Dosing with Tom's Aqualifter

[JohnVH]

I am thinking of setting up a dosing system using a couple of Tom's Aqualifter pumps. Does anyone have any feedback on this? I have a RKL and would like to utilize it for dosing but I have heard that because the pump uses such a small amount of electricity that a surge protector is needed because the pump can get stuck in the on position. Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

[Smitty]

Do you have a lot of corals and are currently dosing alkalinity and calcium now? If not, just your regular water changes will be sufficient enough to replenish your lost levels. I have a ton of corals, including about 10 sps corals, and I used to dose b-ionic 2 part, but since I do weekly water changes, I haven't had to dose for about 3 months now.

 

[JohnVH]

I have a few
-Assorted Mushrooms
-Assorted Zoa's
-1 Torch had 2 lost one recently
-Bubble coral
-Sun Polyps
-GSP's
-Button Polyps
-Xenia's
-Frogspawn
-Finger Cactus Leather (Best description I can come up with)
-Cabbage


I have recently lost a Green Hammer Tip, 2 Candy Canes, a Torch and a small Montipora Digitata and a small Encrusting-Hulk Montipora.


I have been battling low ALK for awhile now and have started manually dosing with a Seachem product Reef Carbonate. I do a 10% - 20% water change every 2 weeks and I still seem to have low ALK issues. I use Reef Crystals for salt and I shake up and roll the pail around before I make my saltwater to make sure it is well mixed.

Here is a total break down of my setup:
-75 GPD 6 stage RO/DI unit
-70 gallon tank drilled with Stockman standpipe and reverse Durso pipe in the sump to quiet down the bubble noise.
-30 Gallon 3 chamber sump with sock and live rock
-SWC Extreme 160 Skimmer
-Mag 9.5 return pump
-BRS dual media Reactor running Rowaphos and Carbon
-250 Watt Heater
- ATO
-4 Hydor Evolution 750 GPH powerheads w/ Hydor Smartwave Controller
-Reefkeeper Lite controller w/ 2 modules and a SL1 w/PH & temp probes
-Coralife T5HO 4X39 Watt w/ Lunar LED (will be upgrading to Maxspect Razor LED soon)
-about 85 lbs live rock in DT & Sump
- 2 inch fine Aragonite sand be


Since I started to manually dose for my ALK it is slowly climbing I went from 6.8 DKH to 7.5 in the last few days. so I would like to start an automated system to dose for ALK, CAL & MAG

Tank Stock list is:
Corals as listed above
-1 Lawnmower Blenny
-2 Ocellaris Clownfish
-1 Coral Beauty Angelfish
-1 Yellow Tang
-2 Cleaner Shrimp
-1 Porcelain Crab
-1 Sally Lightfoot Crab
-1 Hawaiian Feather Duster
-1 Brittle Star
- Smal Red Starfish
-1 Green BTA
-1 Red BTA
assorted Hermits and snail CUC


There is no BRS where I live I ordered my dual reactor from them and the shipping is what really kills it for me.. None of the LFS stores here carry bulk Kalkwasser and a lot of the additives discussed in many of the forums. I was using baked Baking soda to buffer my PH when I was battling Ich with Hyposalinity.

 

[bjohanson1234]

From my knowledge, the aqualifter pump is just to suck air out of an overflow. I don't think it would make an accurate dosing pump. As for it getting stuck in the on position, not sure what that is supposed to mean. If there is no power doing to it, there is no way it would be on. Also, a surge protector is just that, it protects you equipment from a surge of electicity from you provider. The size of pump has nothing to do with that.

I have had one that the internal components got clogged up. There is a prefilter that you can get that will help prevent this from happening.

 

[JohnVH]

I am currently using one for my ATO and it works great. As far as it getting stuck in the on position and needing a surge protector while using the RKL, these are just details I've picked up online while researching this. That's why I'm asking here, just more research

 

[Northstar24]

Before automating two part, have to started adding Kalk to your top off water? You can add up to two teaspoons per gallon. If that does not solve your Alk / cal issues, you should then look at dosing two part in addition.

Shipping from BRS may cost you, but in the long run, purchasing the two part in bulk and paying for shipping will be far more cost effective than buying the overpriced supplements from your local fish store.

Save up a little to buy the large containers, or buy enough to hit the free shipping threshold. If you;re running GFO as well, its not hard to hit the free shipping price. Alternatively, you could also get in on one of the occasional group buys, which lowers the cost even further

 

[JohnVH]

Noone ships for free to Canada no matter how much you spend. Its not just the shipping after that there's Canada customs and tax, everyone has their hand out

 

[cvcdrk]

I just have to add my $.02.

