Auto Doser... Good for so many things!
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: DIY
Forum Description: Do it Yourself
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=27986
Printed Date: July 27 2025 at 10:21am
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Topic: Auto Doser... Good for so many things!
Posted By: Sculpin
Subject: Auto Doser... Good for so many things!
Date Posted: September 10 2008 at 9:02pm
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I got a request on a "How To" for an auto doser I made, so here go-
Micah's Auto Dosing System 
Parts List 1: http://www.buddeez.com/Pages/1kaddy.html - Kingsford Kaddy $13 at Lowes 2: http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewItem~idProduct~OE1137.html - Toms Aqua Lifter $15 3: http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~category~Kent_Marine_Float_Valve_Only__Black_ABS_Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies_Reverse_Osmosis_Accessories_Float_Valves~vendor~Kent_Marine~SearchStr~float+valve~action~view~idProduct~KM1675~idCategory~FIRORAFV.html - Kent Float Valve $18 4: Faucet plumbing hose (not really sure what it is called) $2 at Lowes 5: 1/4 tubing $2 6: Ball Valve w/ quick disconnect $6 at Lowes 7: Industrial velcro $2 at Lowes Process: 1: After acquiring all the parts drill 1/2" hole in the side of the Kaddy for the kent float valve (the instructions say 5/8" but if you want a net fit go for 1/2"). Also make sure you leave enough space for the float valve hardware to stick out the side. I didn't and had to plug the hole. 2: install the float valve via Kent's instructions. FYI, the float valve will clear on the width and length of the Kaddy. 3:Drill the top of the Kaddy near the center to fit the siphon hose. It's 3/8" diameter but i went a 1/64" smaller to get a tight fit. 3: Using some super glue (I used zap gel) cover the very end of the 1/4" hose and push it into the faucet plumbing hose as deep as you can. It should only go about 3/4" in and allow ample time to dry. 4: Take the rubber pads off the Aqua Lifter and stick the velcro on the bottom then to the top of the Kaddy. 5: Shove the Faucet hose into the top of the Kaddy and cut the 1/4" hose to the proper length to fit the Aqua Lifter. 6: After all that you just need to plumb the set up under the tank and hook it up to whatever timer you've got. Here are some more detailed photos. Faucet hose with 1/4" hose glued into it- 
Kaddy w/ lid open- 
Let me know if you have any questions, I hope this helps... somebody. Sculpin |
Replies:
Posted By: sukie
Date Posted: September 11 2008 at 9:28am
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Awesome DIY!!! I'm going to do it!! |
Posted By: Yindar
Date Posted: September 11 2008 at 3:13pm
Me to!! Thank you Sculpin!! 
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: September 12 2008 at 9:32am
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What did you do with the float valve on the MSM sump/refugium? Is this dosing Kalkwasser? Is the timer set to slowly add Kalkwasser at night? I don't know how the Toms Aqualifter is built but Kalkwasser has very high pH and with all the Ca buildup that occurs in the lines, I wonder if cleaning or replacement of the inner flexible parts will be required. Can you tell or show us how the aqualifter is built? Is it a peristaltic pump? ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: Sculpin
Date Posted: September 12 2008 at 5:39pm
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I still have the float valve hooked up to the refugium, I just T-ed off from the main RO line to also go into the doser. I'm still having problems with my MSM sump set up but thats another story.
Yes it is for Kalk and seems to be doing just fine but I think I have an air leak in the line somewhere. Yes it is timed to turn on when the lights are shut off but I have had some issues with it draining back out the siphon hose and it takes a while to re-prime it's self. I'll be adding a check valve in the system soon and fixing the air leak. I have no idea how the lifter works, I only hope it holds up to the rigors of the Kalk. There may be some potential problems as it seems to slow down after a while but when I open the ball valve to run full blast it clears the line and runs great ( I of course when I do this I let the water run into a cup, not the sump). It's not perfect for Kalk... yet. Still a few bugs to work out I guess. Let me know if you have any other questions. Sculpin |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: September 12 2008 at 7:59pm
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Okay, I understand. Since Kalk is best added slowly, have you set it to turn on and off several times at night?
I would guess that a check valve will quickly clog and fail so that may not be a good long term solution. I would open the pump and see how it works. If I'm not mistaken it is designed to continuously pull air bubbles out of a siphon tube to keep the siphon from breaking. It may be having trouble pushing water up 3-4 feet and keeping water from draining backward, thus the need to "re-prime". I can't give a suggestion because I've never looked at the guts of one of those, but since you do such good pics, feel free to open it and show us the gory details.
 I know MSM's equipment pretty good. What kind of problems are you having with the return pump set-up? ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Sculpin
Date Posted: September 12 2008 at 9:07pm
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I'll get some pics up of the insides soon. I just wanted to get the Ca up a bit more first.
