KH Guardian: Automatic Alkalinity Controller- My Experiences

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

i've never dosed equal parts alk and calcium in 10 years of reefing. Dose for what your tank uses.

It likely uses close to equal amounts (as do all tanks), but your water changes may skew that (or your two part is not perfectly balanced).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

what are your other parameters, magnesium, alk and calcium, also salinity???? is it possible that I would need to does different rates for alk, and calcium to keep them both stable, or are the uptakes tied together always exactly equal? in other words would it be possible that I need to dose alk at 160 ml per day and calcium 175 ml per day? to keep them stable at 7.5 and 440???

Uptake rates are pretty close to balance, but a few things can skew them, such as water changes with a mix that doesn't match the tank, or a sulfur denitrator that depletes alkalinity.

 

[spieszak]

It likely uses close to equal amounts (as do all tanks), but your water changes may skew that (or your two part is not perfectly balanced).

Agreed. Just noting it because its easy to get out of whack relying on equal parts as a "rule"

 

[Rick.45cal]

Agreed. Just noting it because its easy to get out of whack relying on equal parts as a "rule"

I think also some of what you see is the differences in the resolution of the different test kits as well. The difference between the resolution of an alkalinity test kit and a Ca test kit is like the difference between a 357 revolver and a shotgun. There's a significant difference in a single drop of titrant between the two tests. Because of that I've decided to trust my 2 part, and so far it has been very consistent. But I also match my new saltwater for all changes to my tank parameters, and have an automatic waterchange system that continuously changes a small amount of water, so there are no big fluctuations. Everytime I check my Ca it is always where I last checked, as long as my alkalinity is about in the same place.

 

[DP REEF]

Great, now I get the "TL_ERR!"

Tried replacing my tubing and reconnecting the segments on my KRS line. Have purged the KS line several times and don't see any air being drawn into it, at least up to and past the check valve going to the tube from the unit.

What else could it be?

 

[DP REEF]

1/3 to 1/2 of my drops don't make the click noise however i see the red light flash.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Have you filed a support ticket?

That's a new one too me.

 

[DP REEF]

So it seems the white "dropper nozzle" is not rigidly fixed to the frame. It can move up and down if you move the tube that it is connected too. The tip of the injection nozzle was halfway down between the two lenses that detect the drop speed. Fixed it and it seems to be operating better (No TL_Err).

 

[Rick.45cal]

Glad you figured it out

 

[DP REEF]

Spoke too soon, now it's not working again. Seems like the drop falls to fast sometimes but not really sure

 

[Rick.45cal]

I'd definitely fill out a service ticket and get help from them, it sounds like something might be missing that holds that part in place

 

[DP REEF]

Can you take a picture of yours so i can see where its seated for others?

 

[Rick.45cal]

@DP REEF

 

[Rick.45cal]

@DP REEF any luck?

 

[DP REEF]

Nope. Sending it in to get checked out

 

[CoralWealth]

In the end of this month.

In the end of this month.

In the end of this month.

So if it is the end of the month, we can expect to see just the monitor being sold sometime this week????

 

[Rick.45cal]

Sounds like the best option! Hopefully it won't take too long and you will be up and running.

 

[CoralWealth]

any update on the monitor?? I know EltonW said the end of last month

 

[eltonw]

any update on the monitor?? I know EltonW said the end of last month

You can contact Coralvue they are showing it in ReefAPalooza Orlando show.

 

[DP REEF]

I got my new unit up and running last week and it record now to 2 decimals . Working fine