Please check my doser settings

[Baldwin]

I want the alk to come on at 8 in the morning for 30 min. and 8 in the evening for 30 min. I want the calcium to come on at 9 in the morning for 30 min. and 9 in the evening for 30 min.

Here is what I have-

Alk-480:00/030:00/210:00
Cal-540:00/030:00/150:00

 

[Specialtang]

ALK:
If Time 08:00 to 08:30 Then ON
If Time 20:00 to 20:30 Then ON

CAL
If Time 09:00 to 09:30 Then ON
If Time 21:00 to 21:30 Then ON


Unless they changed the Apex programming there is a 255 minute limit on the OSC command.

 

[Baldwin]

Is that right?

 

[SPotter]

I know your asking about programming but wouldnt it be better to spread the dosing out thru out the entire day?

 

[fas77]

This is my Alk Dosing Code

Fallback OFF
Set OFF
OSC 030:00/020:00/010:00 Then ON
If Time 17:00 to 12:00 Then OFF

Dose between
12:00:00 PM - 5:00 PM
in 20 minute cycle
(5 Cycles)


This is my Cal Dosing Code.

Fallback OFF
Set OFF
OSC 000:00/022:00/038:00 Then ON
If Time 17:00 to 12:00 Then OFF

Dose between
12:00:00 PM - 5:00 PM
in 22 minute cycle
(5 Cycles)

 

[pyton]

This is my Alk Dosing Code

Fallback OFF
Set OFF
OSC 030:00/020:00/010:00 Then ON
If Time 17:00 to 12:00 Then OFF

Dose between
12:00:00 PM - 5:00 PM
in 20 minute cycle
(5 Cycles)


This is my Cal Dosing Code.

Fallback OFF
Set OFF
OSC 000:00/022:00/038:00 Then ON
If Time 17:00 to 12:00 Then OFF

Dose between
12:00:00 PM - 5:00 PM
in 22 minute cycle
(5 Cycles)

If I was dosing I would dose through out the day also.

 

[Baldwin]

Ok so I want to dose 60 ml of each throught the day. Dosing once per hour with my 1.1 ml dosing pumps what would the code be?

 

[swearint]

60 ml / 1.1 ml/min = 54.5 minutes total run time. If you break that up over say 8 hours, it is 6 min and 49 seconds per hour. For ALK, assuming it is a high pH supplement:

[ALK]
OSC 00:00/06:49/53:11 Then ON
If Time 06:10 to 21:59 Then OFF
If pH > 8.20 Then OFF

This would run at night:

22:00 to 22:06:49
23:00 to 23:06:49
00:00 to 00:06:49
.
.
.
.
.
06:00 to 06:06:49

Calcium would be similar, only change the time interval so that it runs during the day, and you would not need the pH failsafe.

Todd

 

[Baldwin]

Is there a reason why you would want to do it at night

 

[Specialtang]

Because pH normally goes up with the lights off due to lack of photosynthesis so if the pH is already over 8.2 from the lights being off it will not run.
Therefore you would not be dosing

 

[Baldwin]

Ok that makes sense, but dont you want to dose alk and cal not too far from eachother to prevent potentially lowering the other? For instance if I were to dose all alk at night wouldnt it drive the cal down all night? If I wanted to dose both at night hourly as stated above but 30 minutes apart what would the exact codes look like so that I can just copy and paste them that way I dont screw something up! Lol

 

[swearint]

Actually, pH normally decreases at night since photosynthesis is no longer consuming CO2. I use Randy's recipe 1 which raises the pH. So the idea is to dose when the natural cycle is dropping pH and it tends to maintain the pH at a desirable level. I use 8.2 as a safety check, to make sure too much is not added in case I miscalculated the dosage. I have not noticed any issue with Ca using this approach.

Here are some good articles on reef chemistry:
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=102605

Todd

 

[returnofsid]

Because pH normally goes up with the lights off due to lack of photosynthesis so if the pH is already over 8.2 from the lights being off it will not run.
Therefore you would not be dosing

You've got it backwards. pH normally drops, with the lights off. All things being equal, your pH will be lower, at night, than during the day. This is because photosynthesis stops. Algae releases oxygen into the water, during the day. Algae releases carbon dioxide, at night. The reduced oxygen and increased carbon dioxide, results in lower pH.

This is one of the primary reasons for people to run fuge lighting, on an opposite light cycle, as their display tank.

 

[Baldwin]

Ok so if I do alk at night every hour and then do calcium during the day what would the commands look like so I can copy them? My lighting cycle is 12-12 so I would like to dose 3-9 during day and 3-9 during night. Including the 6:49 seconds mentioned above.

 

[Baldwin]

Can anyone help? I just really don't want to add the wrong amount. If someone could give me the code for each then if I ever need to tweak I will have something to go by.

 

[SPotter]

I dose thru out the day every 30 mins. Here are my codes for alk and ca....

ALK:
OSC 000:00/001:15/028:45 Then ON

CA:
OSC 016:45/001:15/012:00 Then ON

This has worked well for me and allowed me to keep my ph in a range between 8.20 and 8.30.

 

[Baldwin]

With those codes are you using a 1.1 ml doser? How many ml of each do
Those codes
Add?

 

[SPotter]

With those codes are you using a 1.1 ml doser? How many ml of each do
Those codes
Add?

Yes sorry I forgot to add that. I am using a 1.1ml doser so that works out to be about 60ml's a day.


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[Baldwin]

Awesome. That is what I wanted to dose. Can you break down exactly what each code is saying so maybe I can understand a bit better?

 

[SPotter]

OSC= mins off/mins on/mins off

So for my ALK it's off for zero minutes, on for 1 min 15 seconds and then off for 28 mins 45 seconds.




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