Xepta Abex (not to be confused with Ibex, my favorite goat of all time) may just be the most important thing that was shown at MACNA 2019 in Orlando. Along with its “mothership”, autoBalance, it’s an automatic measurement and dosing system. “Yeah, like many out there” you may say, but there’s a catch… read on.

Xepta is an aquarium equipment and chemical manufacturer based in Spain with an impressive catalog of various reef-oriented additives, salt mixes, and coral & fish foods. They are also working on an intriguing machine called AutoBalance, which can be described as an automatic Alkalinity titration tester and doser in a box. The Alkalinity testing part is an automated process based on the usage of a reagent, similar to other Alkalinity “robots” that stormed the market only a year or so ago. The three built-in dosing pumps can be programmed via a web interface or mobile app to dose essential elements to the tank and the Alkalinity dosing is further automated based on the test results that the machine performs internally. So what’s the catch again?

Abex. This thing, if proven to be accurate in the field, can revolutionize the automated aquarium testing world forever. The expansion module to the autoBalance (it doesn’t work without it) can test Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium, with potential Salinity and Nitrate testing capability coming in the future. Did I mention it does it all with zero use of reagents? Yes, the tests are performed using ionic probes that have a lifespan between 500-700 tests, are user-replaceable and will cost around $20 each to swap. Xepta Abex needs only 4ml of water to do all tests and since there are no reagents involved in the testing process, water used for tests goes back to the tank. It’s a zero-waste system, minus the calibration fluid that ensures the ionic probes are accurate throughout their lifespan. Xepta promises an accuracy of ± 10ppm in the values ​​of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium with repeatability of ± 2%.

Xepta auto Balance will cost around $1100-$1200 and comes out this October in Europe, and November in the USA. This can potentially be a game-changer when it comes to automated aquarium testing and I will make sure to report back as soon as we know more about this remarkable product.

Stay tuned for more MACNA 2019 news. Thanks for reading.