Trident - Hands on

[SuncrestReef]

I received my Trident today and set it up. For full details, see this post in my build thread:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/s...efer-xl-425-build.358990/page-31#post-6036364

Here's a photo of the inside mechanics of the Trident. I haven't seen this posted anywhere else before:

 

[Silver14SS]

Thank you for sharing the picture!

 

[SuncrestReef]

Now that the Trident has been installed for nearly 24 hours, I have some data to post. The initial readings are lower than my manual test kits show, but I've read this is normal and will be corrected after calibration. Neptune recommends waiting 48 to 72 hours after installation before calibration, so I'll probably wait until Monday to calibrate it. They also recommend waiting 7 - 10 days before configuring it to integrate with the DOS for automated dosing adjustment, so I'll probably take that step next weekend.

Here is the Trident tile on my dashboard:



My manual test kits currently read:

Alk = 8.4
CA = 410
MG = 1350

Each time you click the tile, it cycles through additional information. The first click shows measurement graphs:



The next click shows reagent levels:



The 3rd click shows the waste container level:



You can configure the Trident for automatic testing or manual testing:



The scheduling options are pretty limited. You can select between 4, 6, 8, 12, or 24 tests per day. It automatically assigns the time of day for each test:



The Trident configuration page is pretty straight forward:



If you click on the measurement graphs shown above, it gives you more detail:



Here's a short video of the Trident while testing. You can hear the R2D2-like robot sounds that are freaking out my dog. Hopefully he gets used to it.

 

[ca1ore]

I’d be interested in eventually getting your input on precision versus accuracy. So, if it’s different than the manual tests is it always different by the same magnitude. I’d not, for example worry that T measured slightly low as long as it consistently does.

 

[Wiskey]

Thank you for posting the inside! I was curious about that. I'd love to know more about the pumps in there.

Whiskey

 

[TX_Punisher]

Cool look at this system.

 

[Aakarl101]

Any chance at an update on the accuracy of the unit? Is it still showing a variance that is the same at it was on the first tests? Did the calibration bring the numbers closer together?

I’m excited to see what this unit can accomplish! Thanks for sharing.

Now that the Trident has been installed for nearly 24 hours, I have some data to post. The initial readings are lower than my manual test kits show, but I've read this is normal and will be corrected after calibration. Neptune recommends waiting 48 to 72 hours after installation before calibration, so I'll probably wait until Monday to calibrate it. They also recommend waiting 7 - 10 days before configuring it to integrate with the DOS for automated dosing adjustment, so I'll probably take that step next weekend.

Here is the Trident tile on my dashboard:



My manual test kits currently read:

Alk = 8.4
CA = 410
MG = 1350

Each time you click the tile, it cycles through additional information. The first click shows measurement graphs:



The next click shows reagent levels:



The 3rd click shows the waste container level:



You can configure the Trident for automatic testing or manual testing:



The scheduling options are pretty limited. You can select between 4, 6, 8, 12, or 24 tests per day. It automatically assigns the time of day for each test:



The Trident configuration page is pretty straight forward:



If you click on the measurement graphs shown above, it gives you more detail:



Here's a short video of the Trident while testing. You can hear the R2D2-like robot sounds that are freaking out my dog. Hopefully he gets used to it.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Any chance at an update on the accuracy of the unit? Is it still showing a variance that is the same at it was on the first tests? Did the calibration bring the numbers closer together?

I’m excited to see what this unit can accomplish! Thanks for sharing.

After calibration my Trident readings are still lower than my manual test kits. Trident says my Alk is 7.8, but Hanna says it's 8.3, so a 0.5 dKH difference. I tested the leftover Trident calibration solution (labeled 8.4 dKH on the bottle) and the Hanna measured it as 8.9, so now I'm thinking my Hanna has been off by 0.5 this whole time. I might take a sample to my LFS to get another opinion.

 

[TX_Punisher]

The Hannah isnt exactly lab grade that’s the thing in this hobby with test kits, I’ve always said they’re just ballpark. Send off an icp test and verify against that.


Good luck and I’m sure you’ll settle in on a comfortable solution soon.

