Is my Seneye faulty?

Jonas Bergkvist

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 4, 2020
Messages
196
Reaction score
127
Location
Malmö, Sweden
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have used my Seneye for the past four months, and i have been struggling with my pH since i got it.

I have tried to:
Aerate a bucket of aquarium water next to my aquarium - no change in pH.
Added two teaspoons of Soda ash and dripped it into my sump. It made the pH go up like 0.03.... maybe less actually.
I added another pump to my sump (40 gallon) but it did nothing.
I have pointed my pumps inside my aquarium to the surface and it doesn't seem to do anything to my pH.
At one point i had like maybe 20-30 in Nitrate, so i used a few drops of Bio S, hoping it would do anything because i heard Nitrate is on the acidic side. Nope.
I made sure my skimmer is working properly (cleaned it) and increased the air flow.
One more thing i have to try is to add a hose to my skimmer and put the hose out the window. Also i purchased some gravel like thingies that will absorb all co2, but that didn't arrive yet.

Now i'm beginning to think that something might be wrong with it. As you can see on the graph my pH seems fine in the beginning when i have a new slide only to drop down to 7.3 before i change it again. This happens like within in a week.

Should i contact the store and say that this one is faulty? Are you guys experiencing the same thing with your Seneye?

I guess the water makes the slide "corroded" and is affected by salt, ammonia and what not but don't you think it should be made to last the whole month? I change water once every week. My tank is only six months old so it has been swinging some in both Nitrate, Phosphate and Alkalinity but i'm not convinced these swings should be exactly when i change the slide.

My water parameters are:

SG: 1.025
Nitrate: 5
Phosphate: 0.08
Alkalinity: 9.5
Calcium: 500

PS: I have checked the box "used in a saltwater aquarium" in the Seneye settings. Also i soak the slide for 48 hours in aquarium water.

pHSeneye.png
 
OP
OP
Jonas Bergkvist

Jonas Bergkvist

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 4, 2020
Messages
196
Reaction score
127
Location
Malmö, Sweden
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Having a similar issue. Is yours reacting to ammonia?
Yes, but not the whole time. It was stuck on 0.001 during this period in the picture. I heard of one guy who trimmed the value to 0.005 and then he somehow got the thing to react to ammonia during day/night. There is a thread about this here i think: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a-thread-tracking-the-incidence-of-seneye-nh3-misreads.773577/

Anyway, i just read of Seneyes site that if you add conditioner to the water it might have a negative effect on the Ph. A Seneye measures the pH with light. I add conditioner to my water because i don't have RODI unit. I use tap water. But i think still it's really weird that my pH drops after one week each time i change the slide. Is this something you experience as well?
 

Attachments

  • Nh3.png
    Nh3.png
    136.4 KB · Views: 36

Calm Blue Ocean

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
May 17, 2020
Messages
1,371
Reaction score
2,127
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Same problem. I'd calibrate it to my Hanna checker when the slide went in, and recalibrate it a week later, and recalibrate it again...you get the picture. I ended up increasing the range for pH alarms because I was always getting low alarms. Mine never registered any ammonia readings over the months that I used it. I finally took it out of my tank. Now I'm not trusting the par readings either. :(
 

Calm Blue Ocean

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
May 17, 2020
Messages
1,371
Reaction score
2,127
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yes, but not the whole time. It was stuck on 0.001 during this period in the picture. I heard of one guy who trimmed the value to 0.005 and then he somehow got the thing to react to ammonia during day/night. There is a thread about this here i think: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a-thread-tracking-the-incidence-of-seneye-nh3-misreads.773577/

Anyway, i just read of Seneyes site that if you add conditioner to the water it might have a negative effect on the Ph. A Seneye measures the pH with light. I add conditioner to my water because i don't have RODI unit. I use tap water. But i think still it's really weird that my pH drops after one week each time i change the slide. Is this something you experience as well?

No water conditioner here, I have RODI. Still had low and declining pH. So frustrating.
 
OP
OP
Jonas Bergkvist

Jonas Bergkvist

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 4, 2020
Messages
196
Reaction score
127
Location
Malmö, Sweden
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No water conditioner here, I have RODI. Still had low and declining pH. So frustrating.
Sorry to hear your having the same problem like me. I wonder why there isn't more people that has reacted to this pH thing. It's probably because ours are faulty somehow. For example, how can someone with a crap-load of SPS corals keep a Seneye that reports issues like this? There are many SPS nerds out there who has gotten a Seneye for sure - it's still a cheap device that has the PAR thing as well. Oh, and i do think you can trust the PAR readings at least, i haven't come across a post yet that claims it's doing a poor job measuring that.

So i changed my slide a few days ago, and as you can see it's doing pretty ok now. But i bet in a week i'll be down to 7.3-7.4 again.
AfterSlideChange.png
 

Calm Blue Ocean

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
May 17, 2020
Messages
1,371
Reaction score
2,127
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I seem to recall running across something that said light exposure can cause the slide to degrade over time but of course can't find it now. Not sure how light could be an issue, though, unless it's effected by it's own light (the constant error of low pH which wasn't really so low). I'd like to use it on a quarantine tank but I'll need to feel a bit more confidence in its reporting first.
 
