Understanding Trident Calibration

[Gtinnel]

A few days ago I replaced the alk reagent in my trident and now my alkalinity is reading considerably lower. I keep my alk at 8.5 and after changing the reagent it started reading a little below 7. I checked my tank with manual tests and it was just below 8.5 about where I expected it to be

To fix this I decided to calibrate the unit with my tank water so I set the alkalinity in calibration to match my manual test. After finishing the calibration the next test the reading went back to below 7.

If I calibrated with my tank water to a certain number shouldn’t the trident then read my water as that value? It’s not that big of a deal because I set my controlled dosing value to 7dkH which is holding it steady at 8.5. I’m mostly just curious if I am understanding it right that my tested value should have been changed to the calibrated amount. The next cal and mag tested values for my tank changed to the calibrated numbers but what could cause alkalinity not too?

 

[blaxsun]

My Trident doesn't do this - but a friend's is having the exact same issue, ie: the Trident has the correct result after calibration but then drops after the first alkalinity test.

 

[penguinexdeus]

I'm having same issue and contacted support. They had me factory reset Trident, initial it, run 2 combined tests and then as long as tests were close to each other calibrate it. I did that with Trident calibration fluid and it was working though off compared to my manual tests. Lived with that for a few days (doing the mental math) and just today tired to calibrate to tank water... Back to square one with my 8.0 tank water reading 6.5 as if Trident just decided the cal isn't good and went to factory numbers... Trying the same procedure again but I don't have Trident solution so hopefully it works with tank water...

Seriously wondering if any recent updates screwed up the tank water calibration method people use and will only recognize certain values based on the ranges the Trident calibration fluid comes in...

 

[SPS2020]

Mine also did something similar. Changed only the A Reagent the other day and then the alk dropped from 7.59 to 6.88. It came back up over the next two readings, but is still averaging .3 below what it was. I did not recalibrate and I am using ABC Reagents. I may go back to Neptune Reagents after I exhaust the current supply of ABC.

Those having issues, what brand of reagents are you using? TIA

 

[penguinexdeus]

Mine also did something similar. Changed only the A Reagent the other day and then the alk dropped from 7.59 to 6.88. It came back up over the next two readings, but is still averaging .3 below what it was. I did not recalibrate and I am using ABC Reagents. I may go back to Neptune Reagents after I exhaust the current supply of ABC.

Those having issues, what brand of reagents are you using? TIA

Using Neptune reagents. This happened without changing reagents... I changed my A after thinking maybe my A was too low (20% left).... Literally acting like it doesn't hold calibration

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have to check against Hanna and trident rarely matches included calibration solution - Pitiful!!

 

[penguinexdeus]

I have to check against Hanna and trident rarely matches included calibration solution - Pitiful!!

Same... That's why I try and calibrate to tank water vs the mental math or changing of my alarm points in programming... Just can't get the calibration to stay in memory it seems with the tank water... Even using fauna marine calibration standards didn't work...

 

[Zach B]

I'm guessing most do this but for me it helps if I prime the solution once or twice and then again afterwards to get the tanks reading. Best of luck

 

[punchy7080]

I had this issue and found the fix on here. Reset the trident to clear out the values. Manually test with your trusted test kits and calibrate to those values. If your actual results are too far off the calibration fluid, it thinks they are wrong and returns a previous result. This should be able to be overwritten with a setting in my opinion but that’s how it is coded to work. If you calibrate to your tank water initially, no issues.

 

[penguinexdeus]

I had this issue and found the fix on here. Reset the trident to clear out the values. Manually test with your trusted test kits and calibrate to those values. If your actual results are too far off the calibration fluid, it thinks they are wrong and returns a previous result. This should be able to be overwritten with a setting in my opinion but that’s how it is coded to work. If you calibrate to your tank water initially, no issues.

