Bubble Magus BMT-01

[YHSublime]

I have a used Bubble Magus.

 

I got a mounting bracket for it. I got a tube holder, new tubing, etc. I've recently noticed that all 3 of the heads are pulling liquid up the "In" tube but not making it down the "out" tube. No wonder numbers have been strange, it was working, then stopped, and who knows how long it's been on and off with accuracy. 

 

Question is, do I order 3 new heads and continue using it, or do I get another doser? 

 

If you have the BM-T01 are you happy with it? I was really impressed with the ease of setting it up and just going. If you don't, what do you have and why is it awesome? The only reason I'm reluctant to try or order something else instead, is because this fits perfectly on the bracket above my sump out of the way, and space is limited!

[D805]

What kind of container are you using? I noticed something similar with my doser (not the BM) where my DIY VOSS container tubing was not properly seated in the bulkhead I added to the lid. My doser would not pull any liquid till i corrected that. 

[YHSublime]

What kind of container are you using? I noticed something similar with my doser (not the BM) where my DIY VOSS container tubing was not properly seated in the bulkhead I added to the lid. My doser would not pull any liquid till i corrected that. 

Curious. Milk 1 gallon containers with a hole drilled in the lid. I did pull the top open recently and that's probably when I stopped seeing the dosing... I'll double check that...

[YHSublime]

No go, tried it. 

[Origami]

Isaac, I had to take a look at a BM-T01 picture to get a sense of what kind of heads it uses. I'm not familiar with the doser, but am familiar with the head as I've played with that same head design found on aliexpress for a few bucks. I actually had one running on my tank just circulating tank water as an experiment for some time. Eventually, I didn't check it as often as I once did, but it ran for over a year before it needed replacing.

 

It's not the most reliable design to say the least. But, have you tried this restoration process that somebody posted on 3reef? It may be worth a try. It's mostly about replacing the hoses, but also includes notes about cleaning and greasing the insides. The only thing that I'd caution that you think about is lubricating the outside of the rollers. These may need friction to be driven by the central shaft. Lubing the outside of the rollers may defeat that. Make sure that you get the right size and material of replacement hose. This is more important that some might think.

[Origami]

Referring to this video, you can see that the heads do indeed rely on friction between the roller heads and the motor shaft. It also relies on resiliency of the tubing to maintain the force required to ensure contact between these components. Therefore, 1) Don't grease the outside of the rollers! 2) Replace the tubing from time to time. And, 3) Clean the inside of the pump assembly to remove dust, dirt, and any oily buildup.

 

[YHSublime]

Isaac, I had to take a look at a BM-T01 picture to get a sense of what kind of heads it uses. I'm not familiar with the doser, but am familiar with the head as I've played with that same head design found on aliexpress for a few bucks. I actually had one running on my tank just circulating tank water as an experiment for some time. Eventually, I didn't check it as often as I once did, but it ran for over a year before it needed replacing.

 

It's not the most reliable design to say the least. But, have you tried this restoration process that somebody posted on 3reef? It may be worth a try. It's mostly about replacing the hoses, but also includes notes about cleaning and greasing the insides. The only thing that I'd caution that you think about is lubricating the outside of the rollers. These may need friction to be driven by the central shaft. Lubing the outside of the rollers may defeat that. Make sure that you get the right size and material of replacement hose. This is more important that some might think.

 

Thanks Tom. Super helpful, as always! I figure I have no idea how old the heads are, so I might just want to replace everything, if I'm going that route. 

 

I've read about being careful greasing up the bearings, they do need the pressure.

[Origami]

Thanks Tom. Super helpful, as always! I figure I have no idea how old the heads are, so I might just want to replace everything, if I'm going that route. 

 

I've read about being careful greasing up the bearings, they do need the pressure.

You're welcome. As for the greasing part, after having watched that video, the only place that I'd put a little lithium or silicone grease would be the axle for each roller, and avoid any grease on the outside of the roller (which doubles as the drive surface). That would allow the roller to spin around the axle with less resistance. The design for these heads is really simple, though. Unless you see obvious wear (like a groove or other obvious wear pattern) on the rollers or breakage, cleaning and replacing the tubing may be sufficient in most cases.

[YHSublime]

Just so everybody can find the answers if they are looking for them! I ordered 3 new heads, grease, and tubing. The tubing was indeed the problem, and it wasn't the tubing in the heads, it was the tubing I was using from the containers. It wasn't tight enough (1/4" from home depot) and the stuff from BRS is much more secure. I'm now getting a siphon and things appear to be functioning properly. 

 

Great news is I guess I have backup heads now, bad news is I can think of some other areas I would have rather invested that $75! I also didn't order enough tubing, 10' I thought was more than enough, but I should have gone for 15-20'!