Its really difficult to research the differences and details of the various KH controllers on the market but this in-depth review was brilliant! Honestly the Reef Factory KH Keeper is very attractive, I hope they plan to begin distributing in Canada soon.
Aree 100%. I ran 2.500eur worth of GHL products for three years (including the KHD and several losers). Decided to try out the Apex El+Trident and could not believe how far ahead the whole experience is on APEX. My Losers suffered from the same issues as you describe, had to replace several heads several times, any updates would be a nightmare, wifi connection worked only 50% of the time, programming is a nightmare, and user interface seems from the MSDOS area... Sold all GHL equipment I had and could not be happier with the switch. Absolute bliss.
Great video! Been thinking of going ghl route last 3 months. But after looking more and more into reef factory love their kit and the potential they have going forward
Is everything easier if you just stay FOWLR? I am in the thinking about it stage and it's the Fish that grab my interest. Maybe just have a few soft corals?
Hi I had the GHL 2.1 dosing pump and could not get it to connect to my WIFI. So GHL told me to send it back to them so they could look at it,which I did. When it came back it was exactly the same. So I sent it back and got a reef factory 4 head dosing pump Which connected straight away and works really well.
Would be interesting to see a similar time frame with the KH Keeper, while yeah you ran into a couple problems in the 9 months of using the KH Director, you haven't used the KH Keeper nearly as long. It's a lot like Jebao pumps, if you review them after using them for a week, they're the best thing since sliced bread, but over time they tend to require more cleaning, and may not work quite so long as say a Tunze pump which granted may cost 4-5 times more.
Good review... . Purchased the kh keeper 2 weeks ago and a solid performance so far. With the software update this week now you can use action to control your dosing. The dosing pump software update now let's you select different day's as well as import and export. What this is... I yet to find out..
Hey Alex, question about the KH Keeper. How much fresh saltwater do you return to the tank per test? I know the sample is 60ml, but is there more used to flush to tubes etc? Not keen on adding the waste water back to the tank in my nano. Thanks!
To bad I hear really bad things about the KH KEEPER, I placed a order for the KH DIRECTOR *update* the KH director barely lasted 3 months before the inside leaked due to manufacture defect (water damage is not covered by the 2 year warranty) at this point I completely regret getting the kh director and am now looking at other options, I wish I had a way to get the kh keeper in the USA
It would be great if you could do an update video on both since we are about 1 year since your last video. Would that be possible or is their not many changes?
It'll be hard for me to properly compare it to the Alkatronic cos I haven't had any first hand experience. On the face of it, the tronic has better quality components (hence the price) but it's a big old beast! But RF have said they'll include a better pH probe, a more accurate water sample doser and a quieter reagent doser. So I'll tell you how they stack up...
@@ReefDork thanks mate, I have had a AT for a couple of years now and although accuracy, graphs and ability to dose on the basis of results it does have its problems with WiFi and comms drops, reagent usage and cost. I like the look, size and simplicity of KHK, so before changing a non biased comparison would be good. Do you have any other Reef Factory goods and how do you rate as I currently use Apex and we all know the issues there!!!
I've got a few bits of theirs - most have been freebies but I've bought a load of their dosing pumps myself. The app is generally excellent and I'm happy with their hardware for the most part. They regularly update their kit and they listen to customer feedback, which is great. But it does mean sometimes their 1st generation products have a few issues that need ironing out. Same as all companies I suppose - the price you pay for being an early adopter! But of the stuff I run on my tanks, I don't have anything I don't like. The heating controller and KHK are my favourites
@@ReefDork Thanks, I will wait for your review on the KHK plus before deciding. The full size PH probe is a win and the 2 stepper motors for noise reduction are definite improvements
Great video but to be perfectly honest you could of probably left the video at "I'm selling the KH director" pretty clear at that point which one you preferred 😉
That was a very great video, was looking for it, awesome job and well structured! Unfortunately, KH Keeper isn't available in Canada, I could give them some name for distributor if that help.
When measuring bendy pipe tape a piece of string to the top, run both pipe and string through your hand, cut the string at the end then measure the string.
It sounds great, but do you really need to measure alkalinity automatically? I can guess that things are Ok based on the pH monitoring. If something dramatic happens that affect alkalinity I would see it in pH and if I have any suspicions I would check alkalinity with Hanna Checker - 5-10 mins. Am I missing something?
Nope, you're exactly right! There's definitely a benefit in monitoring but there's nothing wrong with monitoring pH and checking with a Hanna occasionally.
