Kh????

[zeeter]

I'm confused. There's so many Kh related products out there and I don't know which does what. There's the Kh Carer, the Kh Keeper, the Kh Director, Alkatronic, and a few other products that I'm not even sure are available in the USA.

Can someone explain what these things all do? I'm trying to decide which to get. Assume I have plenty of dosers, so the inclusion of those with a product is not a factor for me.

I'm using the Hydros system, so ideally I'm looking for something that can communicate with that.

 

[wvned]

In general these are "robots" that help you test and maintain the alkalinity in your tank by doing repetitive tasks for you. I dont own one though so I have no idea what each brand does.

I have seen in the Hydros setup it will interface with an Alkatronic

The HYDROS Control can seamlessly integrate with the Alkatronic from Focustronic. In contrast to other controllers available, the HYDROS Control can directly access Alkatronic readings from the cloud, eliminating the need for a cumbersome and outdated pH port connection.

Add Alkalinity (iV Tester) Input​

Adding an Alkalinity Input after configuring the iV Test Output is very simple.


Sorry I just use a dosing pump and do it the old way.

 

[kharmaguru]

I think @n2585722 uses the KH carer with his Hydros.

 

[griss]

I test with Salifert and dose Kalk and/or BRS Alk supplement as needed

 

[n2585722]

I have used the KH Carer and the X10 and iV combination with my Hydros. Both work but the X10 and iV is all local. The KH Carer the Hydros retrieves the data from The Kamoer cloud.

 

[n2585722]

Here is a screenshot of the iV output where you can select the test method you want it to use from the list. If you are using Hydros the Hydros X10 and Hydros iV I think would be better since the X10 is a Hydros controller and it has 4 precision stepper motor dosing pumps and has all needed ports to hook up the iV to it for sampled alkalinity, pH and salinity testing. I have mine setup to run a test every 6 hours and also dose All For Reef and a KH buffer every 6 hours after the test. The X10 has a pH port, salinity port, 2 drive ports and 4 sense ports. Depending on how you do it you will need either 3 of the X10 dosing pumps for use with the iF one for each fill pump, reagent pump and drain pump. You can also use a simple dosing pump for the drain pump. That would free up 2 dosing pumps on the X10 for dosing since they are precision dosing pumps. That would use up both drive ports one for the stirrer and one for the simple dosing pump. So after hooking up the iF you would have the 4 sense ports left and depending on how you do the pump you could have one of the 2 drive ports left. Hope this help. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[zeeter]

I have used the KH Carer and the X10 and iV combination with my Hydros. Both work but the X10 and iV is all local. The KH Carer the Hydros retrieves the data from The Kamoer cloud.

I didn't know the Hydros IV could do alkalinity until tonight. Would love that setup, but I already have the X4 and can't justify getting the X10 on top of getting the IV.

 

[n2585722]

I didn't know the Hydros IV could do alkalinity until tonight. Would love that setup, but I already have the X4 and can't justify getting the X10 on top of getting the IV.

You are going to use most of the ports for testing and It does have at least one spare precision dosing pump. Two if you have a simple dosing pump to use as the drain pump. It would also give you 4 extra sense ports. You would still need another pH port for a real time pH reading. If all you have is the X4 controller you can get a command bus cable and 2 terminators. This will allow you to form a collective with the 2 controllers. You would have to remove the X4 power supply but the X10 will power both controllers. When they are in a collective together they act like one large controller. All inputs and output are shared between the controllers. An input on one can control an output on another. I seem to run out of the sense ports the quickest. I have 21 sense ports in use in my collective and I just have A 42 gallon tank but there is a lot of automation. I currently have 13 controllers in my collective. The iV is basically a vessel with a stirrer built into it. It has 2 probe holders and a place to insert the tubing from the three pumps. The only thing electrical on it is the stirrer motor and that is powered off a drive port, It you do go the X10 iV router without the extra dosing pump for the drain pump the only ports you won't use for alkalinity testing is a salinity port, 1 drive port and 4 sense ports. My guess is you would have to have a second controller anyway. Sense ports get used up quickly since most sensors connect to them. The KH Carer is around $800 which is what the X10 is. The iV is about $130. It think most of the alkalinity testers are around $800 or more. So it would be a matter of if having some more sense ports and also the test being done within your collective so access to the other company's cloud is not needed is work the extra money or not. Are you aware of the new static inputs that you can setup so you can add the results of manual test into the Hydros now. So if you do manual testing you can now have the results on your Hydros. Below is a screenshot of my testing page with several of the static inputs along with the ones from the iV.

 

[zeeter]

You are going to use most of the ports for testing and It does have at least one spare precision dosing pump. Two if you have a simple dosing pump to use as the drain pump. It would also give you 4 extra sense ports. <snip>

Yeah...I'm hanging my head in shame at the moment as I just ordered the X10 with IV from Saltwater Aquarium. Had a $20 reward with them, which isn't much on $950, but it's something.

I've got two Hydros dosing pumps (Kamoer, I assume) and between the X10 and X4 I'll have plenty of drive ports. This will let me do 2x Kh test, 2x 2-part dosing on the X10, then return from the Kh test and the 3rd part of 2-part dosing with the Hydros pumps.