My 300 gallon acrylic tank

[michika]

I order mostly from Wendell and J&L now that my favorite store around here closed. Thanks for the endorsement for OA!

I've been researching controllers for a year, but I'm a huge chicken, and don't want to put out the cash to find out its now what I want. Thats one of the reasons I'm really looking forwards to seeing how your controller works for you. I want to see/read more first hand accounts with the products before I actually buy.

[steve the plumb]

From what I have read it pretty much does what the AC III does I think cost wise its all the same.The difference is the probes plug into the outlet bar and not the controller like the AC III.They seem to all do the same things but if you want more you pay for extra options.It seems like this is a good unit.I just wanted something that can control PH and lights for heat.This unit does keep track of your temp ph and orp and you can monitor it and check it or hook it up to your computer for a graph.I don't think there is a salinity probe for this controller.There was a comparison chart that someone posted witch had all the details of most of the controllers on the market.Wendell uses this unit and he told me he is happy with it plus its pretty simple to use.You can also hook it up to pumps to make a wave motion and it also has a tidal effect type of program you can do.I won't be using those but it is a cool option to have.Maybe I would do it in my sump if I ever use a section for frags but since I didn't use any power heads in my tank i am not going to use that option.You can get another power bar and control another tank if you want

[steve the plumb]

That cable to connect to your PC is much more expensive on the Aquatronica compared to an AC III .

[jnarowe]

ehy, watch that Aqua-Medic doser dude. They allow a syphon in certain positions.

[steve the plumb]

Thanks Jnarowe.I used a check valve on it plus my water in my bin is lower or around the same height for that reason.I will keep them at the same level .My dosing unit is a little higher though.I will keep an eye on it.I have the unit pushing water into my kalk reactor.There is no kalk inside.I will be testing it out before any corals go into the tank.

[steve the plumb]

I got some pics of my skimmer

[steve the plumb]

[steve the plumb]

[steve the plumb]

[erics3000]

Wow steve looking good

[jnarowe]

wow, how many kinds of plastic did they use on that bad boy??

About the Aqua-Medic doser: I had mine mounted above my RO/DI storage container, which was above my sump. It was drawing from the bottom of the storage container too. Installed just like their diagram, and it OD'd my system twice with kalwasser. It really gave me fits and I finally picked up a LiterMeterIII just so i could sleep at night.

[michika]

I picked up a feeding pump from a medical supply store. Never have to worry about overdosing by the machine.

[steve the plumb]

well I tried to plug and unplug the pump to watch it turn and see if anything goes wrong it seems to work.I was stopping it in different points.I don't know how it will react when in use.I can lower the pump.In reality its not much higher than my storage container but I have it pushing into my kalk reactor not pulling.I still think it would have to give a strong siphon to get the kalk out.When I start testing with kalk I won't add a lot and I will watch out for this.I don't want anything to happen.If I see any problems I will take it off line.My ph isn't that low so Its not like my old tank.Maybe if the bands loosen up it can siphon out.I do find the check valves are pretty good.

[jnarowe]

I did not have check valves because of my configuration. With everything above the sumps, it made no sense to use them, and installing them in the reverse direction would defeat the pump. I would not move the pump lower though. That does not make sense to me unless i am misunderstanding what you mean.

[steve the plumb]

I was thinking that if the pump is lower(exact level as the reactor) it has less of the probability of siphoning out.I installed a check valve so it doesn't siphon the tank water but my hose isn't in the tank water nor will it touch the tank water.Another problem is will it ever stop pumping and then siphon out my top off container.I am thinking since the container and kalk reactor are pretty much at the same level I should be ok.The sp 3000 doesn't have a lot of pushing power the way my tunze does.I am thinking I won't get it to siphon out.I did notice that its not easy to suck threw the check valve so hopefully this will help not siphon out my top off container.I wanted the top off container and kalk reactor at the same level.My last set(disaster) my container was level but it was tall so the water level was higher.I think somehow it siphoned out the water (not all) but then stopped working.I had lots of kalk but no water to fill my evaporation.Had the water at least continued to top off and my skimmer continue to skim maybe I wouldn't have lost as much as I did.I wanted to make this full proof.I am not planning to keep to much kalk in the reactor just in case some thing goes wrong.I am very paranoid when it comes to this.I don't even know why I should ever use kalk again after what happened the last time.My other tank the skimmer stopped working so this didn't help.I don't foresee any problems with my new skimmer.The tunze was a toy compared to this beast.

