Okay i am looking to setup a system to monitor several different critical areas of my tank such as alkalinity, calcium, pH, salinity, and other critical parameters. Whenever one of these criteria fall below a certain level it is automatically dosed. I am sure this has been done? I am just curious as to the setup that will be required. Money is no object, I am looking for quality. With this setup I hope to be able to take out some of the boring day - day tasks and if i go out of town for a few days, have a level of security to help maintain my parameters
Automation.
- Thread starter blueavlo
- Start date
the problem you may have (will encounter) is that measurement of these parameters is not all that accurate. Even if you constantly recalibrate your probes, some, such as calcium are just not all that accurate or even precise. Dosing based on inaccurate measurement does not sound like a great idea to me.
I happily call myself one of the lazyest reefers ever, so automation is my friend.
What I have run into is this.
Calcium can be measured but not monitored, meaning you can get digital calc meters, but they are not very accurate unless calibrated before every use. And they are not cheap. So they are not sutable for controling anything.
Alk, well it costs THOUSANDS for a digital alk meter so screw that.
Nitrate, same as calc.
Now things like PH, ORP, temp and even salinity and disolved O2 can be monitored and controlled with most available controllers out today. Although the salinity(measured by conductivity) and O2 are still kinda pricey for the probes and well, im not sure they are needed. I simple float switch assembly is more then needed and much simpler.
As far as dosing goes, pretty much cant beat a litermeter. Simply testing your water once a week for a few weeks to get the dosing amounts you need, and setting the litermeter is the way to go. Then monthly testing and adjustments as needed. Not the absolute laziest way to go, but unless you have enough money to pay someone else to do it.....
I tend not to be a fan on calc reactors for most situations due to the inability to dose calc and alk sperate.
An Aquacontroller, reef keeper or the like along with a litermeter or two are all you need to automate the system as much as possible. With a few solonoids and electric valves and enough expantion plugs you can setup top off and water changes as well.
Then all you do is sit back and feed the fish and scrape the glass...which im working on ways to lazify that too
What I have run into is this.
Calcium can be measured but not monitored, meaning you can get digital calc meters, but they are not very accurate unless calibrated before every use. And they are not cheap. So they are not sutable for controling anything.
Alk, well it costs THOUSANDS for a digital alk meter so screw that.
Nitrate, same as calc.
Now things like PH, ORP, temp and even salinity and disolved O2 can be monitored and controlled with most available controllers out today. Although the salinity(measured by conductivity) and O2 are still kinda pricey for the probes and well, im not sure they are needed. I simple float switch assembly is more then needed and much simpler.
As far as dosing goes, pretty much cant beat a litermeter. Simply testing your water once a week for a few weeks to get the dosing amounts you need, and setting the litermeter is the way to go. Then monthly testing and adjustments as needed. Not the absolute laziest way to go, but unless you have enough money to pay someone else to do it.....
I tend not to be a fan on calc reactors for most situations due to the inability to dose calc and alk sperate.
An Aquacontroller, reef keeper or the like along with a litermeter or two are all you need to automate the system as much as possible. With a few solonoids and electric valves and enough expantion plugs you can setup top off and water changes as well.
Then all you do is sit back and feed the fish and scrape the glass...which im working on ways to lazify that too
I'll copy my post from the other thread for readers here:
Whenever one of these criteria fall below a certain level it is automatically dosed.
Even with unlimited funds, this is not generally recommended, IMO.
I would not automate salinity as that may be prone to overdosing salt or salt water to the tank if an air bubble or algae growth on the probe gave an artificially low reading. I don't' recommend even keeping salinity probes in the water 24/7 for the same reason.
There are not probes available to automate calcium or alkalinity. There is a calcium probe available from Pinpoint, but it is not a continuous reading device. More like a testing station. I review it here:
Electronic Calcium Monitoring
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-04/rhf/index.htm
pH can be controlled, but I do not recommend doing so. To much chance for something bad to happen with pH meter calibration drift, etc, and too little benefit to tight ph control. If you want, a pH controller is well suited to keeping the pH from getting too high (say, much above 8.5) when dosing limewater by shutting off the limewater when the pH is high.
Whenever one of these criteria fall below a certain level it is automatically dosed.
Even with unlimited funds, this is not generally recommended, IMO.
I would not automate salinity as that may be prone to overdosing salt or salt water to the tank if an air bubble or algae growth on the probe gave an artificially low reading. I don't' recommend even keeping salinity probes in the water 24/7 for the same reason.
There are not probes available to automate calcium or alkalinity. There is a calcium probe available from Pinpoint, but it is not a continuous reading device. More like a testing station. I review it here:
Electronic Calcium Monitoring
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-04/rhf/index.htm
pH can be controlled, but I do not recommend doing so. To much chance for something bad to happen with pH meter calibration drift, etc, and too little benefit to tight ph control. If you want, a pH controller is well suited to keeping the pH from getting too high (say, much above 8.5) when dosing limewater by shutting off the limewater when the pH is high.
