Mastertronic: suitable for small/nano reef tanks?

[lucabrasi]

I am considering to get a Mastertronic for regular testing of NO3, PO4 (1-2 times a week) and alkalinity (2-3 times a week). My tank has only 15 gallons (55 liters) net water volume and I am wondering if the amounts of water drawn for testing will cause a salinity issue together with the ATO.
I could not find this information online, maybe somebody here can help me: how much water from the tank is used for one test of PO4, NO3 or alkalinity?
If the amount is non-negligible, would it be a possibility to turn off the ATO with a programmable power bar during the times the tests are conducted, dose some salt water with an automatic doser in that time and then turn on the ATO again?

Many thanks for your help!

Sebastian

 

[blaxsun]

With the proposed testing schedule the amount of seawater drawn will be a bare minimum. You may see a very minor change in salinity over a few months, but this will be offset/corrected with any water changes.

 

[Naturalreef]

Older thread, but hope it helps someone.

I have the Mastertronic,Alkatronic and Dosetronic on a IM 25 lagoon. I swear it only took 15 gallons to fill, but nonetheless it will work with minimal issues. If you do 4 tests a day, your salinity will take a hit and that’s easily remedied if you have a Alkatronic which allows you to use the D pump to replenish salinity. So if you plan on testing like crazy, salinity replenishment is an easy fix.

I want to say it’s 20ml per test, but I would have to check the manual. And you have to account for retests if your coral have a growth spurt and nutrient uptake is big.I can’t help you with the DIY salt replenishment, but I’m sure you could work it out with failsafes with a controller.

 

[lucabrasi]

Thanks for your replies!
I have since purchased a Mastertronic and have it running for a month now. I have observed the different programs and one KH measurement uses 60-70 ml of aquarium water. I am usually running 13 tests per week and these take approximately 2.1 liters of aquarium water. With the water volume of approximately 50 liters that would result in a salinity reduction during a 3 week holiday of 1.4 (from 35 to 33.6) due to the ATO action (with RO water). To counter this, I am dosing 100 ml saltwater every day through my dosing pumps. This works great and I am happy with the setup.

Sebastian

 

[Naturalreef]

Excellent Sebastian! I don’t run as many tests at the moment. Right now my main tests are Nitrate and Phosphate that I’m trying to stabilize. I test 3 times a week, so water changes are sufficient to replenish my salt. I am upgrading to a Reefer 200xl in the next few weeks with is approx 53 gallons which will help with stability.

 

[CBonito]

Thanks for your replies!
I have since purchased a Mastertronic and have it running for a month now. I have observed the different programs and one KH measurement uses 60-70 ml of aquarium water. I am usually running 13 tests per week and these take approximately 2.1 liters of aquarium water. With the water volume of approximately 50 liters that would result in a salinity reduction during a 3 week holiday of 1.4 (from 35 to 33.6) due to the ATO action (with RO water). To counter this, I am dosing 100 ml saltwater every day through my dosing pumps. This works great and I am happy with the setup.

Sebastian

Honest question though, how much time are you spending with the maintenance of the Mastertronic. Looks like it COULD potentially be a PITA, but I have no experience with it. Lots of moving parts in there too.

 

[dschuffert]

This is interesting. I have the Mastertronic on my large display tank. I never thought about trying it on something smaller. The Mastertronic has been flawless for me. I follow Focustronic's suggested maintenance, and everything works well. I also have the Alkatronic and Dosetronic DC too.

 

[Naturalreef]

I can answer that honestly…….There is a learning curve with Focustronic equipment. Their manuals are TOP notch though! Everything you need to maintain them is in there. My weekly maintenance is, calibrate pumps(5 min), refill reagent if needed, empty waste( I have small container because of room). The app tells you when to replace needle, when to calibrate , reagents getting low, RO needing refilling etc.

The only two issues I had were Wi-Fi , which it requires 2.4ghz. My router allows me to pause 5ghz and connection is almost instant. Second was Kamoer pumps were chewing through tubing. A user posted a quick fix using a 3D printed collar that keeps the tubing straight. Zero issues after that. I listen to the app when it requires me to maintain something and that’s it, it has been reliable for over a year. I also keep all my equipment on a battery backup as I hear raspberry pi are sensitive to power outages.

The equipment doesn’t feel like a toy. It is incredibly solid built and a lot of thinking went into the design. I belong to the Focustronic forum and the designers really are next level. Always adding new features to make your equipment better.

I am very familiar and comfortable with maintenance now. Changing tubing is super easy on all machines when required. Bulk reef supply is where you purchase maintenance items now,


All Focustronic equipment talks to each other and this is where true stability comes to Life. I only wish the equipment was smaller. I’m upgrading tanks and don’t have a place to put the equipment to keep things tidy.

just my humble perspective

 

[CBonito]

That doesnt seem so bad. On a saturday, I used to love to get up, sit with the tank for a while and take headcount.
That's like a few minutes of your time really. I'm in the middle of getting my system together. There's a huge opportunity to learn this equipment while there is no risk to anything.