Dosing submerged vs above water level?

[West1]

Anyone else dose submerged?

I’ve always dosed above water and after time, I get crud buildup. A buddy of mine has been dosing submerged and says he would never go back to dosing above water.

I dose BRS 2 part, kalk and reef moonshine. I currently have 20 active dosing heads and need at least 1 more set of 4. I’m trying to figure out if it’s worth buying new redsea tubing to get the extra 4-5” per doser. I don’t want to risk any leaking so I’d replace each line.

Ty

 

[painter1982]

I’ve been wondering this too. My Versa sucks air when it does its return to home. Eventually I have to purge the air that makes its way to the pump.

 

[West1]

Bump

 

[rhitee93]

I've been considering the same thing. I only dose AFR, a little Part B to make up for the additional alk I need, and vinegar. However, I have to de-crust the lines every week.

The big risk I see is that the liquids at the tip of the lines will get mixed with the tank water. I don't know how far up the line brownian motion will take the contamination.

 

[Garf]

Anyone else dose submerged?

No, the air gap is a safety/maintenance feature.

 

[Dom]

Wouldn't placing your dosing lines below the water surface require re-calibration? How would you measure the amount of fluid delivered through a submerged line?

 

[JayM]

I've been dosing AFR below the water line for nearly 2 years and have only recently had to clear a clog. Roughly 2-3 months ago.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Anyone else dose submerged?

I’ve always dosed above water and after time, I get crud buildup. A buddy of mine has been dosing submerged and says he would never go back to dosing above water.

I dose BRS 2 part, kalk and reef moonshine. I currently have 20 active dosing heads and need at least 1 more set of 4. I’m trying to figure out if it’s worth buying new redsea tubing to get the extra 4-5” per doser. I don’t want to risk any leaking so I’d replace each line.

Ty

There are drawbacks to each method. Some folks, including me, attach the ATO to the delivery tube right before it is released into the air above the water to prevent drying accumulation of solids.