All-For-Reef - Tube Clogging

[chipchipbro]

hey guys

I started dosing all for reef few weeks ago. Now I see that my tube is clogging after a while (output).

I mean the solution cannot flow and drip into the water anymore.

How do you guys avoid that?

 

[T-J]

Huh. I ran AFR though my doser without any clogging issues. How close is the line to the water?
Are you using the pre-made AFR, or the one that's the powder and you make your own?

 

[chipchipbro]

Huh. I ran AFR though my doser without any clogging issues. How close is the line to the water?
Are you using the pre-made AFR, or the one that's the powder and you make your own?

I use the powder and make my own as per manual from Tropic Marin.

The line is maybe like 7cm above the water. Would it make sense to place it below my ATO output the „wash“ it with every ATO?

 

[jrill]

I had that problem in the start. As soon as I started keeping the output below the water line problem solved.

 

[chipchipbro]

I had that problem in the start. As soon as I started keeping the output below the water line problem solved.

does that mean you put the output of the tube into the water?

 

[welsher7]

does that mean you put the output of the tube into the water?

Doing this would make me really nervous. A back siphon through the doser is possible if the doser or dosing conatiner are below the waterline. And if they are above the waterline you could dump all the AFR in to the tank with a siphon from the doser.

either siphon = bad news

 

[chipchipbro]

Doing this would make me really nervous. A back siphon through the doser is possible if the doser or dosing conatiner are below the waterline. And if they are above the waterline you could dump all the AFR in to the tank with a siphon from the doser.

either siphon = bad news

yes, this is what makes me nervous too.
The container is below the water line though.

However, I just want a solution because I dont know what to do when I go on a vacation.
When I am home its not an issue to check all 2 days if its clogged - still not the desired solution though.....

 

[J1a]

Are there any solid which block the outlet? Any residue?

 

[welsher7]

in the past when dosing two part I had my ato pump over top of the dosing lines and i've also heard of people cutting the tip of dosing lines at a 45* to help with clogging. I just switched to AFR about two weeks fingers crossed i don't see any clogging.

 

[homer1475]

Get an airline T.

Connect one leg of the T to your ATO line, the other leg to your ALK line. When the ATO goes off, it will wash down the ALK line.

Been doing it this way for years with 0 clogging of the ALK line.

 

[chipchipbro]

Are there any solid which block the outlet? Any residue?

No, theres no solid. The tube is just hanging above the water in my AIO back chamber. Nothing blocks.

 

[chipchipbro]

Get an airline T.

Connect one leg of the T to your ATO line, the other leg to your ALK line. When the ATO goes off, it will wash down the ALK line.

Been doing it this way for years with 0 clogging of the ALK line.

Well, thats a good point.
The tube of my ATO (Tunze 3152) seems a bit "bigger" then the dosin silicon tube.
Does that mean I need to replace the ATO output tube and then connect with a T-link?

I only dose 3ml of AFR during the day.
Thats why it can clog maybe as its not being used a lot or a few times a day.

 

[homer1475]

I replaced the stock tunze ATO line with RO/DI years ago with a push fitting on the pump output, and the DOS uses RO/DI line. The stock silicone hoses from neptune works as well.

Yes the stock line from tunze is too large for an airline fitting.

I beleive the tunze line is just large enough to squeeze a traditional size airline hose inside for a leak proof seal.

 

[chipchipbro]

I replaced the stock tunze ATO line with RO/DI years ago with a push fitting on the pump output, and the DOS uses RO/DI line. The stock silicone hoses from neptune works as well.

Yes the stock line from tunze is too large for an airline fitting.

I beleive the tunze line is just large enough to squeeze a traditional size airline hose inside for a leak proof seal.

So you think a piece like that would be good?

T-Stück 4mm 2er

T-Stück, Kunststoff, 4/6 mm, 2 Stk.

shop.aquarium-shop.ch

 

[homer1475]

I'm not sure on sizes of the tubings, but that looks like it would work.

 

[chipchipbro]

I'm not sure on sizes of the tubings, but that looks like it would work.

Well, my dosing pump hose is 4/6mm and the black tunze output hose is 4/7mm
means the inner width is 4mm and both should be the same or am I wrong?

 

[homer1475]

My setup:

On the right is the ALK line, on the top is the ATO line.

 

[homer1475]

Just a note....

If you end up using RO/DI line, a standard airline T fitting will work, but a pro tip is to heat the tubing up just a bit so it's pliable, then force it onto the fitting.

I've found over the years if you just push it onto the fitting, it will eventually get brittle and crack at the fitting end causing it to leak. Since I started heating the line slightly, it does not get brittle and crack.

I would assume the stock tunze tubing, and DOS tubing would not suffer this problem as they are already somewhat pliable.

 

[chipchipbro]

thanks for sharing though.
I might try to put the tunze und the dosing tube into the t-connector.
WOuld you recommend to also put a tube on the output ot the T-Fitting then? Or would it be possible to directly let is flow our of the T-fitting without tube connected?

I hope you understand.. as if you wouldnt have the tube connected at the bottom of your pic.

 

[homer1475]

Nope it will work either way. I've done it both ways.

I have the tube off the bottom so it's closer to the water level, just so it isn't so loud when trickling into the sump.