- Joined
- Dec 3, 2017
- Messages
- 135
- Reaction score
- 129
Super detailed response and great that you see what we have been talking about pertaining to the unit overall. It can use some polishing (specially the software - but even then it isn't like it's not usable either. Just little nits here and there, but I'd rather have nits with software than equipment any day .)
I am more of a consistency in readings guys and the rest I know can be taken care of with more development of software, etc. It has been consistent for me and that is great. I am not trying to have 0.00dkh difference either. I am even comfortable with 0.1 difference (that's not gonna make or break my tank or coral). If something that minor would, then I'd say I have more issues that worrying about what the Alkatronic is doing/not doing. Plus if I was that anal about it, I have other issues besides my aquarium too .
Cannot wait to see what they do with the Dosetronic.
Yes for me personally 0.1 or 0.2 isn't a big deal. If I test the same water twice on my Hanna or Salifert kit I get those kind of differences anyways. What matters is that the error is random and the underlying results are consistent, and at least after day 1 that appears to be the case.
I use a calcium reactor/masterflex pump/aquariumplants co2 doser setup, so once I get everything dialed in, my alkalinity stays rock steady (in the short term... in the long term it changes depending on how corals are growing). So I'm just going to be looking at my alkalinity trends over days or weeks to see if I need to make slight adjustments. An error of 0.1 or 0.2 makes no difference to me as those will all cancel out.
But if the machine does have some sort of bias where over time it will read too low or read too high, that is a problem. I'm optimistic that wont be the case but I'll still test every week or so against my Hanna kit to make sure they stay in line. Still very useful to only have to do an alkalinity test once every week rather than once a day, not to mention that the Alkatronic always is performing the tests at consistent times so that eliminates another potential source of error.