Reefbot...good or bad..issues?

[Leslie88]

Considering the Reefbot for my new tank. Any reviews on it would be appreciated. Any issues with it?

Thanks!

 

[coralcruze]

tagging along...

 

[kkiel02]

I’m also tagging along. Trident is taking too long so starting to look at other options.

 

[coralcruze]

i think trident is out already but heard its a toy and made cheaply. reason I am moving away from apex products. I pulled the trigger and purchased the reef bot so should be able to update once i use it for a bit.

 

[mikedb]

I've had my ReefBot for just over two weeks now, and I am very happy with it. I had previously been on a waiting list for a Trident, but decided to cancel after deciding on the ReefBot. It isn't perfect, but it is the only product that can do what it does, and it does it very well.

The three parameters I primarily focus on for my tank are Alkalinity, Phosphate, and Nitrate. Neglecting the latter two led to a nasty dinoflagellate issue in my aquarium which was very hard on corals and difficult to eradicate.

I use the ReefBot to automatically perform the Red Sea Alkalinity, Red Sea Phosphate Pro, Tropic Marin Nitrate, and API Calcium tests (I consider the first three to be the three main parameters I track and react to). Right now, I am measuring alkalinity four times per day, Phosphate and nitrate twice a day, and calcium one a day. I may increase these intervals as my tank matures and stabilizes.

I have installed it beside my sump:

Pros:

• It works! After an initial setup hurdle, it has been extremely reliable. Test results are remarkably consistent. Quite simply, it just functions as promised.
• The metal cabinet allows storage of items on top of it- in my case, two DOS reservoirs.
• Getting notifications of my tank's current critical parameters as I wake up and return from work is amazing.
• I really appreciate the time I am saving not having to spend 5-15 minutes a day testing. I often only have a few free minutes to feed and work on the tank in a given day, so freeing up that time is a BIG deal for me.
• The ReefBot is able to test more frequently, and more consistently, than my schedule allows.

Limitations

• Managing all the test kits and reagents is a bit of a hassle. 8 reagent bottles, of different brands and sizes, need to be maintained to refill the ReefBot. No retailer I am aware of sells all of the test kits typically used with the ReefBot. In fact, no retailer I am aware of even stocks the Tropic Marin Nitrate Pro refill kit in the US.
• Reagent refills are required frequently. Each reagent reservoir is 20ml, but only 10ml of that is 'usable' by the bot. This means that reagent refills are required every 9 (API Ca), 11 (TM NO3, RS Alk), and 37 (RS PO4) tests. Since I take four alkalinity readings per day, I need to refill reagents every three days (A more conservative testing regimen would require refills every week or 10 days). However, refilling reagents is a quick and easy process.
• The iOS app isn't great. It is currently has the sad distinction of 'buggiest app on my phone'. The app is still relatively usable, but requires frequent hard restarts. Clicking any notification leads to the app freezing, also requiring a hard restart. Nonetheless, the app does properly send notifications, and once you find the proper screens, the information is presented reasonably well.
• It's a little loud. It lives in my basement so it doesn't matter to me, but that could be a con for some. For reference, I consider it equivalent in volume to my DOS pumps.
• My ReefBot arrived measuring incorrectly. As it turns out, calibration was required (users are instructed NOT to calibrate the unit upon receipt). Somehow the Reef Kinetics team never got my messages through the in-app support interface, so took a post on these forums to resolve the issue (Hint: Use their support email- the support I received there was excellent). Since this issue, the ReefBot has preformed flawlessly.

Overall, I highly recommend the Reefbot, and as I said above, it consider it one of my best purchases to date. It works well, and there is no other automated solution for testing Nitrate and Phosphate, nor am I aware of any on the radar.

 

[kkiel02]

Ok so since it can only use 10 ml out of the 20 do you throw the other 10 out or just mix the reagents?

 

[coralcruze]

e it can only use 10 ml out of the 20 do you throw the other 10 out or just mix the reagents?

no waste of regents you just top off the vials.

I am getting my reefbot tomorrow ;Watching;Watching;Watching

 

[mikedb]

no waste of regents you just top off the vials.

I am getting my reefbot tomorrow ;Watching;Watching;Watching

Exactly this. The vials themselves are 20ml, but the needle only drops about halfway into the vial (to keep clear of the magnetic stirrer, I assume) so only 10ml is 'usable' and 10ml remains below the needle's reach. You refill the vial with another 10ml of reagent, and you are good to go.

You never throw out any reagent, but the original 10ml below the needle's reach can never be used.

Enjoy your Reefbot! I hope you like yours as much as I like mine.

 

[ca1ore]

Bump on this thread for some hands on experiences. Am considering one to complement my trident.

 

[kkiel02]

Bump on this thread for some hands on experiences. Am considering one to complement my trident.

