KH Guardian: Automatic Alkalinity Controller- My Experiences

[TheEngineer]

Have you tried blowing air into the tube while it is running? You could at least see if anything is moving through.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Have you tried blowing air into the tube while it is running? You could at least see if anything is moving through.

Thank you!!!!! I realized because of your post that the acrylic "connectors" that are provided aren't connectors but are just acrylic plugs. So the came with the tubes blocked. So now that I have replaced those with actual connectors its seems to draw in SW and Bicarbonate now. It also purges!!! Thank you again!!!!

 

[Rick.45cal]

Operator error... typical

 

[TheEngineer]

Awesome! Happy to hear you're making progress now.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Yes me too, major headache averted! Well done sir!

For those that purchase the unit, the acrylic toothpicks that come shoved in the lines aren't connectors and should be discarded!

 

[samparker]

Yes me too, major headache averted! Well done sir!

For those that purchase the unit, the acrylic toothpicks that come shoved in the lines aren't connectors and should be discarded!

I'll have to check mine now!!! That being said I still don't have the alk solution connected. I did find to get the reagent to work though I had to have a very short line and it still took a very long time to purge (like around 10mins)

 

[Rick.45cal]

Test 1: 6.9 dKH
Test 2: 7.0 dKH
Test 3: 7.0 dKH

 

[Rick.45cal]

I'll have to check mine now!!! That being said I still don't have the alk solution connected. I did find to get the reagent to work though I had to have a very short line and it still took a very long time to purge (like around 10mins)

Yes mine is run off of very short lines and it still took a good while for the the reagent line to purge

 

[samparker]

I have a few comments for next version.
1. There should be a toggle for monitor or dose mode.
2. The unit screams for a proper mounting solution.
3. Software should be made to accommodate any ALK solution and be able to monitor effect of dosing and recalibrate dose amount accordingly.
4. Data should be stored in cloud for easy monitoring.
5. BNC output for integration with a controller
6. built in WiFi

1. There is a toggle for monitor or dose, it is the 0 or 1 value in the system step
2. Couldn't agree more!
3. Yeah fair call, but could further complicate the setup.
4. It is viewable online, would be simple to export to a google spreadsheet or something to graph and make look pretty
5. Yes please, but which controller and what "output" should it provide?
6. They have reasons for not doing this (international regs are complex) but it is easy to add this yourself.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Fourth test 7.0 dKH

My hanna checker reads 8.2 dKH

Time to do a salifert titration to see

 

[samparker]

Fourth test 7.0 dKH

My hanna checker reads 8.2 dKH

Time to do a salifert titration to see

Did you calibrate the PH probe? And if so, did you get ph4 and 7 solutions with your KHG?

 

[Rick.45cal]

Test 5: 7.0 dKH (think I should believe it yet?)

I recalibrated the pH probe to be sure, it comes up with 7.0 dKH very consistently. It also made it's bicarbonate additon (which at the moment I have going back into the sodium bicarbonate reservoir).

I need to figure out what I want to do for the maximum dosage and make those settings to that system so I can measure in a graduated cylinder what it's additions are.

I am very happy it is running and giving me consistent results, even if they are different from my hanna checkers.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Did you calibrate the PH probe? And if so, did you get ph4 and 7 solutions with your KHG?

Yes I calibrated in the beginning with their solutions, and just recalibrated with them again to be sure. (They are the packets that came with it)

 

[samparker]

Yes I calibrated in the beginning with their solutions, and just recalibrated with them again to be sure. (They are the packets that came with it)

yeah ok, didn't get any packets here :/

You can adjust the reading of the KHG to match what you are currently getting on your hanna if you prefer?

 

[Rick.45cal]

yeah ok, didn't get any packets here :/

You can adjust the reading of the KHG to match what you are currently getting on your hanna if you prefer?

Mine did come with them! I did notice the adjustment. I am trying to decide if I want to make an adjustment there, or if my Hanna checkers are really that far off. I've tested the Hanna alkalinity checker (ppm) with the standards and it feeds me an answer within their range. The Hanna dKH meter is brand new. It gave me consistent results but way higher than any other other test kit. My Salifert titration gave me a reading somewher between 7.0 and 7.3 dKH, so I am inclined to believe the KHG.

I guess in my situation I am running low ALK with a tank that is operating with detectable nutrients. I could trust the KHG and bring my ALK up to 7.5. If it is at the high end of the spectrum then it wouldn't push me past 8.7 dKH (if you believe the Hanna dKH meter).

I guess I have some careful considering to do.

 

[samparker]

yeah fair enough. I guess the key is stability rather than the actual figure anyway (assuming within the broad range) so you shouldn't go too wrong. I'd be going with safety in numbers, if more kits are saying 7.0-7.3 than kits saying 8.2

 

[Rick.45cal]

That's how I feel about it Sam, I think I am going to let it do a few tests on it's own and see which direction my tank's alk is drifting according to it. I may make a correction to 7.3 dKH, that may be an acceptable adjustment without fear of getting too far out of bounds in either direction. I think my testing "sample" size is still too small to make an educated decision. I'll keep mulling over these posibilities in the meantime... I never thought I would be anxiously waiting to test water

 

[Rick.45cal]

@samparker are you running the SW out line into your tank? Or are you sending it to a waste container?

 

[samparker]

That's how I feel about it Sam, I think I am going to let it do a few tests on it's own and see which direction my tank's alk is drifting according to it. I may make a correction to 7.3 dKH, that may be an acceptable adjustment without fear of getting too far out of bounds in either direction. I think my testing "sample" size is still too small to make an educated decision. I'll keep mulling over these posibilities in the meantime... I never thought I would be anxiously waiting to test water

hahaha the new era of reef keeping

 

[samparker]

@samparker are you running the SW out line into your tank? Or are you sending it to a waste container?

waste. Without knowing ANY details of what is in the reagent, I'm not putting that back into my tank. Besides, I have a full litremeter auto water change system across all four of my tanks. Once I know precisely how much tank water it is "wasting" I can easily account for that in water changes via the litremeter