Reef Factory KH Keeper First Impressions

[@tkozik84]

Love the ending ! Nice to see what making of the video is like ! Great stuff Alex !

[@josephposada1830]

Dear Alex, You remain my Equipment Guru. You are Always so excellent in these presentations. Happy Christmas to You and Mrs. Reef Dork

[@ghost61]

wow awesome video. first time viewer looking forward to these coming to the states

[@ReefDork]

Should be later this year from what I hear...

[@markO0286]

I’m hoping farther Christmas is going to bring me one of these 😂🤞🏼🤞🏼

[@pelagicswimmer]

Mate I love your videos, always come away laughing, they take a lot of work, respect.

[@b20uno]

Can’t wait for mine to arrive! I heard lots of issues with trident, so I decided to sell all my apex equipment and bought this, a kamoer auto water change pump and a load of Wi-fi plug sockets. Great video Alex!!

[@paulmeneely]

Great. Hope it's available here in Australia soon!

[@XMRNYC]

Love it! Waiting for US introduction and more feedback re reliability.

[@hubbsreef4799]

Wooo my pic made the video :-), cant wait to watch when i get home to see how your getting on with it.

[@ReefDork]

Must be the Salifert test result! Nice work.

[@ianawesome4875]

It is a fabulous kit! Had mine running a month now. And it has helped no end! And my input is. Given it uses a pH probe. It would be nice to have a pH reading of the tank water before it adds the reagent. But of course. Reef factory want to sell you a seperate pH reader!

[@ReefDork]

I'm not sure it would be much use to have it test ph. It would only be testing what's in the beaker rather than what's in your tank and given how often pH changes, that's pointless in my opinion.

[@nickhatton7502]

Looks like a great bit of kit. Tempted to get one myself after seeing your review.

[@snowymatrix]

I have a few Reef Factory products - two dosing pumps and the thermo view. I'm liking the company but was a bit vexed when the dosing pumps only could be programmed for a single amount per day. They only started working correctly after the latest firmware update a few days ago. Not a big problem for me but you need a computer to do the firmware updates as it can't be done on the phone app. People that don't have access to a computer at home need to be aware of this as I'm guessing this machine here will need updates too. Some people are already complaining about this on the Facebook page.

[@ReefDork]

I did the update on the app - took a few attempts, but went through eventually. They're planning to add loads more functionality as they go so things should get a lot better in time 🙂

[@jamesrecon14]

Awesome video.. ty! Love the last few moments of the video.lol

[@mikkostenberg1740]

Really helpfull video! Thanks! 👌💪

[@ukm120]

Great vid, comprehensive look at that kh keeper thanks👍

[@joshpowell8153]

great content as usual!! I've been really contemplating this unit. best get saving those reefer tokens xD

[@davidhughes7180]

Great objective review as always. Would love to hear how you've used the insight of regular KH testing to improve stability. I.e have you been able to amend your dosing schedule to flatten out peaks and troughs? Outtakes an additional bonus this week!

[@ReefDork]

Kind of. I switched from dosing during daylight hours to 10 equal doses over 24 hours which smoothed the curve (surprisingly). I'll tell you more when I've setup my rf dosing pumps...

[@jaysrealreefuk]

Great video, this looks like a really great piece of kit, might need a bigger tank first 🙂👍

[@erich8756]

Nice review! Good feature suggestions! Loved the bloopers! Still if you have an Apex for a 150 euros more you have the big three. Mastertronic at double the money would do al your testing...I don't know 🤷‍♂️

[@bigadventure3797]

Hopefully one day they will have something like this that can test all major parameters at once.

[@varusso]

And ghl ion director

[@marcuswebb21]

Love the outtakes 👍

[@Mike__B]

Still waiting for that golden goose. Testing alkalinity is one of the easiest tests out there often nothing more than adding a single reagent to a container and waiting for a change of some sort, as a result it's often one of the cheapest tests out there, yet for something so easy and cheap to do the equipment to automate it still is some of the most expensive equipment out there for what is effectively 3 dosing pumps and a pH probe with the software to translate that into alkalinity. I am happy about the reagent costs though, it seems ultra cheap and that definitely is a step in the right direction for keeping the running cost low, really hope to see this going stateside and that there's no companies who forceably try to keep it out of the market...

[@paulukreefer5012]

Hi Alex, this is legit the only KH controller that will fit in my cabinet. Is it still going well? How accurate do you do find it and how do you reference it against another measure? Thanks for the weekly content.. love it!