I’m in the same boat. I’d like this to test my phosphates and nitrate and then act as a backup for the big three. Just for redundancy. Just haven’t been able to track down a trident.

 

[coralcruze]

I’m in the same boat. I’d like this to test my phosphates and nitrate and then act as a backup for the big three. Just for redundancy. Just haven’t been able to track down a trident.

see... the big three are NOT what APEX wants you to believe. Many people are made to believe that Ca... Alk... Mg are the three to test for and manage. if thats so than why are trident users looking at the reefbot? is it that trident is insufficient at controling and testing the reef? or is it that the trident is not testing the right params? when you explor that basic question first you realize that some systems are just a waste of $ IMHO.

 

[kkiel02]

The parameters I’d like to see is alk, calcium, phosphate and nitrate. Magnesium would be nice but isn’t a deal breaker as the uptake is way more forgiving. I definitely could not see myself throwing a bunch of money at something that just tests alk.

 

[mikedb]

The parameters I’d like to see is alk, calcium, phosphate and nitrate. Magnesium would be nice but isn’t a deal breaker as the uptake is way more forgiving. I definitely could not see myself throwing a bunch of money at something that just tests alk.

These are exactly the parameters I am testing with my Reefbot.

Alkalinity works well- I am testing every 6 hours right now, and get very consistent results- I was even able to see a consistent daily rise in alkalinity before lights-on, and change my dosing schedule to keep alkalinity more consistent. The downside is that the ReefBot doesn't interpolate between colors, so it will only report in increments of 0.3 dkh. I also have to refill the reagent every three days at that testing frequency.

Calcium (API) results are consistent, and the accuracy is... okay. The ReefBot was reading between 500 ppm Ca and 480 ppm the next day, whereas a Triton ICP test between those two measurements came back with 460 ppm. This is just fine for me, since I am using a balanced 3-part and am only looking for sudden shifts that would indicate a dosing issue.

Personally, my ideal solution will be a ReefBot and Mindstream- the Reefbot for PO4 and NO3 as well as a sanity check for the Mindstream's Alkalinity readings. But I am going to wait a little for the Mindstream to mature before moving forward with it.

 

[ca1ore]

Many people are made to believe that Ca... Alk... Mg are the three to test for and manage. If that's so then why are trident users looking at the reefbot? Is it that trident is insufficient at controlling and testing the reef? or is it that the trident is not testing the right parameters?

I can only speak for myself .....

The two most important things to test for in my system are alkalinity and calcium …. in that order. The ability to have automated testing for magnesium is less important to me because I run a calcium reactor, but when I did 2-part it was more important. It's not a marketing ploy by Neptune (if that's what you were implying) to represent these as the big-3, rather long-held industry consensus (and we could debate whether it's perhaps a flawed view). That does not mean that they are the ONLY things to test for though. I'd be quite surprised if Neptune did not come out with a Trident 2 to test things like nitrate and phosphate, but if their development/QC cycle is as slow as it appears, that isn't happening for quite a while. In the meantime, I am interested in exploring options to complement my Trident ….. no mystery really!

Trident does what it does quite competently, but it is inherently limited. If I were designing and developing it, I probably would have had it test the three things it does test. I've no idea whether the reefbot does what it claims to do with reliability and longevity. Thus my interest in seeing more reviews, preferably from reefers whose judgement I have come to 'trust'. Too many things in this hobby are extolled as the greatest-thing-ever only to wilt in the glare of the bright lights.

Probably i will just let the market settle and do what I have done for the past 25 years - manually test for Nitrates and phosphates.

 

[coralcruze]

I can only speak for myself .....

The two most important things to test for in my system are alkalinity and calcium …. in that order. The ability to have automated testing for magnesium is less important to me because I run a calcium reactor, but when I did 2-part it was more important. It's not a marketing ploy by Neptune (if that's what you were implying) to represent these as the big-3, rather long-held industry consensus (and we could debate whether it's perhaps a flawed view). That does not mean that they are the ONLY things to test for though. I'd be quite surprised if Neptune did not come out with a Trident 2 to test things like nitrate and phosphate, but if their development/QC cycle is as slow as it appears, that isn't happening for quite a while. In the meantime, I am interested in exploring options to complement my Trident ….. no mystery really!

Trident does what it does quite competently, but it is inherently limited. If I were designing and developing it, I probably would have had it test the three things it does test. I've no idea whether the reefbot does what it claims to do with reliability and longevity. Thus my interest in seeing more reviews, preferably from reefers whose judgement I have come to 'trust'. Too many things in this hobby are extolled as the greatest-thing-ever only to wilt in the glare of the bright lights.

Probably i will just let the market settle and do what I have done for the past 25 years - manually test for Nitrates and phosphates.

We may not agree with what are most important params to test for and most aquarists will disagree on that as every tank is diff. however as a trident owner you dont have any choice on what to test.

