Focustronic Alkatronic User Manual

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User manual

English

v 3.6

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Introduction 4

Basic Philosophy# 4"

Set-up-procedure 5

Placement# 5"

Connecting hoses and prepare the measuring-beaker# 5"

Establish software connection# 7"

Socket setup and connection# 8"

Physical set-up# 8"

Establish Bluetooth-connection# 10"

Prime hoses and Calibrate pumps/electrode# 11"

Prime hoses# 11"

Calibrate Pumps# 11"

Calibrate the pH-electrode# 12"

Functions and Graph Screens 15

Measurement interval# 15"

HOME-screen# 15"

Extra measurement# 16"

Table/history# 16"

Aquarium volume# 16"

Reference values/actions# 16"

Low reference value # 17"

High reference value # 17"

Action mode# 17"

Wash out mode# 18"

Test pump accuracy# 19"

Test pH-electrode accuracy# 19"

LCD-Screen# 19"

Measurement postponed function# 20"

Export Data# 20"

Alert Reagent/Buffer Bottle# 21"

Auto Update Mode/Upload Mode# 21"

Connection to an aquariumcomputer/pH-computer# 21"

Setup connection between Alkatronic and Aquariumcomputer# 21"

Programming tip to Apex/aquariumcomputer-user# 23"

Cloud-functions# 23"

Baseline calibration# 24"

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Product Registration – Warranty

%"

Each unit of Alkatronic carries a limited factory warranty for 12 months upon
registration.% The online registration must be done within 14 days after purchase in
order to be deemed valid.% FOCUSTRONIC will also send update information such
as firmware updates or new features information via the registered email account.%
Product warranty is not transferrable.% Please register via our website

www.focustronic.net/product-registration .% "

Maintenance 26

Change hoses in the pumps# 26"

Pump A and C # 26"

Pump B and D # 26"

Changing the pH-electrode# 26"

Recalibration# 26"

pH-electrode # 26"

Pumps# 26"

Trouble shooting 28

Bad accuracy# 28"

Bad precision# 28"

No connection between app and machine# 29"

No wifi-connection# 30"

Failsafe message ”Restart”# 30"

Appendix 32

Recipe for carbonate-solution# 32"

Mixing reagent solution# 32"

Changing hoses in Pumps# 35"

Fail-safe messages in LCD# 37"

Specifications 38

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Introduction

Congratulations on your choice of this highly advanced device, which automatically
measures alkalinity in your aquarium-system, and also within your own settled
reference intervals, performs actions to prevent alkalinity from going above or below
your desired reference values. "

Please read the whole manual very carefully before setting up and using the
device. There may be slight differences (of no importance) between what is on the

screen of the device and the pictures within this manual."

Basic Philosophy

The basic principal of Alkatronic is to act like a safety belt, intervening when your
alkalinity falls outside of the reference values you choose. The aquarist &s primary
technique for maintaining alkalinity, such as pH-computers for Ca-reactor or dosing­stations for Balling, will still act as the primary means of alkalinity control. The safety
and stability provided by Alkatronic is more reliable when acting in that capacity. It is
like the "lane-assist" feature of a car, when you occasionally drift out of the lane, the
machine will correct it for you. Alkatronic will dose carbonate-solution from a
separate pump when alkalinity falls below your low reference value, and shut off a
socket (for instance for your water-feeding pump if you run Ca-reactor or your
Balling-unit if you have that) when alkalinity rises above your high reference value."
"
When Alkatronic interacts, you will be able to track these actions through an on
screen graph or list, in our app. This contains information when Alkatronic had to
interact, and exactly what it did. Based on that, you can then fine-tune your primary
equipment. "

The main purpose of the Alkatronic is thus to prevent a rapid drop (or increase) in
dKH due to some failure, which can cause the death of all of your corals, and the
second purpose is to achieve a very stable dKH value by helping you fine-tuning
your ordinary equipment. "

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Set-up-procedure

When setting up this device for first time, follow every points below very
carefully until page 13.

Placement

Make sure you place the Alkatronic in a location that allows you to easily manage
regular maintenance. The machine must be placed in a horizontal position. Actually,

some very very small tilting to the left is no harm, and actually some benefit
(but is not needed), but never tilting to the right! "

It is possible to mount the device directly on a wall with our included wall mount, or
just let it stand on a flat surface. The height difference between the Alkatronic

and the water surface level from where the machine will take the water for
testing, should not exceed 40-50 cm.

The reagent bottle should be placed as close as possible to the machine and
ideally at the same level or as maximum 20 cm lower than the machine.

Make sure that if you adjust any of these positions (the reagent bottle or the
machine itself), you recalibrate the pumps, as the delivery amount of fluids can vary
based on the suction heights. "

Connecting hoses and prepare the measuring-beaker

All connections are made of Luer-connections. The female part of the Luer is
factory-mounted in the walls of the machine, and the external hoses described
below (1-5) should be installed tightly on the male part of the Luer, which should
then be twisted on the female part. See pictures below. This makes it very easy to
detach the external hoses when moving the machine. "

"

Female Luer

(Mounted in "
wall)

Male Luer

External hose

Twist to attach,
detach

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In the package we include:"

• Silicon hose, ID=3.2mm."

• Silicon hose, ID=1.6mm"

Please note:"

• Hoses running from tank/bottles should be as vertical as possible. Reduce
as much horizontal length as possible.

• You have to cut the proper length yourself, as that will vary between different
set-ups. "

• The hose for the connections 3,4 and 5, you can use an ordinary 4/6 hose of any
kind, as these hoses are not crucial concerning function or accuracy. "

• But never use other hoses than included concerning connection 1 and 2!

•

It is strongly recommended to have as short length as possible concerning
connections 1(maximum 0.5m) and 2 (maximum 1m, preferably shorter). "

# "

1) Cut the hose 1.6 mm in a proper length (if needed). Connect one end to the inlet

”Reagent In (1)” and the other end to the long plastic pipe. Put this plastic pipe
down in the reagent bottle."

2) Cut the hose 3.2mm in a proper length. Make it as short as possible, and

ideally not longer than 1 meter. Connect one end of hose A to the inlet ”Water In
(2)” and the other end to the included microfilter. Place the microfilter in a sump area

(or other area where you want to take the water sample to measure) where it will
never be exposed above the water´s surface. Never use this hose without the

microfilter, and make sure the microfilter never can float up!