I rarely tested it against anything else but it was pretty solid throughout, although there were a couple of times when it suddenly went out by a lot - from what I could gather, they were bugs that ghl fixed.
GHL is a pain in the butt. Got the whole set here but not even using it bc of some issues that wore terrible to solve. Not needed anyway, I have and I'm using the trident + apex. Just much better IMO. Not saying you can't have issues with that. I had issues with its low precision on calcium and some stupid things I did, but overall the main issue with the trident is the cost of the reagent.
KH keeper looks better to me and I know there are big fans of GHL and Apex so that is a prejudice they have. I am not anywhere near in terms of need of any of these products though. I am keeping my options open for now, but with technology, cost, function, and reliability are the main points that always improve.
You can make DIY reagent (£15 or less for a bottle of HCl, will last you many years). Will work for both of them (and also Alkatronic, but not for Neptune Trident). It's super easy to do (I'm scared of anything that involves the term "DIY" but really it is!), because it's just hydrochloric acid and water mixed to the right concentrations.
Apples and Pears to be honest. You're not going to get the best out of the KHD unless you have the Profilux 4 as the Doser 2.1 doesn't have the same functionality. The Profilux 4 has far far more capability than anything that Reef Factory have or have imminently (0-10v interfaces, Calc etc. testing, plugbars with >2 sockets to name a few). I also think you can't give a true verdict on the RFK (and their other products) unless it's been run for at least 6 months. I do however wholeheartedly agree that the user interface/experience on the GHL products leaves a lot to be desired.
never been a fan of GHL. I had about 2K would of the Profilux 3 on my last big set up and the software was a real pain. I then had hardware issues and lost a lot of money :(. Now run an Apex and much better. However, I'm running an Alkatronic for my ALK which is very good but not without its problems! Quite a few on the market now, which way you going to choose?
The problem is that they are all exactly the same. Acid titration based PH detection. Some might have prettier software, some might technically be better hardware, but they all have the same flaws at the core of it, which is calibration needs to be PERFECT on dosing heads and probe. They can all also be effected by cyano and dinos, or other bacterial issues in the tank, which throw out the results. A better detection method needs to be developed.
Hey Jonathan! Can you give any updates? I’m just entering the world on controllers and dosers and would love some experienced input between your Trident and Alkatronic.
KHD is £774 for standalone and £728 for slave, when bought directly from GHL. I wouldn't buy any GHL not direct, it's cheaper and quicker, and it's always in stock.
I would give the GHL a miss.In my experience, everything I have ever owned from GHL has been faulty and their warranty is a bit of a con and they don’t live up to it coupled with terrible customer service I would stay well clear.
Two videos a week? Bloody hell it is Christmas! About time we got some good stuff this year.
Its really difficult to research the differences and details of the various KH controllers on the market but this in-depth review was brilliant! Honestly the Reef Factory KH Keeper is very attractive, I hope they plan to begin distributing in Canada soon.
Aree 100%. I ran 2.500eur worth of GHL products for three years (including the KHD and several losers). Decided to try out the Apex El+Trident and could not believe how far ahead the whole experience is on APEX. My Losers suffered from the same issues as you describe, had to replace several heads several times, any updates would be a nightmare, wifi connection worked only 50% of the time, programming is a nightmare, and user interface seems from the MSDOS area... Sold all GHL equipment I had and could not be happier with the switch. Absolute bliss.
Great video! Been thinking of going ghl route last 3 months. But after looking more and more into reef factory love their kit and the potential they have going forward
Superb and honest review of both machines!
Buddy. Good job on this review. A lot of hard work went into this. Lucky I’m FOWLR at the moment. Haven’t tested anything in about 6 weeks! 👍🏾
Thanks man, appreciate it
Is everything easier if you just stay FOWLR? I am in the thinking about it stage and it's the Fish that grab my interest. Maybe just have a few soft corals?
great comparison and video Alex. very useful
What a fantastic explanation. Thank you
Thanks for the comparison, enjoyed the vid.
Great vid , many thanks 🙏 Alex ( nice shirt 😀🏴)
Amazing test. I was so closento buy a gh director. But boy you saved me. I need something to work for me and not something i work for
Огромное Вам спасибо за это сравнение 👍
Alex Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family
Hi I had the GHL 2.1 dosing pump and could not get it to connect to my WIFI.
So GHL told me to send it back to them so they could look at it,which I did.
When it came back it was exactly the same. So I sent it back and got a reef factory 4 head dosing pump
Which connected straight away and works really well.
