I’ve had several folks message me asking about the ReefBot, asking how it was working out and whether I liked it or not... so I figured I would put a quick overview/review together.
For those that aren’t very familiar with the ReefBot, basically it’s a fully automated robot of sorts that uses off the shelf water test kit reagents to test select water parameters. There is a long list of tests that it’s capable of performing as well as a good variety of manufacturers kits it will work with (I’ll provide a list/chart below). From the tests I’ve ran, I’ve found it to be very precise and accurate.
The bot runs off of cloud based software, similar to Apex Fusion (the same, but a lot different). Downloading and setting up the app is very simple and getting the bot going is just as easy once you’ve got everything in place that you need. Getting prepared can cause a lengthy wait though if you have to order stuff, which you most likely will. I currently don’t have mine programmed for a schedule, I initiate the tests myself whenever I want them to run (2 or 3 times a week). There’s a lot of folks that have had issues using theirs, some of that is tied to the scheduling. The Reef Kinetics cloud server is in Lebanon, so the time difference can cause some issues. This seems to be mainly due to server maintenance downtimes. If you’re test is scheduled to run and the server is down for maintenance, the result is no test.
Some things to note on setting up the bot... It has 3 small silicone lines that connect to ports on the left side. These lines are larger than the Trident lines, they’re just a tad smaller than normal aquarium airline tubing (they’re metric unfortunately). One line is for the sample which is ran to the tank or sump. Another line is for waste, this can be ran to a container or a drain. The third line is for RO water. It requires a supply of RO to rinse everything between tests and it will use it if a given test requires it. I bought a couple of cheap 1 Gal containers and drilled a hole in the top to use for the RO water and waste. It goes through the water quickly which of course means the waste is filled up just as fast (actually faster). Of course this is all determined by how often you test and what tests you choose to run. It will tell you when you’re getting low on water and when you need to empty the waste. Here’s the containers I used.
The bot also has some consumable items that have to be changed out periodically, some of which are pictured below. It uses a 1ml syringe with a needle to draw the reagents. Both the needles and syringes have an interval at which they should be changed... don’t worry, it’ll definitely let you know when it wants them changed.
There are a couple of different pump/motor heads in it that make all of the magic happen. They do require replacement from time to time as well, but they’re all available and very reasonably priced. My bot was used when I got it, the original owner had replaced one pump head previously and gave me the spare he had (they’re sold in packs of 2).
The reagent vials are glass with a top that the needle can pierce. Each bottle requires a magnetic stirrer be put in prior to filling, that’s the little white pill looking thing in the pic. There’s also an RO and test vial mounted inside the bot, they each require a stirrer. The test head that moves from bottle to bottle as it’s running has a magnetic base built in to it. If a given test requires a reagent to be shaken prior to testing, the bot will automatically stir it for the given time interval. Spare vials and stirrers are also readily available from US based retailers.
Where to put it?... I initially didn’t plan for something this size in my equipment mix, so I had to find a spot to work it in. Given the fact that it looks so cool and has color changing LED’s, I decided not to hide it!
Another thing that has to be kept in mind is that the max length the sample tube can be is 6 feet. If you try to extend it any further, they say there can be issues with air bubbles in the line which will cause bad readings. In the end, I decided to keep it close to the tank. I didn’t want it sitting on the floor though, so I found a metal computer monitor riser at Target that fit the bill as a stand ($20).
One thing to also note when trying to place it... IT’S NOT QUIET!
Here’s a diagram showing some basic dos and don’ts of placement and routing of the lines.
After you get all of the reagents filled and loaded into the chamber, the needle/syringe installed, get the bot set in place, and get all of the lines and power connected (it has a small power supply brick), you’ll probably do just like me... run a test with the cover off to see it in action! In reality though, they say you shouldn’t do this. I’ve read stories of guys having the magnetic stirrer in the RO vial being slung out during testing, I guess that’s one reason why. Doesn’t matter, I still had to see it in action... it’s pretty neat to see what it’s doing and understand how all of the components work together. I questioned as to why a stirrer was needed in the RO vial (clear vial second from right in the pic below)... watching it showed me why. It actually creates a vortex in the chamber as it’s draining which allows it to get almost every drop of the water out.
One important thing to note on the reagents. Some tests will require you purchase more than one kit to fill the vials. That’s why I mentioned you may have to order things to get ready. Below is a chart of the salt water tests that can be run, how many kits required for initial filling and how many test you can expect to get out of full vials. Also, the bot holds 8 vials, but that doesn’t mean you can run 8 different tests. you have to decide how you want to utilize the vials as most kits will require more than one reagent. One test I run is the Tropic Marin Nitrate Pro. It uses 3 of the 8 vials and I had to order 2 kits to fill it completely. I‘m going to try the API nitrate next as it only requires 2 vials and you get a lot more tests from it.
