It’s been seven long years since we first wrote about the Alkatronic KH monitor and controller, when Focustronic was then, primarily, a budding lighting manufacturer.
We remember installing an Alkatronic at the store we worked in and bestowing the virtues of the rock-solid graphical KH readout on our phones to our customers. But seven years is a long time in tech, there are now at least half a dozen major runners and riders all producing KH controllers, and prospective customers want more from their machines. So Focustronic has upgraded the Alkatronic and its capabilities, with the Alkatronic Pro.
The Alkatronic Professional looks the same as the original Alkatronic from the outside, with the same dimensions, blue letterbox display, and orange and white design livery that wowed us when it first launched. But look on the side of the unit and there’s more going on. First is the temperature probe.
Temperature is fundamental to all reef tanks so this monitoring function is welcomed, but connect the Alkatronic Pro to Powertronic, (Focustronic’s version of the Apex Energy Bar,) and then you have the added functionality of being able to action both high and low temperatures by the switching on and off of heaters and chillers. This is already available via Apex and Hydros, so it’s an added sweetener for those who wish to stick with the Focustronic ecosystem of products.
Next is pH monitoring. Again, the original Alkatronic already offers pH and dKH readings. However, the Pro version also offers separate readings of pH, scheduled pH tests, and actions for both high and low pH, so this will no doubt appeal to those using Kalkwasser or other hydroxides in order to achieve elevated yet stable pH. Dosetronic will be able to administer those.
The Pro also boasts an “ultra-silent” waste pump (some KH testers are noisy when situated in living rooms,) improved circuits, improved software, and even voice commands to perform the three individual tests. It can also be used in freshwater aquariums and ponds. Low KH is a problem for freshies too, especially Koi keepers, and we are disappointed that more of the monitoring and control technology we enjoy on our reef tanks isn’t carried over into freshwater.
The standard Alkatronic sells for just short of a thousand bucks, so we will be interested to see the price point of the new unit when it launches. And if you want to monitor and control a whole lot more, Mastertronic was the trailblazer for automated Nitrate and Phosphate testing and can test those two as well as Calcium, Magnesium, and a whole lot more.
