Doser options

[LuizW13]

I’m 100% on the BRS dosers with an apex.

You are not relying on an integrated dosing timer and it will be more reliable in the long run.

I’ve had my BRS dosers for 2 years now and they function great and are inexpensive.

If you don’t have an apex or controller, then other choices are reasonable now

I don't have a controller and don't plan on getting one for a good while; i have a 25gal AIO, so yeaah lol. Which is why i want a doser with wifi controls and stuff- controllers are crazy expensive.

GHL Doser 2.1 SA can be stand alone with up to four heads. Later on the course you can add GHL ProFilux as a integrated control center and can link the Doser 2.1 SA.

I read mix reviews of the ProFilux not having some features that are standard with Apex, like an app, and SMS and email alerts. Is that all true? Does the GHL connect to Apex?

 

[coweyes298]

Ghl is a different brand of controller. Not compatible with apex. Profilux is ghl controllers name. It also has and email notification, as what apex can do ghl can do it too. Ghl doser 2.1 is the doser. Stand alone unit can connect to wifi and control as ato with level sensor and soaring schedule. Same as apex DOS but it needs apex head unit to operate, not stand aLone.

 

[kinetic]

I've been reading everyone's experiences with dosers for months now. I read probably every single thread on r2r and other forums.

What I gather is:

1. Those who use Jebao shrug off problems and don't ever talk about accuracy, since it's cheap and easily replaced. Nobody complains about it, but do mention regular calibrations. The setup is tedious but it works.
2. Bubble magus are one of the cheaper solutions, but seem to fail out of the box. Long term, people who haven't had theirs fail seem to be fine. Also loses calibration quite a bit. People usually ditch Bubble magus eventually for something higher priced.
3. GHL 2.1 doser seems to be really great, but people (a handful) have had squeaky pumps and head failures. The customer service never seem to fix their problem. The software is really out of date and their apps are terrible. They look nice, and if you're one of the many that get a good version out of the box, you'll probably be good to go for a long time.
4. Kamoer X4 is not remotely controllable from outside your home network, which is the #1 complaint. I don't know why the focus is on that so much. But otherwise only good things have been said about it. No failures I've found. The thing is, the sample size is pretty small. Coralvue does distribute it, but they're well known for dosing pumps in lots of industries. The setup is not straightforward out of the box, but if you follow youtube tutorials it's really easy. Mostly due to the fact that everything's in Chinese and badly translated. I think it uses 1/8" inner diameter tubing, which is a bit different than the standard airline tubing.
5. Pacific Sun Kore has pretty active customer service on forums, but I hear of loud operation and strange problems. Customer service quickly blames it on user setup / error in most cases. They are nice, and want to help, but to me it seems more like trying to squash complaints rather than solving them. I don't see them distributed in very many places, but that shouldn't be a huge problem.
6. Apex DOS seem to be the best option for those who have an Apex controller. I have never heard of them failing. The biggest complaint is they're really expensive for just 2 pumps, they're loud, and they take up a lot of space. But accuracy and reliability is always good. So I think Apex DOS is the best in terms of reliability, but it doesn't work for everyone. I think it's silly they only have a 2 pump model

My conclusion so far:

• Apex DOS has no bad failures, just is expensive and only 2 pump heads
• GHL sometimes has really bad problems, but if you're not unlucky, you'll be OK
• Jebao if you want to get anything that's not a "premium" doser, just be ready to calibrate and monitor it. Also be in the mindset of being OK to replace parts / the whole unit.

 

[LuizW13]

Ghl is a different brand of controller. Not compatible with apex. Profilux is ghl controllers name. It also has and email notification, as what apex can do ghl can do it too. Ghl doser 2.1 is the doser. Stand alone unit can connect to wifi and control as ato with level sensor and soaring schedule. Same as apex DOS but it needs apex head unit to operate, not stand aLone.

Thanks for the explanation.

I've been reading everyone's experiences with dosers for months now. I read probably every single thread on r2r and other forums.