"

3) Cut the 3.2 mm (or similar hose, like an ordinary 4/6 hose

of any kind) in a proper length. Connect one end of this
hose to the outlet ”Waste out(3)”, and place the other end
in a container which will collect the wastewater from the
measuring procedure. If you measure every 6 hours, the
waste volume is around 1.5 liter/week. Every measure
produces around 55 ml of waste water. "

4) Cut the 3.2mm (or similar hose, like an ordinary 4/6 hose

of any kind) in a proper length. Connect one end of this
hose to the inlet ”Alk In (4)” and place the other end in a

container of carbonate-solution, made according to our
recipe (see appendix A). "

5) Cut the hose 3.2mm (or similar hose, like an ordinary

4/6 hose of any kind) in a proper length. Connect one end
of this hose to the outlet ”Alk Out (5)”, and lead that hose
to a sump area with ample circulation."

6) Put the included small white magnetic rod into

1

3
4

5

2

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the measuring beaker, and place the beaker inside the machine in its fitting. "

"

"

Make sure the pipes inside the machine are in
proper position!! The premounted silicon hoses on
the pipes should be in contact with the pipeholder,
and in that way guarantee correct positions, but that
may need to be fine-tuned by the user, so take very
good care to ensure the following pipe-positions (fig

2a,2b):"

Wait to install the pH-probe until it is calibrated, let
it be in the transport cup until then. "

"

•

Pipe from Pump C should be a few cm above surface of the water.

•

Pipe from pump B must be in contact with the bottom. Very important!!

•

Pipe from pump A must be around 2 mm above bottom. Very important!!

Establish software connection

The next step is to establish a connection between the APP in the phone/tablet and
the machine. "

"

General information:
The connection between Alkatronic and App concerning the most crucial
functions, is based on BT-connection, as that is the most safe and stable
connection. But it could take sometimes 5-10 seconds for the app to connect
when opening the app from a sleeping mode. That is normal!. Just wait, and

Figure 2a

Pump A

Pump C

Pump B

Pump D

Figure 2b

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within 10 seconds the app will connect and you will see a green dot in the app
window.

1. Go to APP-store and download the app. Do not open the app yet."
"

2. Make sure you have Bluetooth enabled on your Phone/tablet."
"

3. Power upp the Alkatronic with the AC-adapter. Never use any other adapter
than the one provided!"

4. Open the Alkatronic app. Select ”Add
New Device”. Follow the on-screen
instructions, type in the serial number and
user account details. Connection
between the App and Alkatronic is confirmed by
a green dot at the Alkatronic logotype. "

"

5. In the app on the Main-screen, click on settings,
scroll down to wi-fi, and type the SSID and
password of your home-router. This Wifi
connection is not needed for the direct
communication between the app and Alkatronic
when you are near the machine, but it is needed
in order to reach the machine outside of your
home through the cloud, get alerts and also to
establish time-sync. After entering the data, press
save. "

Socket setup and connection

Physical set-up

For Calciumreactor-user with pH-probe controlled CO2-dosing

1) Plug the Alkatronic-socket into a power plug from wall."

2) Put the cord from the pump that feeds the calcium reactor with aquarium water
into the Alkatronic socket. See Figure 4. "

Now, as long as the Alkatronic socket is ”open”, which is indicated by a red light
on the socket, the Alkatronic socket gives power to your pump that feeds your
Ca-reactor (which usually is a peristaltic pump for continuously use). Only when

a measured dKH is above your settled high reference value (and action mode is

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enabled), will the Alkatronic plug shut off, and thus shut off the feeding pump, so
that no alkalinity is added to the aquarium. Se also ”Reference value/actions ”"

"
"
"
"

"
"

"

For Calciumreactor-user with timer-controlled CO2-dosing

1) Plug the Alkatronic-socket into a power plug from wall."

2) Plug the timer that controls the CO2-solenoid into the Alkatronic socket. See

Figure 5. "

Now, as long as the Alkatronic socket is ”open”, which is indicated by a red light

on the socket, the Alkatronic socket gives power to your ordinary timer that

controls the solenoid to the CO2-supply. Only when a measured dKH is above

your settled high reference value (and action mode is enabled), will the Alkatronic

plug shut off, and thus shut off the CO2, independently of what your ordinary

timer wants to do. See figure 5. See also ”Reference value/actions ”"

"

"

"
"

"
"

For Balling-user

1) Plug the Alkatronic-socket into a main power plug from wall, "

Socket in wall

Socket from Alkatronic

Ordinary timer, controlling CO2­solenoid

Figure 4

Socket in wall

Socket from Alkatronic

Cord to pump that feeds the Ca­reactor with aquariumwater, or cord

to a third party Dosing-station.

Cord to CO2-solenoid.
Figure 5

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2) Plug the cord from the dosing station of Balling solutions into the Alkatronic
socket. See Figure 4"

Now, as long as the Alkatronic socket is ”open”, which is indicated by a blue light on
the socket, the Alkatronic socket gives power to your Balling-station, and therefore
your doing station is controlled by its internal schedule. Only when a measured dKH

is above your settled high reference value (and action mode is enabled), will the
Alkatronic socket shut off, and thus independently of what your dosing station
”wants to do”, it will shut down until dKH is back again within the reference values."

See also ”Reference value/actions ”"

For Calciumreactor and/or Balling users with an aquariumcomputer with a
BNC-port for pH electrode

These users can, instead of or in addition to our own Alkatronic socket, connect
Alkatronic to an ordinary pH input of an aquarium computer (or pH computer)
through an ordinary BNC-cable. The aquarium computer will then receive the dKH
values from Alkatronic on its pH-input, and you can use this dKH-information to
implement any actions you desire through your aquarium computer's programs. "

Establish Bluetooth-connection

• Go to settings and enter the MAC­address (see attached info in package) of
the included socket at ”Plug 1”-field, slide

the button to orange, and press save. If

your are not able to slide the button to
orange (shadowed), then go to settings
and switch ”action mode” to enable,
then try again. "

Now that you have a BT-connection between Alkatronic and the socket, the socket
should have turned on. Try to toggle the Plug 1 button and make sure the socket

reacts. Do not forget to leave it on enable (orange). If for some reason it is not

turning on, check that you have BT-connection (green dot on home-screen),
and action mode enabled. If ”action mode” is disabled, the control of BT-socket is

deliberately locked. "

As long as the measured dKH is below the ”High reference value” the socket will be
left on. If the machine measures a dkH above the settled High reference value, and

action mode is enabled, the socket will be turned off, and the machine will
measure again after 2 hours. When a subsequent dKH measurement is below the
High reference value, the socket will go back to ”on”. "

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If action mode is disabled, the socket will not react to the dKH values, but will
be left in it's last position. For safety reasons, the socket is always in ON-mode
(orange) after a power up of the machine. Remember that if you want to be
able to change the socket both manually with the toogle-button, or let the
machine do so by automatic actions, you must have ”action mode” enabled. "

Prime hoses and Calibrate pumps/electrode

Prime hoses

Now you must prime the hoses from Pump A, C and D. See fig 2a. "

1) Go to the main menu and select ”Prime Hose”, and begin with Pump A."