[jnarowe]

Another problem is will it ever stop pumping and then siphon out my top off container.

This is what was happening to me, and others I have discussd it with.

[steve the plumb]

Thats what I thought.I did think that this pump wasn't supposed to do that because of the rollers.I can tell you that I used the reef doser double for the 2 part and I never had that problem .It always dosed the correct amount and never siphoned out the container.

[steve the plumb]

Now what to do?Do I get a float switch as a precaution and set it at a specific level so that if it starts to siphon out to much kalk water it will stop.Even if the controller demands more kalk it shuts off.I think this way when the controller will shut of the sp 3000 plus my kalk reactor pump(I want to put them on the same plug) if the thing siphons out I will have a float valve at lets say 1/2" above my level so that gets shut off.This way a minimal amount of kalk water gets dosed.I won't have 30 gal of water dumped into my sump.I don't see that as a bad idea.I didn't want to buy a calcium reactor and I don't want to shell out $300 for the liter meter pump since I already have the tunze and the sp 3000.I also have a level sensor for my controller.I was going to use it for this reason .The level sensor will shut the pump off if the water level is to high so at least the pump will get turned off.At the same time I can set a float switch at the same level.The siphon break will get shut down.I think this will work as a safety precaution.

[jnarowe]

The problem is that it only has two rollers, so there are positions that allow a siphon. Using a float valve might help, but could possibly damage the pump when it's on that the float valve is activated.

A float switch wil not change the situation with regard to where the rollers stop, and therefore will not prevent a siphon, should one hapen to start. Also keep in mind, that my line was above the sump water level too, yet the damn thing still siphoned out. It drove me nuts and killed some LPS.

[Hop]

You just need your source below the output in the sump. Then there is no risk of a siphon

[Hop]

Think of it like this... Run a 1" piece of pvc 2' above the sump. Have the output of the doser at the top, open side of the pipe. As it doses, water goes down the pipe, but there is never a risk of a siphon. How you rig up the feed into the reactor and to the doser it up to you.

[jnarowe]

That sort of makes sense unless you are feeding the doser from the bottom of a large tank. Then pressure forces water through the doser and it doesn't matter where the end is mounted.

[steve the plumb]

Well I tried the roller in different positions to see if I would get a siphon and I didn't.That tubing is new so who knows how it will work when it has more wear and tear.Just because it didn't happen now doesn't mean it won't happen later.I also think it may need a very strong siphon to suck out that kalk.I tried to suck out water from the output manually and I couldn't do it.But like you said it happened to you.This is why I want to put my level sensor and float switch at the same height.It will shut my pump off and the float switch will stop the siphon,if this happens and the pump burns I will return it or get something else.The way I see it this isn't a safe pump to use.Aquatronica has a triple doser that doses by volume.You can program how much you want dosed.I don't want to spend more money since I already have the reef doser.The litre meter is nice but then I am stuck with my sp 3000 and If I buy the litre meter I think I can use it for the 2 part and my kalk reactor but again I will be sitting on over $300 of equipment(sp 3000 and reef doser twin) that I am not going to use(maybe I can sell it) plus I need another $300 to buy that pump.

[jnarowe]

yeah, well my Aqua-Medic is still hanging on the wall. Sherman has told me countless times to eBay it, but I just haven't gotten around to it.

[steve the plumb]

I will try the float switch for now, thanks maybe I will end up getting the litre meter.I will see what happens.I don't want a kalk disaster and if I burn the pump it will cost me less than livestock.I may just do that for now and if I see the pump burns I will get something else.