Cali Kid Corals

DIY dosing container

fishy408

fishy408

Supporting Member
BARcard
Made this DIY dosing container, it doesn’t prime. If I switch it out with my store bought container it works with the same head.tubing.

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I usually use the simplicity dosing containers which works perfectly. When I use the same dosing lines and plug then into the DIY container, it stops working after a few hours.

Prepping for kalk, a larger container would be more efficient.

One thing I noticed is the 1/4 inch rigid tubing in the DIY vs the smaller rigid tubing in the simplicity container.

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+1 air leak. Is that top black piece ribbed all the way? If so it's probably not air tight into the container. I don't think it's line size.

I do DIY VOS water bottles with basically the same setup. I use a piece of cut, rigid, smooth RO tubing out of the top and force the airline onto that.

Additionally make sure all your pieces are seated really well together. Make sure to give them a good push and then pull them to make sure the loctite adapters are holding.

If you've completely made sure the tubing from your pump, and the pump, are not the issue, then it has to be the connection at that loctite adapter. Either the adapters or something not air tight
 
I've had issues with cheapo amazon push connect fittings leaking and not being able to hold suction. Try swapping that out and see if it works. If you rough cut that rigid rod, it might have cut the o-ring inside the fitting which can also leak.
 
Test 1: Added a new clear dosing line from the doser to the container. Direct connection without connectors. Result: working
Test 2: Added the Bulkhead in the image (stopped working) you can see the primed line drip back into the container. I have multiple units of this and both seem to operate the same way. I am assuming they are not air tight.

Which Push Connects is everyone else using?


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Coral reefer said:
I just put rigid tubing into the soft tubing that connects to the pump head and stick that into whatever container like a hole drilled in the cap of a gallon jug
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I might try this if the quick connect is not air-tight. So many people use the quick-connects, it must be a viable option. Maybe I am not pushing in the rigid tube incorrectly.
 
I might become an expert after this!
final test: I replaced the murloc quick connect with one in the picture from my sump. I used the exact same tubing, container, rigid tube, etc..

Conclusion: the murloc quick connect failed. I have multiple of these and tried 2, both did not work for me. The one that works is from my triigger sump and seems to be a generic brand.

Question: anyone use the murloc quick connect? I purchased it from an online aquarium shop, so figured it would work for this purpose.

Which quick connect bulkhead do you use that’s working? I figure getting a list mat be helpful. On a side note, there are a few people on different forums experiencing similar issues and the answer is always “air leak”. What if the problem was specific type of quick connects.

thanks for helping!

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fishy408 said:
Inside the container are you using rigid acrylic tubing? In many setups where acrylic rigid tubing is used, it seems to be the failure.
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I used the ones BRS sells with the rigid tubing they also sell, and haven’t have an air leak, it’s been years now. The rigid tubing isn’t really made for this though and becomes impossible to remove once you jam it in there (in my experience).

In a newer setup I made (large Brute can for kalk) I connected the rigid tubing directly to the flexible tubing as Mike said above, and it works well. If you are intent on having the Murlock part I’d have flexible tubing going into the murlock and the rigid tubing pushed into the end of a short piece of flexible tubing.
 
fishy408 said:
Inside the container are you using rigid acrylic tubing? In many setups where acrylic rigid tubing is used, it seems to be the failure.
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I have done both successfully. I currently use rigid acrylic because it looks pro, but it's so expensive it's silly.

Ascii art:

Code: 
 |    | flexible tubing (from aliexpress)
 |    |
 |#  #|
  #  #
  #  # rigid tubing (from whatever I have lying around)
  #  #
==#  #===
==    === bulkhead (from amazon)
==@  @===
  @  @
  @  @
  @  @  rigid acrylic (from whatever place most recently gouged my wallet for acrylic)
  @  @
  @  @
  @  @
 
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