2) Press START, and make sure the water is moving upwards in the hose from the
tank water. Follow it carefully until it is delivered into the test vial and you are
sure there are no air bubbles anywhere in the hose. Press STOP. "

3) Now do the same for Pump C (reagent fluid) , and Pump D (carbonate solution). "

Do not worry if there is now some water/reagent in the test vial, there should be."

"

Calibrate Pumps

Pump A

1) Take out the pipe from Pump A, by moving the pipe forward from
the probe holder, and place it in the largest test cylinder(100 ml
cylinder)."

2) In main menu, press ”Calibrate” and then select ”Pump A”. "

3) Make sure the pipe is placed down in the test-cylinder, and press
Calibrate. "

4) Pump A now starts, and stops automatically. "

5) When it stops, take the pipe out of the cylinder, place the cylinder
on a horizontal surface, and read the water line. Make sure to read
it correctly, see Fig 3a. Observe that in this 100 ml

cylinder every line corresponds to 1 ml."

6) Note the value in the number fields with one decimal, then
press save. Make sure the command is taken by
looking at the LCD, where the entered value will be
shown. If it is not shown, press save again. Now return the

pipe to its proper position in the holder, see figure 2b. "

"

Fig 3a. Read at the red line

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Pump C

1) Take out the pipe from Pump C by moving pipe forward
from the probe holder, and place it in the smallest test
cylinder. (25 ml cylinder). "

2) In the main menu, press ”Calibrate” and then select
”Pump C”. "

3) Make sure the pipe is placed down in the test cylinder,
then press ”Calibrate”."

4) Pump C now starts, and stops automatically."

5) When it stops, take the pipe out of the cylinder, place the
cylinder on a horizontal surface, and read the water line.

Make sure to read correctly, see fig. 3a and 3b! Observe

that in this 25 ml cylinder every line corresponds to 0.5 ml!!. See figure 3b."

6) Note the value in the number fields with one decimal, then press save. Make
sure the command is taken by looking at the LCD, where the entered value
will be shown."

7) Now return the pipe back to its proper position in the holder , see figure 2b. "

Pump D

1) Take the hose from ”Alk/Out” and place it in the smallest test cylinder. "

2) In the main menu, press ”Calibrate” and then select ”Pump D”. "

3) Make sure the pipe is placed down in the test cylinder, then press ”Calibrate”. "

4) Pump D now starts, and stops automatically. "

5) When it stops, take the pipe out of the cylinder, and place the cylinder on a
horizontal surface, and read the water line. Make sure to read it correctly, see
Figure 3. "

6) Note the value in the number fields with one decimal, then press save. Make

sure the command is taken by looking at the LCD, where the entered value
will be shown. "

7) Now return the hose back to its proper position in the sump area. "

Calibrate the pH-electrode

Brand new electrode "

1) The pH electrode´s BNC connection is already pre-mounted so you do not have
to unscrew the back panel until you need to replace the electrode (every 2
years). "

2) Take off the transport-cup on the pH electrode. "

3) Make sure there are no air-bubbles in then tip after transport by shaking it gently
and very carefully, to allow bubbles to escape upwards in the electrode. "

4) Rinse the electrode carefully in tap water to eliminate crystals from transporting
fluid. Immediately proceed to the calibration procedure, and if you do not do
that, make sure the electrode does not dry in the meantime. Never keep the
electrode tip (the last 3 cm of the electrode) dry for more than 2-3 minutes. "

"

Fig 3b. The value here is 8.5
ml. (3 lines below 10.0 ml)

8.5 ml

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Calibration procedure

1. Go to main menu and select ”Calibrate”, then select ”pH
electrode”."

2. Rinse the electrode carefully in RO or distilled water, and
then wipe the electrode carefully without touching the
glass tip."

3. Place the electrode in pH 7.00 solution, then press the
”pH 7”-button."

4. On the LCD you will now see a message to wait 2 minutes
to let the pH electrode to stabilize. Do not touch any
buttons during those 2 minutes. The machine will wait the
2 minutes automatically. "

5. After 2 minutes a message will appear ”Calibration 7.00-
OK”. If it says ”Calibration failed” then just press the pH 7

button again and wait. This ”OK”-message will be followed by a short series of
the new calibrated pH-values, which should be very close to 7.00. This is just for
information and a further confirmation that the calibration data was correct. "

6. Now rinse the electrode very carefully in RO or distilled water, and wipe off
carefully with water, but do not touch the glass bulb."

7. Place the electrode in pH 4.00 calibration fluid, and press the ”pH 4” button. "

8. On the LCD you will again see a message to wait 2 minutes to let the pH
electrode stabilize. Do not touch any buttons during those 2 minutes. The
machine will wait the 2 minutes automatically."

9. After 2 minutes a message will appear ”Calibration 4.00-OK”. If it says
”Calibration failed” then just press the pH 4 button again and wait. This message
will be followed by a short series of the new calibrated pH-values, which should
be very close to 4.00. This is just for information and a further confirmation that
the calibration data was correct. "

10. Now the electrode is calibrated! Do not forget to rinse it again before placing it in
machine. "

"

Now place the electrode in its proper position in the holder and
make sure it is located correctly in the test-beaker. Use the
rubber ring to make the electrode to be still in its proper
position, which is around 2-3 cm above the bottom of the

measuring beaker. Do not place it too close to the bottom,
it must never touch the rotating magnetic rod!

If this is the first time you start the machine, there will now
probably be no water in the test-vial, so in that case
immediately press ”Prime Hose Pump A” to manually fill
the test vial with around 50 ml water (not important to be exact 50 ml).
It is extremely important that the pH electrode is never dry, so do this
immediately if the test-vial is empty.

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TIP: If you press ”Test pump accuracy” and choose ”Pump A”, then it will
automatically fill exactly 50 ml. This is the most convenient way to fill the test
vial if it is almost empty.

NOW, the machine is installed, calibrated, and ready to start

measuring!

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Read below to see all of the capabilities of the machine and how to perform basic
and advanced functions.

NOTE, the first 2-3 measurements after installing a brand new unit, may not
measure correct values. It will normally take 2 measurements to get correct
values after the very first set-up.

Functions and Graph Screens

Measurement interval

The machine automatically measures dkH(
according to an hour interval you decide. You can set(
measurement intervals between 2h-12h. Go to the
home screen, select settings, and then set your
desired interval with the +/- buttons. This value is the
time between 2 measurements. "

HOME-screen

Home-screen is the first view you see when opening the app. At the top you always
see:"

"

• Latest measured value "

• When it was measured "

• When the next measurement will be"

Below this you will see a graphic history of the last 3
days. ”Overview graph/history”."

