PART IV Calibration
CHAPTER 11
Partial calibration
Partial calibration is the day-to-day adjustment: you measure KH with your chemical test and tell the equipment the value, without emptying anything. It takes less than a minute.
Measure your aquarium's KH with a chemical test you trust. Open Configuration → Reference Alkalinity . Enter the measured value and tap Apply .
BACKGROUND
How often to recalibrate
The equipment suggests a date for the next calibration and shows it on the home screen. You set the reminder interval in Custom. → Calibration Reminder , from weekly to yearly.
In practice: weekly for the first month, while you build confidence in the equipment, and monthly after that serves most systems very well.
CAUTION
Your chemical test's accuracy is part of the equation
Most alkalinity chemical tests have a margin of error of about ± 0.30 dKH — the app itself reminds you of this on screen. Look for the accuracy figure on your kit's packaging.
So do not recalibrate over every small difference between the test and the equipment. If the difference is of the order of your test's margin, it may be in the test, not in the Aquarino KH.
TIP
How to run a good reference test
Take the water from the same point where the equipment's hose tip sits;
Run the test at the same time of day the equipment measured, so you are comparing comparable values;
If you can, run the test twice and use the average;
Expired or badly stored reagent is the most common cause of "the equipment is wrong".