OP
OP
Jonas Bergkvist

Jonas Bergkvist

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 4, 2020
Messages
196
Reaction score
127
Location
Malmö, Sweden
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I seem to recall running across something that said light exposure can cause the slide to degrade over time but of course can't find it now. Not sure how light could be an issue, though, unless it's effected by it's own light (the constant error of low pH which wasn't really so low). I'd like to use it on a quarantine tank but I'll need to feel a bit more confidence in its reporting first.
Did you solve this yet?

If you have a strong light that would leak into the seneye back (from e.g sump light) i guess it could maybe affect it, but honestly it sounds a bit far off. And if you suspect it's that just move it. I bet you already did that.

So, i just got myself a Hanna checker + pH just to double check my water. I inserted a new card into the Seneye and after an hour or so i calibrated my Hanna checker + with a pH4 solution and measured my tank water. The Seneye showed 8.25 and my Hanna checker 8.27! So there is basically some **** going on with your water over time. Sorry to say i don't know what :( Are you sure your RODI water is clean enough?

In my case i'm now pretty sure it's the chloramine (or the other chlor thingy) that is making the card decline over time OR the fact that i'm using water conditioner. Probably both honestly.

I will probably get a RODI system later on, but it's not a high prio right now, because i believe my water is pretty good after all.
 

NeonRabbit221B

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2019
Messages
3,037
Reaction score
5,607
Location
Richmond, Va
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I know the ammonia sensor will get degraded by additives like Prime. Interesting fact is that when my seneye was in my tank the pH crashed within 2 weeks and wouldn't read correctly but in a experimental bucket without actual fish waste and debris it has been pretty steady going on 3 weeks know. I think its an organics or debris issue causing it to drift.

One of those cases of the unit being designed in a lab and failing in the field.
 

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My Seneye PH has fluctuated .2 to .5 since its been in use for last 3-4 months. Its never matched Api or Salifert test kit. Ive seen people post it has been off up to .7
Temp fluctuates all day long by 1 defree F.
Problem with the PH and Temp fluctuations is thats not consistent. It can be high side or low side. Temp is the worse. Half the time trim doesn't correct it.
Only seen it register ammonia above .001 a few times when I upgraded and swapped a tank.
I did cross check par to an apogee and it was within 15 par so that was acceptable.
If it at least monitored high or low to one side or the other I would be able to use it as Guage.
Right now its pretty much useless unless im measuring par.
 

NeonRabbit221B

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2019
Messages
3,037
Reaction score
5,607
Location
Richmond, Va
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My Seneye PH has fluctuated .2 to .5 since its been in use for last 3-4 months. Its never matched Api or Salifert test kit. Ive seen people post it has been off up to .7
Temp fluctuates all day long by 1 defree F.
Problem with the PH and Temp fluctuations is thats not consistent. It can be high side or low side. Temp is the worse. Half the time trim doesn't correct it.
Only seen it register ammonia above .001 a few times when I upgraded and swapped a tank.
I did cross check par to an apogee and it was within 15 par so that was acceptable.
If it at least monitored high or low to one side or the other I would be able to use it as Guage.
Right now its pretty much useless unless im measuring par.
Are you using it strictly in a full reef system?

No issues with my temp functionality as it picks up changes pretty quickly but I think the issue with the pH sensor is that its constantly reacting so never picks up the fluctuations during the day. Or its a trash device that does okay at reading ammonia and PAR.

For ammonia I found that using a bucket of SW and a specified dose of ammonia can help with trimming. Just use something accurate for salinity and pH and adjust it until it hits the known concentration.
 

KStatefan

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
4,080
Reaction score
3,962
Location
MHK
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This is the chart from mine. The spike up and spike down is when I added then removed the offset. I have no fish in my tank and dosed Dr Tims ammonia per instructions.

1625855869755.png
 

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Are you using it strictly in a full reef system?

No issues with my temp functionality as it picks up changes pretty quickly but I think the issue with the pH sensor is that its constantly reacting so never picks up the fluctuations during the day. Or its a trash device that does okay at reading ammonia and PAR.

For ammonia I found that using a bucket of SW and a specified dose of ammonia can help with trimming. Just use something accurate for salinity and pH and adjust it until it hits the known concentration.
Hi Neon yes full reef. Ive been pretty obsessed with the machine once I realized PH was off. Im using 2 other temp probes in same sump now. Both the others are monitoring pretty much on point to eachother. I figured go with 3 temp monitors to take sure one was not also faulty.
Thats a great idea for ammonia I haven't tried that yet.
I originally thought that my new tank set up threw things off and it did. I definetely feel that water chemistry plays huge part in its accuracy.
Problem is ive used different slides to cross check back and forth between my established system and im getting same inconsistencies. Total bummer really.
Flip side is for only 200 you do get a pretty accurate par meter.
 