This graph has two lines showing the settled reference
value (see below). The white dots are measurements. If
the dKH is above or below the settled reference value,
the dots will be blue or red respectively, telling us that
here the machine has also performed an action to
correct a deviating dKH. Click on the ”Show!
All Graph/History” to see what type of actions the
machine performed, and also get more values in list
form. "

(

If a dot is black, the value was preceded by a wash out
of a suspected error measurement. The black dot and

16

that value is the correct and settled value. For more info see ”Wash out mode”. (

Extra measurement

On the home-screen there is a button called ”Extra measurement”. When pressed,
the Alkatronic will perform an extra measurement independently of the settled

measurement interval. "

Table/history

On the home-page below the graph, there is a button"
called Table/history. "
When pressed, you will get additional data in table form. If

you want older history, go to ”cloud-functions”. "

Aquarium volume

In settings you can enter the total volume of your aquarium
system. The machine uses this value to calculate the proper amount of carbonate to
dose if your dKH gets below your low reference value. In settings, you also can
choose the unit between liter and gallon. "
"

Reference values/actions

This is where you set your low and high
dKH reference values for when you want
the machine to intervene if the measured
dKH is outside these values "

17

Low reference value

In settings, choose this value with one decimal. "
When the measured dKH is below Low reference value, and ”action mode” is
enabled, Alkatronic will dose carbonate."

Algorithm for dosing carbonates

When Alkatronic calculates the proper dose of carbonates, it uses the aquarium
volume you have set, and the difference between the measured dKH and the value
of ”low reference value”. "
Alkatronic is using the following algorithms to dose the lacking dKH in a smooth and
safe way:"

•

If the difference of dKH and low reference value > 0.14, then the half
dose of lacking alkalinity is dosed. "

•

If the difference of dKH and low reference value < 0.14, then the whole
dose of lacking alkalinity is dosed. "

•

If the difference of dKH and low reference value > 0.9, then Alkatronic will
never dose more than 0.45 dKH at same time. "

With these algorithms, you will reach the target in a safe and smooth way, mostly
within 1-3 doses. Remember that when machine is doing an action, it will do
next measure (and if needed an action again) every 2 hours. When the dKH value
are back within the reference intervals, the measurement frequency is back
according to the settings. "

High reference value

When the measured dKH is above High reference value, and ”action mode” is
enabled, Alkatronic will shut off the socket."

"
When dKH is below your settled High reference value, Alkatronic will keep the

socket open."

As long as the dKH is outside these reference values, Alkatronic will measure
at an interval of 2 hours, independently of the measurement interval you have
selected in settings. When the dKH is back again within the settled reference

values, the machine will continue to measure according to your settings in
”measurement interval”. "

Action mode

When action mode is set to off (white), no actions
like dosing carbonates and/or closing the socket,
will be taken. When action mode is set to on(orange),
the machine will interact according to the

18

explanations above. Default mode for security reasons is ”off”, so please do not

forget to actively set this button to what you desire.

Wash out mode

Even though the machine measures with very high precision, rarely an error
measurement may occur. One example would be due to temporary air in the hoses.
To avoid actions as a result of these potential error measurements, the machine will
always compare a new measurement with the previous measurement. If the
difference is more than 0.20 dKH, the machine will redo the measurement for safety
reasons. It could of course be a true deviation from the previous measurement, for
example if your measurement interval is very long and you could have actually had
that big of a deviation. In that case, the machine will re-measure and accept that
value as true. The main principal of the wash out mode is that the machine will

redo a measurement if the difference in alkalinity is more than 0.20 dkH from
the previous measurement, and when the difference is <=0.20, accept that
value and set it for true.

The washed out value/s will not be shown in either the graph or the history as we
interpret them as false. But, as an indication that a value was proceeded by a wash
out sequence, that value will be marked with a black dot. Thus, this ”black value” is
correct, but gives you info that 1-2 values before that have been washed out."
"
There are 2 reasons that the wash out sequence will kick in. One is, and that is the
main goal of this algorithm, when the machine performs an error measurement. The
other reason could be that the value is actually correct, but the time between 2
measurements is so big that the alkalinity has actually changed that much."
"
If you notice that there are many black dots on the graph you should increase the
measurement frequency.(
If you notice many black dots despite having a high measure frequency, you should
check the physical installation to ensure everything is correct. If that still does not
resolve the issue, look over the Ca-Reactor/Balling Station to make sure there are no
issues with them that are causing the large variations between measurements. "
"
Sometimes you do not want this wash out function. Maybe you deliberately
measure with very low frequency, and therefore almost all of the time get more than

0.20 dKH in difference between the measurements, Maybe you know in advance
that the next measurement will deviate significantly from the last measurement (after
a water change, the first measurements of a newly installed machine, set up of a
new new aquarium). In these cases it could be convenient to disable this function,
which is done in the settings, by choosing ”Wash out mode”, ”off”(white). Orange
button=On. Default mode is ”on”, so please do not forget to actively set this

button to what you desire.
We encourage a measure frequency of at least every 6 hours, with this function
enabled.

"

19

Test pump accuracy

This function allows you to control the calibration status of
the pump, for instance to help decide if there is a need to
recalibrate the pump."
"
When you press this button, test pump accuracy, you test(
the accuracy of the latest calibration of pump A, C or D.(
Before pressing the button to start the test, take out the(
pipe from the probe holder from the pump you want to(
check, and place that pipe in a proper measure cylinder.(
Then press ”test pump (A,C,D)” of the pump you aim to(
test, and the pump will start and stop after a certain(
time. Read the delivered volume in the test vial. Ideally, the
delivered fluid volume should be the following: "

# #"

• Pump A:49.5-50.5 ml"

• Pump C:9.9-10.1 ml "

• Pump D:9-11 ml "

If the delivered volume deviates from the above intervals, go to calibrate and
recalibrate that pump! (

"

Test pH-electrode accuracy

If you correctly calibrate the electrode every 6
months, you should rarely need this function.

(
When you press this button, test pH-electrode
accuracy and then push start, you will see a
continuous pH reading on the LCD screen. (

You can now easily check if the pH electrode is accurate or needs recalibration.
Carefully rinse the electrode in RO or distilled water, wipe it off, and place it in a
solution with a known pH. Then compare the expected value with the reading on the
LCD. "

This function will help you decide if there is a need to recalibrate the pH electrode. If

you correctly calibrate the electrode every 6 months, you should rarely need
this function.

LCD-Screen

On the LCD-screen there is some basic info. Between measurements the machine is
in standby mode and will always show the last measured dKH-value, when the next

20

measurement is going to be performed, and on the second line, if any actions were
taken based on the last measured value (Socket off, Dosed xx.xx ml, dKH OK)."

