Alk suppliment solidifying at end of RO tubing w/ Dosing pump

reefknight · Aug 2, 2015

May not be too bad. I have a Profilux doser and its set to dose 10x/ day. The ATO pump is a aqua lifter, so not an extremely strong pump. I'll probably give it a manual test in a bit. I can manually run the doser and just trigger the ATO pump. View the tubes and see how much is getting backed up. But I agree, I think it would be rare the two would run simultaneously.

reefknight · Aug 6, 2015

OK, so I placed the Y fitting in service on Sunday connecting the ATO line and the ALk dosing line. Typically within a few days I'll notice some buildup at the tip of the line. So far nothing has built up! I've tested my Alk level and it hasn't fluctuated from where it typically stays, so at this point it doesn't seem to be effecting it.

Brilliant idea Fuzzy, thank you!

FuzzySPS · Aug 6, 2015

reefknight...VERY glad to hear that it is working for you! I'd been hoping to hear back from you. Funny how this is not a pervasive problem. When I was dealing with it (and didn't think of the "y" idea back then and am currently tankless), I looked high and low online and only rarely found someone else struggling with the same issue but with no surefire solution. I always kept the end of my dosing line above the sump's water level and was using Seachem's alkalinity product (the exact name escapes me at the moment). Seems like I scratched my head forever trying to figure it out. In any event, if it is not too much of an imposition, would you mind reporting back one more time in another week or two to see if the "cure" is able to withstand the test of time? Good luck...hope it continues to work out for you. All the best!

reefknight · Aug 6, 2015

Sincerely appreciate it! I have dealt with this problem for what seems forever. I will update the thread as well as add a photo or two.

FuzzySPS · Aug 18, 2015

ReefKnight/Bill...any updates or anything new to report? Hopefully it has continued to work for you. Would love to know...

reefknight · Aug 19, 2015

Apologies life has been hectic, lol!
This is working perfectly for me, no more build up. Actually since the Alk line is being kept flushed constantly I've had to dial my dosing back a tad to account for it. My alkalinity was overshooting my goal by a tad and that was the only change I could come up with after several days worth of tests. Decreased by 5%/ day. So not only is this helping on regular maintenance it's a cost savings in 2 part for me as well. It's far passing its initial helpfulness IMO!

FuzzySPS · Aug 19, 2015

Great! So it looks as though if anyone ever asks we've figured out a solution to pass along. Holler if anything changes but...if it's worked well this long I doubt it will ever become a problem again.

reefknight · Aug 19, 2015

I believe that we can stick a "Solved" sticker on this one as well! This was truly a great idea, thank you. For anyone that hasn't tried it yet, don't hesitate. It works and eliminates one thing that you have to clean on a weekly basis.

gpwdr · Aug 19, 2015

You can buy or make a drop dose dispenser. This completely solves the crystallization of the alkalinity dosing solution.

Google - "Pacific Sun drop dose dispenser"

SifuMemphis · Oct 21, 2015

reefknight said:
OK, so I placed the Y fitting in service on Sunday connecting the ATO line and the ALk dosing line. Typically within a few days I'll notice some buildup at the tip of the line. So far nothing has built up! I've tested my Alk level and it hasn't fluctuated from where it typically stays, so at this point it doesn't seem to be effecting it.

Brilliant idea Fuzzy, thank you!

Sorry to bring up a old thread. Any chance you can take a picture of this? I am having the same issue.

Thanks!

SifuMemphis · Oct 22, 2015

gpwdr said:
You can buy or make a drop dose dispenser. This completely solves the crystallization of the alkalinity dosing solution.

Google - "Pacific Sun drop dose dispenser"

Any reviews on this? I tried to visit the US store, and for some reason it's not working.

NanaReefer · Oct 22, 2015

I solved this issue by lowering my ALK line to where it almost touches the water. Seems it's staying moist enough, never completely drying so the ALK doesn't harden and clog. Been working great for almost a year [emoji2]

gpwdr · Oct 22, 2015

http://pacificsun.myshopify.com/products/dropdose-dispenser

I bought mine from EU company

gpwdr · Oct 22, 2015

SifuMemphis · Oct 22, 2015

gpwdr said:

Any reason why you chose the EU company over the US one?

ReefMadScientist · Oct 22, 2015

I use BRS products for 2-part and never had an issue with it blocking.

1.) Suspend the tubes above the water. Any splashed into the tube line will cause the chemicals to harden.

2.) Drip more frequently. I drip every hour.

Never any issues.

SifuMemphis · Oct 22, 2015

ReefMadScientist said:
I use BRS products for 2-part and never had an issue with it blocking.

1.) Suspend the tubes above the water. Any splashed into the tube line will cause the chemicals to harden.

2.) Drip more frequently. I drip every hour.

Never any issues.

The probably with my tank is, I only dose 2 ML of 2 part daily. Even above the water with no splashing, it has a lot of time during the day to harden

ReefMadScientist · Oct 22, 2015

SifuMemphis said:
The probably with my tank is, I only dose 2 ML of 2 part daily. Even above the water with no splashing, it has a lot of time during the day to harden

I see. You probably started too early to two-part.

First year, until my corals grew crazy, I was just adding elements weekly.