Alkalinity controller without reagent! Aquawiz

akaimal

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I have been running this device for almost 8 months now to monitor and control my alkalinity for about 7 months now. I run a calcium reactor for 90 to 95pct of my system needs and the rest is managed by kalk dosed through aquawiz!

Aquawiz measures KH every hour and adjust the dosage of kalk based on the demand of the system. So the KH of my system remains steady through out the day. Also there is a maximum limit of the solution per day you can set so that it doesn't accidentally overdose.

This is how it works. The dosing pumps built into it pulls in water from the aquarium and then measures PH. It measure the pH of the tank sample after aeration and the standard seawater stored in the devise after aeration every time it takes a reading. The built in processor then calculates the KH based on the PH difference. The measurement is done every hour but you can adjust it to less number of tests based on your requirements. The current KH reading can be seen on the screen on the device. The device also sends data to the Aquawiz server and you can view all of the data on their website.

Finally the device monitors the health of the PH probe. It will display the health on the screen and also on the website.

Besides not needing reagents, these are the additional benefits
1. Calibration process is very simple. There‘s no need for pH calibration or dosing calibration. You only need to test the aquarium’s KH once a month and enter the data into the website. Since no reagents are needed, you also don‘t have to deal with replacing bottles or containers.

2. The error margin is less than 0.03, outperforming most brands.

3. With the built-in dosing system, since it tests every hour, the KH can be corrected to the target value every hour, resulting in minimal KH fluctuation.



2024-09-03_10-00-02_272.jpeg






2024-09-03_10-00-00_569.jpeg


This is a test I conducted on a bucket of water. Accuracy was within .03dkh!


459001942_393690160234415_2521987410582193483_n.jpg


The brand has been on the market for four years, with sales in China surpassing all other brands. This year, Fauna Marine has become the exclusive distributor for Europe.

The principle of this machine is different from traditional methods. The margin of error is controllable. If the water in the reservoir has only a small difference from the machine’s target value, even after a month without calibration, the error will only be within 0.2 dKH. It won‘t result in a significant error due to uncalibrated pH.

**Factors that affect the stability of reference seawater**Stability in reference seawater quality is crucial for accurate KH measurements. The KH value and salinity of reference seawater should ideally be close to the target KH value and salinity. It is recommended to use aquarium seawater that has reached the target KH value, natural seawater, or seawater aerated with a protein skimmer as reference seawater. Note that the KH value of some aquarium seawater may not be stable during static conditions, rapidly decreasing and causing inaccurate KH measurements.

**Contamination of reference seawater:**During measurements, since the same pH probe is shared in the left test tube, a small amount of reference seawater may mix with the aquarium seawater, causing the KH value of the reference seawater to gradually approach that of the aquarium seawater. If the long-term difference between the KH values of the reference seawater and the tank aquarium seawater exceeds 1.0 dKH, it is recommended to replace the reference seawater and calibrate the KH. Alternatively, choose to

calibrate every one week until the KH of reference seawater approaches that of the tank seawater. If the long-term difference is less than 0.4 dKH, calibration can be extended to about once a month. In general, the drift of KH measurement due to contamination is about ~0.002 / (timesX∆KH). ∆KH = (Reference KH - average Tank KH). If ∆KH = 1.0 dKH, and measured 100 times (~4 days, 1 time per hour), there will be 0.2 dKH drift. If ∆KH = 0.1 dKH, and measured 1000 times (~41 days), there will be 0.2 dKH drift.

Calibrating once a month is very simple for me. I just manually measure the KH of the aquarium and enter it on this page. No other calibration steps are needed, which I find very convenient.
460322799_549969577376959_4820190901250379252_n.jpg
 
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ChiCity

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saw the videos of this circulating on ig…
very interesting.

will definitely hold out for more empirical data…
but hats off to those that get in early and supply me with that aforementioned empirical data.

(a kh monitor (and doser!) that has a margin of error of .03 and can make corrections to keep kh in line, all without reagents is a solid win in my book!)
 

