# Dosing: I can pour it in or buy two automatic pumps.... is there a middle ground?



## Rahms (17 Aug 2014)

Hello,

My tank lives at my sisters currently, so I'd like to make my EI dosing nice and easy for her... Not sure I can justify the £200 cost of two auto-pumps. But there must be something better than using the APF bottle compartment to fill since it takes a lot of shaking... She has kids too so anything non-fiddly that they could do would be a bonus.

Have a feeling there's an easy solution I'm failing to work out....

Thanks for reading!


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## Andy Thurston (17 Aug 2014)

Make an all in one feed and just use 1 pump


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## GHNelson (17 Aug 2014)

http://www.ampulla.co.uk/Shop-For-Plastic/Black-PET-Plastic-Bottles/c-65-170-244/

One for Micro                              One for Macro...These do approx 1ml per pump!


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## Rahms (17 Aug 2014)

Big clown said:


> Make an all in one feed and just use 1 pump



I thought the whole reason there are two mixtures are because they react?



hogan53 said:


> http://www.ampulla.co.uk/Shop-For-Plastic/Black-PET-Plastic-Bottles/c-65-170-244/
> 
> One for Micro                              One for Macro...These do approx 1ml per pump!




brilliant. knew there'd be something simple!  thanks


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## Andy Thurston (17 Aug 2014)

Rahms said:


> I thought the whole reason there are two mixtures are because they react?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not if you add this
http://www.aquariumplantfood.co.uk/fertilisers/ascorbic-acid-e300-50g.html
Bottles with pumps could work too


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## Rahms (18 Aug 2014)

magic!

well I've opted for the cheapo method of pump bottles, but I'll probably invest in an automatic dosing system at some point.  Need to make my tank stop looking like crap before I can justify spending money on toys though!

thanks


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## Andy Thurston (18 Aug 2014)

another 15 posts and the for sale section will appear. theres 2 pumps for cheap there


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## GlassWalker (18 Aug 2014)

Rahms said:


> But there must be something better than using the APF bottle compartment to fill since it takes a lot of shaking...



Sounds like this isn't used correctly, which also took me a while to figure out as it isn't explained anywhere. To fill the small chamber, you first unscrew the lid from only that compartment, leaving the lid on the main compartment in place. Squeezing it then froces the liquid up and you stop at the right level. Easy


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## Rahms (19 Aug 2014)

GlassWalker said:


> Sounds like this isn't used correctly, which also took me a while to figure out as it isn't explained anywhere. To fill the small chamber, you first unscrew the lid from only that compartment, leaving the lid on the main compartment in place. Squeezing it then froces the liquid up and you stop at the right level. Easy



...magic. thanks, although the squeezy ones are on the way already 



Big clown said:


> another 15 posts and the for sale section will appear. theres 2 pumps for cheap there



I did wonder why people kept mentioning a for sale forum...


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## ian_m (19 Aug 2014)

Rahms said:


> Not sure I can justify the £200 cost of two auto-pumps


Much cheaper than they used to be....for instance.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MC-03-M-D...3?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item2a3ea47963

If I was making a dosing pump again
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/diy-dual-peristaltic-dosing-pump-with-alternate-switching.22332/
I would just buy one of these triple pumps from Ebay and use one for macro, one for micro and one for liquid carbon. (I find better plant growth and virtually no BBA if I dose liquid carbon as well as CO2 & EI).


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## TimT (20 Aug 2014)

ian_m said:


> I would just buy one of these triple pumps from Ebay and use one for macro, one for micro and one for liquid carbon.



I'll second that! retrospectively I even regret not buying one with 4 so I have one in spare in case one of the pumps breaks down just before a vacation. In the model I bought the price difference was minimal going from 3 to 4.


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## Rahms (22 Aug 2014)

well I know what's going on my christmas list!

I'm at the point where I need to actually make a tank look nice before I can justify spending more money on flashy toys.  No-one wants to be the kid with the best bike that can barely ride it...


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## ian_m (22 Aug 2014)

Rahms said:


> I'm at the point where I need to actually make a tank look nice before I can justify spending more money on flashy toys.  No-one wants to be the kid with the best bike that can barely ride it...


Not really a flashy toy...you either dose manually if you remember & have the time, like many many people do or automatically dose if you continually forget & don't have the time or are going on holiday.


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