Hopefully this will answer some questions folks have and give a little more understanding of the ReefBot. Sorry if it’s a little random at points.
For those that aren’t very familiar with the ReefBot, basically it’s a fully automated robot of sorts that uses off the shelf water test kit reagents to test select water parameters. There is a long list of tests that it’s capable of performing as well as a good variety of manufacturers kits it will work with (I’ll provide a list/chart below). From the tests I’ve ran, I’ve found it to be very precise and accurate.
The bot runs off of cloud based software, similar to Apex Fusion (the same, but a lot different). Downloading and setting up the app is very simple and getting the bot going is just as easy once you’ve got everything in place that you need. Getting prepared can cause a lengthy wait though if you have to order stuff, which you most likely will. I currently don’t have mine programmed for a schedule, I initiate the tests myself whenever I want them to run (2 or 3 times a week). There’s a lot of folks that have had issues using theirs, some of that is tied to the scheduling. The Reef Kinetics cloud server is in Lebanon, so the time difference can cause some issues. This seems to be mainly due to server maintenance downtimes. If you’re test is scheduled to run and the server is down for maintenance, the result is no test.
Some things to note on setting up the bot... It has 3 small silicone lines that connect to ports on the left side. These lines are larger than the Trident lines, they’re just a tad smaller than normal aquarium airline tubing (they’re metric unfortunately). One line is for the sample which is ran to the tank or sump. Another line is for waste, this can be ran to a container or a drain. The third line is for RO water. It requires a supply of RO to rinse everything between tests and it will use it if a given test requires it. I bought a couple of cheap 1 Gal containers and drilled a hole in the top to use for the RO water and waste. It goes through the water quickly which of course means the waste is filled up just as fast (actually faster). Of course this is all determined by how often you test and what tests you choose to run. It will tell you when you’re getting low on water and when you need to empty the waste. Here’s the containers I used.
The bot also has some consumable items that have to be changed out periodically, some of which are pictured below. It uses a 1ml syringe with a needle to draw the reagents. Both the needles and syringes have an interval at which they should be changed... don’t worry, it’ll definitely let you know when it wants them changed.
There are a couple of different pump/motor heads in it that make all of the magic happen. They do require replacement from time to time as well, but they’re all available and very reasonably priced. My bot was used when I got it, the original owner had replaced one pump head previously and gave me the spare he had (they’re sold in packs of 2).
The reagent vials are glass with a top that the needle can pierce. Each bottle requires a magnetic stirrer be put in prior to filling, that’s the little white pill looking thing in the pic. There’s also an RO and test vial mounted inside the bot, they each require a stirrer. The test head that moves from bottle to bottle as it’s running has a magnetic base built in to it. If a given test requires a reagent to be shaken prior to testing, the bot will automatically stir it for the given time interval. Spare vials and stirrers are also readily available from US based retailers.
Where to put it?... I initially didn’t plan for something this size in my equipment mix, so I had to find a spot to work it in. Given the fact that it looks so cool and has color changing LED’s, I decided not to hide it!
Another thing that has to be kept in mind is that the max length the sample tube can be is 6 feet. If you try to extend it any further, they say there can be issues with air bubbles in the line which will cause bad readings. In the end, I decided to keep it close to the tank. I didn’t want it sitting on the floor though, so I found a metal computer monitor riser at Target that fit the bill as a stand ($20).One thing to also note when trying to place it... IT’S NOT QUIET!
Here’s a diagram showing some basic dos and don’ts of placement and routing of the lines.
After you get all of the reagents filled and loaded into the chamber, the needle/syringe installed, get the bot set in place, and get all of the lines and power connected (it has a small power supply brick), you’ll probably do just like me... run a test with the cover off to see it in action! In reality though, they say you shouldn’t do this. I’ve read stories of guys having the magnetic stirrer in the RO vial being slung out during testing, I guess that’s one reason why. Doesn’t matter, I still had to see it in action... it’s pretty neat to see what it’s doing and understand how all of the components work together. I questioned as to why a stirrer was needed in the RO vial (clear vial second from right in the pic below)... watching it showed me why. It actually creates a vortex in the chamber as it’s draining which allows it to get almost every drop of the water out.
One important thing to note on the reagents. Some tests will require you purchase more than one kit to fill the vials. That’s why I mentioned you may have to order things to get ready. Below is a chart of the salt water tests that can be run, how many kits required for initial filling and how many test you can expect to get out of full vials. Also, the bot holds 8 vials, but that doesn’t mean you can run 8 different tests. you have to decide how you want to utilize the vials as most kits will require more than one reagent. One test I run is the Tropic Marin Nitrate Pro. It uses 3 of the 8 vials and I had to order 2 kits to fill it completely. I‘m going to try the API nitrate next as it only requires 2 vials and you get a lot more tests from it.
Hopefully this will answer some questions folks have and give a little more understanding of the ReefBot. Sorry if it’s a little random at points.
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