Nice build, following along. Question as to why not go with the Apex Dos for your auto water changes since you already have an apex system.
Welcome to the build-thread
I vowed I'd never use peristaltic pumps again, after having the LiterMeter pumps vary so much on me during the year, which meant my salinity varied, sometimes significantly.
I think the Genesis way of doing things is pretty accurate - it's a fill-to-overflow, so you'll always get the same amount. However ... your comment made me go back and read the DŌS manual, and they actually use stepper motors, not servo motors. That is news to me, and argues for better repeatability.
The DŌS system would also help out by reducing the number of steps I'll have to take - if you remember, my NSW, NFW storage tanks are outside, and they are plumbed into the house via a pipe. I was going to have the LiterMeter maintain 2 gallons at a time (of each) from the standpipes (you can see them in the photo below) into separate temporary storage containers inside the fish-room, so I didn't have to use a self-priming pump to fill the 1-gallon measured genesis containers. If I use DŌS, I could pump directly from the standpipes...
The only downsides I can see for DŌS are:
- that the pumps have a MTBF of 5000 hours, that's about 2 years for my system if they're being used for water-change.
- that the manual mentions the pumps "cooling down" after pumping for 4 minutes. I'm not sure how that translates to reliability.
Still, it bears thinking about. Thanks for the suggestion