[@ReefDork]

Yep, it's great. Need to do a long term update at some point. The pH probe needs regular calibration (minimum 3 months) but even when it's out it doesn't affect the kh result as much as you'd think.

[@paulukreefer5012]

@@ReefDork really appreciate your response and advice, thanks!

[@SuperDsk1]

Just a quick correction on being the cheapest alk monitor on the market. The Xepta Autobalance is cheaper and has 3 dosing heads for dosing included. Other than that, great video as usual.

[@ReefDork]

You're quite right! Forgot that was in the UK now!

[@benjaminmorin8865]

​@@ReefDork Hello, Alex ! Great video !!! It could be a good things to compare the KH Keeper from Reef Factory with the autoBalance from Xepta. What do you think ?

[@ReefDork]

@@benjaminmorin8865 The AutoBalance looks good - especially with the Abex. I doubt i'll get my hands on one though, but for sure one to watch.

[@richardportelli1983]

Looks very cool

[@canvoodoo]

Nice but I prefer the Apex el and Trident as for a bit extra you get a shit load more.

[@dennon2010]

Two questions. Can the KH Keeper communicate with an Apex controller? Second what are the improvements for the KH Keeper plus over this unit? Improved PH probe and what else?

[@ReefDork]

It can't communicate with apex as far as I'm aware. Check out the khk plus video I did for all the differences 🙂

[@KoiKicks]

Is it really necessary to test Alk so much, this is one of those gadgets if you've got cash to burn then maybe get one. But the noise I can't find excusable 😃 when paying that sort of money. I'm wanting reagent free times too.

[@mitchellhernaman8619]

Been waiting for a review of this, thanks for the balanced views. Not related to this set up but when setting up your thermo control did it constantly beep due to the air temp being lower than the preset limits as it was so frustrating as it was also doing its first software update as part of the set up so was beeping for some time! Surely they could set limits to a wide band during install and set up? Or do I just need to crank the central heating up ...

[@ReefDork]

Hmm, can't remember now. It did beep at first but I think I put it in the tank and it stopped, but I don't really remember I'm afraid 🤷‍♂️

[@okelliesfarm]

Looks cool something I could do .home they come the the usa soon .

[@sameerjathar8062]

Sorry to divert from the topic for a moment, how would you rate yr photon lights?? I am planning to go for these, for my mixed reef

[@ReefDork]

Love them - i've done a couple of videos about them. The programming is a bit rubbish and the spread is poor which is why I have 2. But I love the blanket of light they give and the fluorescence under blues is fantastic

[@sameerjathar8062]

Thanks for the reply. Actually I would need 2 anyway as my tank is 72 x 22 x 24 inches

[@juanc6536]

When the measurement ends, how many milliliters are left in the collecting glass? If I empty the collection glass completely, the measurement gives me good, the second gives me a very high kh

[@ReefDork]

Just over 50ml

[@juanc6536]

To me in 100ml, when I empty the collecting glass the measurement gives me correct, when the second measurement is made at 4 o'clock it gives an error of 2kh, any ideas!?

[@ReefDork]

Don't know I'm afraid - raise a support ticket is your best bet

[@juanc6536]

@@ReefDork Does the buoy in the sump have to be completely submerged?

[@ReefDork]

@@juanc6536 yep

[@paullehane603]

Where is it currently available? I don’t think you mentioned that 😭

[@tomaszgalazka1410]

Hi buddy,what is the LED lamp?

[@ReefDork]

For my tank? Evergrow IT5012 x2 and an Orphek OR3.

[@tomaszgalazka1410]

@@ReefDork tnx

[@ajsreef1034]

I run the KH keeper & alkatronic. Unfortunately I find the KH keeper results are erratic & the noise level just drives me crazy, never thought it could be louder than the Alkatronic but it is by a long shot. If you are a person that tests frequently as in 1-2hours and the KH keeper is in say your lounge i think you should look elsewhere or hold off until there is some software updates or a silencing kit.

[@reefcubedan2680]

I have the kh keeper and I thought it is really loud, how much quieter is the alkatronic?

