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.
Using an automated titration method, with colormetric identification, the Trident automatically tests your aquarium water up to 24 times a day for Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium. The Trident tests consistently with a precision of +/- 0.05 dKh for Alkalinity and 15ppm for Calcium and Magnesium. Using any hobby-grade test kit on the market, even humans cannot perform the tests that consistently.
Syringes, vials, colors, endpoints, expiration dates — now a thing of the past for Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium. Now, with zero effort, you get up to date values for Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium — anywhere in the world!
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.
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.
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.
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 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 reenabled and it will continue to guide your D?S 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).
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.
You will hear the Trident operate from time to time if you listen closely or you have a super-quiet room. And, as compared to other automated testing systems, it is several dB quieter. While inside your cabinet along with your other equipment, you will likely never even hear it.
Wide range for measurements: Alkalinity5.0 – 15.0 dKH Calcium250 – 875 ppm Magnesium850 – 1950 ppm
- Trident
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5? of black sample line tubing
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5? of clear waste line tubing
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1-month reagent supply
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Calibration Fluid
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Get Started Card
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Apex or ApexEL (not Apex Classic, Lite, or Jr.)
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Available 1Link port OR 24v power supply and Aquabus Cable (available separately)
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External waste container or drain
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Must be located within 4’ of water source to be tested