How good is the Neptune Trident System.

[Reef Devils]

I was thing about getting a Neptune Trident to test my calcium, alkaline, and magnesium. How accurate is this system. Do you need the apex to run the trident or can you just plug it into the wall and let it run? Is it worth that expensive price?

 

[Waters]

I was thing about getting a Neptune Trident to test my calcium, alkaline, and magnesium. How accurate is this system. Do you need the apex to run the trident or can you just plug it into the wall and let it run? Is it worth that expensive price?

You will get a million different answers to these questions. I absolutely think it is worth the price but it definitely isn't without flaws. In my experience, the alk is dead on accurate (which is the most important anyways). The other two tend to drift a bit. Yes, you need the Apex to use the Trident....it does not run on its own. What makes it so invaluable to me is the ability to change dosing amounts based on the Trident readings that happen throughout the day.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

You will get a million different answers to these questions. I absolutely think it is worth the price but it definitely isn't without flaws. In my experience, the alk is dead on accurate (which is the most important anyways). The other two tend to drift a bit. Yes, you need the Apex to use the Trident....it does not run on its own. What makes it so invaluable to me is the ability to change dosing amounts based on the Trident readings that happen throughout the day.

Was gunna say the same thing good luck with all the opinions good and bad

 

[Reef Devils]

You will get a million different answers to these questions. I absolutely think it is worth the price but it definitely isn't without flaws. In my experience, the alk is dead on accurate (which is the most important anyways). The other two tend to drift a bit. Yes, you need the Apex to use the Trident....it does not run on its own. What makes it so invaluable to me is the ability to change dosing amounts based on the Trident readings that happen throughout the day.

I think I might get it. It will save me lots of time. Don’t have the money to buy both so need to save up. What u mean but all is dead on accurate?

 

[Gtinnel]

It is my piece of equipment that I love and hate the most at the same time. It’s nice always knowing your alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium values at all times. However, the thing can be very frustrating when you start getting testing failures for what seems like no reason.
It is also the controlled dosing that makes it worth the hefty price tag in my opinion.

 

[Om84]

It is my piece of equipment that I love and hate the most at the same time. It’s nice always knowing your alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium values at all times. However, the thing can be very frustrating when you start getting testing failures for what seems like no reason.
It is also the controlled dosing that makes it worth the heft price tag in my opinion.

This. It's great tool but don't expect it to be set it and forget it. As a SPS keeper I still manually test all my parameters usually every 1-2 weeks to make sure the Trident numbers are not drifting. After keeping the Trident I will always have a automatic tester. I have not had any experience with the competition.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

If you're looking for a stand alone automated tester, there are plenty of options outside of trident.

Although as stated trident isn't a stand alone unit.

How I'd decide, if in your situation. Will I eventually want a controller? If so, then it's easier to go the direction you're wanting.

But, you'll also want to educate yourself on the cost of keeping the tester going with reagent purchases.

If that's something you value, then hands down no question, there are far better options. And when you dive into automated testing you'll quickly realize, as pointed out by the trident users, that calcium and magnesium are not necessarily parameters you need to test regularly.

It would be wise to do some research and add things up, so that you can make an informed decision rather than going with what every novice tells you.

 

[Oldreefer44]

I have owned most of the testing systems including the Trident and would say, based on my experience:
Pro's:
Tests Alk, Ca and Mg
Is accurate as long as it is well maintained
Pairs with Apex
Cons:
Not stand alone so must pay for Apex
Reagents are fairly expensive compared to some alternatives
Access in kind of a pain
IME, accuracy erodes over time
Hoses can easily pinch and leak.

 

[Reef Devils]

I have owned most of the testing systems including the Trident and would say, based on my experience:
Pro's:
Tests Alk, Ca and Mg
Is accurate as long as it is well maintained
Pairs with Apex
Cons:
Not stand alone so must pay for Apex
Reagents are fairly expensive compared to some alternatives
Access in kind of a pain
IME, accuracy erodes over time
Hoses can easily pinch and leak.

Do you need the Energybar 832 to run the trident and apex?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Do you need the Energybar 832 to run the trident and apex?

Nope

 

[rtparty]

You need an Apex Jr at a minimum to get the Trident. I absolutely love mine. Set it up to test half as often and it is less than $100 a year to test all three every single day. Alkalinity twice a day. Buy the reagents on Black Friday when they’re on sale. Or buy ABC Reagents if you really want

 

[areefer01]

I was thing about getting a Neptune Trident to test my calcium, alkaline, and magnesium. How accurate is this system. Do you need the apex to run the trident or can you just plug it into the wall and let it run? Is it worth that expensive price?

• How old is your tank?
• What type of reef are you keeping? Soft, LPS, Mixed, combination of them?
• How mature are the corals? 1/4" frags or 6 to 12" colonies?
• What test kits do you use?
• What is your testing frequency today?
• How long does it take you to run through your tests?
• Do you dose Alk, Ca, or Mg?