"
"

• Last measured value "

• When next measurement will be"

• If any actions were taken based"
on the last measured value."

• dKH OK"

• Dosed xx.xx ml"

• Socket off"

When making changes in settings, LCD screen will shortly show these settings. You
will of course always see the settings in the App, as the App and Alkatronic
remembers all settings, even after a power-off.

• Low reference value"

• High reference value"

• Aquarium Volume"

• Measure frequency (distance"

between 2 measurements in hour).

Measurement postponed function

The scheduled measurement is always starting at XX:00. That means that if you
happen to play with the app, like sending commands to Alkatronic (like doing a
calibration or something else) within 10 minutes before a scheduled
measurement should be performed, then this scheduled measurement will not

start, but is blocked, both for convenience and for safety reason. In that case, the
machine will postpone the scheduled measurement one hour, to XX+1:00, and will
in LCD-display show, after your are done with the app-commands, :”Measure
postponed to XX+1:00”. You can still finish your commands to the app until XX:30.
After that time, XX:30, in ”postponed mode”, the machine will not react to any

commands from app, to ensure the measurement, now XX+1:00, for sure will
be performed. "

"

Export Data

In the main menu, you have a button called
”Export Data”. When clicking on this, your

mail-client will be opened and include the
measurements from the history, in that mail."

"

21

Alert Reagent/Buffer Bottle

In the settings you have the possibilities to reset
the reagent and buffer(carbonate) bottles, in
order to get an alarm/alert when they are
needed to be refilled. If you for instance refill the
reagent bottle up to 1000 ml reagent fluid, then
click at ”Refill Reagent Bottle” and in popup
window enter ”1000ml”. After that, click at
”Refill Reagent” in the submenu ”Alert” and
enter (in ml) the remaining volume when you wants receive the alarm/alert."

Auto Update Mode/Upload Mode

In the settings you can choose in which way you want further software-updates. If
you enable ”Auto Update Mode” the
firmware will automatically by wifi, be
updated. If you want to manage these
updates manually, then please disable this
button. "

If the ”Upload Mode ” button is enabled,
Alkatronic will send data to the cloud. "

Connection to an aquariumcomputer/pH-computer

Our included socket is mandatory for users with no aquariumcomputer, and also for
users with no free pH-port on an existing aquariumcomputer. However, users with a

free BNC-pH port on their aquariumcomputer can connect Alkatronic to that port
through an ordinary BNC-cable, and send the latest dKH value to your
aquariumcomputer (like an Apex or similar). Then in your aquariumcomputer you can
handle that information anyway you want, like control the outlet to your CO2­solenoid, feed pump for your calcium reactor, or Balling-station. Basically you can
do the same things you would do with our own included socket, however you have
the option to use the latest dkH measurement anyway you desire. "

Setup connection between Alkatronic and Aquariumcomputer

1) Connect a BNC cable between the Alkatronic
upper BNC output (BNC 1) and a pH input on
the aquariumcomputer "

2) In the aquariumcomputer, select the correct pH­port and go to that computer's pH calibration
process "

3) In the Alkatronic app, select ”Calibrate”, then

22

select ”BNC” "

4) Go to the aquariumcomputer &s pH calibration menu (for reference see manual),
and select pH 7.00 calibration. "

5) In the Alkatronic app now click the 7.0 button.(
Now the Alkatronic will send a signal to your aquarium-(
computer that simulates a ”pH 7.00 signal”.(
When you are sure that your aquariumcomputer(
has received the signal, and it has stabilized (2-3(
minutes), press calibrate on the(
aquariumcomputer. Please refer to your aquariumcomputer’s manual if you do
not know how to perform it’s ph calibration process. If you need any support,
contact the aquariumcomputer's manufacturer. "

6) Go to the aquariumcomputer's pH calibration menu (for reference see manual),
and select pH 10.00 calibration. "

7) In the Alkatronic app, click the 10.0 button. Now the Alkatronic will send a signal
to your aquariumcomputer that simulates a ”pH 10.00 signal”. When you are
sure that your aquariumcomputer has received this signal, and it is stabilized (for
sure, wait 3-5 minutes), press calibrate on the aquariumcomputer. Again,
reference your aquariumcomputer's manual if you need any help with it's ph
calibration process. (

Now, your aquariumcomputer will understand the dKH values that Alkatronic will be
sending."
"

OBS: As the signal from Alkatronic is analogue, and the signal to the third party
aquariumcomputer is rounded to nearest tenth (In Alkatronic we have the resolution
of hundredths) , there could be a small difference between the true value from

Alkatronic and the shown value on the aquariumcomputer by +-0.05dKH( but
mostly within +- 0.02dKH) . Of same reason, that the signal is analogue, you can

sometimes see in the third party aquariumcomputer a small fluctuation of the signal
by 1-2 hundredths. This is normal and depends on how the receiving
aquariumcomputer handles the signal. Anyway, this is not a problem, as you never
make actions based on difference of only hundredths. Please also read chapter
below and using the ”defer” command in for instance the Apex to avoid actions
based on a small sudden fluctuation of these hundredths. Also remember that the
aquariumcomputer can only receive dKH values from 7.00 and upwards, and the
upper limit depends on the aquarium computer's limit to show high pH values. So if
your aquariumcomputer is showing a dKH value very close to 7.00dKH, the true
value could be that or lower. The correct values will of course always be displayed
on the Alkatronic LCD screen and in the Alkatronic app and at our cloud. The
measure range of Alkatronic is between 4.48dKH-15.4dKH. Alkatronic will also of
course perform all of the actions you want it to, independent of what value you have
on your aquariumcomputer. "

Also note that if the Alkatronic is restarted from being powerless, you need to
let the machine make a measure before it can start to send the measurements to the

third party aquariumcomputer or ph-computer. After powering up the Alkatronic and
before a new measurement has been done, the value sent from Alkatronic to the
third party computer is not a true value but will be close to ”7.0”. As long as you

23

know this, that is not a problem. Normally you never power off the Alkatronic, and if
you do, just press ‘extra measurement” upon restarting to do a fresh measurement
so the third part computer will have a fresh value to read. After that, Alkatronic will
continuously send the last measured value to the aquariumcomputer. "

We can not take any responsibility for whether or not the aquariumcomputer
interprets the value as correct, we can only control our signal from Alkatronic
and guarantee that is correct. "

Programming tip to Apex/aquariumcomputer-user

As the signal to Apex/Profilux/other ”third party aquarium-computer”=(TAQ), is
analogue, it will fluctuate some 1/100ths up and down. This is the case for all
analogue signals, like temp, pH, ORP etc. In the TAQ you will probably want to set
reference levels when you want different things to happen if your value is below, or
above a certain level. Remember to always use the command ”Defer”, to

prevent bouncing between on and off if the values are very near your settled
reference value. "

Ex:(
In your Apex you want to shut off the CO2-solenoid if dKH is above 8.50 dKH. If
Alkatronic measures for instance 8.45 dKH, the value in your Apex from time to time
could go above 8.50 due to the small instability of the analogue signal. You do not
want your Apex to react to these minor and temporary fluctuations above your
reference values. You need to add a function in your Apex code that tells your apex

to only react if the value have been outside your reference values for a certain
amount of time. In Apex you call this Defer. "

In the example below, you want Apex to shut off an outlet if dKH is above 8.50 dKH,
but only if it is above that level for more than 10 minutes. This will prevent the

Apex from bouncing between on and off, if you are very close to the settled
reference level.