 

[SuncrestReef]

My Trident has now been in use for just over 7 days. I've been manually increasing my dosing a bit, but no major swings. Here's my alkalinity over the past several days, with testing every 6 hours. Notice the up and down swings throughout the day, even though I only ever adjusted the dosing amount once per day in the mornings:



I'm getting impatient and decided to configure the Trident controlled dosing. It's an amazingly simple process done through a Fusion task:

1. From the list of tasks, select Trident Controlled Dosing
   
   
2. Check the box confirming you understand the requirements
   
3. Select the parameter you want to dose based on Trident readings
   
4. Select the DOS pump for the appropriate additive
   
5. Optionally rename your DOS pump
   
6. Enter the parameter level you wish to maintain, and the normal volume you've been dosing
   
7. Select whether to dose a consistent amount daily, or to dose more during daylight hours and less at night
   
8. Review the summary and send the configuration to Apex
   
9. Read the reminder, then finish the task wizard
   

Once the configuration has been sent, your DOS now has a new schedule defined along with variable adjustment limits based on the Trident readings:


After a few days, I'll post a graph showing if this has smoothed out my parameters.

 

[TX_Punisher]

We’re you trying to raise your alk? According to the first graph your alkcwent from 7.65 to 8.2 in 4 days?

What alk value are you shooting for?

 

[SuncrestReef]

We’re you trying to raise your alk? According to the first graph your alkcwent from 7.65 to 8.2 in 4 days?

What alk value are you shooting for?

Yes, I’ve been slowly increasing my alk to get to 8.2.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Here’s the Trident waste. I’m replacing this small 1000ml bottle with a gallon jug. Trident keeps track of how full the container is and alerts when it’s full.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Now that Trident is controlling my dosing, I'm also changing the testing frequency from 4/2 daily tests to 6/3 tests. I just want a little more granularity to see the daily fluctuations. You can go as high as 24/12 tests per day, but that would be ridiculous.

 

[TX_Punisher]

How many days of testing reagants does that container represent? And at which testing interval.

Thanks

 

[SuncrestReef]

How many days of testing reagants does that container represent? And at which testing interval.

Thanks

The 75% full 1000 ml container in the photo above contained waste from:

• Initializations: 3 (initial installation, firmware update x 2)
• Calibrations: 2
• Alk tests: 28
• Cal tests: 14
• Mag tests: 14

They say it's approximately 7 ml per test, so a 1000 ml container should be enough for about 17 days if you're doing the 4 alk / 2 cal / 2 mag tests per day. My new 1 gallon jug should last about 2 months before emptying.

 

[TX_Punisher]

Thanks.

 

[SuncrestReef]

I've only had the Trident controlling my dosing for a couple days now, but it does appear to have reduced the day/night swings a little bit. This graph shows the days leading up to switching over (while I was also increasing the alkalinity), and two days of data since. I have it set to target 8.20 dKH, but keep in mind the Trident has a +/- 0.05 dKH margin of error, so the reported numbers could be anywhere within that range.

 

[Hitch08]

Great review, Suncrest. Hope that it's OK if I add some of my thoughts/experience.

I was lucky enough to get one from the first batch that BRS sold. I installed it the Friday, May 10 and have had it up and running since then. That Sunday night, I ran the calibration and the only thing that changed much was the Ca. This past Sunday (one week later), I set up the Trident controlled DOS'ing (he-he) for Ca and Mg. My Alk got a bit high, so I'm dosing very little of that while it comes down - it was up around 9.5 and I don't think that my anemone liked that. It's now down to 8.7. I think that I'd like to maintain it around 8.2.

I'm very happy with the Trident. As you can probably tell from the Alk issue, I'm not great with staying on top of the manual testing. I'm very optimistic that the Trident will keep things much more stable.

Setting up the Trident and various functions is a breeze. I'm not great with programming the Apex, so I very much appreciate how easy it was to setup and run. For example, when you set up the Trident to control dosing, it automatically sets up error message/notifications to advise if your suggested dosing amounts, within certain percentages, do not maintain the levels that you ask it to.

I posted a bunch of photos of the Trident and what's in the box in the Trident FAQ on page 11, at post 209.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Today I replaced my carbon and GFO media in my reactors. A few hours later, my Trident reported a big drop in alkalinity, from 8.23 down to 7.77. I assumed something was wrong with the Trident, so I did some troubleshooting and ran a few manual tests that reported the same lower values than I was expecting. After some research I learned that GFO can impact alkalinity. This is something I never knew before, and thanks to the frequent testing by the Trident, I saw the immediate impact on my water chemistry.

All I can say is that the Trident is awesome for catching things so quickly, and I'm humbled that it taught me a lesson in this situation.