How to calibrate Neptune Trident with tank water?

[Reef Devils]

I made a post about this a few weeks ago but want to double check that I will do this right and won’t break my trident.
I remember people talking about calibrating the Neptune Trident using your tank water instead of the calibration solution. Can you really do this and if so would you do it the same what you would with the calibration solution?
Is it more accurate?
How often should I be calibrating every time I change reagents?


Thanks

 

[boacvh]

You just run the calibration in fusion but instead of entering the values in the calibration jar you enter the values of your tank (I assume already tested with Hanna or something else). I use the calibration solution only when I start to get results that are way off. But you can do it every time you change reagents too, I did that when my trident was new and I was learning how it worked fort my tank and recognizing when it was off
As far as accurate I would assume it's as accurate as the method you use to measure the water you are using to calibrate (i.e hanna, salifery etc). Having said that, that's not following the manufacturer directions so take with grain of salt. I just do it that way.

 

[ca1ore]

If you calibrate with tank water, you'd need some way of independently measuring the three numbers.

 

[Reef Devils]

You just run the calibration in fusion but instead of entering the values in the calibration jar you enter the values of your tank (I assume already tested with Hanna or something else). I use the calibration solution only when I start to get results that are way off. But you can do it every time you change reagents too, I did that when my trident was new and I was learning how it worked fort my tank and recognizing when it was off
As far as accurate I would assume it's as accurate as the method you use to measure the water you are using to calibrate (i.e hanna, salifery etc). Having said that, that's not following the manufacturer directions so take with grain of salt. I just do it that way.

Hey thanks for the response.
Yes I have Hanna checkers and would enter the values I get on those for the calibration.
But does it damage the trident if I do the calibration with my tank water?

@Reefermatt do you have any videos on how to do this?

 

[Reef Devils]

If you calibrate with tank water, you'd need some way of independently measuring the three numbers.

I have Hanna checkers

 

[boacvh]

Unlikely it will damage the trident. I've done it many times.

 

[Reef Devils]

Unlikely it will damage the trident. I've done it many times.

Ok great.
So just to be clear I test my water with the Hanna’s. Then enter those values into the trident calibration and let it calibrate?

 

[boacvh]

Ok great.
So just to be clear I test my water with the Hanna’s. Then enter those values into the trident calibration and let it calibrate?

Pretty much.
@SuncrestReef is an apex expert. Adding him here in case he has a different opinion or advice

 

[Reef Devils]

Pretty much.
@SuncrestReef is an apex expert. Adding him here in case he has a different opinion or advice

Alright sounds good.

Thanks for the help.

I’ll see what he has to say.

 

[Overfloater]

I never understood the point of calibrating to tank water. What you are really doing is calibrating to other test results that you have no idea of the accuracy.

I guess if you have 5 different test that all say your Alk is 9-9.2 then you can calibrate to 9.1 and be reasonably sure it is close.

Calibrate with the trident calibration fluid that comes with the reagents and be done with it.

 

[thedon986]

I never understood the point of calibrating to tank water. What you are really doing is calibrating to other test results that you have no idea of the accuracy.

I guess if you have 5 different test that all say your Alk is 9-9.2 then you can calibrate to 9.1 and be reasonably sure it is close.

Calibrate with the trident calibration fluid that comes with the reagents and be done with it.

But are those levels on the calibration fluid accurate?

 

[Overfloater]

But are those levels on the calibration fluid accurate?

It's calibration fluid, I would hope so. I would not think a Hanna tester would be more accurate to be honest.

 

[Reef Devils]

I never understood the point of calibrating to tank water. What you are really doing is calibrating to other test results that you have no idea of the accuracy.

I guess if you have 5 different test that all say your Alk is 9-9.2 then you can calibrate to 9.1 and be reasonably sure it is close.

Calibrate with the trident calibration fluid that comes with the reagents and be done with it.

Are the levels on the calibration fluid accurate? Also you have to keep buying calibration fluids and that is expensive. I have to replace my alk twice before I am out of my cal and mag reagents and going through that much calibration solution just doesn’t work out.

 

[Reef Devils]

It's calibration fluid, I would hope so. I would not think a Hanna tester would be more accurate to be honest.

I would say Hanna’s are more accurate than the trident and more consistent.

 

[thedon986]

It's calibration fluid, I would hope so. I would not think a Hanna tester would be more accurate to be honest.

I believe my Hanna alk to be more accurate than a solution that Neptune mixed up and tested some months ago. I use salifert for Ca and Mg but am not as concerned about those being accurate since I use All for Reef. Hanna Alk has been super spot on for me.

 

[Reef Devils]

I believe my Hanna alk to be more accurate than a solution that Neptune mixed up and tested some months ago. I use salifert for Ca and Mg but am not as concerned about those being accurate since I use All for Reef. Hanna Alk has been super spot on for me.

My Hanna alk and mag have been great. I use salifert for mag. I also have the trident

 

[crazyfishmom]

Each independent lot of calibration fluid will give different results. Are they accurate? At time of making they are to factory specifications. The problem is that we use these values to compare to an existing tank that has been hopefully stable at a given value which to be clear, unless we are performing daily ICP tests at home, will be a trending value at best. So in all likelihood that calibration with the fluid will be less accurate to your tank that a continually trended value from your water as long as you have been actively cross testing to make sure that departures haven’t been extensive.

 

[Overfloater]

Are the levels on the calibration fluid accurate? Also you have to keep buying calibration fluids and that is expensive. I have to replace my alk twice before I am out of my cal and mag reagents and going through that much calibration solution just doesn’t work out.

If you calibrate with the fluid and then do a test on the calibration fluid the results should be very close.
You are only supposed to calibrate once when you get a new batch of reagents.

How do you determine that the Hanna alk tester is accurate let alone more accurate than a calibration fluid? Unless you have several other test kits that agree with the Hanna, you cannot determine it's accuracy.

 

[boacvh]

Don't disagree at all. But I have had multiple times where I spent the fluid already and had to calibrate the trident for whatever reason. I think doing it with Hannah and tank water makes it close enough and better than nothing until you get a new fluid.