"

Fallback ON"
Set ON"
If dKH > 8.50 Then OFF "
Defer 010:00 Then OFF"

Cloud-functions

With the cloud, you can reach the measuring data, export all data to an excel-file,
and control some of the functions, from a place outside the home. Do not forget to

have the button ”Upload mode” in enabled position. Open this link in a web­browser:"

24

http://www.focustronic.net/
alkatronic-cloud"

Then log in with that account
name and password you
registered when assigned to the
app and machine. "

"

Baseline calibration

Observe:This function is coming very soon. We will inform by a fw and app update.

This function should NEVER replace a calibration of the pumps and pH-electrode,
but is ONLY used if you of some reason have a reagent concentration that is not
correct, thus leading to a significant inaccuracy. The typical, and probably the only
situation, you would need this function is if you mix the reagent yourself, and do
some failure in that process, thus leading to a reagent with not perfect
concentration. Thus this function will save you, and you can still use the reagent. "

Following condition must be true, if this function should be used:"

If you decide to use this function, and all conditions is fulfilled for that (se orange
box), then go to ”Baseline calibration” in settings. "

Now you slide the button to ”ON”, to make it possible to enter data. If you have the
button in OFF-position, it will not be possible to enter any data, and the Baseline

calibration is not active."

In the data-field enter following dKH values:"
"

Field 1: ”dKH value from Alkatronic”
Field 2: ”dKH value from a reference test”

Make sure you really have correct values when you enter these in the
data-fields. Thus, concerning the Alkatronic dKH-value, let Alkatronic

measure at least twice and be sure these 2 values are very near each other
as an indication that the measurement is correct performed. And concerning

Correct calibrated pump A and C, and correct

calibrated pH-electrode, but still a dKH measurement

from Alkatronic which is deviating more than 0.2dKH

from the true dKH measured by a high quality

reference test.

25

the dKH from the reference test, make it twice of same reason, and be
absolutely positive that the reference test is showing the true dKH value.

Press save. From now, all values measured by Alkatronic will be recalculated
with a factor which compensate for the not perfect mixed reagent.

All values in the app and LCD-display will be marked with a ”*”, if this function
is enabled.

Do not forget to disable the function again when you refill with reagent
with correct concentration!

26

Maintenance

Change hoses in the pumps

Pump A and C

Every 6-8 months

Pump B and D

Every 12 months

OBS: Always use original hoses from FOCUSTRONIC for this purpose. We will
not guarantee precision/accuracy, nor safety, if you use other hoses than our
replacement hoses. It is of the utmost importance that these hoses are of correct
quality, diameter, length, with correctly positioned stops, and are specialized for this
machine and it´s pumps. "

Changing the pH-electrode

The included pH electrode is of high quality and is specially chosen for this purpose.
If properly handled, it will last for 2-2.5 years. After these 2+ years it will need to be
replaced. You can purchase the electrode at Focustronic, or at the local dealer
where you bought the machine. When you replace the electrode you have to
unscrew the back-lid and in the upper right corner of the circuit board connect the
BNC cable to the BNC-contact. Be very careful not to touch the electronics on the
circuit board. If you are concerned about performing this task, please contact
Focustronics support and we will guide you through it. After that, follow the
instructions on page 11, from point 2 and onwards. "

Recalibration

pH-electrode

Recalibration around every 6 months. A brand new electrode could manage a
longer interval, but an electrode after 1-2 years will require some more frequent
calibration than before, so 6 months is appropriate independently of the age of the
electrode. The electrode will last around 2.5 years if handled properly."

Pumps

Pump A and C "

Every 2-4 weeks. You can always run the function ”test pump accuracy” to check if
calibration is needed, as the interval could differ depending on the age of the hose
inside the pump. Thus 2-4 weeks in only a guideline, and could vary. The machine
will give you an alert when time to calibrate, as a reminder. "

27

Pump B and D

Pump B never needs to be calibrated"
Pump D, every 8 weeks or less, depending on how much that pump had to be run(it
is the carbonate dosing pump). Also here (see above) you can always use the ”test

pump accuracy” function to find out if the pump needs to be calibrated."

28

Trouble shooting

Bad accuracy

Defines as more than 0.2dKH difference from the known dKH."

• First of all, make sure that you really know the ”correct” dKH. That is not easy, as

even a brand new manual KH test from the market, mostly have an inbuilt
inaccuracy of around 0.2-0.3dKH! Most manual dKH tests measure too
high, as it is difficult to judge the proper color shift of these tests and the
reagent due to its small volume is fast contaminated/diluted. If you for
instance find that Alkatronic measures constant 0.2dKH below a manual
test, and you have done the checklist below, it is most likely that you have
no inaccuracy from Alkatronic at all!

•

Check pump calibration status for Pump A and C, by using the ”Test pump
accuracy” function (see above). If the volume of the delivered fluid isn´t within

the ranges below, redo the calibration of that pump. "

• Pump A:49.5-50.5 ml "

• Pump C:9.9-10.1 ml"

• Make sure you were reading the measure cylinders correct when you
calibrated! See page 12.

• Check pH electrode by using the ”test pH -electrode” function (se above) and if
the reading is deviating more than 0.1 pH from the reference fluid, redo the pH
calibration."

•

Make sure that the pipes are in correct positions! The pipe from pump B must

be in contact with bottom and the pipe from pump A must be around 2 mm
above botton, and the pipe from pump C should be around 20 mm above

surface level when measurement vial is in standby mode (containing 50.0 ml).

• If you have excluded incorrect calibrated pumps and electrode by procedure
above, and you are 100% sure about the true dKH, then it is only one

explanation left: Slight inaccuracy of the reagent. In that case you have probably
not been careful enough when mixing the reagent. If that is the cause, please

consider using the ”Baseline calibration”, see page 23."

Bad precision

Defines as more than 0.1dKH variance between 2 measurements of the exact same
water (thus not biologically active water)."

