Neptune Trident Reduce Cost per Month by Turning Off?

[Texastravis]

Dumb question. Considering buying a trident for my new tank. Seems really cool for the testing but looks like the reagents are kind of expensive resulting in a high monthly cost. As much or higher than my cost to do weekly 5% water changes. I can't understand why they make you do 4-2-2 tests per day. Any chance the unit can just be turned on once ever 3-5 days and run for a day? Something similar to what we would do manually? This would make 1 month last more like 3-5 months.

 

[Billldg]

The whole purpose of owning a Trident is to test throughout the day for consistency of your parameters.

I own a Trident and test 6 times daily and allow my DOS to compensate and keep my parameters steady.

 

[User1]

Dumb question. Considering buying a trident for my new tank. Seems really cool for the testing but looks like the reagents are kind of expensive resulting in a high monthly cost. As much or higher than my cost to do weekly 5% water changes. I can't understand why they make you do 4-2-2 tests per day. Any chance the unit can just be turned on once ever 3-5 days and run for a day? Something similar to what we would do manually? This would make 1 month last more like 3-5 months.

6 month reagent supply is super cheap coming in at 90 - 99 bucks. 6 month reagent pack is based on the minimum testing of 4/2/2. Of course all of our mileages may vary based on if we run any manual tests, etc but that is the long and short of it. 6 month supply is what you want.

They can be a bit tricky to find sometimes. Supply is getting better the more data they obtain on actually users and their testing habits. Just last week Neptune did a live stream and raised this issue. People originally said yeah, they won't test much and 4/2/2 is great but now they are finding out people are actually testing more frequently than what they originally said, and, well, reagents are in huge demand. One thing to note say that you can't find a 6 month stock (hard to believe since the hobbyists know their own stock and usage pattern) you can always get a 2 month box from Neptune. Not ideal, they also noted this, but they always have 2 month stock on hand.

Now with this out of the way the answer is no. It isn't recommended. I mean ok yeah you can shut it down using the task but it isn't wise nor recommended. Sounds like maybe the Trident isn't something you need right now. I personally wouldn't try to take a short cut by turning it on/off to skip tests. Reagents are a known thing and anything we do that changes what the device knows isn't smart.

 

[DTE]

Have you guys with Tridents been getting 6 months out of the 6 month reagent pack? I've read some negative reviews stating its not lasting no where near 6 months doing the minimum amount of testing required which is 4/2/2 ? also read 2 month reagents not lasting 2 months. any input?

 

[User1]

Have you guys with Tridents been getting 6 months out of the 6 month reagent pack? I've read some negative reviews stating its not lasting no where near 6 months doing the minimum amount of testing required which is 4/2/2 ? also read 2 month reagents not lasting 2 months. any input?

I'm close, yes. I do not know exact dates yet and was going to swear I was going to track it better this replacement but....I didn't. I had a issue with my Brightwell block degrading a bit which lead to a lot of small particles in my water clogging the sample line on my Trident. Sample line placement is key and I thought I had it in a good spot. However, that block degrading made a mess in my sump and later tank I can see why it did what it did to the line. May fault.

I think there is a lot of data analysis going on at Neptune regarding reagent use and patterns. People are testing more than what they (hobbyist) said they would. Turns out clicking a manual test off is happening a lot.

No idea but based on my use and limited tests of 4/2/2 the box does seem to work out but I'll also be the first to say I really don't think about it. I've mixed in a few manual tests while also changing the testing cycle which will have an affect. So not sure this really helps you.

 

[Billldg]

Have you guys with Tridents been getting 6 months out of the 6 month reagent pack? I've read some negative reviews stating its not lasting no where near 6 months doing the minimum amount of testing required which is 4/2/2 ? also read 2 month reagents not lasting 2 months. any input?

I am on my 1st set of 6 month reagents and the answer depends on how much you test. I test 6 x's daily. I would say I will probably get around 5 months out of a 6 month supply. The ALk reagent never match's the 2 month supply of Cal and Mag reagent. To me its a small price to pay for having something test the water parameters for me. The Trident, IMO, is worth every penny.

 

[C_mo97]

My reagents lasted 2 months but, if you happen to keep them going longer than two months the test slowly becomes less accurate. So turning your trident off will not work out because the reagents will go bad before you use it all....

 

[Daquan44]

My 2 month reagent pack has lasted 2 months using the 4-2-2 schedule. If you want flexibility with testing you can consider the Reef Bot. I have the Trident, but am considering a Reefbot to test Phosphate, Nitrate, Copper (QT), and Iodine automatically. Since the Reef bot uses standard test kit reagents, it last as long as the test manufacturer says it's good for.

 

[ca1ore]

I get close to two months from a reagent set when running 4/2/2. I figure buying the six month bundle pack means less than $20 per month.

 

[TheHarold]

No point buying a $600 tester if you aren’t going to spend the <$20/month to get all that data and stability IMO.

 

[leepink23]

Have you guys with Tridents been getting 6 months out of the 6 month reagent pack? I've read some negative reviews stating its not lasting no where near 6 months doing the minimum amount of testing required which is 4/2/2 ? also read 2 month reagents not lasting 2 months. any input?

I am going to be right at 6 months with my first 6 month running 4/2/2

 

[Texastravis]

I appreciate all the replies. I hear what you guys are saying and I agree $20/mo isn't too bad. However, it just seems like there isn't any middle ground. I read that for many many years most people with a new reef tank test alk/ca/mg/nitrate/phosphate about once a week. Stable established reef tanks maybe only once every other week or even once a month. Based on the results, adjust their dosages.

I was hoping to cut this tedious messy testing maintenance with something like a Trident. Just seems like if people have been historically testing once a week and now it jumps to 4x a day! I was hoping it would go down to like once a day but sounds like it doesn't not to mention the reagents may not last once opened. Once a day testing seems like plenty of data and much more data than reefers used to have. Even for dosing, I think 1-2x a day is good enough. This would be especially true for calcium reactor folks. Why on earth would someone with a calcium reactor need more than 1x/day testing. Would save you $200/year on reagents.

I do not mind spending money on improvements for my tank. I am just always trying to come up with ways to reduce the monthly maintenance costs if possible (ie: electricity, salt, food, and now testing reagents). In other words, I can swallow $5k spent on a tank but struggle to spend $100/mo to maintain. You can always sell the tank and get a bulk of your money back.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

This thread is begging for a meme...

Saved $100 over a year by not testing.

Looses $3,000 in coral from alk spike.

 

[ca1ore]

Neptune have argued that the trident requires regular operation in order to remain accurate/precise. If one is either susceptible to conspiracy theories, or inherently suspicious of others motivations, I suppose this could be viewed as a cash grab, but I tend to think that there are good reasons for it. First is that the reagents don't have an unlimited shelf life, not sitting unopened on a shelf and certainly not once opened. Second, having fluids sitting in the dosing lines for longer periods of time just seems like a really good way to gum up the works. Perhaps the flushing protocols reduce this as a problem. Third, and perhaps most importantly, having an automated tester allows you to monitor your tank in close to real time. Thinking of Trident as just a replacement for periodic testing (weekly or even monthly) seems to me to mostly miss the real value. $600 would not have been good money spent for me just to avoid doing a weekly alkalinity test or an occasional calcium test.

 

[bam123]

don't turn off. lines will clog. that's why it has minimum tests per day. I sold my trident for what I bought it for before I used it. I do daily AWC and would rather not bother. I don't have a lot of stonies.