Would be interesting to see a similar time frame with the KH Keeper, while yeah you ran into a couple problems in the 9 months of using the KH Director, you haven't used the KH Keeper nearly as long. It's a lot like Jebao pumps, if you review them after using them for a week, they're the best thing since sliced bread, but over time they tend to require more cleaning, and may not work quite so long as say a Tunze pump which granted may cost 4-5 times more.
Yep, for sure - I'll come back when I've had the khk a while 🙂
Good review... . Purchased the kh keeper 2 weeks ago and a solid performance so far. With the software update this week now you can use action to control your dosing. The dosing pump software update now let's you select different day's as well as import and export. What this is... I yet to find out..
Great video, very informative. Looks like you’ve got 5 GHL owners watching though.
I recommend KH Director :)
Hey Alex, question about the KH Keeper. How much fresh saltwater do you return to the tank per test? I know the sample is 60ml, but is there more used to flush to tubes etc? Not keen on adding the waste water back to the tank in my nano. Thanks!
I been wanting to get a alk tester for a while and been saving up for it, but I think I will wait until the Keeper is available in the US.
Check out the Xepta Autobalance too - another cheaper option
To bad I hear really bad things about the KH KEEPER, I placed a order for the KH DIRECTOR
*update* the KH director barely lasted 3 months before the inside leaked due to manufacture defect (water damage is not covered by the 2 year warranty) at this point I completely regret getting the kh director and am now looking at other options, I wish I had a way to get the kh keeper in the USA
It would be great if you could do an update video on both since we are about 1 year since your last video. Would that be possible or is their not many changes?
I've done a long term review of the kh keeper but I grew to hate the kh director so I sold it a while ago now
Be interesting to see you do a comparison of the KH Keeper and the Alkatronic
It'll be hard for me to properly compare it to the Alkatronic cos I haven't had any first hand experience. On the face of it, the tronic has better quality components (hence the price) but it's a big old beast! But RF have said they'll include a better pH probe, a more accurate water sample doser and a quieter reagent doser. So I'll tell you how they stack up...
@@ReefDork thanks mate, I have had a AT for a couple of years now and although accuracy, graphs and ability to dose on the basis of results it does have its problems with WiFi and comms drops, reagent usage and cost. I like the look, size and simplicity of KHK, so before changing a non biased comparison would be good.
Do you have any other Reef Factory goods and how do you rate as I currently use Apex and we all know the issues there!!!
I've got a few bits of theirs - most have been freebies but I've bought a load of their dosing pumps myself. The app is generally excellent and I'm happy with their hardware for the most part. They regularly update their kit and they listen to customer feedback, which is great. But it does mean sometimes their 1st generation products have a few issues that need ironing out. Same as all companies I suppose - the price you pay for being an early adopter! But of the stuff I run on my tanks, I don't have anything I don't like. The heating controller and KHK are my favourites
@@ReefDork Thanks, I will wait for your review on the KHK plus before deciding. The full size PH probe is a win and the 2 stepper motors for noise reduction are definite improvements
Great video but to be perfectly honest you could of probably left the video at "I'm selling the KH director" pretty clear at that point which one you preferred 😉
Well done.. good review.
I know I asked on the other vid.
With the reef factor. What’s the difference between the normal and pro dosing pumps?
The pro is a stepper motor so it can dispense much smaller amounts. Good for trace elements and the like
@@ReefDork I feel like going pro is unnecessary if I’m dosing 4ml at a time and currently on a jeabo doser..
Yep, I'd agree 🙂
That was a very great video, was looking for it, awesome job and well structured!
Unfortunately, KH Keeper isn't available in Canada, I could give them some name for distributor if that help.
Yep, send them an email - I know they're looking for distributors 🙂
I have the khd and use cheap acid for tests works great and goes back in to the sump
Is it hydrochloric acid?
@@ReefDork it is if I remember off top of my head 0.1M,don’t have to dilut it just use it neat
Alkatronic is exactly the same hydrochloric acid 1M diluted 4 times I send that staff back in to DT its harmless in small Qty
When measuring bendy pipe tape a piece of string to the top, run both pipe and string through your hand, cut the string at the end then measure the string.
That's genius!
Pls suggest me regarding kh keeper plus result should I purchase or go for only ghl kh director
I much prefer the Reef Factory KH Keeper Plus
It sounds great, but do you really need to measure alkalinity automatically? I can guess that things are Ok based on the pH monitoring. If something dramatic happens that affect alkalinity I would see it in pH and if I have any suspicions I would check alkalinity with Hanna Checker - 5-10 mins. Am I missing something?