29

• Check the microfilter for obstructions and make sure it is not too dirty (do you
need to wash it or replace it?) , and make sure it can never float up.(

•

Check for large amounts of visible air in the hoses from pumps A and C. A small
amount of air is normal and will not influence the results. If there are a lot (

of air bubbles in the reagent canister, use your fingertip or something similar to
tap the outside of the container in order to let any air bubbles dissipate and
escape from the reagent vial wall. Also make sure the reagent vessel is not

lower than 20 cm below the machine. Check so all luer-connections and
hoses are tight.(

• Check the magnetic stirrer, ensure the magnetic rod is in place, and not loosing
its orbit within a measurement cycle. If it does, make sure that the test vial is
placed tightly and correctly in the test vial holder. (

• Check that the pipe in the reagent bottle is below the surface."

• Check that the placement of the machine and reagent bottle is according to our
guidelines. (

• Make sure that the pipes are in correct positions! The pipe from pump B must

be in contact with the bottom and the pipe from pump A must be around 2
mm above the bottom, and the pipe from pump C should be around 20 mm

above surface level when the measurement vial is in standby mode (containing

50.0 ml). "

• Brand new hoses in the pumps, could need some run in time, so after installing
new hoses in pump, the first 1-2 days could be with slight lower precision (but
probably not). That will very fast disappear, and need no actions. (

No connection between app and machine

First of all: The connection between Alkatronic and App concerning the most
crucial functions, is based on BT-connection, as that is the most safe and
stable connection. But it could take sometimes 5-10 seconds for the app to
connect when opening the app from a sleeping mode. That is normal!. Just
wait, and within 10 seconds the app will connect and you will see a green dot
in the app window.

All computers could as a very seldom occasion be locked in due to digital
corruption. If this occurs, thus no response from Alkatronic despite several try to

connect with the app, check these:"

• Make sure there is no message on LCD like ”Measure postponed to XX:00”. In
that case the machine deliberately takes no commands from 30 minutes until
next scheduled measurement starts (read more at page 19). "

• Have you BT connection enabled at phone/tablet?"

30

• Make sure you don´t have another unit (phone/tablet) already connected to

Alkatronic. The BT connection can not connect to more than one device at same
time. "

• Try to kill the app and open it again. If App after that does not succeed to
connect, and you have BT enabled at phone, and are only a few meters from
machine, then restart the Alkatronic by unplug and plug the power-cable. Then
retry to connect and it should connect. Do not forget to select the action and
wash out modes as these are always off as default when power up (of safety
reason)."

No wifi-connection

The Alkatronic only allows a single connection at a time (Bluetooth via App, or Wifi
to cloud).% When App is connected, the Wifi is disabled and vice versa.%If issues with
connecting to your home router, try this:"

1. Restart the Alkatronic"

2. Wait for BT connection"

3. Clear the wifi credentials and press save"

4. Enter the wifi credentials and press save"

5. Enable alerts for ”dKH high” and ”dKH low”, and press save"

6. Kill app"

7. Restart Alkatronic again. DO NOT OPEN THE APP NOW. "

8. Wait for a few minutes (still do not connect with app)"

9. Check in router to see if you can see “raspberrypi”, if you do, Alkatronic now
communicates with your router."

Once you have got this connection to the router, you will of course not have to do
these actions anymore(and mostly not at all, as also the first connection is
automatically)."

Failsafe message ”Restart”

If LCD shows “Restart”, this is a fail-safe action from Alkatronic due to that the
measured value of some reason was higher than 15.4dKH"
The reason can be one of these:"

1. The true dKh value is really above 15.4 dKH"

2. You have forgot to put the magnetic rod in
the measuring beaker"

3. Stirrer not moves (contact support)"

4. No reagent, or too little reagent is delivered:"

I. Reagent bottle is empty"
II. Reagent pipe not in proper position

in bottle%"

III. Hose inside pump C got

31

loose. %This can be quickly solved by taking out the hose from the pump
by moving the plastic holderings forward, and putting a new cable tie
around it. Make sure the plastic connectors are aligned so the hose will
not be twisted.% "

32

Appendix

Recipe for carbonate-solution

The machine's dosing algorithms are based on the carbonate-concentration from an
ordinary Balling recipe or similar. Almost all ready to buy solutions and recipes from
other companies, are based on this standard carbonate-concentration. It is of no

importance if the carbonate-mixture is made of HCO3, CO3 or a mix between
these. As long as you use one of these common standard recipes below, or a ready

to buy solution with similar content (almost all commercial liquids are) , Alkatronic
are doing the correct dosing calculations and you only have to set the correct
volume of your system in settings."
"
Here is some of the most common recipes, which all of them works perfect with
Alkatronics dosing algorithms: "
"

•

Recipe based on NaHCO

3

1 liter RO-water "
81 g NaHCO

3"

• Recipe based on NaHCO3/Na2CO

3

1 liter RO-water "
66 g NaHCO

3"

10 g Na2CO

3"

• Recipe based on Na2CO

3

1 liter RO-water "
52 g Na2CO

3"

"

If your carbonate strength/recipe deviates from recipes above with a factor of
X-times stronger, just divide you aquarium volume by X, and type that value in
settings under Aquarium volume.

Mixing reagent solution

The reagent solution comes in two versions: "

• Ready to use solution "

• Economic concentrated solution"

The ”ready to use solution” does not need any preparation, and can be used from
scratch. (
The economic package is an extremely favorable solution in regards to the running
cost, and is mixed with 4 times more RO/distilled water than the reagent
volume. This 4/1 relation is also correct if you choose to weight the reagent and
water, as the reagent have same specific gravity as the RO-water. (Theoretically the

33

reagent have slight higher specific gravity but the difference is extremely small so we
can without loosing accuracy, neglect that). "

Thus, depending on your equipment at home, you can choose between either using
the ”weight method” or the ”volume method”. If you do not have lab-equipment
concerning measuring volume, like a ”volumetric flask”, or a ”graduated cylinder” of
at least 500ml, we recommend user in first place go for the ”weight method”,
and using a reasonable good kitchen scale, with resolution of 1g, and at least a max
capacity of 2500-3000g. That method will, if following our instructions very carefully,
give an accuracy of the ready to use solution by 0.2% or better. That have
absolutely no impact at all of the final measurements. "

The volume method, with a lab-grade volumetric flask, can give an accuracy of the
ready to use solution by 0.1% in best case. There is no need to chase numbers in
this field, so 0.2% is absolutely fine, and will not be seen in the measurements. "

Weight method

Most users will find this method the best and most straight forward, and is
recommended if you do not have lab-grade volume measuring items. "
The only thing you need is a kitchen scale of reasonable quality with a resolution by
1g, and preferably a maximum weight capacity of at least 2500-3000g."

