My Honest Opinion About The Alkatronic

[stevenlu]

Here is a link to a thread that I started when getting everything setup. Maybe it’ll help you out a little.

Geo 818/SMC415 Calcium Reactor Setup for my 240 Reef
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_fid=1020&share_tid=463228&url=https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/Geo-818-SMC415-Calcium-Reactor-Setup-for-my-240-Reef.463228/&share_type=t

Amazing thank you!

 

[stevenlu]

Follow the graphic above. It is in the troubleshooting guide .it worked for me. Log into Bluetooth. Remove wifi settings press save, renter wifi settings press save, kill app on phone, reboot alkatronic and do not start app at all on phone, check online account in a few minutes . Magic

Hey bud, I can now log in through the web version on a desk top but my app on my phone still doesn't work through non-bluetooth. Any suggestions?

 

[Pygmey]

Hey bud, I can now log in through the web version on a desk top but my app on my phone still doesn't work through non-bluetooth. Any suggestions?

I use the browser on my phone .I guess I don't know if the app can connect through wifi? I do get alerts from it once the cloud site started working .

 

[stevenlu]

I use the browser on my phone .I guess I don't know if the app can connect through wifi? I do get alerts from it once the cloud site started working .

Yeah I got an app notification too. But after I tried to open it it didn't work.

 

[mitch91175]

Yeah I got an app notification too. But after I tried to open it it didn't work.

The notifications only allow you to connect to the app. If you aren’t local to the unit, you won’t be able to see the unit through the app. Wish that they would allow the app to connect to the cloud as well so if you’re not local you can still use it.

Yeah I know it isn’t necessary for sure, but still the app should have the same capabilities as the website.

 

[stevenlu]

The notifications only allow you to connect to the app. If you aren’t local to the unit, you won’t be able to see the unit through the app. Wish that they would allow the app to connect to the cloud as well so if you’re not local you can still use it.

Yeah I know it isn’t necessary for sure, but still the app should have the same capabilities as the website.

Oh I see. So when it's connected to the internet you only get to see it through the web version? Everyone is having this same situation?

 

[mitch91175]

Oh I see. So when it's connected to the internet you only get to see it through the web version? Everyone is having this same situation?

Yes so if you are at home you can see through the app but when you’re away, you use the website.

 

[stevenlu]

Yes so if you are at home you can see through the app but when you’re away, you use the website.

Thank you!

 

[stevenlu]

Yes so if you are at home you can see through the app but when you’re away, you use the website.

Hello Mitch. I was wondering what's the pH probe in the Alkatronic for? I can't see pH readings in the cloud of the app.

 

[Pygmey]

THat is a method for detecting the alk levels. It injects reagent until the PH hits a certain level and then it calculates the ALK.

 

[Pygmey]

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/a-diy-alkalinity-test.12/

 

[stevenlu]

THat is a method for detecting the alk levels. It injects reagent until the PH hits a certain level and then it calculates the ALK.

I see thank you!

 

[hart24601]

Quick update. So I got this device not very long ago and as I reported setup was painless for me.


Last night I noticed a dosing line from my bubble magus doser was wet! Oh no!

Looks like the plastic piece that goes from dosing head to tubing is cracked. Ok, no biggie, I just move the dosing to the 3rd head I was using for amino acids. No big deal. AA are not that important while I get a new part.


I set the broken head to dose 0, the AA head which was set to 1ml and make it match what the cracked head was dosing. Easy!


Well I didn't hit enter after entering the amount! Woke up this morning and alkatronic sent me a message alk was below the amount I want. I don't have it set to autodose yet, so I fixed the BM error. No huge deal, A 0.7 dkh drop, but I was heading to work. Alkatronic caught it so I could fix - it's possible it just paid for itself as I don't know when I would have caught the doser not working - not until the weekend at least.

So I am pleased, it didn't take long to be of value!

 

[emvanburen]

This is a great thread. Thanks Mitch. I just took the plunge.

Any reason why I can’t split the line from my alk dosing and run it to the alkatronic, and then send it back to my doser output? This would let me use one reservoir for all alk, and one line to the tank. Thanks!

 

[mitch91175]

This is a great thread. Thanks Mitch. I just took the plunge.

Any reason why I can’t split the line from my alk dosing and run it to the alkatronic, and then send it back to my doser output? This would let me use one reservoir for all alk, and one line to the tank. Thanks!

Hey we all are here to share our experiences so we enjoy the hobby. I wouldn’t imagine that what you mentioned would be detrimental. I would just use the same container and have the doser and the Alkatronic both pull from it. Maybe send the outputs to a “Y” adapter and send that to the tank?

This is the part where every setup can have different variations to it based on your desired need.

 

[emvanburen]

Hey we all are here to share our experiences so we enjoy the hobby. I wouldn’t imagine that what you mentioned would be detrimental. I would just use the same container and have the doser and the Alkatronic both pull from it. Maybe send the outputs to a “Y” adapter and send that to the tank?

This is the part where every setup can have different variations to it based on your desired need.

That was what I was thinking but I wasn’t sure if there was something I was missing. I’m so cramped for space I really don’t want to have anything extra. Might even return waste into the tank for the same reason. I know it’s stated as being fine - anyone having issues ?

 

[hart24601]

That's a pretty good idea...

I would run two full lines from the alk container instead of a Y just for consistent performance if both were dosing at the same time.

I think I might do that. Thanks!

 

[BrianReefer]

This is a great thread. Thanks Mitch. I just took the plunge.

Any reason why I can’t split the line from my alk dosing and run it to the alkatronic, and then send it back to my doser output? This would let me use one reservoir for all alk, and one line to the tank. Thanks!

I debated similar. The problem with that Y setup is then you depend on the anti-backflow adapters that BRS sells, which requires you to buy adapter to connect dosing tubing to RO tubing to connect to the adapter. And then if you read reviews of those adapters, some folks have problems with them for anything other than straight RODI water. And if they fail, then you might be sending the alk solution to the wrong place - possible putting backfeed pressure on the Alkatronic dosing pump, which was most concerning. It was for this reason that I opted for a common alkalinity jug, but two separate feed lines to doser > tank and Alkatronic > tank

 

[emvanburen]

I debated similar. The problem with that Y setup is then you depend on the anti-backflow adapters that BRS sells, which requires you to buy adapter to connect dosing tubing to RO tubing to connect to the adapter. And then if you read reviews of those adapters, some folks have problems with them for anything other than straight RODI water. And if they fail, then you might be sending the alk solution to the wrong place - possible putting backfeed pressure on the Alkatronic dosing pump, which was most concerning. It was for this reason that I opted for a common alkalinity jug, but two separate feed lines to doser > tank and Alkatronic > tank

I was just thinking that the dosing pump (not in operation) would prevent back flow and since the outlet is unpressurized, the pressure on the outlet of that pump would be low and that the flow would just happily go to the tank. Maybe that’s too optimistic?

 

[BrianReefer]

I was just thinking that the dosing pump (not in operation) would prevent back flow and since the outlet is unpressurized, the pressure on the outlet of that pump would be low and that the flow would just happily go to the tank. Maybe that’s too optimistic?

Agree which is why I set it up that way initially. Then later that I realized “this is dumb, since if I damage there Alkatronic because I want one less tube into the tank, that’s probably a really, really regretted decision”.

But that’s just me. It’d probably work ok, just didn’t seem worth the risk/reward