Need help setting up doser-Calgary

[Coralgurl]

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

Hi, my first post. Sweet.

I have the same unit and had a hard time using it. I had to install a plastic check valve on both ends of the tubing in order for it to work properly. The siphon would drop by the pump motor and lose its prime. Maybe you have this problem as well? I own 2 units with 2 extensions so 14 pumps in total and they all do the same thing. Crappy unit. never will I ever recommend this pump to anyone.

Once you manually pump the solution through all the tubing, set the programming. The way it works is that you select how many ML's you want it to dose and then choose how many times it should dose over a 24 hour period. It will choose the times for you, unless you choose only one dose per day. For pumps 2 - 11, it will then automatically dose 5 minutes afterwards. E.g., if you set your pump #1 to dose at 2pm, then pump #2 will automatically go off at 2:05pm and #3 at 2:10pm, etc...

Best of luck.

Hi and welcome to Canreef.

I actually haven't even gotten that far with it. I'm going to see what I can do tonight for a while.

I'm losing all my corals so if I can't get this then I may pack in this tank.

I'm sorry to hear that. Don't pack it in just yet.

Have you figured out how much to dose to maintain your water parameters? Pick any time of day and do your water tests for all 3 (CAL, ALK and Magnesium). Go on the bulkreefsupply website and use their calculator to find out what you need to dose to raise your parameters back to normal levels. Dose your tank manually.

Now the next day do another test at the same time as the day before. Whatever the difference is, that will be your maintenance dose. Then depending on what is low (most likely ALK), increase it in equal parts. If you need to dose 15ML to raise the ALK up 1 dKH then make sure you dose the same amount for CAL. In the morning dose Calcium and in the evening Dose Alkalinity.

Keep at that pace for the next 3 days and then do another water check at that same time. Once the test results confirmed that your water parameters are that level that you want, it should be stable. Then setup your auto doser according to what you have it set for.

Every two weeks, do another water test and adjust your maintenance dose accordingly. If you do large water changes of 20% or more, your ALK will raise accordingly. This could STN or RTN some of your SPS corals. So my advice is to keep your ALK at a higher level not at 7 dKH.

[Coralgurl]

I actually just found these calculators earlier today, huge help, so I dosed tonight accordingly, will continue over the next couple of days. I've been dosing according to instructions but I guess that's to maintain. Someone mentioned to increase by 20% but it wasn't making a difference. Tank is not heavily stocked with corals. I've bought reef crystals salt to see if that makes a difference too and will do another water change this weekend.

Thank you for your help, much appreciated!

[Wayne]

What kind of salt where you using before?

[Coralgurl]

I've been using Seachem Salinity. In the bottom of my mixing bucket, there's a lot of build up on the bottom, but when I test, everything is good.

Today my parameters are as follows
Mag 1450
Ca 420
Dkh 6
Temp 78
Salinity 1.026
Phosphates between 0-10, hard to distinguish results

I've tested phosphates and ammonia 0

I noticed this morning, my wall frogspawn is now showing skeleton. I'm going to rescape my 55 and move him back over. This coral has done significantly well up till now, I paid $250 for it and have had it almost a year, not prepared to lose it.

I don't know what is going on and very frustrated. I dont know what to do at this point. I've lost $100's in corals over the past while and although the parameters have been a bit low, is this really enough to have this affect? What am I missing?

[fishytime]

nitrates?

[Coralgurl]

I meant nitrates are between 0-10. Hard to tell with API test.

If you mix the salt while it is cold over night, that will prevent the build up. Then turn the heater on when its all mixed up.

Are you trying to raise your alkalinity levels up a little higher? 6dKH makes me cringe.

Based on your tests, you don't have a parameter issue. Are you vacuuming the sand bed at water change? If yes, maybe ease on it for a while until everything gets settled down. maybe gas bubbles are being released.

Or feed more to increase the nutrients. The frogspawn will like it.