How do you clean your dosing heads?

[zoomonster]

I thought this was true as well and for some people it may be. But in my experience, if you are really running a CARX optimally it takes quite a bit of initial investment. A peristaltic pump is almost a necessity so you can keep the flow as constant as possible (this can be very difficult otherwise). Even though I was able to keep mg, ca, alk in very tight windows, I would have needed to add KALK so that I could also increase pH (tank is in basement). So it was becoming overly equipment-heavy and I really felt that a dosing system could simplify my setup. So I sold off the CARX, bought a GHL profilux with KH director, and started to dose All for Reef. For a 300 gal reef, the dosing is fairly expensive but it's easy and I can control it all through my profilux. Didn't have that ability before and it's pretty nice, especially when travelling!

I get it to each their own circumstance. I don't have a peristalic pump though. When I built my return manifold, I added 3 outlets with valves. One feeds chiller and one feeds CaRx. Right now, my PH averages 8.32 and not had a problem with CO2 affecting it and house is closed pretty much year-round mostly on AC. Of course, I run light at night on a sump refugium with mixed algae that boosts it.

 

[BillFish Coral Lover]

I haven’t had a clog in several years of dosing (except for tubing for KH), so it never occurred to me.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I recalibrate every 3 months but have never needed to clean them.

Suppose I should change the tubing in the dosing head, but don't see much point to replace the entire head unless a roller snaps.

 

[Gtinnel]

I don’t clean my dosing heads. I do keep spare tubing on hand so that I can replace the tubing inside of them when necessary.

I guess I did buy some used dosing pumps that I did take the rollers out of and wiped them off, but it’s not part of any regular maintenance that I do.

 

[Labridaedicted]

If the dosing head itself would need maintenance, I just swap heads. They're relatively inexpensive and usually worn enough that they're due for replacement anyways.

 

[Hans-Werner]

I am the doser and get my brainwash daily.

 

[mattdg]

I place my dosing containers next to each other and move a piece of electrical tape to make sure they are pulling solution. If I notice one doser is off from the other or both are not pulling solution, I will problem solve and change the dosing line, if needed. Once in awhile I'll check the ends of the hoses, for clogging.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

How do you clean your dosing heads?

You have worked hard to develop a beautiful reef aquarium and set up the right levels of chemicals and additives to be dosed, however sometimes the process can break down for a variety of reasons. If you discover that you dosing pump is not working like it should, there could be a clog. If the clog is in the tubing, then this could be fixed by cleaning or replacing the tubing, but if the flow is diminished in the dosing head then the head will need to be cleaned or replaced. Realizing that the approach to cleaning may depend on what is being dosed and what doser is being used, let’s talk about how you clean your dosing heads!

Pro Tip: Conducting regular preventive maintenance on all your equipment including your dosing pumps, is recommended. Periodically manually dosing into a small, graduated container can help you make sure that the dosing is working and is dosing the desired amount is a helpful way to make sure that your doser is working properly.

Photo by @Reefer_punk; June 2022 Reef of the Month


This QOTD is sponsored by: www.worldwidecorals.com

“We differentiate ourselves from other vendors by offering our customers full transparency into our facility and practices. Setting the industry standard for shipping techniques, accurate high-quality photos, hard to find corals, and customer service. For some hobbyists buying live coral online can seem like a risky endeavor. At WWC our staff takes the worry out of the equation by culturing extremely healthy corals, giving you a hassle-free guarantee, and providing you with a full online customer service team to ensure you are completely satisfied with your purchase.”

Thanks for this! I had not thought of cleaning or replacing the lines.

 

[Uncle99]

I have not yet in 4 years.
I use pre-mix always which is more expensive, but does not seem to clog my dosers at all, so for me, less work.
Jebao DP-4x 2.