ReefBot Lab

[BeanAnimal]

Just ordered one - will post back when it arrives and I get it setup.

Was waiting on GHL ION-D but after some research, real world amortized equipment+ consumables costs are going to easily be $3-$5 a day to operate over a 3 year period. The consumables costs are just insanely overpriced. As much as I like my GHL equipment, I am not about to sign on to that kind of consumables cost or deal with the regular probe replacements and calibration.

 

[reefing102]

I looked at it and couldnt swallow the cost. Keep us posted

 

[BeanAnimal]

I looked at it and couldnt swallow the cost. Keep us posted

Yeah not super happy to spend $1200 or whatever, but operating cost will be far less than ION-D and honestly - I assume more consistent and accurate.

 

[Jposch]

The hardware looks promising..marketing could use some help. Lol
For those complaining of cost, Reef Factory just launched individual titration units with...Proprietary Reagents...yep. our favorite subscription model, also, each unit which can only test one parameter unless manually changed and recalibrated, etc. Will be around $800...(£700) I also don't know if it can be standalone or integrated with anything 3rd party. I use a KHG with older firmware and hardware store HCL. I'm not into subscriptions.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Not a chance I am signing on for captive consumables. The API reagents and RS etc are proven and high quality. I like the idea of a simple colorimeter setup.

The Hanna checkers are (imho) garbage due to quality control and sample size, etc. nice idea but poor implementation. The robot just makes sense to me.

The GHL probe idea is best but just too finicky due to the probe life and drift.

 

[griss]

Who is Sunjay Roshi? Is that supposed to be Sanjay Joshi?

 

[Jposch]

Not a chance I am signing on for captive consumables. The API reagents and RS etc are proven and high quality. I like the idea of a simple colorimeter setup.

The Hanna checkers are (imho) garbage due to quality control and sample size, etc. nice idea but poor implementation. The robot just makes sense to me.

The GHL probe idea is best but just too finicky due to the probe life and drift.

I use salifert po4 in my hanna ulr PPB checker. Works fantastic. Just divide by 3.12. Very consistent results. Hanna makes spotty reagents.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I used Salifert for years as well and they also work with the Reefbot. I have not decided which kits to go with yet.

 

[Jposch]

I used Salifert for years as well and they also work with the Reefbot. I have not decided which kits to go with yet.

I do use api nitrate, but I bought a Vortex mixed for like $30 on Amazon. Hopefully the reef bot has good reagent pre-mixing since all nitrate tests suffer from zinc powder settlement. Someone on RC here posted years ago about api po4 reagent used with the hanna checker.
For alk, api is consistent, but it's always about 1dkh off from my salifert and kh guardian results which are in agreement when the kh guardian is calibrated correctly. I forgot which way, over or under.

 

[BeanAnimal]

The ReefBot has a magnetic stirrer for each vial - so hopefully that is enough.
Over on the other forum there is a thread fro one of the reefchem guys where he tested the API reagents extensively and even a decade or more old kit was spot on. The conclusion was that the chemistry is rock solid, the issue is the color card and instructions... but with a colorimeter, they can be fully relied on.

I will continue to use the KH-DIrector form GHL as well... so results there will be interesting.

I just need to decide on which kit for each sample and what I want to sample.
Alk
Cal
Mag
Phosphate

and not sure what else I really want or care about. Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite are not something that I would really care to test. Iodine? Maybe but to what end? As far as I know there is still no definitive metric (though I do not pay much attention).

 

[Jposch]

The ReefBot has a magnetic stirrer for each vial - so hopefully that is enough.
Over on the other forum there is a thread fro one of the reefchem guys where he tested the API reagents extensively and even a decade or more old kit was spot on. The conclusion was that the chemistry is rock solid, the issue is the color card and instructions... but with a colorimeter, they can be fully relied on.

I will continue to use the KH-DIrector form GHL as well... so results there will be interesting.

I just need to decide on which kit for each sample and what I want to sample.
Alk
Cal
Mag
Phosphate

and not sure what else I really want or care about. Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite are not something that I would really care to test. Iodine? Maybe but to what end? As far as I know there is still no definitive metric (though I do not pay much attention).

Potassium is a good one if you keep alot of SPS especially. And particularly of you don't do alot of water changes. But, with the salifert kit, you are supposed to acid wash the vials after each use, so perhaps that'll have to be a manual test. The color change is very dramatic, so only the most color blind of people would struggle.

 

[BeanAnimal]

So the ReefBot showed up:

I have run into several small issues and a fairy larger number of minor software bugs.
I have not run a lot of tests yet, but not sure the ALK is accurate. I need to get another test kit for a sanity check.
Mag looks ok and phosphate (.08) feels kind of low for my tank.

