APEX need help: using a separate kalk doser from ATO

[Pedal Dangit]

I hope someone can help me as I am a total rookie with apex advanced programs.

I currently use an older Apex lite with the FMM / ATK for my auto top off. (been working nearly trouble free 2 years)

I would like to start dosing Kalkwasser with a completely separate reservoir of kalk with a slow dosing BRS pump that comes on say when PH <8.30 and then turns off if PH>8.45

The flow rate from the kalk will be super slow. I would like to use the ATK with freshwater as back up if the Kalkwasser can't keep up for evaporation or if I'm lazy and don't refill the reservoir.

how do I write the program for each ? would I put in a PH requirement in the one for freshwater ATO as well?

Thanks in advance to anyone with advice on this.

 

[WIReefer]

@SuncrestReef is the guy to talk to about Neptune products!

 

[SuncrestReef]

Here's what I'd recommend:

1. Create a virtual output that will monitor the pH. This output will turn On when pH drops below 8.30 and turn Off when pH is above 8.45.

[pH_Monitor] -- virtual output
If pH < 8.30 Then ON
If pH > 8.45 Then OFF

2. Use an OSC timer to turn On and Off your kalk dosing pump periodically. This is better than just turning it on to dump in a lot of kalk all at once. Then use the pH_Monitor virtual output to decide when the kalk is On or Off. The example below would run the kalk pump for 30 seconds every 2 minutes whenever the pH is between 8.3 - 8.45, as long as the water level is below the ATK's lower sensor:
(adjust these times to your preference)

[Kalk_Pump]
Fallback OFF
OSC 000:00/000:30/002:00 Then ON
If Output pH_Monitor = OFF Then OFF
If ATK_LO CLOSED Then OFF

3. Leave your ATK set to run as normal based on the water level. If the kalk isn't keeping the water level high enough, then the ATK will top it off with fresh water. The ATK by default runs once per hour. If you prefer to have more kalk than fresh water added, you can decrease the ATK run frequency by increasing the Min Time value:

[ATK]
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If ATK_LO OPEN Then ON
If ATK_HI CLOSED Then OFF
When On > 005:00 Then OFF
Defer 000:10 Then ON
Defer 000:04 Then OFF
Min Time 060:00 Then OFF

See my Apex Programming Tutorial articles for more tips and examples: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/authors/suncrestreef.93940/

 

[Pedal Dangit]

Thanks for the help, but I'm not sure I understand when the Kalk pump would run with this line:
If ATK_LO CLOSED Then OFF

when the ATK_LO is OPEN, my ATK only takes a few seconds to fill my sump chamber and it switches off again.

If the Kalk pump requires ATK_LO to be closed, It would seem to me that the kalk pump will never run much at all as the LO optical switch turns from open to closed quickly.

I did a trial run of the dosing pump with one gallon of Kalk and it took 24 hours to empty the gallon, so it is very slow and doesn't seem to pose a overfill situation. perhaps I shouldn't worry about the low or high sensor and just run it on OSC timer with PH controls? or should I use the ATK_HIGH switch instead?

thanks again for taking time to help me understand.

 

[Fishfinder]

Depending on your current ph and rate that CO2 re-enters your aquarium. You might end up raising your alk very high.

IMO you should dose kalk based on tank consumption and just enjoy whatever ph bump that you get