Dosing Pump Setup

[Fish Outta Water]

I am in the process of setting up a kamoer 3 channel dosing pump for alk, mg, and ca. I have never messed with dosing pumps before and want to make sure I do it right.

1. I know the pump should be close to and above the dosing containers. However, is there a limit to distance from the pump to the sump? I have a cabinet that I want to put everything in that will require about 4-5 feet of tubing to reach the sump from the dosing pump. Is this an acceptable distance?

2. what is the best way to start dosing? We haven't really been good about manual dosing so I don't know how much to dose weekly. Should I start low and make adjustments every few days until we get to a consistent level?

3. What is the best time of day to dose the three elements I listed? With the pump I can spread it out over any period I want. It's pretty flexible.

4. Any other advice for dosing is appreciated. We are running biopellets and no macroalgae. So no lights in the sump means we experience a ph drop at night.

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Matt

 

[Sherman]

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Start Low dosing, Test daily until you get the right dosing Qty
I only have 2 dosing pumps, Daily for Alk, and Cal.
Magnesium, I just test and dose acordingly. Mag drops slower that the other two.
Night time is best for Alk and Cal. Just space the dosing times a few hours apart.

 

[Mike M]

1. I've got runs longer than 5' so you should be good. Make sure they drip properly and do not get clogged up with salt spray.

2. Do you know or can you get a good estimate of your total water volume? If so, do not dose for a couple of days (assuming your Alk doesn't drop too low) and test at the same time each day to calculate your daily useage. Start your dosing there. If it keeps things roughly in line, go a week between tests to make final adjustments.

3. I can't separate between day and night so I just go with the max interval and divide my dosing regiment 24 times a day. If I could, I would try dosing more Alk at night to maintain better pH stability.

4. Don't let your alk get too high with biopellets. Test more often in the beginning to make sure the pump is doing what you expect it to. Make sure your test kits are accurate and not expired.