Calm Blue Ocean

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
May 17, 2020
Messages
1,371
Reaction score
2,127
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Did you solve this yet?

If you have a strong light that would leak into the seneye back (from e.g sump light) i guess it could maybe affect it, but honestly it sounds a bit far off. And if you suspect it's that just move it. I bet you already did that.

So, i just got myself a Hanna checker + pH just to double check my water. I inserted a new card into the Seneye and after an hour or so i calibrated my Hanna checker + with a pH4 solution and measured my tank water. The Seneye showed 8.25 and my Hanna checker 8.27! So there is basically some **** going on with your water over time. Sorry to say i don't know what :( Are you sure your RODI water is clean enough?

In my case i'm now pretty sure it's the chloramine (or the other chlor thingy) that is making the card decline over time OR the fact that i'm using water conditioner. Probably both honestly.

I will probably get a RODI system later on, but it's not a high prio right now, because i believe my water is pretty good after all.

I'm only using the Seneye as a par meter now. I picked up an Apex and have been using that to monitor pH. Happy to say the Apex shows pH measurements that I'd expect. Lower at night, back up during the day, increases if I have a window open, no general decline over the course of a month, and it continues to be in the same ballpark as other tests. At least I feel more confident that I don't just have the wackiest pH ever known ;Hilarious

I have had my RODI tested a couple times over the past few months and it's been squeaky clean.

I only mentioned the light spill issue in case it might help someone else but it definitely wasn't the cause of my measurement problems since the Seneye was well away from any light.

I do plan to try it out again next time I'm cycling a new tank. I think that even if it isn't a flawless device it might be useful in a new tank environment. And I do have a slide left!

I know the ammonia sensor will get degraded by additives like Prime. Interesting fact is that when my seneye was in my tank the pH crashed within 2 weeks and wouldn't read correctly but in a experimental bucket without actual fish waste and debris it has been pretty steady going on 3 weeks know. I think its an organics or debris issue causing it to drift.

One of those cases of the unit being designed in a lab and failing in the field.

Great test. This is an interesting possibility! I have a high nutrient system (like really high). I wonder if it's possible that unusually high PO4 or some other element outside typical ranges could degrade the slide at an abnormal rate? My tank has gone through many classic ups and downs over the past year.

I did cross check par to an apogee and it was within 15 par so that was acceptable.

This is great to hear and I believe it lines up with what BRS found.
 

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm only using the Seneye as a par meter now. I picked up an Apex and have been using that to monitor pH. Happy to say the Apex shows pH measurements that I'd expect. Lower at night, back up during the day, increases if I have a window open, no general decline over the course of a month, and it continues to be in the same ballpark as other tests. At least I feel more confident that I don't just have the wackiest pH ever known ;Hilarious

I have had my RODI tested a couple times over the past few months and it's been squeaky clean.

I only mentioned the light spill issue in case it might help someone else but it definitely wasn't the cause of my measurement problems since the Seneye was well away from any light.

I do plan to try it out again next time I'm cycling a new tank. I think that even if it isn't a flawless device it might be useful in a new tank environment. And I do have a slide left!



Great test. This is an interesting possibility! I have a high nutrient system (like really high). I wonder if it's possible that unusually high PO4 or some other element outside typical ranges could degrade the slide at an abnormal rate? My tank has gone through many classic ups and downs over the past year.



This is great to hear and I believe it lines up with what BRS found.
Yeah I'm pretty much going apex trident route. Its really what I need for future plans.
One thing I haven't tried yet is leaving it in my tank to see if exposure to light helps. All my monitoring has been done in no light exposure in sump.
I also have 1 slide left so its worth playing around with if nothing else.
 

NeonRabbit221B

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2019
Messages
3,037
Reaction score
5,607
Location
Richmond, Va
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It’s funny because when I got into the hobby 2 years ago it was through the DIY reef-pi and laughed at those that had to spend $$$ on Apex and other controllers… now I buy equipment out of reckless spending. I would never suggest a Seneye to someone looking to monitor pH because half of the reason to track it is to show swings and CO2/alk relationships. Maybe one day that new fancy version will be released and allow us to track Alk but given the pH responsiveness, they will have to make huge improvements.
 

Garf

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 23, 2020
Messages
5,017
Reaction score
5,853
Location
BEEFINGHAM
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I would not trust seneye. Some folks use the readings to prove there theories, but at best it’s sketchy. PAR readings seem within tolerance, if you give a dang.
 

ingchr1

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 9, 2018
Messages
1,486
Reaction score
1,108
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Once I adjusted the trim for pH mine has tracked along with my GHL P4 over multiple slides.

1625924357786.png

1625924391210.png


The same with temperature. The flat line in the Seneye is due to our internet being out during that time period.

1625924919482.png

1625924973722.png


My experience with ammonia is detailed in the thread already referenced (https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a-thread-tracking-the-incidence-of-seneye-nh3-misreads.773577/). Nothing to really add. There are definitely variances slide to slide and I question if it's actually working on some of them.

I believe the PAR readings to be in the ballpark.
 
Back
Top