What I gather is:

1. Those who use Jebao shrug off problems and don't ever talk about accuracy, since it's cheap and easily replaced. Nobody complains about it, but do mention regular calibrations. The setup is tedious but it works.
2. Bubble magus are one of the cheaper solutions, but seem to fail out of the box. Long term, people who haven't had theirs fail seem to be fine. Also loses calibration quite a bit. People usually ditch Bubble magus eventually for something higher priced.
3. GHL 2.1 doser seems to be really great, but people (a handful) have had squeaky pumps and head failures. The customer service never seem to fix their problem. The software is really out of date and their apps are terrible. They look nice, and if you're one of the many that get a good version out of the box, you'll probably be good to go for a long time.
4. Kamoer X4 is not remotely controllable from outside your home network, which is the #1 complaint. I don't know why the focus is on that so much. But otherwise only good things have been said about it. No failures I've found. The thing is, the sample size is pretty small. Coralvue does distribute it, but they're well known for dosing pumps in lots of industries. The setup is not straightforward out of the box, but if you follow youtube tutorials it's really easy. Mostly due to the fact that everything's in Chinese and badly translated. I think it uses 1/8" inner diameter tubing, which is a bit different than the standard airline tubing.
5. Pacific Sun Kore has pretty active customer service on forums, but I hear of loud operation and strange problems. Customer service quickly blames it on user setup / error in most cases. They are nice, and want to help, but to me it seems more like trying to squash complaints rather than solving them. I don't see them distributed in very many places, but that shouldn't be a huge problem.
6. Apex DOS seem to be the best option for those who have an Apex controller. I have never heard of them failing. The biggest complaint is they're really expensive for just 2 pumps, they're loud, and they take up a lot of space. But accuracy and reliability is always good. So I think Apex DOS is the best in terms of reliability, but it doesn't work for everyone. I think it's silly they only have a 2 pump model

My conclusion so far:

• Apex DOS has no bad failures, just is expensive and only 2 pump heads
• GHL sometimes has really bad problems, but if you're not unlucky, you'll be OK
• Jebao if you want to get anything that's not a "premium" doser, just be ready to calibrate and monitor it. Also be in the mindset of being OK to replace parts / the whole unit.

Great summary, thanks!

 

[coweyes298]

I've been reading everyone's experiences with dosers for months now. I read probably every single thread on r2r and other forums.

What I gather is:

1. Those who use Jebao shrug off problems and don't ever talk about accuracy, since it's cheap and easily replaced. Nobody complains about it, but do mention regular calibrations. The setup is tedious but it works.
2. Bubble magus are one of the cheaper solutions, but seem to fail out of the box. Long term, people who haven't had theirs fail seem to be fine. Also loses calibration quite a bit. People usually ditch Bubble magus eventually for something higher priced.
3. GHL 2.1 doser seems to be really great, but people (a handful) have had squeaky pumps and head failures. The customer service never seem to fix their problem. The software is really out of date and their apps are terrible. They look nice, and if you're one of the many that get a good version out of the box, you'll probably be good to go for a long time.
4. Kamoer X4 is not remotely controllable from outside your home network, which is the #1 complaint. I don't know why the focus is on that so much. But otherwise only good things have been said about it. No failures I've found. The thing is, the sample size is pretty small. Coralvue does distribute it, but they're well known for dosing pumps in lots of industries. The setup is not straightforward out of the box, but if you follow youtube tutorials it's really easy. Mostly due to the fact that everything's in Chinese and badly translated. I think it uses 1/8" inner diameter tubing, which is a bit different than the standard airline tubing.
5. Pacific Sun Kore has pretty active customer service on forums, but I hear of loud operation and strange problems. Customer service quickly blames it on user setup / error in most cases. They are nice, and want to help, but to me it seems more like trying to squash complaints rather than solving them. I don't see them distributed in very many places, but that shouldn't be a huge problem.
6. Apex DOS seem to be the best option for those who have an Apex controller. I have never heard of them failing. The biggest complaint is they're really expensive for just 2 pumps, they're loud, and they take up a lot of space. But accuracy and reliability is always good. So I think Apex DOS is the best in terms of reliability, but it doesn't work for everyone. I think it's silly they only have a 2 pump model

My conclusion so far:

• Apex DOS has no bad failures, just is expensive and only 2 pump heads
• GHL sometimes has really bad problems, but if you're not unlucky, you'll be OK
• Jebao if you want to get anything that's not a "premium" doser, just be ready to calibrate and monitor it. Also be in the mindset of being OK to replace parts / the whole unit.

I had GHL doser 2.1 with squeaky head. They will send you new head unit (not motor) for replacement. They claimed it is a older batch of plastic tolerance and it seems like it. I did extra to add petroleum lube on the roller shaft and no more squeak for half year now.

I did have APEX DOS before, yes it is reliable and it was a set and forget things. But it is too expensive for just 2 heads and it is huge and loud as jet plane. Besides, it needs APEX head....

