Hooking up a Kalk Stirrer question

[acroholic]

porpoiseaquatics;865121 wrote: Dave....I'm using a MJ1200 right now as my feed pump. I have it converted to the 1/4" poly hose that's on the stirrer. I purchased one of airline check valves from Petco the other night and it must've been bad straight from the package. No water got through it so I took it back off and tried to blow through it and could barely get any air through it. I'm going to Petsmart later and look for the Tetra brand.

Gotta be the check valve. A MJ1200 has plenty of push behind it, much more than my Tunze pump for sure.

 

[picoreefguy]

porpoiseaquatics;865121 wrote: Dave....I'm using a MJ1200 right now as my feed pump. I have it converted to the 1/4" poly hose that's on the stirrer. I purchased one of airline check valves from Petco the other night and it must've been bad straight from the package. No water got through it so I took it back off and tried to blow through it and could barely get any air through it. I'm going to Petsmart later and look for the Tetra brand.

jeff before you waste time going back to pet smart take the check valve apart and squeez the triangle looking part from the sides it should open right up and then put it back together and try again it should work perfectly if its one of the ones made from rubber.

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

Acroholic;865123 wrote: Gotta be the check valve. A MJ1200 has plenty of push behind it, much more than my Tunze pump for sure.

That's what I thought too.

Edit:

Picoreefguy;865141 wrote: jeff before you waste time going back to pet smart take the check valve apart and squeez the triangle looking part from the sides it should open right up and then put it back together and try again it should work perfectly if its one of the ones made from rubber.

I tried to but couldn't get it apart without destroying it. Since the store is about 1.5 miles from my house, I just took it back.

 

[acroholic]

Picoreefguy;865141 wrote: jeff before you waste time going back to pet smart take the check valve apart and squeez the triangle looking part from the sides it should open right up and then put it back together and try again it should work perfectly if its one of the ones made from rubber.

These types are sealed with glue.

 

[picoreefguy]

oh ok the ones i was talking about are screwed together so you can just twist them apart and then back together again

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

Picoreefguy;865162 wrote: oh ok the ones i was talking about are screwed together so you can just twist them apart and then back together again

That's the one that I'd like to find but I'll settle for whichever i can get to first.

 

[picoreefguy]

ill see if i have an extra one floating around somewhere and if i do ill bring it to ya at the next meeting

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

Picoreefguy;865634 wrote: ill see if i have an extra one floating around somewhere and if i do ill bring it to ya at the next meeting

Awesome and I appreciate it but I rarely make the meetings due to work travel. What would help is if you could tell me where you purchased the ones that come apart. I've not found any locally yet. I did put a cheap, spring-loaded unit in line and it works perfectly but I know it won't last.

 

[picoreefguy]

i wouldnt know where to get one because the ones i had/have somewhere were given to me by a friend but if i can find it ill bring it by your house next time im up near SEA or if i can find any info on it ill let you know. just to be clear we are talking about ones that would fit airline tubing right?

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

Picoreefguy;865770 wrote: i wouldnt know where to get one because the ones i had/have somewhere were given to me by a friend but if i can find it ill bring it by your house next time im up near SEA or if i can find any info on it ill let you know. just to be clear we are talking about ones that would fit airline tubing right?

That's right. If they will fit airline tubing they will fit 1/4" poly tube. I really appreciate it.

 

[ripped tide]

Why dont you just loop the line with the check valve back to the ATO container? Position it so that that the part that drips back into the reservior is never under water. That way, any spillage would go back where it started.... just a thought....

Hell, you wouldn't even need a check valve. Just use one of those cheapy air valves and reduce the stream coming back into the ATO container to a drip. That way, when it turns off and back siphons, the same goal will be accomplished.

Edit:

Edit:

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

But the idea is that you don't want the kalk water to come back to the ATO reservoir.

 

[acroholic]

This is really a simple problem with a simple solution, a cheapo Tetra type air check valve, or any other inline check valve. I have been using mine for over three years and it works still.

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

Acroholic;865918 wrote: This is really a simple problem with a simple solution, a cheapo Tetra type air check valve, or any other inline check valve. I have been using mine for over three years and it works still.

Dave...that's how I'm going. I just put a spring check valve in for now until I get to the store to pick up a flap check valve.

I really appreciate everybody jumping in on this and giving me some ideas and feedback.