Any Aqua Medic ReefDoser users out there?

xtm · #1 12/02/2006, 12:46 PM

Since I don't hear much about this unit here, I figure I'd post. I got the unit today and I must say that the instructions are kinda hard to learn... but once you get used to it, programming is very easy.

When I was reading the manual, it says that you have to replace the Santoprene tube every 3-4 months?

Are you guys doing this?

Also, the manual says that the motor is consumable and have to be replaced regularly. That kinda makes me worry...

Another thing that it lacks is the ability to set the dosing interval down to seconds. You can only set it to HRS and MINS.

How long have you been using yours and do you have any problems, etc? Any tips, advice?

I love the unit.... so far so good!

AcroSteve · #2 12/05/2006, 05:53 PM

I am looking at these and the Tunze and LiterMeter.

My current dosing pump just died on me. It is a Watson-Marlow and supposed to be a good industrial unit. The problem is the brushes on the dc motor. They wore out.

Now I am looking for a replacement motor or another dosing pump all together.

When the Aqua Medic says the motor needs replaced, maybe it is because of the brushes.

My Watson-Marlow ran at least 6 hours a day, every day for over a year. I was hoping for better life.

As far as the tube goes, I think the life of it is based on the quality of the replacement. There is a wide range of cost for the replacement tube.

What is the size and length of the tube the Aqua Medic requires?

The LiterMeter is also a peristaltic pump. I wonder if it has the same issues. I would hope not, based on the price, but maybe most of that is the programmable controler it has built in.

spykes · #3 12/05/2006, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by xtm
Since I don't hear much about this unit here, I figure I'd post. I got the unit today and I must say that the instructions are kinda hard to learn... but once you get used to it, programming is very easy.

When I was reading the manual, it says that you have to replace the Santoprene tube every 3-4 months? Are you guys doing this?

Also, the manual says that the motor is consumable and have to be replaced regularly. That kinda makes me worry...

Another thing that it lacks is the ability to set the dosing interval down to seconds. You can only set it to HRS and MINS.

How long have you been using yours and do you have any problems, etc? Any tips, advice?

I love the unit.... so far so good!

i have the aquamedic you can set it down to seconds.

jag1979 · #4 12/05/2006, 08:06 PM

I bought the aqua medic auto top off, I had to replace the tube after a week...hopefully it was just a bad tube, we will see.

you will know when the tube needs replacing when it doesn't pump fluid anymore

radone · #5 12/05/2006, 08:07 PM

Not running the reefdoser
but the SP3000 on a timer works for me, quiet and reliable, had mine over a year now and haven't had to change tubing, just keep it lubed good.

Zoom · #6 12/05/2006, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by radone
Not running the reefdoser
but the SP3000 on a timer works for me, quiet and reliable, had mine over a year now and haven't had to change tubing, just keep it lubed good.

How you lube the tube?

Lao Wai · #7 12/06/2006, 09:05 PM

Just use vaseline. Without that the tube gets shaped and then it cracks.
I run two reefdoser quadro for two years, and I've had one motor failure. In this case wasn't the motor itself, but the hook that forces it to turn always in the same direction. You can replace it with any AC synchronous motor, CCW, 10 RPM, as long as the shaft is the same shape. You can also try 15 rpm for higher flow

And it does allows programming down to the second. From 1 second to 100 hours.
What I HATE about this machines is that is a must to use check valves both an the intake and at the exit of they will not pump or they will even back-siphon. This is not a big deal if you pump B-ionic, or RO water, or trace element, etc. as those are clean liquids.
But if you try to pump tank water, or tap water, because the hose gets hot in the operation the calcium deposits ruin the valve in a few days. You can buy the kind that allows disassembly for cleaning, but is just as annoying. IME, forget about them for feeding a calcium reactor or a denitrator.
Another big minus for this pump is that it doesnt resume operation after a power interruption. This makes them unsuitable for critical service. Again, I wouldnt use them for things like top-off. If you go for holidays ten days and the power fails for one minute the very day that you leave, you will have a very big mess the day you return home (learn from my experience).
For other uses they work just fine.
If what you like is the functionality of the controller, you can achive that with an inexpensive timer/counter, such as the ZN48. Just hook up a pump.

radone · #8 12/07/2006, 07:19 PM

I use Dow 111 silicone lube, I read KY works to but that may not be appropriate for the using.

cabenin · #9 12/07/2006, 09:11 PM

Mine came with a little tub of lubricant. I have been using to dose two part for about a month and love it, makes my tank happy and my life easier.

fishytoo123 · #10 12/07/2006, 09:21 PM

I just returned my reef doser once I found out that if there is a power failure you need to press 2 of the buttons to get it restarted. I ended up using the the aqua medic standalone pumps and control them with my aquacontroller.

Quote:

Originally posted by Lao Wai
Just use vaseline. Without that the tube gets shaped and then it cracks.
I run two reefdoser quadro for two years, and I've had one motor failure. In this case wasn't the motor itself, but the hook that forces it to turn always in the same direction. You can replace it with any AC synchronous motor, CCW, 10 RPM, as long as the shaft is the same shape. You can also try 15 rpm for higher flow
And it does allows programming down to the second. From 1 second to 100 hours.
What I HATE about this machines is that is a must to use check valves both an the intake and at the exit of they will not pump or they will even back-siphon. This is not a big deal if you pump B-ionic, or RO water, or trace element, etc. as those are clean liquids.
But if you try to pump tank water, or tap water, because the hose gets hot in the operation the calcium deposits ruin the valve in a few days. You can buy the kind that allows disassembly for cleaning, but is just as annoying. IME, forget about them for feeding a calcium reactor or a denitrator.
Another big minus for this pump is that it doesnt resume operation after a power interruption. This makes them unsuitable for critical service. Again, I wouldnt use them for things like top-off. If you go for holidays ten days and the power fails for one minute the very day that you leave, you will have a very big mess the day you return home (learn from my experience).
For other uses they work just fine.
If what you like is the functionality of the controller, you can achive that with an inexpensive timer/counter, such as the ZN48. Just hook up a pump.

