Wi-Fi tds meter, something that never crossed my little mind

[A_Blind_Reefer]

So, after listening to those two salty reef (I prefer bass but for the mods) clowns over at reef beef the other day……something that I never knew I needed came up thank you @Thales for talking about it! Wi-Fi tds monitoring! @neptune this is something to look at incorporating into the apex (tds not necessarily Wi-Fi). I, like a few others, have my rodi in a location where it doesn’t get noticed often (the garage). I also can’t see to read the tds display and have to either use the be my eyes app (seeing ai can read my Hanna checkers display but not the tds display so a person is required) or have a visitor look at it. The Wi-Fi tds monitor with notifications is something I need, that I never knew even existed! Having an apex module with tds probes would be totally bonus! So I’m off to Google these up unless there’s a mfg willing to send one out for a rando without a YouTube channel to try out! Makes me wonder what other handy gadgets are out there that would be helpful that aren’t necessarily thought about.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

@Thales could you do me a solid and shoot me a link for the unit you’re using? I’m not having any luck sifting through the webercesspool of misinformation out there….plus I’m dense….there is that

 

[Thales]

Reef Factory TDS Meter

Reef Factory TDS meter Plus TDS meter will inform you about the current level of contamination before or after the DI filter (depending on the installation location and the number of sensors). If the TDS level changes to an alert-triggering value (for example to 001), you will receive a text...

www.championlighting.com

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Reef Factory TDS Meter

Reef Factory TDS meter Plus TDS meter will inform you about the current level of contamination before or after the DI filter (depending on the installation location and the number of sensors). If the TDS level changes to an alert-triggering value (for example to 001), you will receive a text...

www.championlighting.com

Thanks a mill! You‘re awesome! Now I just need to know who Champion (instantly hearing Bens jingle in my head) has locked in the basement to ship orders! Love you guys

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

Hydros also has a TDS Meter Accessory. I have been using it on our office RO system for a few months.

CoralVue Hydros Dual Inline TDS Sensor (HDRS-TDS)

The CoralVue Hydros Dual Inline TDS Sensor (HDRS-TDS) has two sensors to monitor the water quality of any RO/DI system.

www.marineandreef.com

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Hydros also has a TDS Meter Accessory. I have been using it on our office RO system for a few months.

CoralVue Hydros Dual Inline TDS Sensor (HDRS-TDS)

The CoralVue Hydros Dual Inline TDS Sensor (HDRS-TDS) has two sensors to monitor the water quality of any RO/DI system.

www.marineandreef.com

Now if @neptune would come out with one!

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

I have asked the Neptune Reps and in theory, you could use the salinity probe to measure TDS but that is ridiculously expensive compared to the $50 Hydros TDS Meter.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

I have asked the Neptune Reps and in theory, you could use the salinity probe to measure TDS but that is ridiculously expensive compared to the $50 Hydros TDS Meter.

Well $50 if you have a hydros controller that is

edit. especially one in a remote location like a garage

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

Well $50 if you have a hydros controller that is

edit. especially one in a remote location like a garage

This is something else that Neptune needs to catch up to IMO. I can get a base Hydros Controller for $199 while even the Apex Jr is $299 with no power bar. I am much more likely to use a Hydros to automate my mixing station than an apex simply because of the cost.

 

[Thales]

This is something else that Neptune needs to catch up to IMO. I can get a base Hydros Controller for $199 while even the Apex Jr is $299 with no power bar. I am much more likely to use a Hydros to automate my mixing station than an apex simply because of the cost.

If that is all you are doing, that makes some sense. But, as soon as you want to do more...

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

If that is all you are doing, that makes some sense. But, as soon as you want to do more...

I love my Apex and Hydros. Selling both I need to use both and I do use both. At least for me on a mixing station, I would want to monitor leaks, know the RO TDS and turn on and off my Booster pump and mixing pumps.

I don't need or want dosing pumps, alkalinity monitors, pH monitoring, ORP Monitoring, Ect.

At the tank this makes sense it is just a bit overkill for a mixing station IMO.

Neptune is great and there are many things that I prefer about an Apex over a Hydros, but for mixing stations and RO I think Hydros is better at this time.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

I love my Apex and Hydros. Selling both I need to use both and I do use both. At least for me on a mixing station, I would want to monitor leaks, know the RO TDS and turn on and off my Booster pump and mixing pumps.

I don't need or want dosing pumps, alkalinity monitors, pH monitoring, ORP Monitoring, Ect.

At the tank this makes sense it is just a bit overkill for a mixing station IMO.

Neptune is great and there are many things that I prefer about an Apex over a Hydros, but for mixing stations and RO I think Hydros is better at this time.

Especially if you’re not in the neptune ecosystem to start. If you’re already running an apex, an eb4, a breakout, some sensors, a couple solenoids, a mixing pump, obviously no tds but my case or similar wouldn’t matter as the rodi unit is far away from my mixing station and would require an additional hydros Just for that. Nothing negative against hydros, I just don’t see any point in mixing two completely different ecosystems that don’t mesh together. From what I can tell though you wouldn’t need to run aquabus cables all over with hydros as they can communicate with each other over wifi? That’s a major bonus for some, especially when things are in different rooms or in the garage or basement. Another thing Neptune could add is a wireless repeater/mesh network into revised energy bars or even a wireless transmitter/receiver module package.

edit…I think there’s a podcast YouTube dynamic duo that you guys could possibly sponsor. They compose amazing jingles! For some reason every time Ben sings this is what comes to mind.

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

Especially if you’re not in the neptune ecosystem to start. If you’re already running an apex, an eb4, a breakout, some sensors, a couple solenoids, a mixing pump, obviously no tds but my case or similar wouldn’t matter as the rodi unit is far away from my mixing station and would require an additional hydros Just for that. Nothing negative against hydros, I just don’t see any point in mixing two completely different ecosystems that don’t mesh together. From what I can tell though you wouldn’t need to run aquabus cables all over with hydros as they can communicate with each other over wifi? That’s a major bonus for some, especially when things are in different rooms or in the garage or basement. Another thing Neptune could add is a wireless repeater/mesh network into revised energy bars or even a wireless transmitter/receiver module package.

edit…I think there’s a podcast YouTube dynamic duo that you guys could possibly sponsor. They compose amazing jingles! For some reason every time Ben sings this is what comes to mind.

Yep, no need to run aquabus cables with Hydros so you can have a small unit in your garage and another unit on your main tank that can communicate together without running the really long Aquabus.

Again I really do like my Apex. I like the reminders, I like my kessil integration, I like the ethernet port. I also like the 3 position switch dashboard layout, but there are also plenty of things that Hydros does better.