It is advisable to not mix too much at each occasion. We recommend mixing a
maximum of 2500-3000 g each time. That will last around 8-9 weeks in normal
usage. If you mix larger quantity each time, and maybe do some slight error, you will
regret that. "

The advantage with this method is that you perform the whole procedure by one
single weighting, and in that way reduce errors."
As the specific gravity of our reagent is 1.00g/ml we can still use the 1/4 relationship
between the weight of the reagent and RO water."

Practical procedure:"
In this example you wants to make 2000ml of a ready to use solution:"

• Place a canister (please make sure it is completely clean and only are used for
this purpose from start) on the scale."

• Press ”tare” on the scale to make the readings to 0.00 g"

• Now carefully fill upp with reagent to the readings of exact 400g. "

• DO NOT remove the canister from the scale, let it be, still reading 400 g of

course, and now add RO-water until you read exact 2000 g at the scale. Done! "

"

Advice:! It is maybe not easy to hit the weight targets exact, so when you are
quite near the target value, use a pipett or syringe (never used before) or
similar to add the last reagent/water very precise! Plastic pipette or syringe (use
it only ones, and use new and completely clean) are easy to get from

pharmaceutical shop or aquarium shop. "

34

There is of course very easy maths behind this, but for your convenience look at this
table as a help:"

Volume method "
If you choose this method you should have a 500-1000ml ”graduated cylinder” or
”volumetric flask” to perform this mixing. If you have not, go for the ”weight
method”. "
We also recommend using a funnel to avoid spilling any
reagent or water. The volume relation between

reagent/RO water should be exact 1/4.

It is advisable to not mix too much at each occasion.

We recommend mixing a maximum 2.5-3 liter each
time. That will last around 8-9 weeks in normal usage. If

you mix larger quantity each time, and maybe do some
slight error, you will regret that.

If you for instance wants to have 2000ml of a ready to
use solution, then pour up exactly 400 ml reagent, and
mix that with 1600 ml RO-water. Always use 4 times
more RO-water than the reagent, thus keep the 4/1
relation, and it will be correct. There is of course very
easy maths, but for your convenience look at this table
as a help: "

Weight of reagent

Final weight after adding RO-water

200 g

1000 g

300 g

1500 g

400 g

2000 g

500 g

2500 g

600 g

3000 g

Graduated cylinder
Volumetric flask

35

$

Changing hoses in Pumps

According to our recommendations, we advice to change hoses in Pump A and C
every 6-8 months, and for Pump B and D every 12 months. These recommendations
are based on a normal usage. "
Please refer to following text and pictures how to perform this changing procedure."

1. Turn the plastic housing a few degrees counterclockwise. Then it should be
very easy to lift off the plastic housing. "

2. Now you have to carefully pull out the hose, and
start with pushing the attachment towards you. It
should be with no significant resistance, so take
care to not break the plastic part. "

3. Carefully pulling out the hose and at same time with
your fingers rotate the wheel some degrees. Now it
should be quite easy to remove the hose."

4. Take the new hose and start with push down the

Volume of reagent

Volume of RO-water

Final Volume of ready to
use solution

200 ml

800 ml

1000 ml

300 ml

1200 ml

1500 ml

400 ml

1600 ml

2000 ml

500 ml

2000 ml

2500 ml

600 ml

2400 ml

3000 ml

36

attachments, and make sure it is pushed down all the way. "

5. Now push down the hose between the inside wall and wheel.This is more
easy if you simultaneously with your finger rotate the wheel. "

6. Now make sure that the hose is pressed down enough so there is some
space between the rim and hose (see arrow in the picture below).

 "

With the larger hose (Pump A,B and D) this could be a little tricky part. Then
use the following method to fine adjust the position of the hose:"

• When the hose is in position but just have to be

pressed down a few more mm, start the pump
with ”prime hose”. At same time as the pump
now is running, take the the plastic housing
and carefully replace it. If you feel that the
plastic housing is touching the hose, then just
use the plastic housing to press down the hose
some more, until you feel that the plastic
housing is not touching the hose anymore.
Then the hose is in proper position. If you find
this difficult, contact our support and we will
guide you. "

Important:"

1. When a new hose is installed it requires a short time of run-in, so after the
hose is correctly installed, run the pump with ”prime hose” for around 5 minutes. "

2. Then wait 5 minutes (the hose properties is different if it is warmed up by long
time running), and then calibrate the pump."

3. If the pump, after newly installed hose, is stalling, then that depends on that the
hose is to close to the plastic housing. Then try to push it further down so it is

37

not attaching the plastic housing at all, AND also run in the hose further some
minutes. "

4. Sometimes a newly installed hose, even if it is in perfect position, may stall
a few seconds. This is very soon disappearing after only a few minutes of

running time, and depends on that a completely new hoses is some rigid. "

5. Even if our hoses is of very high consistent, they may have some slight variability
the first days after newly installed. Therefore we advice user to check the
calibration status with ”test pump accuracy” and if necessary recalibrate a few
times the first days. After that, a calibration frequency of 2-4 weeks, should be
sufficient. "

"

Fail-safe messages in LCD

Alkatronic have several fail-safes for security reason. Some of them will show up
with a message in the LCD-display. Here is an explanation of the different fail-safes
messages: "

”Please restart”:

This means that you must restart machine manually, please read about this at page

30. "

“Out of Range/Re-Calibrate”"
This means that when you calibrated the pump/s, you have entered an invalid data,
thus a volume that is out of range. Please then recalibrate that pump. "
Machine will detect out of range if you have entered calibration data outside these
values:"

•

Pump A: 35<X<70"

• Pump C: 5<X<15"

•

Pump D: 5<X<15"

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Specifications

Accuracy and precision# +- 0.05dKH"
Measure range# # 4.8dKH-15.4dKH"
Water amount/measure# 50 ml"

Reagent amount/measure# ～8 ml"
Dimensions# # # 22x14x27 cm"
Connectivity# # # Wifi/Bluetooth, USB(fw update)"

Update procedure# # Wifi or USB"
Software# # # iOS app, Android app coming soon"
On board-LCD# # Yes"
Pumps## # # 2 steppers, 2 DC-motors"
Basic technology# # pH-electrode-based titration"
Measure intervals# # 2-12 hours"
Regulating dKH# # Doses carbonate, and controls a socket (BT)"
BNC output I# # # yes, to any third party aquarium computer/pH # #
# # # # controller"
BNC output II# # # Prepared for Dosetronic"
Need of other equipments# No, standalone"
Cloud feature# # # yes"
Energy consumption"
(as max during a measure"
cycle)# # # # 12W"

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