Brand new Trident issues

Shannon_Hill · Mar 11, 2021

I’ve finally decided to try the Neptune Apex controller route after 30 years of manual reefing. I got the Apex last month and like many, had issues with probe calibrations and air in the salinity probe...

Yesterday I received brand new DOS and Trident systems. The DOS fried upon plugging in the power supply so I submitted a ticket for that. Then I focused on the Trident.

After completing the connections and setup I kept getting Alk and CA out of range readings. I tried retesting 4 times with same results.

Restarted and reset several times.

Tried to do calibration, received Test A failed
Played with tubing and checked for leaks, kinks or disconnects. CA and Mg results are nowhere near the calibration solution.

Ran calibration again, received Test A failed again. This time I pulled the tray out and left it out. Again, results do not match calibration solution (I entered the numbers exactly as shown on the bottle).

Test A failed again. Replaced A regent with the 2nd bottle.

Ran calibration again, this time test B failed. And I’m out of calibration fluid at this point.

Returned sample line to aquarium water and reran full tests. CA out of range again, but at least I’m now getting Alk. Mg has always seemed to work.

So, this unit is literally 4 hours out of the box and I have yet to get a full reading. I’m out of calibration fluid and down about 30% of my regents.

Question: when I do a calibration, aren’t the test results supposed to generally match the numbers on the calibration fluid bottle? (And entered into the calibration task). Mine aren’t even close....

Bottle Alk 8.30
Test Alk 11.07

Bottle Mg 1195
Test Mg 1376

Any ideas on what else to try? Tubes are not kinked, tubes are connected, pump spins and regent seems to prime. I have also reset, restarted and reprimed several times.

So far, not so good. After $2k I have a spotty PH and salinity monitor and remote control power strip...

Thanks for letting me vent and any other suggestions are welcomed.

themcfreak · Mar 11, 2021

I could be wrong, but I believe they ask you to run it for a week or so, before you begin trying calibration? If it doesn't pull sample or errors out just on tank water, that is 1 story. But I believe a brand new Trident needs to 'settle' for a bit. Then try your calibration

Out of range is ok before you calibrate. But don't calibrate yet. With all that, make sure you seal that calibration solution good, since it is already opened, if you are going to hold onto it a week. They recommend only opening and using, then throwing rest away. Not sure if that will mess with anything :/ FWIW, I had my Trident running over a year and it worked great.

Shannon_Hill · Mar 11, 2021

I’m doing just that, I have just let it be for now. It keeps testing on schedule, but still have no readings for Ca. I just ordered some additional regent and calibration fluid so I will have some new stuff on hand. This last test, I got the Test A and B failed instead of out of range, so I’m going to try with the tray out again. Can’t seem to get it to work with the tray in, regardless of what I do with the tubing.

Shirak · Mar 11, 2021

Out of range or very high indicates the metal tube in the jar is not in the fluid and it’s sucking up some air or there is a kink in one of the tubes
Yes after calibration the unit should give readings exactly what is printed on the bottle and entered during the start of calibration but if there is an issue with the tubing it may not work properly during calibration

let it run for a couple days and make sure the bottles are not empty and the metal sample tubes are vertical in the bottle and no kinks in any of the tubes.

I would then prime the sample and make sure it’s drawing water and sending it out the waste line. You can also remove the sample line and make sure it’s not clogged

If it runs normally for a couple days with no failed tests try recalibration. Make sure the calibration bottle is roughly the same height in relation to the unit of where the sample line would normally be. After inserting the sample line into the calibration solution prime sample and then follow the calibration steps.

saltfishguy18 · Mar 15, 2021

Are you clicking prime before switching fluids? You need to make sure you do that before running tests. You are suppose to wait 48-72 hours before calibrating after changing reagents