Pistondog

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I have been running this device for almost 8 months now to monitor and control my alkalinity for about 7 months now. I run a calcium reactor for 90 to 95pct of my system needs and the rest is managed by kalk dosed through aquawiz!

Aquawiz measures KH every hour and adjust the dosage of kalk based on the demand of the system. So the KH of my system remains steady through out the day. Also there is a maximum limit of the solution per day you can set so that it doesn't accidentally overdose.

This is how it works. The dosing pumps built into it pulls in water from the aquarium and then measures PH. Then it aerates the water and then measures the PH again. The built in processor then calculates the KH based on the PH difference. The measurement is done every hour but you can adjust it to less number of tests based on your requirements. The current KH reading can be seen on the screen on the device. The device also sends data to the Aquawiz server and you can view all of the data on their website.

Finally the device monitors the health of the PH probe. It will display the health on the screen and also on the website.

Besides not needing reagents, these are the additional benefits
1. Calibration process is very simple. There‘s no need for pH calibration or dosing calibration. You only need to test the aquarium’s KH once a month and enter the data into the website. Since no reagents are needed, you also don‘t have to deal with replacing bottles or containers.

2. The error margin is less than 0.03, outperforming most brands.

3. With the built-in dosing system, since it tests every hour, the KH can be corrected to the target value every hour, resulting in minimal KH fluctuation.



2024-09-03_10-00-02_272.jpeg






2024-09-03_10-00-00_569.jpeg
Do you verify alk with some other means, weekly or so?
 

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The dosing pumps built into it pulls in water from the aquarium and then measures PH. Then it aerates the water and then measures the PH again. The built in processor then calculates the KH based on the PH difference
This test method as stated sounds like a fancy CO2 measuring device, which will vary with CO2 around the aquarium. I suppose if the unit is aerating with air of a known CO2 concentration then Alkalinity can be inferred but it would have to be extremely accurate. Perhaps @Randy Holmes-Farley can enlighten me.
 
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akaimal

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Do you verify alk with some other means, weekly or so?
I check the ALK using a hanna checker to just verify once a week. The principle of this machine is different from traditional methods. The margin of error is controllable. If the water in the reservoir has only a small difference from the machine’s target value, even after a month without calibration, the error will only be within 0.2 dKH. It won‘t result in a significant error due to uncalibrated pH.

**Factors that affect the stability of reference seawater**Stability in reference seawater quality is crucial for accurate KH measurements. The KH value and salinity of reference seawater should ideally be close to the target KH value and salinity. It is recommended to use aquarium seawater that has reached the target KH value, natural seawater, or seawater aerated with a protein skimmer as reference seawater. Note that the KH value of some aquarium seawater may not be stable during static conditions, rapidly decreasing and causing inaccurate KH measurements.

**Contamination of reference seawater:**During measurements, since the same pH probe is shared in the left test tube, a small amount of reference seawater may mix with the aquarium seawater, causing the KH value of the reference seawater to gradually approach that of the aquarium seawater. If the long-term difference between the KH values of the reference seawater and the tank aquarium seawater exceeds 1.0 dKH, it is recommended to replace the reference seawater and calibrate the KH. Alternatively, choose to

calibrate every one week until the KH of reference seawater approaches that of the tank seawater. If the long-term difference is less than 0.4 dKH, calibration can be extended to about once a month. In general, the drift of KH measurement due to contamination is about ~0.002 / (timesX∆KH). ∆KH = (Reference KH - average Tank KH). If ∆KH = 1.0 dKH, and measured 100 times (~4 days, 1 time per hour), there will be 0.2 dKH drift. If ∆KH = 0.1 dKH, and measured 1000 times (~41 days), there will be 0.2 dKH drift.


Calibrating once a month is very simple for me. I just manually measure the KH of the aquarium and enter it on this page. No other calibration steps are needed, which I find very convenient.