Zoom · #11 12/07/2006, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishytoo123
I just returned my reef doser once I found out that if there is a power failure you need to press 2 of the buttons to get it restarted. I ended up using the the aqua medic standalone pumps and control them with my aquacontroller.

Fishtoo123 what reef doser you return? My Nestle medical doser for my 90 gallon tank ro/di top off has a battery back up for up to four hours if is a power failure is been running now for six months without any lube at all i have a no friction bearings on the rollers so no lube is needed.

xtm · #12 12/10/2006, 10:50 AM

Guys.. does your Reefdoser make a loud 'knock' when it starts pumping? Is this normal?

thanks

Yinger · #13 12/10/2006, 01:31 PM

i had the aquamedic peristaltic pump and I returned it the next day because it kept making a clicking sound and I couldn't controll the drip rate. I picked up the nautilis 2 instead from reefdosingpump.com and it worked flawlessly for dosing kalk.

Zoom · #14 12/10/2006, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Yinger
i had the aquamedic peristaltic pump and I returned it the next day because it kept making a clicking sound and I couldn't controll the drip rate. I picked up the nautilis 2 instead from reefdosingpump.com and it worked flawlessly for dosing kalk.

How long the silicon hose last when you dose kalk with it?

Zoom · #15 12/10/2006, 01:56 PM

DP

scottfarcuz · #16 12/10/2006, 02:13 PM

I looked into the aquamedics hard over the summer. Trusting the 2 rollers and check valves to stop 2 part from running into my tank scared me. Most dosing pumps have 4 rollers that pinch the hose shut regardless of where the motor stopped.Converting the timed dose to volume seemed like a PITA also. Liter meter calibrates and then you tell it how much volume and how many doses to break that volume up over.

IMO the only options were the medical ones like reefdosingpumps.com has which only drawback seems to be both parts have to be dosed at the same amounts as well as dosed at the same time. The liter meter looks very nice, but I was going to spend as much as a reactor on one so I just went with the reactor.

Aquaduck · #17 12/10/2006, 02:28 PM

Drat. I just ordered the triple head reef doser. I had no idea the stupid thing would need resetting after a power outage. What kind of dumb-az setup is that? Were those european designers on drugs? I'm going to see if I can cancel it and get three singles and run them off my aquacontroller.

Yinger · #18 12/10/2006, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zoom
How long the silicon hose last when you dose kalk with it?

I used it for a few months before switching to the osmolator and never had to switch it out. Innovativeaquatics uses the long lasting tubing which is supposed to last 3 years. not sure if it actually last 3 years but I didn't have any problems with clogs.

Aquaduck · #19 12/12/2006, 02:12 PM

Bringing this thread back into the mainstream for visibility.

Any others with experience using the Aquamedic Reef Dosers? Good or bad.

Lao Wai · #20 12/12/2006, 08:44 PM

Yes: That KLACK!! is normal. Is the hook I was talking about, doing its job of forcing the motor to spin in the correct direction.

20 20 · #21 12/21/2006, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lao Wai
What I HATE about this machines is that is a must to use check valves both an the intake and at the exit of they will not pump or they will even back-siphon.

I've been trying to get my Reefdoser to work for 2 days now, couldn't get the thing to 'self prime'. Until I read the above statement. I had tried a check valve on the input, no go, and then tried a check valve on the output, still no go. I read the above, and just tried it with a check valve on both the input and output. And it works! So, thanks!

But. (Yeah, I know, there's always a 'but'...) It starts and self primes OK, but there's lots of air getting pumped out with the liquid. Has anyone else had this problem, and if so, how did you fix it? I'm using Penn-Plax 'standard airline tubing', but I think the air is getting in via the connection between the tubing and the pump. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Lao Wai · #22 12/21/2006, 08:51 PM

That is not normal. Check any connections in your airline for leaks. There is no connection between the santoprene tubing and the pump: Any problem there will be from the santoprene itself and that spells replacement.

20 20 · #23 12/21/2006, 08:58 PM

I figured it wasn't normal. I had meant that I thought the air was getting in connection between the airline tubing and the pump, not the tubing inside the pump. So, pretty much what you are thinking. I'll check again, but I'm using plain airline tubing, new. Why would it be leaking, unless standard airline tubing is too big for the reefdoser?

20 20 · #24 12/21/2006, 10:02 PM

Well, it helps to hook up the airline correctly.

Finally figured out I needed to take off what Aqua Medic calls the 'gland nut', slide it over the tubing, slide the tubing onto the pump (can go much further and tighter without that nut on), and then tighten the nut. Did that to both the input and output sides, and it worked much better. Still getting some bubbles on the output side, but a LOT less, and I should be able to get that straightened out. Thanks for the replies!

Aquaduck · #25 01/29/2007, 02:24 PM

I finally got the three head dosing pump and hooked it up yesterday. Now I have a question.

I want to dose Ca and Alk liquid supplements. It's best not to add these at the same time as most of you know. Is there a way to offset the dosing of two identically programmed heads? I have read through the manual and it appears as though once power is removed you have to press two buttons to start it again and this synchronizes all heads to come on at the same time.

Also, what is the function of being able to program dashes instead of numbers into the duty cycle?