Dosing 2 part

[MBVette]

So I am getting started dosing 2 part to bring up my alk and calcium levels. To start I am going to do it manually, but if I wanted to get pumps what is the best way to go?

 

Do you just get the BRS dosing pumps? And they say they dose 1.1ml a second, do I somehow program my apex to go off after a few seconds? Or is there another way to do this?

[epleeds]

if you have the apex you could use the BRS dosing. Personally, i like the profilux system. its awesome.

[Wes]

That's 1.1mL per minute on the BRS dosers. How to accomplish it best depends largely on the system. I personally prefer kalk in the ATO and 2-part on dosers(BRS seems about the most affordable). If you don't have a large demand, you can dose 2-part daily/weekly/whateverly. In fact, as you're learning your system, it's a good idea to do it manually until you get a feel for how much you're actually using. Overdosing can cause a boatload of problems.

[Chad]

You can use the "divide by 10 option" in the apex to time to the fidelity you need.

[STEVE]

I would do it thru the Apex....

[MBVette]

So the per second/per minute was really throwing me off. That makes a huge difference in my understanding of setting the pump up.

[zygote2k]

manual dosing tends to require larger amounts of 2 part. if you dose it continuously 24/7/365, you'll need less. Use one of the medical dosers or any doser that does a continuous dose.

[Wes]

manual dosing tends to require larger amounts of 2 part. if you dose it continuously 24/7/365, you'll need less. Use one of the medical dosers or any doser that does a continuous dose.

 

I have a hard time believing this. I'm sure some is lost to abiotic precipitation, and perhaps considerably more so if dosed all at once, but with proper protocol, I doubt there would be a noticeable difference.

[zygote2k]

I have a hard time believing this. I'm sure some is lost to abiotic precipitation, and perhaps considerably more so if dosed all at once, but with proper protocol, I doubt there would be a noticeable difference.

I only say this from experience.

When dosing manually once per day, a much larger amount was needed to keep Alk and Ca stable than with a continuous drip over the course of 24 hrs. Even dosing half in the morning and half at night used nearly as much.

[matt]

I only say this from experience.

When dosing manually once per day, a much larger amount was needed to keep Alk and Ca stable than with a continuous drip over the course of 24 hrs. Even dosing half in the morning and half at night used nearly as much.

 

is that dosing both parts at the same time maybe? Suspect more precip that way...why else would that happen?

[sachabballi reef]

So I'm curious about robs comment....I know no one likes to poke the rob bee hive but I'd like to explore this with everyone...

I'm trying to figure out the best dosing schedule. I have 1.1 dosers from brs I use but currently just have on a digital timers...I was thinking of a continuous drip over a 24 hour period using apex....pros and cons? If I'm doing such a small amount at a constant drip can I add both simultaneously or do I still need to separate by 30 mins or so? Is there a wear and tear issue by turning it on and off so much?

[Origami]

If dripping slowly, you can dose simultaneously in separate areas without much abiotic precipitation. I can't comment from about usage differences. Unless the difference is going to abiotic precipitation (and it very well be) it seems it would go to growth (in which case it would be good).

 

Sent from my phone

 

[Djplus1]

I nearly pulled the trigger on 2 drew's dosers on BRS the other night with the group buy and 12% off coupon. It ended up being $79 a piece and apparently they are way better than the BRS branded pumps. I think I'm going manual for a month or two to get the hang of it though and wait for a tank breakdown to get a good deal on some pumps or wait for the next sale opportunity on the drew's.

Edited August 17, 2013 by Djplus1

[sachabballi reef]

Thanks tom....I'm not sure I buy what robs selling but I'm more interested in constant dosing vs alk at night and ca during day....I would think stability would be rock solid?

 

DJ the BRS dosers are fantastic and worth every single cent..

 

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[zygote2k]

I use 4 of the medical dosers on various tanks and they're super reliable. If you use high grade 2 part solution and flush the lines weekly, then you get 6-8 months out of a lineset. They have a built in dosing program that's fully adjustable to 300ml/day.

Best bang for the buck.

And yes, I still have to dose different amounts of cal/alk to keep things stable. Weirdly enough, there's a 90g SPS tank that consumes the same amount on a 500g tank.

 

constant dosing ensures that there are no spikes in cal/alk. A nice wave is what you are after, not peaks and valleys by dosing intermittently throughout the day.

Edited August 17, 2013 by zygote2k

[sachabballi reef]

So rob you dose 24 hours a day on both?

 

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[Origami]

Thanks tom....I'm not sure I buy what robs selling but I'm more interested in constant dosing vs alk at night and ca during day....I would think stability would be rock solid?

 

DJ the BRS dosers are fantastic and worth every single cent..

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Stability will be good provided it matches consumption. Consumption changes over time, though.

 

Rob runs a lot of tanks and replenishing supplies is part of the maintenance on any and all of these. If he observes that he's replenishing less often for the tanks that use a drip approach, maybe there's something to it. Switching a couple of dripped tanks back to a daily dosed tank and seeing what usage is like might be another interesting data point to have.

[rtsusc83]

I have brs dosing pumps and use apex. There is a excel spreadsheet that provides u the settings. Has worked well for me. I will see if I can post the link

[sachabballi reef]

I have brs dosing pumps and use apex. There is a excel spreadsheet that provides u the settings. Has worked well for me. I will see if I can post the link

Thanks!!

 

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[zygote2k]

all tanks that we do 2 part have 24/7/365 dosers that run continuously. no need to control it when it has its own built in controller.

[AlanM]

Rob, do you use masterflex dosers or something that is designed to run continuously? I watch ebay from time to time for the medical surplus ones to be available for a good price.

[Djplus1]

Rob, do you use masterflex dosers or something that is designed to run continuously? I watch ebay from time to time for the medical surplus ones to be available for a good price.

I just started the same search recently. Which Masterflex models are the best for this?

[rtsusc83]

Here is the two part OSC calculator excel spreadsheet that I use.  One stop shop for Apex Settings.

Apex_OSC_Calculator-1.xlsx

[zygote2k]

I use dosers from reefdosingpumps.com

[miggs76]

When I hand dosed I was doing 35ml (part in the morning, part at night)......after getting the BRS dosers, it went all the way down to about 17ml per day.  Continuously dosing is actually saving me $$ because I'm now using half the amount of 2part that i did before.