Kamoer Fx stp reliability?!?

SneakyTortuga · Mar 11, 2019

So I know BRS recently released a video of how the stp tube assembly is “recommended” to be changed every 2000 hours but I never thought I would come home to cabinet full of water 5 months after purchase

Now I’m in a race to find a new tube because coral view and brs are sold out of the pump head assembly and pharm tube. So my tank is now running without the calcium reactor till who knows when...

This only leads me to question the reliability and longevity of these pumps. Yes it has work flawlessly while it worked correctly but if every 3-5 months I have to spend $10 on a tube and $50 on a pump head I’m starting to believe spending more on a better pump may be better in the long run

Anyone else have issues with this pump yet?

hart24601 · Mar 11, 2019

Yikes....

Appreciate the review. I wonder if it's just the tubing that failed if replacing the stock with better quality tubing would be better?

Acroporaaddict · Mar 11, 2019

PM me, I have extra tubing. I can send you one today

Bpb · Mar 11, 2019

2 things: I agree with you, the reliability of those pumps is still so subject to further review, I wouldn’t spend the money on one. Too big of a risk.

Second: it’s the tubing that developed a crack. Not related in any way to the pump....now, that pharmed bpt tubing should last a little longer than 5 months, but it was going to crack eventually. Is there a pinch strength adjustment on the roller heads with this pump? On my masterflex I was getting tubing cracks much earlier than expected and it was because my pinch setting was too strong. Once I loosened that up for this current run of tubing it’s been going for almost a year now with no cracks. Though it does need to be replaced proactively rather than reactively.

Just wanted to point that out, because the harder the pinch is, and the faster the rpm, the sooner the tubing will fail. That is universal among any peristaltic pump. Just don’t want a tubing failure to be misinterpreted as a pump reliability problem. They’re unrelated

Bpb · Mar 11, 2019

I’d also hop on USplastics and buy the pharmed tubing separately. It’s about 1/3 the cost brs charges. Just keep the adaptors and swap the tubing.

SneakyTortuga · Mar 11, 2019

Acroporaaddict said:
PM me, I have extra tubing. I can send you one today

I really appreciate it! I ended up next daying a tube from another website

SneakyTortuga · Mar 11, 2019

Bpb said:
I’d also hop on USplastics and buy the pharmed tubing separately. It’s about 1/3 the cost brs charges. Just keep the adaptors and swap the tubing.

Thanks for insight! What type of tubing would I order? Usplastics has quite a few options

Bpb · Mar 11, 2019

SneakyTortuga said:
Thanks for insight! What type of tubing would I order? Usplastics has quite a few options

I don’t own that particular pump so I couldn’t say specifically. Does anyone on here know which specific pharmed bpt the Kamoer takes? If no one can chime in it may take some searching.

SneakyTortuga · Mar 11, 2019

Bpb said:
I don’t own that particular pump so I couldn’t say specifically. Does anyone on here know which specific pharmed bpt the Kamoer takes? If no one can chime in it may take some searching.

Usplastics sells the tubing for cheap. A few feet is the same price as a new tube from Brs. Thanks for the heads up

Snoopy 67 · Mar 11, 2019

MFG SPECS:
.126 ID x .252OD x .063 Wall
Tubing is made by Saint Gobian

ca1ore · Mar 11, 2019

I bought a 10' length of pharmed tubing from USPlastics 5 years ago - I replace the 6" piece inside my masteflex every six months. Still got plenty left.

SneakyTortuga · Mar 11, 2019

ca1ore said:
I bought a 10' length of pharmed tubing from USPlastics 5 years ago - I replace the 6" piece inside my masteflex every six months. Still got plenty left.

That’s what I’m thinking I’m going to have to do

powdertang05 · Apr 5, 2019

Ive had two of these running on my CA reactors with no issues. Beyond making a little more noise over time but no issues. Seems pretty solid. I purchased one direct from china on Aliexpress the other from coralvue. Identical in every way just paid more. Biggest expense so far is tubbing. Can anyone provide me with a link of where to buy the tubing or the thread thats doing the group buy?

Nevermind found it: https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=25399&catid=864

spartanman22 · Jun 5, 2019

As someone who has a lot of experience with industrial grade peristaltic pumps, I'd strongly recommend that the tubing be replaced at regular intervals. Your pump head shouldn't need replacing frequently, as long as the tubing is maintained. As a practice, pump head tubing on all peristaltic pumps I use at work get replaced quarterly unless the manufacturer recommends more frequently.

Budman's Corals · Jun 5, 2019

Been running one for 6 months and replaced tube once so far .No problem at all ..

Snoopy 67 · Jun 5, 2019

I let mine go for a year, pushed it to see.
Head is still quiet & I have a spare 3 & 6 roller head.
Tubing is 4" long in the pump.

SneakyTortuga · Jun 5, 2019

After changing the head and tubing the pump is working 100%

mpsteve · Jun 5, 2019

I have had one for like 6 months and just recently changed the tubing. Not even 3 days after I changed the tubing I bought a masterflex 7522-30 And it will be my primary pump and the kamoer is now a back up. Wish I could help more but it has been running great. The master flex runs at a way slower rpm to pump the same ml to my calcium reactor and the master flex is proven.

AZRipp · Jun 5, 2019

mpsteve said:
Not even 3 days after I changed the tubing I bought a masterflex 7522-30 And it will be my primary pump and the kamoer is now a back up.

My Masterflex 7522-20 recently started throwing Error Code 7 & 9. After contacting Cole-Parmer, I was informed it would require sending it in. I purchased the Kamoer as a stopgap while the Masterflex was in the shop. Granted, it's only been 2 months, but it's worked very well. Now, $750 + shipping later, I have the Masterflex back. I'm going to keep the Kamoer as a backup. I already have extra tubing for it. I will concur with a previous poster that regular tubing change is the ticket.

DC Reefer · Jan 30, 2021

powdertang05 said:
Ive had two of these running on my CA reactors with no issues. Beyond making a little more noise over time but no issues. Seems pretty solid. I purchased one direct from china on Aliexpress the other from coralvue. Identical in every way just paid more. Biggest expense so far is tubbing. Can anyone provide me with a link of where to buy the tubing or the thread thats doing the group buy?

Nevermind found it: https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=25399&catid=864

Was this the correct tubing for Kamoer? Thanks