460322799_549969577376959_4820190901250379252_n.jpg
 
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akaimal

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This test method as stated sounds like a fancy CO2 measuring device, which will vary with CO2 around the aquarium. I suppose if the unit is aerating with air of a known CO2 concentration then Alkalinity can be inferred but it would have to be extremely accurate. Perhaps @Randy Holmes-Farley can enlighten me.
The principle of this machine is different from traditional methods. The margin of error is controllable. If the water in the reservoir has only a small difference from the machine’s target value, even after a month without calibration, the error will only be within 0.2 dKH. It won‘t result in a significant error due to uncalibrated pH.

**Factors that affect the stability of reference seawater**Stability in reference seawater quality is crucial for accurate KH measurements. The KH value and salinity of reference seawater should ideally be close to the target KH value and salinity. It is recommended to use aquarium seawater that has reached the target KH value, natural seawater, or seawater aerated with a protein skimmer as reference seawater. Note that the KH value of some aquarium seawater may not be stable during static conditions, rapidly decreasing and causing inaccurate KH measurements.

**Contamination of reference seawater:**During measurements, since the same pH probe is shared in the left test tube, a small amount of reference seawater may mix with the aquarium seawater, causing the KH value of the reference seawater to gradually approach that of the aquarium seawater. If the long-term difference between the KH values of the reference seawater and the tank aquarium seawater exceeds 1.0 dKH, it is recommended to replace the reference seawater and calibrate the KH. Alternatively, choose to

calibrate every one week until the KH of reference seawater approaches that of the tank seawater. If the long-term difference is less than 0.4 dKH, calibration can be extended to about once a month. In general, the drift of KH measurement due to contamination is about ~0.002 / (timesX∆KH). ∆KH = (Reference KH - average Tank KH). If ∆KH = 1.0 dKH, and measured 100 times (~4 days, 1 time per hour), there will be 0.2 dKH drift. If ∆KH = 0.1 dKH, and measured 1000 times (~41 days), there will be 0.2 dKH drift.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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I’m trying to understand how this can work. It must be more complicated or at least different than what you wrote.

Does it measure the pH of the tank sample after aeration AND the standard seawater after aeration every time it takes a reading?

The alk would then come from that difference, not for the before vs after aeration pH.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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How long does the aeration take? Assuming it works as I suggested, one needs to know that the CO2 level in the air did not change between aerating the tank sample and aerating the standard. Someone going out a nearby exterior door or turning on a gas stove might throw the value way off.
 
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akaimal

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When people don’t answer direct questions but copy and paste the sales pitch in reply to those with valid questions…..I run for the hills
I will get you all the scientific answers shortly. Plrase hold on. All questions will be answered with almost clarity. I just wanted to get the details on the marketing materials out here first before I gather all the scientific information.
 
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akaimal

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How long does the aeration take? Assuming it works as I suggested, one needs to know that the CO2 level in the air did not change between aerating the tank sample and aerating the standard. Someone going out a nearby exterior door or turning on a gas stove might throw the value way off.
The changes in CO2 levels in the air are irrelevant because the machine injects air into both the reference seawater and the test seawater simultaneously (into the left and right test tubes). So even if there are environmental changes, they occur simultaneously in both test tubes, and thus CO2 levels will not affect the result when applying the formula.

You can see the green line, which represents the changes in CO2 from the environment. It does not affect the machine’s measurements because air is injected into both the left and right test tubes simultaneously. Even if there are environmental changes, both test tubes are affected equally. Since we use a comparative method for calculation, if both sides are impacted, it means this variable will not affect the test results. Bubbling need 15minutes.
we inject air into both test tubes simultaneously for 15 minutes, so we can completely rule out the impact of air changes.

458619634_841948714801971_366947431389959529_n.jpg
 
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akaimal

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I’m trying to understand how this can work. It must be more complicated or at least different than what you wrote.

Does it measure the pH of the tank sample after aeration AND the standard seawater after aeration every time it takes a reading?

The alk would then come from that difference, not for the before vs after aeration pH.
Yes it measure the pH of the tank sample after aeration AND the standard seawater after aeration every time it takes a reading. Sorry I had this written incorrectly.
 