I have a separate frag tank (small like 12 gallon) and I need a stand alone doser who can do ATO, and AWC. I don't want to invest another APEX just for the task and it seems like I will need 2 DOS. I went with GHL doser 2.1 (3 head) and it can also connect to 2 sets of float switch to triggered as ATO sensor or other usage. I used these 3 head doser 2.1 for ATO, AWC for half year now, only had plastic cover squeak on me. Contacted GHL and they send over replacement head. After that no more issue. I am adding a 4th head pump to my doser for further dosing task.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Nice compilation kinetic!

According to that none of them are right for me lol.

Kamoer looks like the best fit for me but I've been burned by coralvue so I am reluctant to risk throwing another piece of new equipment in the trash...

Ghl -I struggle with the computer stuff and their customer isn't helpful...

Apex -I don't have a controller and am not likely to get one so that's out

Jeboa, bubble mag etc. I feel is too cheap and disposable to trust with my tank ..

What To do...

Thanks for all the input r2r, I appreciate it and keep it coming!

 

[kinetic]

Yeah if you don't have an Apex, then the DOS isn't as useful. I have an Apex Jr. and it controls a LOT of stuff. I was just going to use it for my heater/chiller, but I've now gone crazy with an ATK, two FMM modules, VDM module, AFS, and possibly the DOS. It's nice! The Apex Jr. used prices are pretty cheap considering what you get out of it.

Here's the thing, I have heard a lot of people NOT trust Jebao because of the price. I'm not sure the price is exactly correlated to how bad it is. So far I haven't heard of any crashes from it. Just that it needs calibration every 3 - 6 months, and sometimes it just stops dosing but people catch it pretty quickly since they're checking fluid levels often. I wouldn't discount them completely just yet.

I forgot to mention, Reef Breeders also has their Coral Box WiFi Doser. They're pretty cheap too, and seem to be similar to the Kamoer X4 but at a fraction of the price. It's rumored that it uses Kamoer parts (some others say they use Jebao parts). Reef Breeder customer service is really active here on R2R. For the most part, customer service takes care of the users. People seem to be happy with it, but I haven't see much long term use yet.

 

[blazeby]

I think this is a good comparative write up. I've tried Jebao, GHL and Apex DOS. GHL didn't dose accurately and they didn't give me a satisfactory explanation. DOS has been flawless.

I've been reading everyone's experiences with dosers for months now. I read probably every single thread on r2r and other forums.

What I gather is:

1. Those who use Jebao shrug off problems and don't ever talk about accuracy, since it's cheap and easily replaced. Nobody complains about it, but do mention regular calibrations. The setup is tedious but it works.
2. Bubble magus are one of the cheaper solutions, but seem to fail out of the box. Long term, people who haven't had theirs fail seem to be fine. Also loses calibration quite a bit. People usually ditch Bubble magus eventually for something higher priced.
3. GHL 2.1 doser seems to be really great, but people (a handful) have had squeaky pumps and head failures. The customer service never seem to fix their problem. The software is really out of date and their apps are terrible. They look nice, and if you're one of the many that get a good version out of the box, you'll probably be good to go for a long time.
4. Kamoer X4 is not remotely controllable from outside your home network, which is the #1 complaint. I don't know why the focus is on that so much. But otherwise only good things have been said about it. No failures I've found. The thing is, the sample size is pretty small. Coralvue does distribute it, but they're well known for dosing pumps in lots of industries. The setup is not straightforward out of the box, but if you follow youtube tutorials it's really easy. Mostly due to the fact that everything's in Chinese and badly translated. I think it uses 1/8" inner diameter tubing, which is a bit different than the standard airline tubing.
5. Pacific Sun Kore has pretty active customer service on forums, but I hear of loud operation and strange problems. Customer service quickly blames it on user setup / error in most cases. They are nice, and want to help, but to me it seems more like trying to squash complaints rather than solving them. I don't see them distributed in very many places, but that shouldn't be a huge problem.
6. Apex DOS seem to be the best option for those who have an Apex controller. I have never heard of them failing. The biggest complaint is they're really expensive for just 2 pumps, they're loud, and they take up a lot of space. But accuracy and reliability is always good. So I think Apex DOS is the best in terms of reliability, but it doesn't work for everyone. I think it's silly they only have a 2 pump model

My conclusion so far:

• Apex DOS has no bad failures, just is expensive and only 2 pump heads
• GHL sometimes has really bad problems, but if you're not unlucky, you'll be OK
• Jebao if you want to get anything that's not a "premium" doser, just be ready to calibrate and monitor it. Also be in the mindset of being OK to replace parts / the whole unit.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Does the kamoer require WiFi set up to be able to use it, like the ghl does?