You're honestly wasting your time and money. None of what you're keeping requires dosing of any kind. That stuff doesn't even REALLY require any feeding (although some may benefit).

I would save your money. Dosing saltwater reefs is mostly done because of SPS corals that are extremely demanding on your calc and mag levels. If you don't have low levels of either of these already you shouldn't even be considering dosing for them. Like Smitty said, regular water changes will be more than enough.

 

[JohnVH]

I do have low levels and I do 20% water change every two weeks and I am losing corals so I don't see how it is wasting money if it can help my corals. If anything I am wasting money replacing corals. I see lots of people dosing to help their tanks so how is it a waste to want my tank inhabitants healthy and happy.

 

[Smitty]

I do have low levels and I do 20% water change every two weeks and I am losing corals so I don't see how it is wasting money if it can help my corals. If anything I am wasting money replacing corals. I see lots of people dosing to help their tanks so how is it a waste to want my tank inhabitants healthy and happy.

He didn't mean it in a negative way...lots of people do buy dosing products, when in fact they don't need to dose. Now, you may be having low levels of calcium and alkalinity, but i really doubt that its from your corals sucking them up. You seem to be doing all the right things as far as water changes, but I think it may be your salt mix. Try making a new batch of saltwater as usual, and test the levels of it. Reef crystals as well as other salt mixes have been known to have bad batches and low level batches. Now if the new batch test out to be normal, then I would agree that you need to dose. We're just trying to help you get to the root of the problem before you're forced to spend more money that you don't have to.

 

[JohnVH]

I have tried 3 different salts and have dealing with this form the begining thats why I am looking into dosing for some consistancy in my tank. I have been testing and I am dumbfounded as to why I am affected this way. Believe me I really appreciate all the help from the forum. I only have my tanks best intrest at heart. I am only looking into dosing as an alternative to manually dosing now. I really would rather spend money on other cool stuff than dosing equipment. I have a tendency to research stuff to death with somethings and my tank is one, I'm kind of like a junkyard dog with a porterhouse bone don't get to close it's only fun until someone loses a finger or several LOL!.

Thanx Smitty

 

[Ted]

With the RXL if you use the two middle plugs you need to use a surge protector. I got one at Home Depot was...around $9 made by belkin and is thin enough that it wont block other plugs. So far I have not had a issue with it but I saw the same thing on youtube and got it went I set my ato up. As far as using it for a dossing pump...dont see why you couldnt...other option would be to just add kalkwassier to the ato system if you are wanting to raise ph and add calcium.

 

[Smitty]

Hey John, how old are your test kits, and have you compared your results with your lfs?

 

[Smitty]

I'm not trying to dissuade you from the dosing pump, just making sure we turn every stone. :)

 

[JohnVH]

My oldest test kit API reef kit No2, No3, Ammo, PH is just about one year
MAG→Red Sea
CAL→API & Hanna Checker
ALK→Salifert & Hanna Checker
PHOS→Nutrafin (There will be one more Hanna Checker coming soon)
PH→Probe for RKL

I have had my water tested by the two LFS stores here and they confirmed my results.

 

[cvcdrk]

What are your calcium and alk levels?
It's certainly odd that you're losing things and can't maintain normal levels. This could actually be a sign that something else is wrong.

In any case, dosing could solve the problem for awhile but without knowing what's depleting your levels it's difficult to expect it would be a long-term solution.

 

[Smitty]

What are your calcium and alk levels?
It's certainly odd that you're losing things and can't maintain normal levels. This could actually be a sign that something else is wrong.

In any case, dosing could solve the problem for awhile but without knowing what's depleting your levels it's difficult to expect it would be a long-term solution.

+1...I never did ask you what your calcium and magnesium were. Can you post them when you get a chance?

 

[JohnVH]

ALK was at 6.8 but is now at 7.5
MAG is 1120
CAL is 380

I have dosed small amounts and will be testing again after work. I really don't WANT to have to dose I am just looking into my options. I really appreciate all responses that I get. This forum has been such a valuable resource for me and everyone else I am sure.

The guys at the LFS stores that I have asked are just as perplexed as I am. I also have a friend that is a good go to person for this hobby and we are trying to figure out why I am having this problem. My fish are happy and healthy color is good and they all have ravenous appetites. No nuisance Algae. Other than the few Corals I have lost along the way. My corals are surviving but not thriving. This tank is my baby I dote on this thing and sometimes it drives my wife nuts (everyone needs a hobby mine is driving my wife crazy)

 

[Smitty]

I think I see the issue... your magnesium is low. If magnesium is too low, your alk and cal levels will always be out of wack. They all work together, if cal is too high, then alk is low, and vice versa... but if magnesium is low, both alk and cal will precipitate out and have low readings. I hope that helps. :)