Reef Pi Build

[b4tn]

Well this just showed up today! It's the Roberto's ph breakout board. Big shoutout to @Jonathan Troutt the board looks great and nicely soldered. Thanks again!

I'll be getting my probe later in the week and hopefully have it integrated into my enclosure. Then with a little support from @Ranjib this bad boy will be up and running.

@Diamond1 Is this everything you need minus the probe? Just hook it to the I2c pins and go? I recall that there was also a voltage isolation board or something needed?

 

[theatrus]

@Diamond1 Is this everything you need minus the probe? Just hook it to the I2c pins and go? I recall that there was also a voltage isolation board or something needed?

Roberto's pH breakout has the voltage isolator on board.

 

[Bigtrout]

@Diamond1
What ph probe have you decided on trying?

 

[Diamond1]

@Diamond1
What ph probe have you decided on trying?

I think I'm gonna try this one to start.
https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-In...UTF8&qid=1547692266&sr=8-15&keywords=ph+probe

 

[Diamond1]

@Diamond1 Is this everything you need minus the probe? Just hook it to the I2c pins and go? I recall that there was also a voltage isolation board or something needed?

Yeah pretty much plug and play. Just need some software support.

 

[rushbattle]

I think I'm gonna try this one to start.
https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-In...UTF8&qid=1547692266&sr=8-15&keywords=ph+probe

That's a great price if the quality is comparable to other less expensive double junction probes.

 

[Diamond1]

That's a great price if the quality is comparable to other less expensive double junction probes.

Yes sir. I hope it works out. I will have to buy some solutions to calibrate with so the price goes up a bit.
This should work for calibrating. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0157DOZ4Q/ref=sspa_dk_detail_8?psc=1
If I can get it to last for a while I'll be happy.

 

[Bigtrout]

Yes sir. I hope it works out. I will have to buy some solutions to calibrate with so the price goes up a bit.
This should work for calibrating. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0157DOZ4Q/ref=sspa_dk_detail_8?psc=1
If I can get it to last for a while I'll be happy.

Lookin good! You are the guinea pig.
Ill be the freshwater guinea pig when the other Troutt sends a ph board my way, so Ill hold off on the probe until I see how you like it...I spied that one and the pinpooint from American Marine looked good as well.

 

[rushbattle]

Yes sir. I hope it works out. I will have to buy some solutions to calibrate with so the price goes up a bit.
This should work for calibrating. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0157DOZ4Q/ref=sspa_dk_detail_8?psc=1
If I can get it to last for a while I'll be happy.

After working in university labs for years and years, I find the single use packets the most effective because they don't go out of range like the bottles do. But how fast the standards in the bottle go bad depend on how long they are left open, if you put the probe straight into it rather than draw some off and calibrate from there, etc. etc. etc.

For pH in general, I am finding that a good CO2 monitor near the tank is more accurate and precise than a $50 pH probe that sits in saltwater all the time. My interest in tank water pH is really just because I dose calcium hydroxide to the tank and want to monitor for a malfunction. So I don't need very good accuracy.

 

[Bigtrout]

Yes sir. I hope it works out. I will have to buy some solutions to calibrate with so the price goes up a bit.
This should work for calibrating. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0157DOZ4Q/ref=sspa_dk_detail_8?psc=1
If I can get it to last for a while I'll be happy.

A quick note on calibration. Since saltwater is ph 8.2, wouldnt a 7.00ph and a 10.0 buffer work better for you for a 2 point calibration?
Im freshwater and keep my planted slightly acidic at 6.8, so a 4.0 and 7.0 would be a perfect 2 point for my aquarium.

 

[Diamond1]

Lookin good! You are the guinea pig.
Ill be the freshwater guinea pig when the other Troutt sends a ph board my way, so Ill hold off on the probe until I see how you like it...I spied that one and the pinpooint from American Marine looked good as well.

I'm hopping to have things mounted and ready for software by the weekend.
You won't be disappointed in the board Jonathan sends. He did a great job populating them. I'm going to break out my DSLR and macro lens to get some nice pics of the solder job.

 

[Bigtrout]

My interest isnt so much strict pH, but more for the trending, so .2 is good.

 

[Diamond1]

A quick note on calibration. Since saltwater is ph 8.2, wouldnt a 7.00ph and a 10.0 buffer work better for you for a 2 point calibration?
Im freshwater and keep my planted slightly acidic at 6.8, so a 4.0 and 7.0 would be a perfect 2 point for my aquarium.

Ooops posted the wrong link the one I'm getting has 3 bottles 4.0 7.0 and 10.0.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GRGX08/ref=sspa_dk_detail_7?psc=1

 

[Bigtrout]

Ooops posted the wrong link the one I'm getting has 3 bottles 4.0 7.0 and 10.0.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GRGX08/ref=sspa_dk_detail_7?psc=1

3 point is even better

 

[Diamond1]

After working in university labs for years and years, I find the single use packets the most effective because they don't go out of range like the bottles do. But how fast the standards in the bottle go bad depend on how long they are left open, if you put the probe straight into it rather than draw some off and calibrate from there, etc. etc. etc.

For pH in general, I am finding that a good CO2 monitor near the tank is more accurate and precise than a $50 pH probe that sits in saltwater all the time. My interest in tank water pH is really just because I dose calcium hydroxide to the tank and want to monitor for a malfunction. So I don't need very good accuracy.

Right now I'm dosing Kalk and want to keep an eye on things. I may be adding a calcium reactor in the future so having ph monitoring is going to be a good thing to have.

 

[rushbattle]

3 point is even better

This is something that I have had debates about with biologists, but not with chemists. Perhaps I will ask Dr. H-F what he things. The thinking goes that the two points closest to the range of interest are better than three with one totally outside the other two points that are already outside of the range of interest. The other is the a three point line is better fit than a two point line. No idea which one is actually better, but I am interested in hearing what a chemist says.

 

[rushbattle]

Right now I'm dosing Kalk and want to keep an eye on things. I may be adding a calcium reactor in the future so having ph monitoring is going to be a good thing to have.

Both are the best reasons to have a pH monitor 24/7 IMO

 

[Bigtrout]

I need to monitor because with my soft water, plants using too much co2 can make the ph go up pretty quick. Since i dont dose co2, I either need to up the flow(not gonna happen) or ease up on lighting so the plants grow slower...or dose co2, but if I buy a co2 bottle its gonna be for a keg, not my fish

 

[rushbattle]

I need to monitor because with my soft water, plants using too much co2 can make the ph go up pretty quick. Since i dont dose co2, I either need to up the flow(not gonna happen) or ease up on lighting so the plants grow slower...or dose co2, but if I buy a co2 bottle its gonna be for a keg, not my fish

Most of my CO2 dosing experience is in the form aforementioned.

 

[Ranjib]

This is something that I have had debates about with biologists, but not with chemists. Perhaps I will ask Dr. H-F what he things. The thinking goes that the two points closest to the range of interest are better than three with one totally outside the other two points that are already outside of the range of interest. The other is the a three point line is better fit than a two point line. No idea which one is actually better, but I am interested in hearing what a chemist says.

Let me know if you find any reference on the logic of 3 point calibration. I want to implement it, but couldn't find out a good reference