DIY "Drews Doser" Peristaltic Dosing pump

killab443

New member
DIY "Drews Doser" Peristaltic Dosing pump

As many of you know, Bulk reef supply hasn't really been able to keep stock on these excellent pumps. Not only that but at almost 90 a pop they aren't too appealing for everyone's wallets. I went ahead and outsourced to where these pumps are made and discovered a set can be had for cheaper then 90 a pump. APT Technology is the manufacture of these pumps and they offer them in there online store, right on there site. However they sell just the pump so it will need wired and mounted in a project box.

I went ahead and called APT and found the pump I needed to dose 1.5ML/m. The beautiful thing about getting the pump direct from them is that you can buy a pump that is specific for your needs. Rather then only being able to dose 1.5ml/m. They have an assortment of options for these pumps to pump anywhere from 5.6ml/per minute to .05ml/per minute. This is done by changing the size of the internal tubing and/or the rpm of the motor

After speaking with Larry at APT I discovered I'd need an 8RPM pump with 3mm Norprene tubing to pump 1.5ml/m. Total price per pump is $67. This isn't with shipping of course.

The part number for the pump was SP101.126
The good thing about this pump is it uses the 3mm tubing inside and the output barbs work perfectly with standard airline tubing. Let this be a precaution when ordering your pumps as you will need adapters if you use lower then 3mm tubing inside the pump. (for different dosing rates)

After receiving the pumps I went ahead and picked up a project box at Radioshack to mount both pumps in it. You can choose to mount the pumps in separate enclosers but I decided one project box for both would make a nice clean install. It was $4.50 for the bigger project box

I went over to the dollar store and picked up 2 extension cords for $1.50/each

So to sum up the prices of everything.
2 - 8 RPM 3mm Norprene 115VAC Pumps $67/Each plus shipping I think was$8
2 - 6Ft extension cords $1.50/each
1 - Project Box $4.50
Various screws I had laying around
Total Cost: $141 + $8 For shipping
So for around $150 total I have 2 well built dosing pumps. I saved over $40 and used a little of my time.

Most people will hook these up to digital timers to dose automatically. I decided to hook this up to my Aquacontroller Jr. Which is smarter then buying 2 digital timers, for me at least.

Now with all my materials I went ahead and put the pumps together. Pretty much self explanatory here. The trickiest part is mounting the pumps to the project box cover. I didn't have a camera so unfortunately I couldn't take pics of the actual process. The needle roller head needs to be removed from the motor that drives it. This is very simply, there's only 2 screws that hold it in.
After mounting the pumps to the cover go ahead and wire them up. Cut both extension cords to length and wire them into the project box. Wire each pump individually to the extension cords. Solder the connections and wrap with heatshrink or electrical tape.

I wish I could have been a little more in depth with how to mount the pumps to the cover. But if your handy you'll do just fine. Any questions PM me please. I did find a camera to take a final shot of it all complete.

http://www.aptinstruments.com/Merch...e=AI&Product_Code=SP100FO&Category_Code=SP100

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062282

ENJOY
 

Attachments

  • pump1.JPG
    pump1.JPG
    63.8 KB · Views: 5
  • pump2.JPG
    pump2.JPG
    53 KB · Views: 4
  • pump3.JPG
    pump3.JPG
    60.9 KB · Views: 3
Last edited:
Ha, funny I looked for a set for so long and finally gave up lol. At least mine is new! lol 90 is a great deal for 2.
 
Thanks for sharing, I have been thinking about doing a DIY dosing pump for a long time as well. That's a nice solid writeup of your work too. So it sort of pains me to say, a pump that looks mysteriously similar to Drew's Doser is being sold by BRS on ebay for $40 + free shipping, with "more than 10 available".

http://cgi.ebay.com/20-mL-minute-Pe...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a5654d29c

great work though, DIY has a way of feeling better even if it ends up costing more $
 
I swear I have seen so many deals for pumps since I purchased mine. Where were they when I was looking for my set! lol. what sucks is BRS sells that pump on there site for 90 if its not that pump it sure is veeeeery similar
 
Nice tip. Could we get some pictures of how to wire the extension cord in? I know its basic, but i'm a total electrical noob and i've always wondered how you DIY-ers do it!
 
Nice tip. Could we get some pictures of how to wire the extension cord in? I know its basic, but i'm a total electrical noob and i've always wondered how you DIY-ers do it!

You simply connect the two wires from the extension cord to the two wires that come out of the motor. AC is alternating current so in this application there is no polarity. You just hook them up and are good to go. Wire nuts are an easy choice. I prefer solder and heat shrink tubing.
 