[@ajsreef1034]

@@reefcubedan2680 I cant hear the alkatronic from the next room, where as the KH keeper I can. Hope that helps :)

[@myenigma84]

Hi Alex. Where did you get that nifty container that stirs the solution from please? Many thanks. Ben

[@ReefDork]

It's the tmc easi stir - available in all good fish shops (and some rubbish ones too)

[@sunnygoold9449]

Hmmm - Now I wonder if I should get the kH Director down the track or this. It would be good if you could tell it when to test - like specify times. The cheapness of the reagent looks really good (although there is probably some standard acid we could substitute for the other ones). Does it need to be serviced every 2 years or so? I heard the Neptunes Trident needs to be sent in every 18months. Mainly I'd like to see the longevity and if it stands up well. For me I'd want this to last 5 years. Does it have a warranty? Awesome video - this looks like a top notch product - and it looks similar to the Pacific Sun one ;)

[@sunnygoold9449]

Nice bloopers too ;)

[@sunnygoold9449]

Also the magnetic stirrer says not available ;)

[@TomBlakee]

Great, I’ve been running my waste water into the sump, no major issue except for the pH impact. How much water do you redose back into the tank to compensate per test?

[@ReefDork]

Does it affect your pH much? If guess not. I don't add water back - I just deal with it at water change time

[@TomBlakee]

Not terrible. Although it’s in a 300l system. Have reef factory made it clear how much water is taken from the tank during each test (so I can set up a dosing pump to replace the tested saltwater for me)?

[@richwright2280]

Don’t you have to be connected to the Wi-Fi on the keeper to access results do calibrations etc ? And is there an app for it or is it just via the www.khkeeper.io page ? No good if you are away from the house

[@ReefDork]

No you don't, the app does everything without being connected to the khk. The io page is only used to set it up

[@richwright2280]

Reef Dork cool thanks mate did you also get the calibration fluid ph4 and ph7 to 25c before testing the ph probe ?

[@ReefDork]

Yep, I did. Because it's powdered though it's a bit of a faff so I recalibrated it with fluids I bought myself

[@richwright2280]

Reef Dork yeah I’ve bought the Hannah ones gonna recalibrate 🤣

[@-Wreckanize-]

One minute intro?! What have you done! Jk keep up the good vids

[@ReefDork]

🤣 I know right! I hate long intros 🙈

[@v8maro]

So...it's a smaller and slightly cheaper alkatronic. It doesn't sound like anything is innovative here. Why should someone buy this over the alkatronic?? The alkatronic has a huge community and has been battle tested through a few versions and has worked out a lot of the issues you mentioned and includes the nice to have features you're looking for...and it's like $150 USD more. I'm not trying to be negative but when you're spending 750 of 900 on a kh tester, the 150 doesn't matter.

[@ReefDork]

In the UK, the Alkatronic is £430 more which is almost double the price. It's also about 4 times larger than the KH Keeper. But there are pros and cons for all devices so for me it's about choosing what suits your needs 🙂

[@v8maro]

@@ReefDork ok, at that price difference that makes a lot more sense :)

[@ReefSYS]

God dam you Alex!! Now I need to find another €600 and I promise I’m not spending a penny more on the tank.. 🤣

[@ReefSYS]

What’s the difference between the dosing pump and the pro dosing pump? I think if this is going to be done May as well get it to manage the whole KH and other agents. Do you really need to go pro on the dosing pumps? The PH meter in the KH keeper... dose it give you a ph reading so you don’t need the ph probe?

[@ReefDork]

Doesn't read your tank pH, no. The Pro is just more accurate but it's noisy so I wouldn't get it personally as the standard is accurate enough for most needs

[@bigadventure3797]

No Push Pull connections?

[@ReefDork]

Nope. Twist screw connections

[@animetronic6689]

1:34 LOL!

[@darrenshore5853]

Wow that is really annoying noise, paying that money it should be silent, tbh hanna checker takes 2mins max to do and costs no where near this. I test alk before i feed my fish , same time every evening.

[@gowiththeflow7953]

For the price I'm sticking to my hanna.

[@ReefDork]

Nothing wrong with a Hanna checker 👍

[@exxpl]

It's too expensive. 1 or 2 test a day in Hanna cost way less and in cost of keeper u have lot of Hanna tests. Sorry for my bad english :) Unnecessary equipment.

[@flyboybeetson]

It depends how much time you have/how much you value your time. Personally having something test KH and then also auto dosing on the result would be fantastic. I'm away from home 12hrs a day, 5 days a week so the more automation the better for people in my circumstance

[@exxpl]

@@flyboybeetson Your right. But if u are in home this equipment is not necessary.

[@GREGELZZ]

Great video, horrible wallpaper

[@moereefer]

Still to much money for me