Thanks. I'm in process of that now. Hoping it works. Just don't understand why it just started giving me problems now when it's worked fine my usual way for 6 months... Will report back shortly if this actually works this time

 

[penguinexdeus]

Thanks. I'm in process of that now. Hoping it works. Just don't understand why it just started giving me problems now when it's worked fine my usual way for 6 months... Will report back shortly if this actually works this time

Yeah it didn't work. I just fully changed my reagents and I'm trying again. If it doesn't work again I'm going to try a water change tomorrow to drop magnesium (it's been high for me) and then try again. Maybe a 1500 magnesium it's throwing it off...

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

A few days ago I replaced the alk reagent in my trident and now my alkalinity is reading considerably lower. I keep my alk at 8.5 and after changing the reagent it started reading a little below 7. I checked my tank with manual tests and it was just below 8.5 about where I expected it to be

To fix this I decided to calibrate the unit with my tank water so I set the alkalinity in calibration to match my manual test. After finishing the calibration the next test the reading went back to below 7.

If I calibrated with my tank water to a certain number shouldn’t the trident then read my water as that value? It’s not that big of a deal because I set my controlled dosing value to 7dkH which is holding it steady at 8.5. I’m mostly just curious if I am understanding it right that my tested value should have been changed to the calibrated amount. The next cal and mag tested values for my tank changed to the calibrated numbers but what could cause alkalinity not too?

I tilted at this windmill over and over and over again. When i reached out to Neptune, they told me to 'live with it' (paraphrasing of course). It is constant game of deflection and victim / buyer blaming for mistakes. I have a number of communications with them explaining this exact scenario...if I tank calibrate, why doesnt the first test immediately after the calibration come close. What I always do, and is what Netpune suggested, do the mental math and live with the difference between the trident and your trusted test (in my case hanna).

 

[penguinexdeus]

I tilted at this windmill over and over and over again. When i reached out to Neptune, they told me to 'live with it' (paraphrasing of course). It is constant game of deflection and victim / buyer blaming for mistakes. I have a number of communications with them explaining this exact scenario...if I tank calibrate, why does the first test immediately after the calibration come close. What I always do, and is what Netpune suggested, do the mental math and live with the difference between the trident and your trusted test (in my case hanna).

I get this... What I don't get is that tank calibration used to work just fine for me... Something has changed that is not working anymore... If I have an alarm set to 8.0 on alk or any other controls I'm going to have to alter those values everytime I change reagents/ recalibrate because tridents calibration solution is varyingly off. Even other calibration solutions like the fauna Marin that are said to work didn't work.

 

[infinite0180]

This is weird. Mine seems to hold calibration regardless of wether i use my tank water or cal solution. I also have used both ABC and Neptune reagents with no issues… honestly i rarely calibrate. Usually my numbers hold steady after reagent change so i dont bother. If i move the trident or get off results then i run the cal but i dont bother unless i see an issue.

 

[penguinexdeus]

This is weird. Mine seems to hold calibration regardless of wether i use my tank water or cal solution. I also have used both ABC and Neptune reagents with no issues… honestly i rarely calibrate. Usually my numbers hold steady after reagent change so i dont bother. If i move the trident or get off results then i run the cal but i dont bother unless i see an issue.

That's how mine used to be... Trident is only like 6 months old and I'm about ready to toss it out a window

 

[Sean Clark]

 

[torchreefer]

I'm running into the same issue. My trident is way off

 

[Gtinnel]

Seriously wondering if any recent updates screwed up the tank water calibration method people use and will only recognize certain values based on the ranges the Trident calibration fluid comes in...

I haven’t updated the software on my apex in well over a year, so I know it isn’t an issue with a software update.

 

[dadnjesse]

Mine does the same. Every time I change the A reagent my results are off. I also calibrate to my tank with Hanna Alkalinity and Red Sea for the others. Usually the fist calibration will be 1 DKH off I then have to do a second sometimes a third before it gets close.

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

I haven’t updated the software on my apex in well over a year, so I know it isn’t an issue with a software update.

Only explanation