I think the hardware firmware is solid (time will tell)
but the APP/Web interface is not well laid out, full of inconsistencies and bugs. More like a work in progress not a mature application.
Units or missing almost everywhere. Are we talking about ppm. meq/l, dkh, liters, ml, etc.
Minor bugs with "unlimited" container sizes, web dashboard fields locked (but not in app) etc.
Charting oddities, but not enough tests for me to see if this is a missing trend calc or something.
Graphics on the web dashboard that break on high pixel width (my main screen are 2560)

Overall staying open minded because I think most of the issue are minor and the company appears to work toward fixing issues. At the same time, nobody wants to pay $1300 to be a never ending beta tester.... So as I said, time will tell.

 

[griss]

If anyone can figure it out, it’s you. Please keep us posted.

 

[Misled]

What George said.

 

[Jposch]

nobody wants to pay $1300 to be a never ending beta tester....

Wasn't that how all of the controllers were initially? But, I get it. Not for me. I was looking at the hydros as a monitor, but I actually settled on a building automation unit. Basically a more robust arduino with some included software that I wanted mainly for co2 indoors and outdoors. Ahould be able to integrate pH as well as non-contact level sensors for my kalk barrel. Temp probes, humidity, etc. I might even let it control a fan or 2.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Having several issues. I posted (kindly) on their facebook forum (maybe 6 posts) over a few hours with questions and issues.

The admins limited me to one post per day. They told me that they got numerous user complaints about my posts.... some people were in bed? Ehh it is an international forum... there is somebody in bed every hours, just as there is a happy hour somewhere every hour.

So either people are really that fragile (they are) or the admins don't like to see dirty laundry aired, or a bit of both. I get it, but should have known better to even bother posting there and just stuck with the support ticket system.

I can't get a feel for how many people are having problems but several FB group users DMd me saying they are extremely frustrated and have run out of options and their posts are being removed and/or limited to 1 post per day. The admins assure me that they don't delete posts. So who knows...

I am (honestly) trying to give this a fair shake - but the FB thing kind sent up a red flag.

All of that said they are working with me privately to try to get the system to provide consistent results. To be fair, I will purchase new reagents tomorrow or Friday to eliminate that as a variable.

I also plan to reach to Sanjay to get his candid impressions, though I assume he may not want them shared one way or the other.

 

[griss]

Having several issues. I posted (kindly) on their facebook forum (maybe 6 posts) over a few hours with questions and issues.

The admins limited me to one post per day. They told me that they got numerous user complaints about my posts.... some people were in bed? Ehh it is an international forum... there is somebody in bed every hours, just as there is a happy hour somewhere every hour.

So either people are really that fragile (they are) or the admins don't like to see dirty laundry aired, or a bit of both. I get it, but should have known better to even bother posting there and just stuck with the support ticket system.

I can't get a feel for how many people are having problems but several FB group users DMd me saying they are extremely frustrated and have run out of options and their posts are being removed and/or limited to 1 post per day. The admins assure me that they don't delete posts. So who knows...

I am (honestly) trying to give this a fair shake - but the FB thing kind sent up a red flag.

All of that said they are working with me privately to try to get the system to provide consistent results. To be fair, I will purchase new reagents tomorrow or Friday to eliminate that as a variable.

I also plan to reach to Sanjay to get his candid impressions, though I assume he may not want them shared one way or the other.

Sorry to hear about the struggles. How long has this been on the market? If not long, sounds like they may have put it out without enough testing in order to start generating ROI. And, now that complaints are coming in, are in damage control mode.

 

[BeanAnimal]

They have had products for 3-4 years. This one is new. Track record is hard to decode, esp if they control the narrative and most of the user base is FB based and not forum based.

I def took a gamble, partly of it based on some reviews and partly based on the fact that I will not buy Neptune, the mastertronic appears to be a maintenance nightmare and the GHL ION-D is still not shipping and the per test cost is insanely expensive.

So the gamble: Given my issues and others I see trickling in, the reviews certainly now look like shill trades for free or discounted units (ReefDudes, etc.) because they were glowing and mentioned none of the interface problems or other issues.

It could be that things were stable, but as they push software updates things break. I don't know yet.

I will continue to try to work through this even though there a several red flags now apparent.
I think the hardware is solid.. so maybe I rip out their controller and build my own

 

[griss]

I don't do Facebook. So, I'm having trouble understanding why users would complain about being awakened from sleep because you made more multiple posts over a couple hour period.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I don't do Facebook. So, I'm having trouble understanding why users would complain about being awakened from sleep because you made more multiple posts over a couple hour period.

FB groups have their own culture - and several users indicate that they were also post limited for the same reasons.
My conclusion is that those who complain are fragile or the admins simply cite complaints as a reason to throttle comments that portray the product in a negative light.

For the record, I mentioned this to the admin (maybe owner?) after being given my postban reason and we ended up debating "my disrespect and name calling" instead of my issues. Very frustrating and another red flag.

They have removed my post limit, but am sure if I post any more problems, will be shut down again. I will simply work with support until my issues are resolved or I am out of options. I will keep you folks posted with positive or negative progress toward stability and accuracy.

I would honestly think that it is in their best interest to help me work through this. As most of you know, I speak my mind and have absolutely no issue hyping up quality vendors or products, but likewise won't sugarcoat problems.