peeH Meter / Monitor

[skeletor]

ok, so I've been testing pH in the tank a lot lately and my test kit is almost depleted of pH tests. so, being to tech geek that I am I'm thinking a pH monitor that connects to my PC for data logging would be kinda cool to have.

 

I checked out the pc Turtle at Aquatic Reef Systems and it doesn't seem that bad for under $100. http://aquaticreefsystems.com/new_aquarium_meters.htm

 

I like the idea of logging this type of data, and perhaps other stuff like temp, SG, etc.

 

Is anyone doing this ?

 

am I nuts for wanting to do this and will it just cost a butt load of cash ?

 

thanks.

[MKramer]

I built a 8051-based aquarium controller for my 10g (as a testbed for when I finish my bigger setup), which allows me to do data logging of pH and temperature. I've wanted to do S.G. as well, so that I can control a top-off from my system, but I've yet to find a suitable S.G. probe.

 

For the pH monitoring, I wish I had heard about the PC Turtle sooner. I wound up using a pinpoint pH probe ($40). Since I couldn't find reasonable specs on it, I had to use calibration buffers to manually map the output curve. And I had to build an A/D module with a BNC connector, running me another $30 and a lot of wasted time.

 

But anyway, yeah, there's at least one other person out there doign this with their nano. Do I really find it useful? Nah. Over the span of six months, never have values wandered out of my tolerance range. I find testing to really be an unnecessary exercise. I only have this setup going because I want to run a much larger tank off my controller, and for that I may wish to control more carefully.

 

Well, that, and I'm a tech geek, too. So I guess I did it partly because I could.