Your preferred doser... need suggestions

[d2mini]

Business Idea: Start a company called Balling on a Budget and sell low cost dosing equipment.

*nerdy aquarium joke*

I know it's a joke but the last thing you want to cheap out on is a doser. Google and you'll find the horror stories.
Firmware failing, causing an entire container of Alk to be dosed into the tank overnight while you dream sweet dreams of colorful acros but wake up to a living nightmare.

 

[mitch91175]

 

[mitch91175]

I know it's a joke but the last thing you want to cheap out on is a doser. Google and you'll find the horror stories.
Firmware failing, causing an entire container of Alk to be dosed into the tank overnight while you dream sweet dreams of colorful acros but wake up to a living nightmare.

Even the best dosers have issues. It is honestly like playing Russian Roulette . Technology will fail at some point (some quicker than others). Just depends on if you have any fail-safes in place to try to prevent it from nuking your tank.

 

[mitch91175]

Also, a lot of the issues with the less expensive dosers are user error more than the doser, like having it siphon all your ALK into you tank when you should have check valves on both ends (the container and the line to your tank).

Even the Neptune DOS can get stuck on. No gadget is we have is immune to failure. Take dosers for instance, I can replace my CoralBox every year if I wanted to do so because of the price point. I did my research and see that it has been a fairly reliable little dosing pump so I took the chance on it. I could have bought a GHL or Neptune DOS, but I liked what I saw with the CoralBox for the price point.

With that said, I will get something that will monitor my parameters for my frag tank soon so I can have my Apex shut off the outlet if things don't look like I want them. Even the Apex has its own set of issues to deal with.

At the end of it all, the only way to not be concerned is to not have any electronics in our systems, but that is a far-fetched idea (just my $0.02).

 

[d2mini]

Even the best dosers have issues. It is honestly like playing Russian Roulette . Technology will fail at some point (some quicker than others). Just depends on if you have any fail-safes in place to try to prevent it from nuking your tank.

Truth, but go with the one LEAST likely to fail.

I'm not invested in Apex so GHL was an easy choice for me but they just don't fail. I can't find one example of it happening.

 

[mitch91175]

Truth, but go with the one LEAST likely to fail.

I'm not invested in Apex so GHL was an easy choice for me but they just don't fail. I can't find one example of it happening.

True that.

 

[mitch91175]

I am waiting to see what the Dosetronic has to offer before I decide on getting the GHL.

 

[daelie]

Truth, but go with the one LEAST likely to fail.

I'm not invested in Apex so GHL was an easy choice for me but they just don't fail. I can't find one example of it happening.

This is exactly why I went with GHL for everything. I couldn’t find anything where someone claimed a hardware failure. My LFS still runs a profilux 2.

For some reason, there’s always people popping up saying GHL has its issues but I can never find those anywhere online myself.

 

[mitch91175]

This is exactly why I went with GHL for everything. I couldn’t find anything where someone claimed a hardware failure. My LFS still runs a profilux 2.

For some reason, there’s always people popping up saying GHL has its issues but I can never find those anywhere online myself.

I think it has to do with configuration of the GHL devices and overall support for them. Not saying that support is terrible, but seems like you have to do a lot of finding your own answers for their components (at least that is what is seems like to me when researching their stuff).

 

[Mark Gray]

Dos for me

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have had BRS, Jebao and now Bubble magnus Bt-101. No doubt the Magnus unit. Very reliable and easy to set up and monitor

 

[BigJohnny]

Also, a lot of the issues with the less expensive dosers are user error more than the doser, like having it siphon all your ALK into you tank when you should have check valves on both ends (the container and the line to your tank).

Even the Neptune DOS can get stuck on. No gadget is we have is immune to failure. Take dosers for instance, I can replace my CoralBox every year if I wanted to do so because of the price point. I did my research and see that it has been a fairly reliable little dosing pump so I took the chance on it. I could have bought a GHL or Neptune DOS, but I liked what I saw with the CoralBox for the price point.

With that said, I will get something that will monitor my parameters for my frag tank soon so I can have my Apex shut off the outlet if things don't look like I want them. Even the Apex has its own set of issues to deal with.

At the end of it all, the only way to not be concerned is to not have any electronics in our systems, but that is a far-fetched idea (just my $0.02).

Except that good peristaltic dosing pumps don't need check valves because they pinch the tubing properly and don't siphon, and cheap components are way more likely to fail. Using a cheap doser is way more risky than a proven high quality one, but sure, anything can fail.

 

[BigJohnny]

I am waiting to see what the Dosetronic has to offer before I decide on getting the GHL.

The dosetronic is going to be an amazing doser, @JonasRoman is designing it : )

 

[markstubb]

Except that good peristaltic dosing pumps don't need check valves because they pinch the tubing properly and don't siphon, and cheap components are way more likely to fail. Using a cheap doser is way more risky than a proven high quality one, but sure, anything can fail.

Was wondering where this siphon comment came from. I haven't seen a single one of my peristaltic pumps siphon, they could potentially turn on and run forever, but siphon, impossible by their design. Then again, they always have at least 3 rollers.

 

[Salty Carlo]

CoralBox Wifi doser. compact, wifi controllable and affordable.

 

[mitch91175]

CoralBox Wifi doser. compact, wifi controllable and affordable.

That is what intrigued me about the CoralBox. It is compact so doesn't take up a ton of space. The design is such that the power cable is properly placed for mounting. And the price point is reasonable for what you get in return. Good bang for your buck.

 

[fishbox]

If you want cheap, simple and reliable get 2 BRS 1.1ml dosing pumps and 2 24 hour digital timers. I ran that setup for about a year and a half until I got my Apex controller.

What timers did you use or would recommend?

 

[AdamNC]

What timers did you use or would recommend?

No particular brand cause the model is probably not around anymore but one that has at least 12 time points. I set my Alk to dose every hour on the top of the hour and Ca to dose every hour on the half hour. So my pumps were going on every half hour, like they are now running through my Apex.
Ones similar to this.

 

[wmwesty]

I got busy and could not dose for about 5 days and my alk dropped from 7.9 to 5.8.
I had a bit of die off because of this and I just don’t want it happening anymore. What’s your favorite doser? Not looking at Apex DOS at the moment

I use Aqua Medic reasonable price with the benefit of wired remote, a piece of cake to change doses as it can be done with remote outside the sump

 

[Sherman]

I am waiting to see what the Dosetronic has to offer before I decide on getting the GHL.

So am I