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@Randy Holmes-Farley

 

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It sells for $900 shipped. AquaWiz

400$ shipped
Monitors alk and auto doses to maintain desired alk level

Reagent is 20$ that last 2 months at 6 test a day

Dosing solution is cheap to make DIY with sodium bicarbonate and water

50$ add on module adds monitoring for temp, salinity and orp
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I don’t see why that’s worth twice the price as a kh guardian and i don’t think it will be accurate long term
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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The changes in CO2 levels in the air are irrelevant because the machine injects air into both the reference seawater and the test seawater simultaneously (into the left and right test tubes). So even if there are environmental changes, they occur simultaneously in both test tubes, and thus CO2 levels will not affect the result when applying the formula.

You can see the green line, which represents the changes in CO2 from the environment. It does not affect the machine’s measurements because air is injected into both the left and right test tubes simultaneously. Even if there are environmental changes, both test tubes are affected equally. Since we use a comparative method for calculation, if both sides are impacted, it means this variable will not affect the test results. Bubbling need 15minutes.
we inject air into both test tubes simultaneously for 15 minutes, so we can completely rule out the impact of air changes.

458619634_841948714801971_366947431389959529_n.jpg

Ok, thank you. Simultaneous aeration does eliminate that concern.
 
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akaimal

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400$ shipped
Monitors alk and auto doses to maintain desired alk level

Reagent is 20$ that last 2 months at 6 test a day

Dosing solution is cheap to make DIY with sodium bicarbonate and water

50$ add on module adds monitoring for temp, salinity and orp

I don’t see why that’s worth twice the price as a kh guardian and i don’t think it will be accurate long term
I am not able to find this product for sale. Looks like it was discontinued and was last selling for $1269. I am sure if they build it today, with inflation its going cost more than $2000. AquaWiz will work accurate long term if its maintained well just like any other quality products. These are some of the advantages of AquaWiz vs others:
28.PNG
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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A few additional questions:

1. How large is the seawater reservoir? How large is the aerated sample? The question arises as to how much evaporation will result in a dry climate from aerating some portion of it over and over for weeks without checking changes due to concentrating effects and salinity.

2. Borate typically accounts for a few percent of alk, and the amount depends on pH. Have you evaluated the potential error caused by variable boron levels in typical tanks? It’s not a big deal, generally, but if one is claiming accuracy levels to within 0.1 dKH or better, it likely is important.

3. You write:

“Stability in reference seawater quality is crucial for accurate KH measurements.”

How will users know the alk stability in the reservoir for days or weeks?

4. Can you clarify what the scales are on this graph you posted. It looks like the pH scale is missing.

1726844031355.jpeg
 

VintageReefer

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I am not able to find this product for sale. Looks like it was discontinued and was last selling for $1269. I am sure if they build it today, with inflation its going cost more than $2000. AquaWiz will work accurate long term if its maintained well just like any other quality products. These are some of the advantages of AquaWiz vs others:
28.PNG

Incorrect. I just bought one directly from the company for 400$ A month ago. It’s not discontinued, it’s no longer carried.

They pulled out of all retail websites and now sell direct from manufacturer to consumer to save consumers money and offer direct support.

And they only charge $400 for the system with alkalinity monitoring / control + ph monitoring and ph probe + 2 month of reagent included. and $50 for the AIMS expansion that includes/adds
Orp monitoring (you supply probe)
Temp monitoring with probe
Salinity monitoring (includes probe)

For 20$ you can get another module for Apex integration

This is a very precise device, it uses optical sensors to measure reagent one drop at a time, and does dual titration tests on your water before running the alkalinity test. If your alk results are more than 1dkh from last test it runs again to verify results. You can set a max dosage to override it’s calculated value as a safety : ie - if max dose is set for 30 ml and after testing it computes you need 100, it will only dose 30 (or whatever you set value for).

Also all data is cloud stored and accessible from any browser on any device and no need for an app

I did convert mine to wifi with a wifi bridge, was about 30$ It has an onboard dc port to power wifi bridge so you don’t need to use an extra outlet
 
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