Peristaltic Pumps.....

[chrisjj]

I'm looking at automated dosing of ferts & CO2 for my 180ltr tank due soon. I'll be dosing 5ml of each per day.

Current options are the eheim liquidoser, or peristaltic pumps.

The proplem is, I know very little about setting up a peristaltic pump!

I've read the threads I can find on the subject & was looking for a bit of a "dummys guide"!

Am I right in thinking that:

Tube from reservoir / bottle to pump.
Tube from pump to tank - but end not in tank.
Plug pump into timer - do the pumps come with a power cable - been looking around & many appear just to be the motor & head thingy?
Non-return valve on tube between pump & tank?
I think I'm looking at a 1ml/min pump? So the timer would have to be pretty accurate - a digital one?

So I need?:

2 pumps
digital timer (with 2 sockets)
tubing
non-return valves - one for each pump

Can anyone recommend something and/or point me in the direction of a simple set up guide?

Many thanks

 

[naz]

hi chisjj i brought mine of ebay,and it come with the lead as well,which was good,cost me around 4o pound,brought eletric timer as well,i just done some tests on how much it would pump a minute,mine pumps 19mm a min of solution,i just dilute my fert solution down,with ro water, and thats it realy,dont need a cheak valve ,best thing i ever brought,hope this helps

 

[ghostsword]

Maybe I'm missing the question, but why is exact quantities everyday needed on the tank? Why not just tip 15ml per day?

Unless you travel for long periods of time.

What I would like would be a drip system to drop the 15ml per day, in slow drops, it would probably be better used than doing the whole thing in a minute or so.


.

 

[chrisjj]

Maybe I'm missing the question, but why is exact quantities everyday needed on the tank? Why not just tip 15ml per day?
.

I tip 5ml CO2 & 5ml ferts in each day & basically, it's a pain!
Also, I understood that easycarbo had a half life of 12 hours, then started to break down, so I dose daily to ensure constant conditions are maintained.

Unless you travel for long periods of time.
.

This would be predominantly to make life easier, but I am away with work occasionaly & would also like automatic dosing for when I'm on holiday.

What I would like would be a drip system to drop the 15ml per day, in slow drops, it would probably be better used than doing the whole thing in a minute or so.
.

I've looked into a "medical drip" type set up, but these appear to be difficult to maintain regular dosing over long periods of time and have to be mounted higher than the tank.

 

[ghostsword]

I wouldn't mind setting up a medical drip for easy carbo.

I wonder how many people see a pain the dosing.

First thing in the morning is the dosing of 10 to 15 ml of ferts, and a dash of easy carbo. At that time I check if all is well, if co2 has started, timers are working, feed the fish and see I the filter is pumping water out. Takes less than a minute, just a check.


.

 

[chrisjj]

What do you do when you are away/holiday?

If I set something up for when I'm away, then all the better if it can work all the time

(I find daily dosing a pain!! )

 

[ghostsword]

When I am away I half the CO2, drop the light duration to just 3 hours, and stop dosing ferts.

I have been away for 1 month without any issues. Mother just had to fill the autofeeder once a week and drop some algae wafers every two days.

Only issue I had was that some plants broke the water line, and were growing emersed.

 

[chrisjj]

You've got me thinking now.....

I don't have CO2 injection, only use CO2 & liquid ferts.

If I persist with "manual" dosing for now, when I go on holiday there will be no CO2 or ferts. Should I just drop the light duration? The longest time I'd be away is 2.5 weeks.