As for the sump, it still has bubble problems but I have dramatically reduced them with a few sponges, though they do get displaced every time the pump shuts of for feeding. Also, tomorrow I have a big project going with the sump. The Dolphin pumps seal is starting to go out so I'm switching it temporarily with a Gen-X I have and sending it in to Dolphin for refurbishing. I also was checking out Dolphin pump website and they have some guild lines on the plumbing and instillation of the pump to lengthen it's life and MSM didn't follow it for whatever reason and has probably been a major factor of the early wear of the seal and now I have a leaky pump. Anyways, who really knows but I'm working to get it sorted out and plumbed properly. Hey I have a question, does anyone know if there is a float valve out there thats small, reliable and cheap. Paying $20 bucks for a kent is ridiculous when a toilet float valve is far more complex and runs less then half that. I'm sure there is something out there for around 6 bucks that will work just as good, someone find it will ya? That should drop the price of the Auto doser system a bit. Sculpin Sculpin |
Posted By: Sculpin
Date Posted: September 12 2008 at 10:03pm
I found the problem with the air in the doser lines, it was just a bad seal between the syphon hose and the macro line. So I took the opportunity, while I got glue drying, to disassemble the Aqua Lifter and here is what it looks like-
I turned it on and the two metal arms on each side of the diaphragms move back and forth very quickly creating the pumping action. Very simple, but it will probably need to be replaced every once in a while when the rubber goes bad. So there you go Mark and if any one has any other questions, feel free to ask. Sculpin |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: September 14 2008 at 7:23pm
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That's the same principle as an air pump except they modified it to take in water via one diaphram and push it out with the other diaphram. I doubt it's made to take much uphill pressure and rubber goes hard quicker in the presence of Kalkwasser. In air pumps the diaphram usually cracks and air escapes. In this setup when it cracks, water will escape.
The kent float valve is reliable and non-metallic. It's patterned after a swamp cooler float valve, which is metallic. MSM actually designed and had a more reliable valve built just for them. It costs more but I believe it's also shorter. The only other option I know of is a small vertical float valve connected to an electrical relay which controls an electric pump or solenoid. It's more expensive.
One thing that can be done to lengthen the life of the float valve is to have an automatic shutoff valve on the RO unit. Typically, the pressure of the purified water at the float valve is the same as City water pressure at the house, 40-80 psi. With an Auto Shut-off valve when the pressure of the purified water at the float valve reaches ~12 psi it shuts off the water supply to the RO unit. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Sculpin
Date Posted: September 14 2008 at 7:32pm
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As for the Aqua Lifter, what do you think my chances are if I replaced it with a small rio pump (set on the timer of course) and hooked it up to my 1/4 line? Do you think it would wear out fast. if and when it does wear out I'm sure it wouldn't be as damaging as if the aqua lifter did. I don't know, what do you think?
Sculpin |
Posted By: PeggySue
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 12:24pm
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I think you can replace the Aqua Lifter with a small airpump. If I'm not mistaken, the idea behind the Aqua Lifter is that it's pushing air into the container, and when the pressure builds up, something has to come back out. I assume that it doesn't work if the lid of your container is open, right? That would also explain why it starts to slow down and you have to drain the Kalk into a cup in order to get it flowing again. It can only work at one speed and your valve on the line will slow it down and cause problems. If you put an airpump on instead, and put a valve on the tubing before it goes into the container, you could adjust the amount of flow at that point instead of right before entering your sump. You would also need to add another tube coming out of the container..this will go directly to your sump. I would also consider watering the Kalk down quite a bit to slow down the potential clogging in the tubing. But the tubing can be easily cleaned (using vinegar water) or replaced. ------------- Famous last words, "Parks, Recreations & Tourism" |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 1:10pm
The aqualifter pumps air and water. The problem is that when it stops pumping the upline water slowly seeps down past the flappers inside the diaphram housing, draining back into the Kalk resevoir. So the pump must first pull air to suck the water back up into the pump so that it can pump the Kalkwasser into the tank.  Am I correct that the Kalkwasser is being pumped up 3-4 feet into the display? It could more easily be pumped into the sump right next to the return intake. Frankly I see the continual air water swapping in the lines as a problem. The exposure of Kalkwasser to air causes CaCO3 to form. This is going to clog the inside surfaces of the tubing that much quicker. Also the conection of RO water to the sump itself mean that the small amount of Kalkwasser added at night is not replacing all water lost to evaporation. I'm wondering what the Alk and Ca levels are doing? In a tank which uses little Alk and Ca this may be fine, but if the tanks needs more and especially as it grows more mature the entire amount of top-off water may need to be Kalkwasser, added only at night to offset nighttime pH drop. In my last coral farming system, I had a peristaltic dosing pump set to add Kalkwasser at night for all evaporation top-off and still had to add ~2 liters of homemade Alk and ~2 liters of homemade Ca weekly. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Sculpin
Date Posted: January 14 2009 at 6:28pm
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I just notices your post Mark, and you were right. The Tom's Aqualifter does not function well with Kalk and did precisely what you mentions- seeped back into the kalk tank, mixed with the air, and now I'm having to replace the Aqualifter. No biggy though, it's only $15 bucks and I'm no longer using it for a kalk doser but a rotifer doser where the aqualifter can run unbridled into the return pump. I'm guessing this will help the line stay charged with water and will not be able to seep backwards. But if it does I'll have a John Guest check valve waiting for it. As for my problem of dosing Ca and alk, I've built a Calcium Reactor( http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28511&KW=caca - http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28511&KW=caca ) and it's been doing awesome. Let me know if you have any other questions. Sculpin
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