Automatic, regular, unattended alkalinity monitoring

[JimWelsh]

For those of you attending MACNA this coming weekend, keep an eye out for me demonstrating a prototype of my Alkalinity Monitor device. It is capable of interfacing with any controller that can accept a pH probe's input. It has both an accuracy and also a precision of +/- 0.05 dKH. I'm thinking this could be a game changer.

Here is an Apex graph of two day's worth of monitoring of my tank, showing a small daily alk swing in response to the photoperiod:

 

[Sabellafella]

When should we expect the thread on this to popup ;)

For those of you attending MACNA this coming weekend, keep an eye out for me demonstrating a prototype of my Alkalinity Monitor device. It is capable of interfacing with any controller that can accept a pH probe's input. It has both an accuracy and also a precision of +/- 0.05 dKH. I'm thinking this could be a game changer.

Here is an Apex graph of two day's worth of monitoring of my tank, showing a small daily alk swing in response to the photoperiod:

 

[JimWelsh]

Here is a graph where I programmed my Apex to control alk dosing in response to the monitor's output so as to keep it right at a target value, 8.0 dKH in this instance.

Here is the Apex program for the Outlet that controls the alkalinity dosing pump:

Fallback OFF
OSC 000:00/000:44/006:10 Then ON
If Alk > 08.00 Then OFF
If Alk < 07.10 Then OFF

The reason for the "If Alk < 07.10 Then OFF" line is that if my device were to ever lose power for whatever reason, the output would drop to 7.0 (same voltage as a pH probe at pH 7.0 = 0.0 volts). In that case, I don't know what the alkalinity really is, so stop dosing, and configure an alarm to go off elsewhere in the Apex programming.

 

[JimWelsh]

When should we expect the thread on this to popup ;)

I thought that was what I just did!

 

[Elementalj]

I'll wait with baited breath!

 

[Breadman03]

Sign me up! Too bad I'm unable to attend MACNA this year.

Psst, put me on the list for more info as it becomes available.

 

[njtiger aquariums]

nice. Is this only for Apex or it open source?

 

[Sabellafella]

I thought that was what I just did!

Yesss!! Ive ben waiting for this lol. Thought only macna attendees get first dibs

 

[JimWelsh]

This is what the prototype looks like:

 

[JimWelsh]

Here is a pair of them monitoring the same tank. Nice agreement!

 

[rizorido]

Is that calculated as a function of PH ?

 

[JimWelsh]

And this is the Apex display with two of them on my tank at once:

 

[JimWelsh]

Is that calculated as a function of PH ?

The tank's pH is not measured, nor is it a factor in the measurement.

 

[rizorido]

The tank's pH is not measured, nor is it a factor in the measurement.

Excellent that's what I wanted to hear ! So is this an additional probe and programming ?

 

[JimWelsh]

Excellent that's what I wanted to hear ! So is this an additional probe and programming ?

It is not a probe, but there is an awful lot of programming involved! ;)

 

[rizorido]

Meaning it's just code? If so why don't you start selling it ?

 

[JimWelsh]

Well, it's not "just" code. Look at the images. There's a pump and stuff.

 

[rizorido]

I'm interested ! Has this been validated ?

 

[rizorido]

I just saw the pics of the equipment! My phone didn't show them earlier !

 

[JimWelsh]

@Thales has one, and has been testing it for about 10 days. Does that count? He may mention it during his talk at the Apex User's Group meeting on Friday morning.