When do you start changing out the Trident reagent? At what low percentage?

[CyberGuy]

Right now, my reagent indicator shows that I have 7% Alk reagent, 38% Calcium reagent, and 38% Mag. I test 4 times per day as minimally required.

I have a 6 month reagent ready to go but not sure when to change out my reagent, especially the Alk reagent now since it is the lowest.

 

[SuncrestReef]

The Trident will stop testing and report "Reagent A/B/C Empty" when it's time to swap.

You can also configure the Trident to alert you by adding this to your EmailAlm programming:

If Error Trident_#_3 Then ON (where # is your Trident's AquaBus address)

 

[Hydrored]

I find when my calc and mag get to 20% they start reading off, there was another post on this over the weekend. I’m not the only one experiencing this.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

Your trident will tell you when to replace if you look above your test results tab, it’ll say replace reagent A even if there are few percent left.

Does anyone know if we have to replace the whole batch of reagents or just the ones that are empty? For example, I still had 25% of reagent A before having to swap out the other two reagents.

 

[Hydrored]

The only 2 options are replace reagent A or all in quick task. You can reset a, b, or c then prime it in settings.

 

[Shirak]

Does anyone know if we have to replace the whole batch of reagents or just the ones that are empty? For example, I still had 25% of reagent A before having to swap out the other two reagents.

A box of reagents will have 2 -A and 1 each B/C. and a calibration bottle. After you start a box and calibrate the Trident will tell you when to replace A. Leave B and C alone. Next time you replace all 3 and do a calibration with a new box of reagents.

 

[Scubadoo4u]

But you should change when they reach 5% or less, but not down to 0%...you don't want unit sucking up any crap that may be in bottom of containors that could clog/affect lines...to be on the safe side.

 

[ca1ore]

Does anyone know if we have to replace the whole batch of reagents or just the ones that are empty? For example, I still had 25% of reagent A before having to swap out the other two reagents.

That appears to be a pretty common experience. There's always a bit of B/C left at full changeover time for me, but quite a lot of A. Since the reagents do expire (presumably faster once opened) the official recommendation is to NOT reuse them. Seems prudent to me. I have been saving any leftover reagent. Initially just to see how much builds up over time, but now I may have to eventually use it if replacment reagent availability drags into the Summer.

 

[Shirak]

But you should change when they reach 5% or less, but not down to 0%...you don't want unit sucking up any crap that may be in bottom of containors that could clog/affect lines...to be on the safe side.

Could be I dunno... I let the machine tell me when to change. In my experience the bottles are not totally empty when it does so. I have also never seen any particulate matter come out when I dump the remaining reagents down the drain.

 

[Shirak]

That appears to be a pretty common experience. There's always a bit of B/C left at full changeover time for me, but quite a lot of A. Since the reagents do expire (presumably faster once opened) the official recommendation is to NOT reuse them. Seems prudent to me. I have been saving any leftover reagent. Initially just to see how much builds up over time, but now I may have to eventually use it if replacment reagent availability drags into the Summer.

From what I have heard is everyone's experience is a little different in that the machine will use reagents based on alk/ca/mg levels. When it comes time for me to open a new box (b and c need replacing) I usually have 25% of bottle A remaining and a little left in b and c even though it says they are empty and time to change.

 

[ca1ore]

From what I have heard is everyone's experience is a little different in that the machine will use reagents based on alk/ca/mg levels.

That's true …. though since we mostly converge around a common range, more A left than B/C appears to be quite common (as I noted).

 

[CyberGuy]

If reagent A (Alk) will be more when all 3 are used up (since there are 2 bottles of reagent A), would it better to set the Trident to test Alk more often then the minimally required 4 tests. Maybe set it to do 6 Alk tests per day instead of 4 so we would not waste it since it is not good to save it due to its half life.

 

[Shirak]

If reagent A (Alk) will be more when all 3 are used up (since there are 2 bottles of reagent A), would it better to set the Trident to test Alk more often then the minimally required 4 tests. Maybe set it to do 6 Alk tests per day instead of 4 so we would not waste it since it is not good to save it due to its half life.

Adding more tests will simply add equal numbers of alk only and all 3 combo tests, so you are using reagents in the same ratio whether it's 4 or 6 or 12/day. Now... you could just tell it to do an alk test whenever you are wanting to run a test. Or you could set it on Manual and whatever tests you want whenever you want. But be aware that if you don't do any tests within a 24hr period you will get a big blinking error/warning message that is kind of a pain to reset.

 

[rkpetersen]

You can absolutely replace just B & C, or just one of them for that matter, without also replacing A. Do it manually, not via the automated task. Pretty simple. Switch out the bottle, prime the appropriate line (I do it twice), and then reset that line. You may or may not need to do a calibration after the reagent change, but that's always true whether you do it with a task or manually. During beta testing, we did ask for an automatic task for just replacing B, C, or B+C, but Neptune chose not to offer that (at least not yet.)

 

[Shirak]

You can absolutely replace just B & C, or just one of them for that matter, without also replacing A. Do it manually, not via the automated task. Pretty simple. Switch out the bottle, prime the appropriate line (I do it twice), and then reset that line. You may or may not need to do a calibration after the reagent change, but that's always true whether you do it with a task or manually. During beta testing, we did ask for an automatic task for just replacing B, C, or B+C, but Neptune chose not to offer that (at least not yet.)

I have toyed with the idea of swapping the B+C when they are empty and letting the remainder of A run down. I may try that on the next box. Can do the calibration whenever I put in the first bottle of A. Or would you do the calibration when you replace B+C? That might be a more consistent interval between calibrations.

 

[CyberGuy]

I just got the notification of "Reagent A Empty".
So I put in a new vial of reagent A and it still flashes "Reagent A Empty". Do I just wait for the next upcoming scheduled test to be perform so that warning flashes would disappear?

 

[Shirak]

I just got the notification of "Reagent A Empty".
So I put in a new vial of reagent A and it still flashes "Reagent A Empty". Do I just wait for the next upcoming scheduled test to be perform so that warning flashes would disappear?

go to your trident on your dash and hit the gear icon. Under configure hit trident and scroll down to reset A. Upload to apex and then go back and prime A then upload

 

[CyberGuy]

go to your trident on your dash and hit the gear icon. Under configure hit trident and scroll down to reset A. Upload to apex and then go back and prime A then upload

Thank you very much for this tutorial

I guess I would do a similar method once I replace reagent B and C.

 

[Shirak]

Thank you very much for this tutorial

I guess I would do a similar method once I replace reagent B and C.

Yep yep! The trident won't do any tests while it's flashing a reagent is out message. Resetting the missing reagent gets rid of the warning message and sets the selected reagent back to 100%. You have the option of selecting any or all reagents you want. I think you can do it all in one step too by selecting which ones to reset and prime and then upload

 

[rkpetersen]

Or would you do the calibration when you replace B+C? That might be a more consistent interval between calibrations.

I recalibrate only when the numbers are substantially off compared to just before replacing the reagent. No set schedule. Sometimes when I replace a reagent, recalibration isn't necessary.