More importantly:

• Do you have a tank budget?
• Does the budget separate coral, fish, supplements, hardware?
• Do you meet the requirements to have a trident?

The reason why some here in this thread great, opinion, good luck, accurate, and what not is because people use the same product yet have totally different experiences with it. Environmental, product, reagents, parameter levels, location, and more. The answer sort of comes back to the hobbyist and what they hope to achieve. Do they have the budget set aside to maintain it and supply the reagents required. Furthermore do they have the controller or any other component required to run it.

The product has been out for a good while now and still available today. That alone speaks for itself.

 

[Reef Devils]

• How old is your tank?
• What type of reef are you keeping? Soft, LPS, Mixed, combination of them?
• How mature are the corals? 1/4" frags or 6 to 12" colonies?
• What test kits do you use?
• What is your testing frequency today?
• How long does it take you to run through your tests?
• Do you dose Alk, Ca, or Mg?

More importantly:

• Do you have a tank budget?
• Does the budget separate coral, fish, supplements, hardware?
• Do you meet the requirements to have a trident?

The reason why some here in this thread great, opinion, good luck, accurate, and what not is because people use the same product yet have totally different experiences with it. Environmental, product, reagents, parameter levels, location, and more. The answer sort of comes back to the hobbyist and what they hope to achieve. Do they have the budget set aside to maintain it and supply the reagents required. Furthermore do they have the controller or any other component required to run it.

The product has been out for a good while now and still available today. That alone speaks for itself.

Tank is 3 months old. I have mainly soft corals/lps. I am planing on haveing mixed reef. I use hanna teat kit and salifert for magnesium. Corals are not that big. I test about every 2 days and it takes about an hour. Yes I have reef does for Alk, Ca, Mg. No worried about price.

 

[areefer01]

Tank is 3 months old. I have mainly soft corals/lps. I am planing on haveing mixed reef. I use hanna teat kit and salifert for magnesium. Corals are not that big. I test about every 2 days and it takes about an hour. Yes I have reef does for Alk, Ca, Mg. No worried about price.

Thank you for the reply. The reason for my questions rather than a direct answer was to get an idea of the need. If I was in your shoes, and I was at one point, all of us have been, would be to recommend holding off for a bit. The age of the display and coral type lead me to believe it isn't required. You can manually test for Alk to get an idea of consumption rate and then go from there.

If you are going to be in the Neptune controller ecosystem then a Trident makes sense. Alk, phosphate, nitrate all Hanna kits testing can be done in a couple minutes. 7 actually as the Hanna nitrate kit takes the longest. Alk is more or less instant and phosphate is 3 minutes.

Point is your system is still maturing so the money can be better spent elsewhere. Just my opinion. Regardless of your decision welcome to the hobby and all the best.

 

[Reef Devils]

Thank you for the reply. The reason for my questions rather than a direct answer was to get an idea of the need. If I was in your shoes, and I was at one point, all of us have been, would be to recommend holding off for a bit. The age of the display and coral type lead me to believe it isn't required. You can manually test for Alk to get an idea of consumption rate and then go from there.

If you are going to be in the Neptune controller ecosystem then a Trident makes sense. Alk, phosphate, nitrate all Hanna kits testing can be done in a couple minutes. 7 actually as the Hanna nitrate kit takes the longest. Alk is more or less instant and phosphate is 3 minutes.

Point is your system is still maturing so the money can be better spent elsewhere. Just my opinion. Regardless of your decision welcome to the hobby and all the best.

Thanks for your help. I think I will hold off and wait to get it in a few months. Maybe Christmas!!!! How do you like your trident and apex. So to run the trident you need the apex but do you need the Energybar 832? When I look it up to buy it comes as a pack with the trident, apex, and energy bar. Can I just buy the trident and energy bar separately and plug it into a normal power strip?

 

[areefer01]

Thanks for your help. I think I will hold off and wait to get it in a few months. Maybe Christmas!!!! How do you like your trident and apex. So to run the trident you need the apex but do you need the Energybar 832? When I look it up to buy it comes as a pack with the trident, apex, and energy bar. Can I just buy the trident and energy bar separately and plug it into a normal power strip?

I'm a bit biased as I've been a long time Neptune customer going back to around 2000 or so. Having said that I'm satisfied with the products I use from them to include the Trident.

I think it was already mentioned by @Sisterlimonpot (who is pretty unbiased btw) but the Trident does not need the energy bar. It requires the A2, or A3 Apex model to run. 1 Link port or 24v power supply and aquabus cable. I have mine attached using the 1 Link.

Again as mentioned here some love it, some are frustrated by it, many users never post either way about it. It has been out a couple years now so must be doing well in our small hobby market. Neptune reagents when buying the 6 month kit isn't too bad at 94 or so dollars. Not too bad.

Trident page, FAQ:
https://www.neptunesystems.com/products/expansion-modules/trident/

 

[Reef Devils]

I'm a bit biased as I've been a long time Neptune customer going back to around 2000 or so. Having said that I'm satisfied with the products I use from them to include the Trident.

