Reef Kinetics ReefBot... Initial Review.

DarthSimon

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Hey Guys,
So I decided to take the plunge with the ReefBot this week. I own a Trident, so won't be testing Alk, Calcium and Magnesium with the Bot.

To start, Carol and Rabiah have been super helpful thus far. Reef Kinetics Support is ultra responsive to pre sales questions as well as any tech support you need. They answer almost instantly online.

My unit shipped Monday, and landed in my hands on Wednesday. Packing was super tight, and didn't have any issues with damages of any sort.

Setup was straight forward, and super easy. Had the ReefBot setup and ready to go in 20 minutes.

Build Quality:
So I must say, this ReefBot is truly a marvel of technology. I have seen the YouTube Videos of the inside mechanism working, but never really in person. The design, functionality, and execution of the robot arm is amazing. They way it moves and draws regents out of the vile's is precise. There are little pill like magnetic stirrers that sit at the bottom of every vile of the ReefBot. As the arm moves over to each vile, it spins the pill underneath to shake the fluid up. The innards look to be well built and sturdy.

Connectivity:
I choose to run an Ethernet Cable to my ReefBot. I was fortunate enough to have a Network Switch with an open Ethernet port in my Control Room, so it was no brainer. Didn't have to use the wifi so can't comment on that. I know being in the tech field, always use Direct Line if available.

Software:
The ReefBot currently can only be run by an App on a mobile Device such an iPhone or Ipad. I used my iPhone XS Max to set up the Reefbot. Once the ReefBot is physically setup, the App has to Sync to the Bot, after that you can choose a local Wifi Network, or Direct Connect via Ethernet. My Reefbot went online almost instantly via initial app setup and was ready to schedule tests and fill viles for the first time. You also have to create an Account with Reef Kinetics, which permits you to function at home, and outside of your network remotely.

Regent Setup:
So currently I am going to be testing 2 different parameters from the start. Phosphates (Red Sea Pro Refill Kit) and Nitrates (Fauna Marin you need 2 test kits on this, Regent C is small and you will need 2 for a full fill).


The procedure with each test kit is you take each bottle of regent that comes with that test kit, and each bottle gets placed and filed in a Reef Bot Vile. So for example Po4 (Red Sea Phosphate has a "A" and "B" ). In the App setup you will setup a test for phosphate and assign each regent to the specific vile you used. Reef Kinetics gives little stickers to label each vile as you go. Honestly the app is user friendly, and pretty self explanatory. Most will have their tests scheduled and setup within minutes.

Testing:
Once you have your tests scheduled you are all set. The app let's you set your schedule and frequency of each test and will test as much or as little as you desire. I choose test P04 3 times a week, and No3 2 times per week.
Initially I ran each test manually to give the Reefbot a spin.

The first PO4 (Phospahte) test took 35-40 minutes. Second test, No3 (Nitrate) took about 60 minutes.
After both tests commenced, you receive an email which states the test results, as well as a color wheel and readings showing you the numbers and stats.

Conclusion:
So far I have to say I impressed with the ReefBot. Setup of the device starting with the unit itself, regent fills, and then finally software was straight forward, easy and quick. The software running the ReefBot via the app is intuitive, and well thought out. Having a Neptune Systems Trident, my main purpose of obtaining a ReefBot was to fill in the void of the other tests the Trident doesn't do for the time being. Testing is subjective, and only as reliable as the test kit you are using, and following the directions and measuring regents, and then having the ability to read the color charts. The Reefbot looks to take most of the human element out of the equation, and will most likely be as accurate as possible for the particular test. I am personally all in on Apex gear! Most of you know that about me. If you run an Apex System, the Trident is an amazing tool to monitor Alk, Calcium, and Mag. I love my Trident, and the way I can control my Calcium Reactor via the Trident readings.

The Reefbot is also an amazing tool for measuring you tank parameters. Both companies should be proud of their respective devices. Well Done Reef Kinetics.

Future Requests:


1: Apex Integration.

Seeing test results via Apex Fusion would be nice. Maybe you will get access to Neptune Systems API sooner or later :)

2: Notifications
Would like to see TXT alerts in future added.

ScreenShots of App:


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Reefbot in Action:
 
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Peace River

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Thank you for the thorough review! I was able to see the ReefBot at Reef-a-Palooza Orlando and two of the things that you mentioned also jumped out at me which, in addition to the general innovative idea, were (1) the build quality, and (2) the friendly professionalism of the Kinetics team. Most of the vendor reps at the show were nice and friendly, but Kinetics was a step above most.
 
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DarthSimon

DarthSimon

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Thank you for the thorough review! I was able to see the ReefBot at Reef-a-Palooza Orlando and two of the things that you mentioned also jumped out at me which, in addition to the general innovative idea, were (1) the build quality, and (2) the friendly professionalism of the Kinetics team. Most of the vendor reps at the show were nice and friendly, but Kinetics was a step above most.

Yes agreed about how friendly they were. I just saw them in NY at ReefaPalazo. They are also true reefers!!!
 

Style68

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I have two ReefBots and love them. I have no experience with the Trident but I preordered the MindStream monitor and will eventually be using that for most of my monitoring. I will continue using the ReefBot for all other tests like Nitrate and Phospate, and even Alkalinity as a second reference.
 

richiero

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Hello i was looking at the reefbot and considering getting it. What type of technology does the reefbot use to run the test?Does it use a photometric method? I ask this question now b/c my decision was halted b/c of the upcoming release of the mastertronic and now the confusion sets in.
 

ca1ore

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That is pretty cool, thanks for taking the time to record your impressions. One question though. How does the RB ‘get around’ the need to shake the samples with the API nitrate test kit? Perhaps that is the role of the magnetic pill stirrer?
 

Style68

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That is pretty cool, thanks for taking the time to record your impressions. One question though. How does the RB ‘get around’ the need to shake the samples with the API nitrate test kit? Perhaps that is the role of the magnetic pill stirrer?
Correct, their is a magnetic pill stirrer in every vial including the test chamber. I think their are two ways the test chamber mixes the reagents with the water sample. I am away from my home so I can't confirm right now.

It has a spinning magnetic device that spins the magnetic pill stirrer inside the test chamber and the test chamber itself actually shakes.
 

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