Neptune Trident Testing System
Neptune Trident Testing System
The Trident is an automated testing system that regularly tests alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium in your saltwater aquarium - and then communicates this information to your Apex so you can get alerts, and change your dosing. When combined with the DOS (available separately) it creates a fully automated system for the proper dosing of supplements, maintaining them at consistent levels.
How the Neptune Trident Works
The Trident is a self contained automatic titration colorimeter. That's quite a mouthful, for sure, so let's state it as simply as we can. The Trident is basically automating what you (and top scientists) do already when you test your water, that is, perform a color changing titration and interpret the results. On a scheduled basis the Trident carefully mixes its reagents with a small amount of sample water from your aquarium. While doing this, it is measuring (titrating with a precision peristaltic pump) the amounts of each that are necessary to reach an expected color change (determined by the electronic colorimeter). When it finishes the titration, it sends this sample/reagent fluid to your waste container. It then interprets the results of that test and logs the value into your Apex.
Easy Plug and Play Set-up
From the box to testing in under 15 minutes! Unlike other testing systems, there are no reagents to mix, tubes to cut, or pumps or probes to calibrate. Simply plug in one cable, two tubes, and run the setup task on the Apex Fusion mobile app - it holds your hand through the installation with helpful videos along the way.
Consistency and Precision, Test after Test
The Trident tests with a precision of +/- 0.05 dKh for Alkalinity and 15ppm for Calcium and Magnesium. This is better than humans can do consistently with every hobby-grade test kit on the market.
Understand Your Aquarium Like Never Before
When you start getting the regular data coming in from the Trident you will be amazed at the things you can see happening. The daily light cycle swing on calcium carbonate uptake. A salinity drop by watching magnesium. An out of sync dosing of calcium. This increased understanding ultimately helps you maintain a better, more successful reef.
Out of Range Actions and Alerts
You can set up your Apex to alert you, or take immediate action(s) when a parameter falls outside of the safe zone you specify. As just one example, you might be dosing an Alkalinity solution and a misconfiguration could lead to overdosing of your tank. The Trident will catch that, alert you, and give you more time to make that correction before its too late and to save your aquarium. The data from the Trident can also be used to turn on and off other devices (like dosers or solenoids) to protect your tank even more.
Automatic Dosing and Control - Ultimate Stability
The more stable you maintain proper levels of Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium, the better your corals will grow and thrive. But coral uptake of these supplements often changes and requires us not only to perform more testing, but also seems to put us in a never-ending state of adjusting our dosing levels.
The Trident, when paired up with one or more of our DOS systems solves this problem with Automatic Dosing Control (ADC)
When configured on the Apex, ADC will take the results it receives from the Trident and use them to gradually turn up or down the amount of additive your DOS delivers. But, don't worry, we have built this feature with safety in mind. With ADC you set your target value and your starting dosing amount and ADC will only tune that dosing level +/-35%. If it takes more than that amount of dosing to keep your aquarium at your target value, then the Apex will stop ADC, revert to your starting dosing amount, and alert you that you need to manually adjust your dosing level. Then, ADC can be re-enabled and it will continue to guide your DOS so that it keeps you as close to your target value as possible.
It is possible to use ADC for all three tests - Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium. You can also use one test value to adjust up or down more than one additive delivered by the DOS (i.e. Triton system).
Simple Infrequent Reagent Changes
When using the default testing schedule of four (4) alkalinity, two (2) calcium, and two (2) magnesium tests a day, the reagent stored inside the Apex will last a full month. And adding new reagent is super simple - just slide out the drawer, remove the old bottle(s), and replace them with new ones. If you desire, you can also run a calibration with the included calibration standard.
Highlighted Features of the Neptune Trident
- Automatically tests seawater for Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium Up to 24 Alkalinity tests per day with +/-.05 dKh precision
- Up to 12 Calcium tests per day with +/-15 ppm precision
- Up to 12 Magnesium tests per day with +/-15 ppm precision
- ~7.9ml sample water used per parameter tested
- ~7 minutes testing time per parameter tested
- Up to one month of testing before reagents need changing based on base level testing of 4-Alk, 2-Ca, 2-Mg per day.
- When combined with DOS system (available separately), the data from Trident can be used to automatically raise or lower the amount of additives dosed as necessary to maintain stability at user set point.
What the Neptune Trident Water Tester Requires
- Apex or ApexEL (not Apex Classic, Lite, or Jr.)
- Available 1Link port OR 24v power supply and Aquabus Cable (available separately)
- External waste container or drain
- Must be located within 4' of water source to be tested
What's Included with your Neptune Trident
- Trident
- 1Link cable (US/CAN only)
- 5' of black sample line tubing
- 5' of clear waste line tubing
- 1-month reagent supply
- Calibration Fluid
- Get Started Card