Seneye Coral moniters Alklinity - fact vs fiction

[gcarroll]

Randy, wondering your thoughts regarding measurement of Alk using this method. Is it a reliable method that we can bank on or is this really crude and the accuracy not reliable?

https://reefbuilders.com/2017/10/18/seneye-coral-monitors-alkalinity-for-just-200/

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy, wondering your thoughts regarding measurement of Alk using this method. Is it a reliable method that we can bank on or is this really crude and the accuracy not reliable?

https://reefbuilders.com/2017/10/18/seneye-coral-monitors-alkalinity-for-just-200/

The method can theoretically work fine. It gives carbonate alkalinity instead of total alkalinity, but that's OK.

But in practice the method is very challenging. Mindstream has been trying for a long time to get adequate accuracy.

 

[gcarroll]

It is my understanding that the level that Mindstream is looking for is far more accuracy than what we really need. How accurate would you expect this measurement to be. Would it be good enough?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It is my understanding that the level that Mindstream is looking for is far more accuracy than what we really need. How accurate would you expect this measurement to be. Would it be good enough?

It depends entirely on how accurately it can measure both pH and CO2. They can be measured very well, or crappily.

 

[vanpire]

How expensive or difficult would it be to build and sell an instrument that would measure CO2 accurately? I like the Seneye concept. For me +/- .25 dKh would be acceptable. I don't need something that is 0.01 accurate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How expensive or difficult would it be to build and sell an instrument that would measure CO2 accurately? I like the Seneye concept. For me +/- .25 dKh would be acceptable. I don't need something that is 0.01 accurate.

Mindstream has been working on it for years. I have spent time talking to them, and I'd say it is not easy, or not inexpensive.

 

[ksed]

The Seneye is actually quite affordable.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The Seneye is actually quite affordable.

Hence the question of accuracy using a challenging method.

 

[Brendank]

How expensive or difficult would it be to build and sell an instrument that would measure CO2 accurately? I like the Seneye concept. For me +/- .25 dKh would be acceptable. I don't need something that is 0.01 accurate.

CO2 is kinda challenging to measure in a high humidity environment. The sensors are noisy and they just get even more noisy with humidity. Interestingly, getting a good enough pH measurement is really the limiting factor. Getting tolerances within +/- 0.25 dKh is actually very hard to achieve. Sensor measurements drift over time and lose calibration, and other aspects of the water composition matter - sulphates, fluorides, and so on effect the measurements which also drift and change.

 

[reeferKen]

its still listed as coming soon.....4 years now
https://www.seneye.com/coming-soon

 

[garbled]

CO2 is a hot mess to measure cheaply even in atmosphere. All the under-100$ sensors are either wildly inaccurate or have to be recalibrated every 7 days from a known setpoint. I don't imagine doing it in-water with salt present makes this any easier...

 

[The Opinionated Reefer]

its still listed as coming soon.....4 years now
https://www.seneye.com/coming-soon

Its safe to say that will never be released.

 

[reeferKen]

OK i chatted with Seneye. They were so happy with their ALK monitor they are adding more Element sensors to monitor. So that's what the "coral" version has been up to these past 4 years. They sure have good customer service.

 

[Darkreef]

Anyone know when the seneye coral is being released?

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Anyone know when the seneye coral is being released?

I can't get an accurate pH reading from my Seneye and it constantly drifts. I can't imagine they can get a pH reading accurate enough to determine carbonate alkalinity given their current design. I would say that if it hasn't been released given the announcement 4 years ago they abandoned the idea or are still struggling to get any sort of accuracy from it.

 

[The Opinionated Reefer]

Anyone know when the seneye coral is being released?

Never it was probably just marketing hype. What they are suggesting isn't possible.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Never it was probably just marketing hype. What they are suggesting isn't possible.

Not entirely true. If you have a pH reading and a co2 reading you can get it… the problem I have found with Seneye is that it builds up gunk which causes ph to go crazy fairly quickly. (Or atleast I assume this is the cause).

 

[The Opinionated Reefer]

Not entirely true. If you have a pH reading and a co2 reading you can get it… the problem I have found with Seneye is that it builds up gunk which causes ph to go crazy fairly quickly. (Or atleast I assume this is the cause).

If it is so easy why is no other company measuring alk with some kind of probe or set of probes? Why are all alkalinity monitoring machines complicated titration machines?

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

If it is so easy why is no other company measuring alk with some kind of probe or set of probes? Why are all alkalinity monitoring machines complicated titration machines?

Don't put words in my mouth, it clearly isn't easy but its feasible.

Mindstream did it. Innovation takes time and titration worked and has been around for years.

 

[green behind the ears]

Don't put words in my mouth, it clearly isn't easy but its feasible.

Mindstream did it. Innovation takes time and titration worked and has been around for years.

I agree