It looks like it can be programmed and operated without using a computer, which I would prefer

 

[bubblemytip]

I went with a calcium reactor after my 7 months with a GHL doser 2.1. It was horrible. Squeaky heads then squeaky/grinding motors. Since I am in New Zealand, customer support was near non existent.

If considering the GHL doser, be sure to factor in the cost of replacement wear parts, motors included.

For the full thread detailing my experience (including several replies from the head of GHL himself, Matthias Groß), see here:

Squeaky GHL doser 2.1
https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/Squeaky-GHL-doser-2.1.304255/

Calcium reactor has been silent and far less maintenance. Was cleaning the heads on the GHL doser 2.1 nearly every few days at its worst. I still have it gathering dust as I don’t want to inflict it on anyone as a secondhand item.

 

[Walts O]

Aqua medic evo 4 reef doser good price easy to set up

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Cal rx is something I should consider.

 

[Jason mack]

I like my coral box doser .. very easy too use .. well built product ..reasonably priced

 

[daelie]

I never really had any problems with customer support for ghl. Any time I’ve emailed them, it’s been within a couple hours to get a reply for troubleshooting.

The programming isn’t really hard to set up and they have a YouTube dedicated to setting up wifi among everything else.

I had apex before and there have been too many stories of failures, in fact my apex brain just up and died. Luckily I was home to avert a massive disaster. Their quality isn’t on par at all with GHL and if you really don’t believe me, go check out Elders thread on the controllers. He’s taken them both apart and looked at the insides, and they aren’t comparable quality wise. You don’t read really about failures with profilux that aren’t user error.

My doser doses accurately so I’m not sure why that one guy says it doesn’t. It has 4 speeds so it’s possible he wanted to dose 1 mL and he had it set on the 45 mL per minute speed instead of the lowest speed. Every head can be calibrated for its exact speed with your dosing lines as well so accuracy shouldn’t be an issue.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Thanks daelie. I don't doubthink the quality of ghl, It appears to be the best pump in this price range.

I do question the computer end of it. I don't even own a computer and I will have to get my kids to come over and handle that. There seems to be widespread issues with getting it connected thus the you tube vids, long threads with support here and elsewhere, etc. I would have ordered it already if I had confidence in my ability to hook it up and get it programmed.

The kamoer appears to be easier to use. The main complaint, as mentioned earlier in the thread, is the lack of WiFi usability ...which is a positive attribute to me.

Still, the ghl seems a better value. I usually don't struggle making decisions lol

Thanks all

 

[hubble]

Kamoer x4. Set this doser up over the weekend and so far so good. I watched the setup video and followed that and it went smoothly. Nice controllablity, and I like being able to adjust dosing amount via ipad. I put the graduated cylinder (included) under the ouput and dosed 4ml manually and it was right on the money. I am using the Kamoe dosing containers and they tell you how much solution is left (after you input how much you put in). All in all a nice doser.

 

[mrtian97]

I am in the same situation, currently use Jebao but leaked all over the place, I am not sure the head or others. I replaced the tubing from the reservoir to the pump and the pump to the tank, and still leaks. I dose about 30mL each time, 5x per day.

Any suggestion or should I just replace the unit altogether, only have it for 1.5 yrs or so

 

[mrtian97]

I use the regular clear Lee’s airline tubing for the tubing from reservoir and to tank. Is this the right tubing to use with dosing pump?

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Went with kamoer x4. Had some trouble getting it to connect and have frequent trouble stazyimg connected. Also can't get it calibrated correctly. What I really dislike is the lack of usable directions. I of course have gotten no response from coralvue but hopefully be a will help.

Aside from those issues, I really like the doser so far. Easy to set, consistant doses, fairly quiet pumps.

Assuming I can get it to stay connected and get it calibrated I think I will like it.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Well, for those interested I cannot recommend kamoer. I was wary of coralvue and and the lack of reviews about this doser. I bought through brs, bulk reef supply, thinking they would have my back if there was trouble.

I was wrong. The new unit is faulty and brs won't stand behind it.

I may try GHL next, or maybe just go to litre metre .