I think it was already mentioned by @Sisterlimonpot (who is pretty unbiased btw) but the Trident does not need the energy bar. It requires the A2, or A3 Apex model to run. 1 Link port or 24v power supply and aquabus cable. I have mine attached using the 1 Link.

Again as mentioned here some love it, some are frustrated by it, many users never post either way about it. It has been out a couple years now so must be doing well in our small hobby market. Neptune reagents when buying the 6 month kit isn't too bad at 94 or so dollars. Not too bad.

Trident page, FAQ:
https://www.neptunesystems.com/products/expansion-modules/trident/

Good to know thanks for the help.

 

[reefkeeping]

I've had my Trident up and running for two years now, including using it for automated dosing. On balance, it's been beneficial for me (especially maintaining Alk), but it is certainly not without its flaws. Perhaps the most notable issue I had with mine was a long stretch of time where it was (unknown to me) incredibly inaccurate on my Calcium tests. It was reporting ~450, when in reality it was <300. Attempted replacing reagents, repeated calibration, etc. to no avail. To Neptune's credit, they sent an advanced replacement out and warrantied the issue.

TL;DR: They can be very useful, but don't take their readings as gospel and keep a high accuracy manual test kit on-hand. I now test with my Red Sea Alk/Ca/Mag titration kit monthly.

 

[aroda]

Hi all,

Appreciate all the expertise on this chain. @areefer01 , @rtparty , @Oldreefer44 , y'all seem very knowledgeable, would love your input building on this Trident conversation. I have a 50 gallon waterbox system been running 7 yrs. I run a Nyos Skimmer in sump, have a refugium growing my macro-algaes to help with algae and stabalize pH and oxygen etc, and have a single doser for alk. I've always used Hanna tester for Ca and Alk and then another for Mg, but honestly I've experienced incredible inaccuracy. The Hanna Ca has always been unreliable to me (needing distilled water for test accuracy), and I always wind up heading into my reef store getting spin tests there and seeing VERY different results home vs. store testing. I'm willing to pay for all the equipment, I just want reliability. So if Neptune Apex + Trident + power is most reliable I'm happy to do it......if you believe theres a better mouse trap I'm all ears. I recognize 50 gal system may be small for this gear, but again I just need reliability and I'm willing to pay for it. I'm also considering doing a custom waterbox (peninsula maybe ~100-120gallon total system) so the equipment would all move over to that once relevant.

Thanks for your insights in advance folks, much appreciated.

 

[areefer01]

Hi all,

Appreciate all the expertise on this chain. @areefer01 , @rtparty , @Oldreefer44 , y'all seem very knowledgeable, would love your input building on this Trident conversation. I have a 50 gallon waterbox system been running 7 yrs. I run a Nyos Skimmer in sump, have a refugium growing my macro-algaes to help with algae and stabalize pH and oxygen etc, and have a single doser for alk. I've always used Hanna tester for Ca and Alk and then another for Mg, but honestly I've experienced incredible inaccuracy. The Hanna Ca has always been unreliable to me (needing distilled water for test accuracy), and I always wind up heading into my reef store getting spin tests there and seeing VERY different results home vs. store testing. I'm willing to pay for all the equipment, I just want reliability. So if Neptune Apex + Trident + power is most reliable I'm happy to do it......if you believe theres a better mouse trap I'm all ears. I recognize 50 gal system may be small for this gear, but again I just need reliability and I'm willing to pay for it. I'm also considering doing a custom waterbox (peninsula maybe ~100-120gallon total system) so the equipment would all move over to that once relevant.

Thanks for your insights in advance folks, much appreciated.

I do not like to spend other people's money :) Short answer is if you do not already have the Neptune controller I would pass for now. Once you find a test kit you are happy with they can be run pretty quickly. Once the system is running to your satisfaction you will see a test cadence that meets your time allocation. Weekly, bi-weekly, etc. A good friend of mine tests weekly, every Sunday for example.

Neptune's Trident ACM is not stand alone so you will have a pretty high initial upfront cost buying all the bits. Trident ACM reagent cost is 109 USD / 6 month kits using the default schedule is about $0.17 per test. Pretty low. Can be lower using non OEM reagents (I use Neptune's) or altering the schedule by using an odd hack to turn it off, back on, etc. I also do not do that or recommend it. The point I am trying to make is that the investment to get the automated testing needs to be factored in - it may not be worth it but only you can answer.

There may be other standalone options but I do not use them so not much help. I am a long time user of Neptune controllers going back to 2001 so a bit biased. While I like the Trident ACM and NP, I do, I think testing for Alk, Nitrate, and Phosphate to be super quick, and consistent, using the Hanna egg's. Ca and Mg I have not manual testing in a long time but used Salifert. RHF may have some recommendations in his build thread or in the chemistry forum. Ca is the interesting one but again, no exp here.

Not sure if I helped or not but ignoring the tank size I would test manually unless I already had a controller. You can always enter later.

Hope your day is well.