Dosing lines in the sump water?
- Thread starter jmatt
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The only thing I use a dosing pump for is to drip kalk and I have the hose above the water level. I have no idea if this is correct but at least I know if it's plugged or not
TangerineSpeedo
2500 Club Member
I feel it should be in the water.
1. In the case like Kalk, air may crystalize the mixture and you may have to clean the tube out more frequently. But if your pump is going off every 1/2 hour, that may not be an issue.
2. In a case that you are dosing a liquid and your line holds 10ml of liquid and you are only dosing 5ml, you need to keep the line full, so you dose 5ml each time. If you keep the line out of the water, air can let some or all of the 10ml of liquid in the line drip out. The next time you dose, you will get an unknown quantity if at all.
Make sense?
1. In the case like Kalk, air may crystalize the mixture and you may have to clean the tube out more frequently. But if your pump is going off every 1/2 hour, that may not be an issue.
2. In a case that you are dosing a liquid and your line holds 10ml of liquid and you are only dosing 5ml, you need to keep the line full, so you dose 5ml each time. If you keep the line out of the water, air can let some or all of the 10ml of liquid in the line drip out. The next time you dose, you will get an unknown quantity if at all.
Make sense?
TangerineSpeedo
2500 Club Member
Your dosing pump would be in the middle of your dosing container and sump. The rollers in the pump pinch off the tube in the pump.
Imagine when you put your finger over the top of a straw and can move liquid out of a container.
BaliReefBox
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I personally have mine above the water line so I can see the actual dose coming out. IME there is no dripping after the dose as there is a hydraulic lock. The alk like occasionally does build up a few crystals on the end of the line but I just squeeze them off into the sump. I believe its recommened to recal your doser every 6 months or so also to make sure its acurate. however that said, if you are consistently getting the same figures when testing params I dont see the point. In reality it makes no difference what hte quantity is and long as consistent.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Any dosing pump delivering alk runs the risk of precipitating calcium carbonate in the tube if its end is in the water. I do not recommend that method.
Calcium is less of a concern, but still possible and I also would not do it with a calcium doser.
Calcium is less of a concern, but still possible and I also would not do it with a calcium doser.
TangerineSpeedo
2500 Club Member
Good to know! Will change my assumption!
SPS2020
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Yep, out of the water for me. Alk will definitely cause an issue, IME. As mentioned above, I too like to see the addition in real time just to be sure things are flowing smoothly.
richiep
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I've gone with what Red sea recomend and that's having the tubes out of the water and dripping into the return pump section, I was dosing kalk and never had any issues with the line out of the water and had no crystilation
OP
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jmatt
Just gettin' started. Again.
That's why I'm asking... don't want a reverse siphon.
Mine are out of the water. Additionally, I run my ATO water through the tip of the alkalinity line to keep the alkalinity line clean. I use a tee for that.
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jmatt
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Oh, yeah, the lines are full of ALK and CA. Little bubble in one of them but the liqiud just seems to flow around it. I tried forcing it out by holding down the dosing button but again, the fluid just seemed to go around it.
rmcrom
Active Member
I keep tubes above the water. I had a problem with the end of my AFR tube building crystals and clogging so I teed off from my ATO line to flush the doser tube. My ATO runs several times a day and prevents buildup in the doser tube.
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jmatt
Just gettin' started. Again.
Hmm, not sure if I can arrange that but its a good idea.
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jmatt
Just gettin' started. Again.
I went to check on my lines today and much to my surprise there was a 6" stalactite of ALK hanging from the end of the tube down into the sump water.
My problem may be my dosing schedule. I selected the 24 hour default that was set in the configuration. But the amount I'm dosing is so small that it's only dispensing .1 ml per dose, once every 11 minutes... not enough to drip off the end, so it just accrues and dries, accrues and dries.
What schedule should I be using for CA and ALK with regard to when it begins during the day and period between doses?
My problem may be my dosing schedule. I selected the 24 hour default that was set in the configuration. But the amount I'm dosing is so small that it's only dispensing .1 ml per dose, once every 11 minutes... not enough to drip off the end, so it just accrues and dries, accrues and dries.
What schedule should I be using for CA and ALK with regard to when it begins during the day and period between doses?
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