I am glad however you agree with the most impostant things i mentioned. that is that the Trident is sub par as it is inflexible... forces minimum testing per day and is therefor wasteful... can only test three params two of which is qusstionable if testing is really needed everyday let alone threeX. yes we do disagree on the importance Ca and Mg testing daily. I too have been in the hobby over two decades. I test ca and mg but only have to weekly on ca and bi weekly on mg. why in the world would anyone want to know what thier Mg and Ca levels are three times a day is beyond me and a complete oversite on apex part. The beauty of Reefbot is that you get to choose how many times a day...week...or month you want to test. you choose what to test and have 8 vials to do so. You also have controle over the cost of the regents you use to a much greater extent than with trident. someone said on another thread that apex scoops out your eyballs and then comes back for the sockets. I happen to agree IMHO. I also have many of thier products and seen first hand underdesigned components fail prematurely and made out of cheap plastic to keep your bankroll connected to neptune.

I understand that you own a trident already and the need to defend that purchase. However there is a reason you are here.

 

[ca1ore]

That is that the Trident is sub par as it is inflexible... forces minimum testing per day and is therefor wasteful... can only test three params two of which is qusstionable if testing is really needed everyday let alone threeX. yes we do disagree on the importance Ca and Mg testing daily. I too have been in the hobby over two decades. I test ca and mg but only have to weekly on ca and bi weekly on mg. why in the world would anyone want to know what thier Mg and Ca levels are three times a day is beyond me and a complete oversite on apex part. The beauty of Reefbot is that you get to choose how many times a day...week...or month you want to test. you choose what to test and have 8 vials to do so. You also have controle over the cost of the regents you use to a much greater extent than with trident. someone said on another thread that apex scoops out your eyballs and then comes back for the sockets. I happen to agree IMHO. I also have many of thier products and seen first hand underdesigned components fail prematurely and made out of cheap plastic to keep your bankroll connected to neptune.

Clearly you have an axe to grind …. and that's fine. But please don't put words in my mouth, as the old saying goes. I did not say the trident was subpar, I simply said that it was inherently limited because it tests for three things and three things only. It was designed to do that, for better or for worse. Time will tell which is the better approach. I'm thrilled that you are happy with the Reefbot. I, however, will wait a bit to see if the inevitable warts render it viable in the long term.

I understand that you own a trident already and the need to defend that purchase.

LOL, those kinds of comments say more about you than they do me.

 

[BZOFIQ]

I don't have the product but have spoken to the inventor at recent RAP in NY and love the fact that you as a user can decide what to test for and at what frequency. Nobody says you have to test something this or that many times per day.

I never tested anything manually multiple times a day and I see no need. Point is, this robot tests on demand or as often as you tested in the past. Uses same exact test kits you're used to and you have the ability to change test kits.

So, let's say today you want to test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and next week you want to switch and test just alk, phosphate, nitrate and magnesium - this thing allows you to do that!

 

[coralcruze]

LOL, those kinds of comments say more about you than they do me.

whether its out of convienience or was a calculated reply... you left out my last sentence.

which is:
"there is a reason you are here."

by doing so nulifies your first point.

anyhow if it comforts you, we all made mistakes buying the wrong product befor. its all a part of the hobby. You are here because you didnt forsee Tridents shortfalls. The viewpoints i stated are ones of many people here on R2R. delaying the inevitable by not purchasing a reefbot isnt going to change anything for you. so stick around... i am sure at the end of the day you will get what you are looking for here.

I love my apex CLASSIC... If they only stuck to the thing they were good at....

 

[doodledreads]

I have been using mine for about 5 months now and I do not have any complaints other than having to empty the waste, refilling the reagents - which is easier than testing I swear.

I run Alk once every day, PO4 once every other day and Nitrates, calcium once every week.

I would have given Trident a chance (assuming I could even get one), if it was compatible to my apex classic. I dont want to upgrade my whole freaking control system for one product. Kinda turned me off of Neptune. I am waiting for Hydros to be released.

 

[coralcruze]

@doodledreads yup I agree... thats what was said by other here on r2r with Neptune it seems they want to scoop out your eyeballs. i remember they specifically said thatvthier products will always be backwards compatible back with the apex jr was made obsolete with the classic. at the time they said they will never discontinue or leave any customer behind welp they did that with the Trident. I am in the same boat... do to want to have to spent another $1500 (what i spent on my current classic) on another controller. The fact remains the Trident is lacking and doesnt even test what is really necessary. three test minimum on Ca and Mg every day? when regents cost $99. hmnnn not for me. been down that road. Many people are switching over.


Reefbot does need to be able to communicate with reef controllers however. that would be my only suggestion. I am still buying their doser but my system is complicated and runs almost fully automated using the classic and alot of Apex users hessitate picking up the reefbot because of this. That fact almost stopped me from getting the reefbot. now that I have it i will patiently wait for this to roll out by reef kenetics.