The holy grail of Digital Testers?

mygatt

mygatt

Member
Is there such thing as a digital tester that will test everything for you, for example - ph, salinity, calium, phosphates, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia? How great would that be to just stick a probe in the water and it gives you all of the readings. I'm pretty sure there isn't, I have been looking all over the place for them. Also, Which digital testers does everyone use and what do you guys recommend? Like is there a certain company that has better quality and accuracy testers? Thanks in advance for anyons advice and comments
 
daninct

daninct

Member
Such a tester would cost sooo much.
I use a Hanna for PH only because I thought at the time it was a good deal for the money and I was struggling with the liquid test kit. Impulse buy at $60.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
I would sell a kidney for an automatic tester that covered: Salinity, pH, Temp, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, calcium, alk. and Magnesium...
All I currently use is a Pinpoint pH tester.
 
mygatt

mygatt

Member
I am a really busy guy, so time is money in my work. It would pay for itself in a few months, just as long as it isn't, out of control, expensive.
 
krazekajin

krazekajin

Active Member
They do make controllers that test for some of those things. For example, if you have a calcium reactor that is set up properly, you would not have to worry too much about Calcium, Alk, PH levels in your tank. If you have a dosing system with a salinity monitor, then you would not have to worry too much about your water level and your salinity as it would dispense Fresh water as needed to top off your tank and salt water as needed to keep the salinity in the right zone. Temperature can be automated by the use of a controller with chiller and heater.
Thus, your tank becomes pretty automated with only perhaps a monthly testing of all paremeters in order to keep everything at a top notch area.
 
hatessushi

hatessushi

Active Member
Even those controllers that KrazeKajin is speaking of require separate probes that need to be cleaned often. I use a controller that check temp, PH, Orp, and graphs over time. It also controlls my lighting schedules for daylight, actinic, and nitetime, also refugium lite. The heater and chiller are also controlled.
The reason you haven't been able to find a controller that monitors PH,Alk,Cal,Sal,Mag,temp, etc. is that one probe cannot be used for all of that . Each of the probes would have to be individual ones because the vicinity between the sensors would be to close if all on the same probe and would make all your readings whack because of interference between sensors. They do make controllers that can monitor all of that but the probes are all separate and it is costly.
 
mygatt

mygatt

Member
Thanks for the replies, I assumed this and feel I am being lazy. Part of the hobby is putting the work into it - maybe someday they will come out with the "holy grail of testers", until then, happy testing, lol.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by HatesSushi
Even those controllers that KrazeKajin is speaking of require separate probes that need to be cleaned often. I use a controller that check temp, PH, Orp, and graphs over time. It also controlls my lighting schedules for daylight, actinic, and nitetime, also refugium lite. The heater and chiller are also controlled.
The reason you haven't been able to find a controller that monitors PH,Alk,Cal,Sal,Mag,temp, etc. is that one probe cannot be used for all of that . Each of the probes would have to be individual ones because the vicinity between the sensors would be to close if all on the same probe and would make all your readings whack because of interference between sensors. They do make controllers that can monitor all of that but the probes are all separate and it is costly.
They make an alkalinity and Magnesium tester? I've never seen either.
I've ordered a temp/salinity and a Calcium monitor.
I'm not really into controllers; I am paranoid and want to be the only one adding anything to my tank. I just hate the mini meth lab look my desk has when I'm testing for everything.
 
mygatt

mygatt

Member
Do you guys know what the best brqand of testers are? Is there a brand that is better then others and more accurate? Sorry for all the questions, I just know that like anything, certain companies are more reliable then others.
 
hatessushi

hatessushi

Active Member
I haven't actually seen alk, or mag testers and there may not be any. I would think there would be since mag seems to be tested similar to calcium. I'm not sure about alkalinity since you have to count drops.
I use the Lighthouse aquarium controller and it works pretty good. The only thing is that you can't add any other types of sensors to it like you can the neptune but it is cheaper if you look at all the stuff you have to buy for them.
 
daninct

daninct

Member
Since we're dreaming if it also controlled the big screen TV, DVD, Tivo,.... I'd never have to leave the couch.
 
mygatt

mygatt

Member
I am also trying to figure out a way to put a little toilet in the tank and teach them to flush. I'll call cesar Milan -the fish whisperer, he can help with fish too, lol.
 
royal gang

royal gang

Active Member
hey..arent you te guy from splu.net the guy that was supposed to kill matt sloan on fun rangers? :thinking:
 
cjml

cjml

Member
Originally Posted by daninct
Since we're dreaming if it also controlled the big screen TV, DVD, Tivo,.... I'd never have to leave the couch.
Wouldn't that be great!!!!
:cheer: :cheer:
 
cjml

cjml

Member
Originally Posted by mygatt
I am also trying to figure out a way to put a little toilet in the tank and teach them to flush. I'll call cesar Milan -the fish whisperer, he can help with fish too, lol.
 
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