Nope, you're exactly right! There's definitely a benefit in monitoring but there's nothing wrong with monitoring pH and checking with a Hanna occasionally.
Just wondering how the ghl is accurate?? Pleas
Thank you for replying
I rarely tested it against anything else but it was pretty solid throughout, although there were a couple of times when it suddenly went out by a lot - from what I could gather, they were bugs that ghl fixed.
GHL is a pain in the butt.
Got the whole set here but not even using it bc of some issues that wore terrible to solve. Not needed anyway, I have and I'm using the trident + apex. Just much better IMO. Not saying you can't have issues with that. I had issues with its low precision on calcium and some stupid things I did, but overall the main issue with the trident is the cost of the reagent.
Merry Christmas to All☃️🧑🎄⛄🏂🍻🍻🍾🍾😊
You can add notifications for KH Director
Yeah, they finally added the feature a couple of months ago
when will it come to usa
They've been planning that for a while - I'd guess 2023.
Its like Comparing a Casio with a Rolex
KH keeper looks better to me and I know there are big fans of GHL and Apex so that is a prejudice they have. I am not anywhere near in terms of need of any of these products though. I am keeping my options open for now, but with technology, cost, function, and reliability are the main points that always improve.
You forgot about the action options...from kh keeper ;)
@Reef Dork come va il keeeper dopo mesi di utilizzo? È affidabile?
I've done a long-term review video. But simply I still really like it.
@@ReefDork mi puoi mandare il link in modo che io possa vederlo? Grazie
@@ivanofattinnanzi1988 ua-cam.com/video/jbl9jFJMG8s/v-deo.html
@@ReefDork thank you very much!
You can make DIY reagent (£15 or less for a bottle of HCl, will last you many years). Will work for both of them (and also Alkatronic, but not for Neptune Trident). It's super easy to do (I'm scared of anything that involves the term "DIY" but really it is!), because it's just hydrochloric acid and water mixed to the right concentrations.
can you explain more detailed or post a link with a description how to do this exactly?
“Mr salty” has just sold his alkatronic in favour of the kh keeper also...
where can we get the best price?
Seems to be the same everywhere
Let’s get stuck in
The KH Keeper is like a half price Alkatronic by the look of things only with a better App 🤔
Apples and Pears to be honest. You're not going to get the best out of the KHD unless you have the Profilux 4 as the Doser 2.1 doesn't have the same functionality. The Profilux 4 has far far more capability than anything that Reef Factory have or have imminently (0-10v interfaces, Calc etc. testing, plugbars with >2 sockets to name a few). I also think you can't give a true verdict on the RFK (and their other products) unless it's been run for at least 6 months. I do however wholeheartedly agree that the user interface/experience on the GHL products leaves a lot to be desired.
Yeah, i'd much prefer to have had the KHK for longer before I sis this video - i'll do a long termer at some point though 🙂
never been a fan of GHL. I had about 2K would of the Profilux 3 on my last big set up and the software was a real pain. I then had hardware issues and lost a lot of money :(. Now run an Apex and much better. However, I'm running an Alkatronic for my ALK which is very good but not without its problems! Quite a few on the market now, which way you going to choose?
Yeah, totally - that's the problem - all of them have downsides. I'm hoping the kh keeper will be great but I won't know until I've had it a while.
The problem is that they are all exactly the same. Acid titration based PH detection.
Some might have prettier software, some might technically be better hardware, but they all have the same flaws at the core of it, which is calibration needs to be PERFECT on dosing heads and probe. They can all also be effected by cyano and dinos, or other bacterial issues in the tank, which throw out the results.
A better detection method needs to be developed.
Hey Jonathan! Can you give any updates? I’m just entering the world on controllers and dosers and would love some experienced input between your Trident and Alkatronic.
Never knew Alex was into polo
polo t shirt and wallpaper. Yeah I reckon he's obsessed. lol
KHD is £774 for standalone and £728 for slave, when bought directly from GHL.
I wouldn't buy any GHL not direct, it's cheaper and quicker, and it's always in stock.
lol. it takes exactly 15 min of your time how to control the KHD. Its not hard at all...
I would give the GHL a miss.In my experience, everything I have ever owned from GHL has been faulty and their warranty is a bit of a con and they don’t live up to it coupled with terrible customer service I would stay well clear.