Dosing BRS Two-Part - Automatically...

[Masoch]

The AC3Pro and the ACjr have 1-minute intervals for the timer. I thought this was crap, but I had no idea the RK2 had 15-minute granularity.

"Spendier" is awesome. I am going to use that term from now on. [/B]

Interestingly, getting a new controller /and/ a couple of Drew's pumps would've been more expensive than getting a LM3. I had no idea that I'd want to be automating a 2-part system, so ...

Anyway, I have to say, I like having an automated 2-part setup more than a calcium reactor. I liked topping up with kalk best of all, but both of my tanks have started consuming more ca and alk than kalk could reliably keep up with. Who'd ha' thought that a 1" clam would get to be 5 ...

And credit for "spendier" goes to my wife

 

[arod2051]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14595029#post14595029 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Masoch
Interestingly, getting a new controller /and/ a couple of Drew's pumps would've been more expensive than getting a LM3. I had no idea that I'd want to be automating a 2-part system, so ...

I agree 100%. I wanted the controller as spendier light timer. Might as well use it for other things too.

I hope this isn't too much of a hijack, but it is on-topic. Are you using a Kalk reactor? I was wondering if you can use a small Koralia nano on a controller to time the mixing and prevent the dosing for a few minutes after the mixing has occurred. All this would occur in the normal reservoir area.

 

[Masoch]

For the 40, I have a Tunze ATO + their sorta' kinda' kalk reactor. It doesn't have a stirring pump, but the output is, consistently, saturated (or nearly so) kalk.

If you haven't seen one, it's a basically a pop bottle with thicker plastic, wider top, a nipple for air hose near the top, and another nipple near the bottom. The ATO pushes water into the bottom of the reactor, which stirs the kalk a bit, and the kalkwasser comes out the top and goes into the tank. Since my sump's tiny, the top-off only dumps a half liter of kalkwasser into the tank at a time, and the reactor holds 1 or 1.5 litres of water.

I put one check valve on the output to the tank and one on the input to the reactor.

 

[bosborn1]

I've been looking at either the LM with 3 total pumps or the stand-alone GHL Profilux 4 channel doser.

As far as cost I figure that automating the two-part will cost about the same as a CaRx setup. So as long as I can keep it under $700 I figure its low cost.

One thing I can recommend not using is the Aquamedic units. I use one for my ATO and I can't trust that for something as sensitive as the Alk/Calc balance.

The Drew's was my next option. I like that with both the GHL and the LM you can program the exact amount and spread it out over the day without doing the math and setting timers. The other plus with the LM is that I could also add the W/C module and automate that too with the same unit. The Drew's is very tempting as the cost is extremely low considering I already have a controller. I think you could go with two or 3 Drew's and still pick up one of those sweet two head commercial units on ebay for auto W/Cs and be at a price that would beat the other two options.

FWIW I would never consider the Tom's for that use. Its too variable. For the cost savings its not worth the potential disaster.

 

[d-maz]

Do you guys have to shake up the alk and cal bottles? Don`t most 2 parts have to be shaken before dosing or is it just a habit that I`ve gotten into?

I started dosing 2 part about 2 months ago and I`m already sick of adding 3 capfulls a day. I`m looking to get something more stable and more autimated.

 

[dvanacker]

Once the elements are in solution they should stay there. That means no more shaking.

 

[flyingphish]

get the litermeter3, spendy but worth it in the long run

get the litermeter3, spendy but worth it in the long run

O.T.

anyone having salinity issues?

my sps suck up calcium so fast that the amount of calcium i dose is so much (to maintain 400) that it drives my salinity to 38-40ppt.

ive found that i constantly need to manually remove water daily and add fresh top off. i could easily do this with a pump, but i have no drain, as of now. i may drill a hole in the floor...

and i can evaporate only so much. i top off thru a deltec kalk reactor 2.4l per day on a 55g.