial teething problems when it gets a general commercial release).
But again, that's a lot of coin for perhaps a questionable number of parameters. If it did Nitrate or Phosphate, I think strongly about getting it.
TLDR: thought about Mindstream, balked, now persuade me otherwise......
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rob safron
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Too pricey for me but if you have the money I’m sure it would work well. I agree, the extra parameters you get are not worth the investment for me. All I need are Alk and Calcium, beyond that I do ICP testing every 3-4 months. I still haven’t invested in Trident and I have an Apex. I can do a lot of Manual tests for the money and I feel more in tune with my tank. Would be handy when adding a calcium reactor but once tuned in I rarely touch it.
Sm51498
Active Member
The cost of the subscription is less than ICP testing but then 100% water changes once a month are less than ICP testing for systems under 160 gallons.....
I think the mindstream is compelling but the device cost is too high for me. I think it makes sense for big systems.
I think the mindstream is compelling but the device cost is too high for me. I think it makes sense for big systems.
Reefcowboy
Well-Known Member
Love that new products are coming to the market. The mind stream looked like a thing of the future when it was first brought to discussion, years ago.
It finally came out at a time however when other gadgets are already stealing some of its thunder, such as the trident, reefbot.
I think it is awesome but if one(like myself) already own the apex, the trident seems like a better value. Out of all the things it measures besides the big three, K would be of value to me as I dose for my sps.
I love that these new products push manufacturers to keep getting more gadgets over the next few years. At the end we all win
It finally came out at a time however when other gadgets are already stealing some of its thunder, such as the trident, reefbot.
I think it is awesome but if one(like myself) already own the apex, the trident seems like a better value. Out of all the things it measures besides the big three, K would be of value to me as I dose for my sps.
I love that these new products push manufacturers to keep getting more gadgets over the next few years. At the end we all win
rushbattle
Valuable Member
Sure seems like there is/was.
The biggest selling point for me on getting the Mindstream is without a doubt convenience. I do not think people should complain about the upfront cost of the Mindstream when you're looking at other monitoring devices like the ReefBot ($900), KH Director/Doser ($800), Alkatronic ($900), Trident/with Apex ($600/$1100). The monthly cost should be the deciding factor and yes it is expensive and I can see why it puts people off. I had a hard time convincing myself to purchase the Mindstream because of the high cost of the subscription, but for someone like me who is away from home often I realized that the convenience is worth taking the plunge.I considered the mindstream, but it seemed to me that the parameters it persistently monitors were in fact generally not useful enough to warrant the $1000 up front +$3x0/year, IMO.
Persistent Alk monitoring is definitely important.
Cal and Mag you'll generally get in parallel with alk; a monthly double check with hobby grade kits (and occasional ICP test) seems much more reasonable than laying down that amount of money.
Salinity allegedly has been a weakness of the nepttune, but I monitor it fairly frequently with analog equipment and I think I generally have a good handle on it (Even if I leave for a week or two).
pH: is this so critical? In my admittedly limited research and experience, I've generally heard that people don't watch this; it will be what it is. One can measure it once or twice a month (with a $30 hand probe, BTW) to be sure it's in required parameters if one really wants.
O2, CO2: knowing this is nice, but how much does it matter for a reef? And more to the point, at what point do you have a "problem", how do you solve a problem with these measurements, and what effect does it have on, say, fish and corals?
K: another thing that - at least from a brief search - seemingly should not normally be depleted. It seems to me a seasonal or twice a year potassium check (via ICP test or not) would be enough?
NH3: unless something dies or you're massively overfeeding, shouldnt your tank always be 0? And how often does something (singular) dieing lead to a massive problem in a tank?
I get that it's nice that it's a tiny thing you can stick in a part of your sump that doesn't consume water or require calibration. (assuming it works as advertised and does not have any initial teething problems when it gets a general commercial release).
But again, that's a lot of coin for perhaps a questionable number of parameters. If it did Nitrate or Phosphate, I think strongly about getting it.
TLDR: thought about Mindstream, balked, now persuade me otherwise......
I have the ReefBot and I have used the KH Director. Both require maintenance and are not systems that I can rely on 100% when I am away, especially the KH Director. I have to assume users of the Trident would have issues as well being that it relies on reagents.
After a year of use it seems I can't rely on an accurate reading from my Conductivity probe on my Profilux. Even after proper recalibration it is off and I will need to purchase another one. This was the same case when I had an Apex. That being said, Mindstream's salinity monitoring is a nice feature for me (no need to recalibrate).
My PH probe has always been reliable so the PH monitoring is nice for just reference. It can help me to know when or if I should recalibrate my PH probe and when I should replace media in my C02 scrubber. PH is very important if you rely on a C02 scrubber and your probe stops working.
Something that I may find convenient with the Mindstream's constant KH, Cal, and Mg monitoring is when I purchase new corals. I can monitor changes on my tanks uptake much more conveniently than any other method.
K may not get depleted anywhere near as fast as the top three but it does get depleted in my tank since I rarely do water changes, so it is somewhat important for me.
I won't list the other features I find convenient since I have already stated them on my other posts, but I know if I was able to come home from work everyday I would stick with my ReefBot and not bother with the Mindstream.
rob safron
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They would probably sell a bunch if they offered 30% off for Labor Day
I can tell you, the need to advertise this more. No maintenance and calibration and reagents to purchase is a game changer. $34 a month is not much when you factor in those. It took them 5 years to develop..... R&D and stuff.
rob safron
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Code does work. Brought it down to $695
Do you know if they were actually handing them out when purchased? I ask because I just received an email stating I will get a discount because production is a week behind. Now if they did bring an inventory to MACNA I am now wondering if that is why I am not receiving mine on time.There is if you went to Macna