I'll get some pics up a little later. Also heatshrink was kind of out because the gauge of the extension cord is a lot thicker then what comes out of the pump. I soldered the connection and used electrical tape. I normally wrap each connection individually then go ahead and wrap them both together.
 
EEK! I've had lots of electrical tape unwrap itself eventually, and that's pretty high voltage to unwrap from. I know that there is heat shrink tubing out there which should be able to fit over the extension cord end and shrink down, then you could also have one ready to go that's already on the pump's cord to slide over that once it's shrunken, and then shrink again. Kind of a two-part deal.
 
This is much better than the one I tried to make out of timer.

http://www.home.zonnet.nl/rsetteur/aquarium/karel/doseer_pmp/index_doseer.htm

I also tried to speed up the timer. I recall seeing a mod for a timer to be used on a Modded MJ1200 to make it turn on/off at faster intervals. 1 revolution was 60 seconds.

I tried to combine these mods together and was not successfull. maybe someone with a high level of DIY skills can do it right.

I came across that site on my quest to finding a dosing pump. It is an excellent idea, but in terms of reliability I decided on something trustworthy. I've had to many mechanical timers crap out on my asis lol

Anyone have info on how these stack up in terms of reliability or sturdiness to conventional peristaltic pumps? i.e. a Masterflex?

As said on BRS website they say this is the pump they used on there own systems. As far as reliability and sturdiness, the pumps seem to be put together very well. The Norprene tubing can last 2 years in this type of application. Of course this depends entirely on usage. I don't think that really answers your question tho.
 
EEK! I've had lots of electrical tape unwrap itself eventually, and that's pretty high voltage to unwrap from. I know that there is heat shrink tubing out there which should be able to fit over the extension cord end and shrink down, then you could also have one ready to go that's already on the pump's cord to slide over that once it's shrunken, and then shrink again. Kind of a two-part deal.

Your right heat has a big factor on unraveling. But it being wrapped 3 times total I doubt it will be an issue. I've done this on plenty of DIY projects for years with no ill effects. If you go ahead and use heatshrink tubing based on the thickness of the extension cord it will be to "baggy" around the pump wire even after being shrunk. This was with the Radioshack brand of course. There may be different type out there, but this is what I experienced
 
If you go ahead and use heatshrink tubing based on the thickness of the extension cord it will be to "baggy" around the pump wire even after being shrunk. This was with the Radioshack brand of course.

This is why Ratshack brand heatshrink isn't allowed in my workshop. :lol: I stick with a good double-walled adhesive-lined heatshrink from a reputable manufacturer (i.e. 3M). Pick the right size and shrink ratio and I bet it would do fine on your mismatched wire. Worst case, use a heatshrink cap and lay the wires next to eachother when soldering instead of making a butt joint.

I don't use electrical tape on anything around the tank unless I don't care if it lasts more than a few months.

That's just me though, to each his own. . .
 
Couple shots of how the connection was made. I actually took the electrical tape off to show how I did it.

Also a final undertank sump shot. This is a 90g running a Mag18 with manifold for GFO, Carbon (future), and a Chiller.
 

Attachments

  • DSCN0667.JPG
    DSCN0667.JPG
    83.2 KB · Views: 4
  • DSCN0670.JPG
    DSCN0670.JPG
    49.1 KB · Views: 4
  • DSCN0672.JPG
    DSCN0672.JPG
    86.1 KB · Views: 3
  • DSCN0675.JPG
    DSCN0675.JPG
    64.9 KB · Views: 5
First off - Awesome write-up and great idea! I think I will try this out in the near future.

Anyone have info on how these stack up in terms of reliability or sturdiness to conventional peristaltic pumps? i.e. a Masterflex?

Since you asked...

I own both (BRS drew's doser and 2 different masterflex pumps) and its really comparing apples to oranges. I can say that my newer masterflex L/S series pump is an absolute tank. I mean really, you could carry this thing into battle. I also have an older masterflex pump from the 60's which is just pumping away.

The cost comparison is absurd and really their markets don't really overlap. The masterlfex line offers things like completely interchangeable heads, quick-change systems, single-tube design, electronic control, etc). The Masterflex stuff is industrial grade (99% metal) and probably even overbuilt for most typical reefing--but hey, that's never stopped me before.:hammer:


All that being said, the Drew's doser is great, fantastic even for the price. I bought all my masterflex stuff off eBay since buying new is out-of-the-question.
 
Last edited:
Yea you can get great deals on old masterflex pumps on ebay...Provided you have room for it in your cabinet. Some of those pumps are the size of a small microwave.
 
Back
Top