Best place to discharge dosing pumps?

[TanksNStuff]

I know not everyone's system is the same, so if you have a basement sump system it will be different than my sump-in-stand setup but I'd like any advice I can get on this. When I was dosing before, I just added Alk to my top off container, and added some Cal by pouring it in the tank (right on my MP40 and also spreading a little around the surface of the water.) Now, I'm setting up dosing pumps for Alk/Cal on my new tank and was wondering if there was a preferred spot I should be dripping the 2-part mixes?

I have 2 of the BRS 1.1 mL/minute dosing pumps and plan to dose Alk at night and Cal during the day (programmed with my controller so they will not both be added simultaneously). They are both mounted in a side cabinet, at about the same height as the top of my sump. If you need to picture it in your head, just think of them as being mounted on the outside wall of a standard stand at the same level as the top of the sump. Now that you (should) visualize what I have, here are my options:

1. I could run the tubing a short distance straight into my sump (if so, which chamber should it go into - skimmer/fuge/return?)

2. I could just as easily run the tubing up inside the cabinet (about 4' of head) and right into my display tank (if so, should I aim it into the overflow box or directly into the display tank? There is an MP40 right there too, so I could aim the tubing right in front of it.)

3. Is it better to have one in each spot, and if so, which one should go where?

Which spot do you think is the best option? I'm pretty sure the dosers are anti-siphon and 4' head shouldn't be an issue either, so I don't think the elevation is a concern either way. Here are some of my initial thoughts and the reason I need suggestions:

- Easiest/shortest distance would be right into the skimmer chamber of the fuge, but I'm thinking that is not the best option because it will either mess with the skimmer, or possibly just get pulled out of the water by the skimmer.
- Fuge chamber would be second easiest/shortest and the water cruises across the top of it pretty fast (although flow below the surface seems to be slow, almost stagnant).
- Return chamber doesn't get much surface movement, but it's narrow and gets turned over into the display pretty quickly.
- Overflow box is sort of safe if the thing malfunctions and too much gets pumped in at once... it has to go into the sump, pass the skimmer pump, go through the fuge, and then get to the return before making it's way to the tank. A lot of time to dillute it before reaching my livestock.
- In DT, aimed at MP40 seems like the best option for getting it mixed in quickly since the flow is pretty substantial right there. Worst option if it malfunctions and goes nuts. Don't want to overdose my fish!

Maybe I'm over thinking it, but just trying to find out if there is an overall preference or at least if any of them are bad options that I should definitely avoid?

 

[mnat]

Sump is the best place to dose. I would not over complicate the matter, but I would probably not want it going straight into my skimmer.

 

[ecam]

George. I would run into the fuge.
A. It keeps it away from the skimmer
B. it gives it a few secs to dissolve before it hits the display. As opposed to dripping onto the return. Those few seconds could save ur pump some wear and tear since it's not taking concentrated calcium.


Full disclosure.., I have a koralia okay sump to agitate the water And move cheato.

 

[jgraz]

When I had my under tank sump I had lots of problems getting the Alk to not precipitate when adding anywhere in there. Even though flow through the sump it pretty swift each drop would instantly turn. The fastest moving water however in is between the baffles. Faster yet when flowing over a baffle. So I positioned the outlet to drop right over the baffle between my skimmer and fuge sections. Once I did this I never had the precipitate problem with Alk. By default the cal also discharged there as well. But cal does not had the precip problem that Alk does.

Now that my system is in the basement and I have no baffles I have it drop right into the water that is coming out of my skimmer. Again turbulent water=no precipitation.

 

[JRWOHLER]

I would say sump, I have eggcrate in the to hold cheato in the fuge so that is what I use to hold my lines in place.

 

[greybolt03]

When I had mine set up they dripped into my sump in the fuge area

 

[redfishbluefish]

George, as others have said, I think you are over-thinking this.


I don't think it really matters where the alk and calc enter your system. Realize the pumps are 1.1 ml per minute.....it is entering as drops, and dissipates very quickly. As long as you have some movement, you're good to go.


I too have the pumps mounted to the left of my stand at sump level:

The two lines go into the stand and enter the sump in the return section. Here you can see the plexi cleat that holds the two lines.

I think what is critical it to separate the dosing of each component so that you won't get ppt by the two dripping at the same time. With that fancy Reef Angel, that shouldn't be a problem. I have an antique ReefKeeper II that only allows three different setpoints, so I dose each three times, separating each by an hour of so. (Note with the quickness that the additives dissipate, you could separate by a few minutes and still be fine). I also recommend keeping the two lines above the waterline in your sump. Even with keeping them above the waterline, whenever I'm fiddling under the stand, I pinch each end of the tubing to break up any ppt that has formed on the tubing ends.

 

[horseplay]

I do what jgraz did, dose at the baffle. At the hour for alk, at the half hour for calc.

 

[TanksNStuff]

Thank you all for the replies and suggestions. I had a feeling I was overthinking it, but at least I got some great ideas on how to set it up now.

I plan to run them into my sump, and will likely direct them at the baffle between skimmer and fuge sections. It runs pretty fast across there and I think that will mix it in pretty quickly.

I will also most likely borrow Paul's plexi cleat idea (along with the plexi weights to keep the tubes on the bottom of the additive containers he posted in another thread).

I did know enough to keep them each dosing on different cycles so there is no precipitation issues, but thanks for those who pointed it out anyway.

 

[hans24hrs]

I agree with jgraz. I always had my lines positioned to where the most water agitation was. I understand that at a drip dissolves very quickly into the water, but feel that it is better to drip where there is a lot of flow and agitation.