Reefdoser EVO 4

The Aqua Medic reefdoser EVO family brings together peristaltic dosing pumps intended for controlled additions of small liquid volumes in marine and freshwater aquariums. The models share the same basic task and several installation and maintenance principles, but they do not all use the same controller: EVO 1 belongs to the app-controlled 1/3/5 platform, while EVO 4 uses a separate wired controller. This page therefore explains the common family first and then identifies the controls and procedures that belong to each model.

A dosing pump repeats a volume and schedule chosen by the aquarist. It can make supplementation more regular, but it does not measure the aquarium's demand and it does not decide the correct dose. Calcium, hydrogen carbonate, trace elements, fertilizers, Kalkwasser, or suitable liquid foods should only be scheduled after the relevant aquarium parameters and the instructions for the liquid itself have been checked.

EVO 4 combines four dosing heads in a body measuring approximately 25 × 13 × 6.4 cm and supplies a separate controller measuring approximately 14 × 6.5 × 3.6 cm. The package includes the controller, dosing station, power supply, and 4 m of inlet hose that can be cut for the installation.

Its four channels are intended for protocols that keep several liquids separate, such as trace elements, fertilizers, calcium, hydrogen carbonate, Kalkwasser, or suitable live plankton. The external controller can be positioned where its display and keys remain accessible while the dosing station and tubes are routed safely.

• Regular additions of trace elements or fertilizers in marine and freshwater aquariums.
• Separate calcium and hydrogen-carbonate additions in reef systems when the aquarist has established the required quantities.
• Controlled Kalkwasser dosing or automatic feeding with suitable live plankton, within the limits of the liquid and tubing.
• Installations where repeated manual additions would be inconvenient and a calibrated schedule can be checked periodically.
• Users prepared to inspect tubing, recalibrate after changes, and keep the electronics away from water, salt, and humidity.

Each channel uses a peristaltic pump head. Rollers compress a flexible tube and move the liquid without sending it through the motor or the controller. The pumps are self-priming, which simplifies initial filling, but correct tube routing is essential to prevent a reservoir from emptying by gravity or liquid from flowing backwards.

Manual operation is useful for filling the tube before calibration and for short controlled additions. Automatic operation follows the program stored through the model's own control system. Every active channel must be calibrated separately because the real result depends on the pump head, tube path, liquid, measuring cylinder, and the moment at which calibration is stopped.

The manufacturer states that a pump must not run continuously for more than 15 minutes. The following stop period should be at least as long as the operating period; otherwise pump life may be reduced. This operating limit applies to both family branches and must be considered when distributing a large daily volume.

Date, time, channel selection, calibration, and the automatic program are configured from the external controller. Each pump can also be filled manually. For every channel, the user chooses the number of doses per day, the day interval, the volume per dose, and the dosing time.

The controller supports 1–24 doses per day for each selected pump. A day interval of 0 means every day, 1 means every second day, and the maximum interval is 30. These controls distribute a quantity chosen by the user; they do not calculate consumption or coordinate chemically incompatible liquids automatically.

EVO 4 is the current four-channel product, item 104.144. Aqua Medic lists a dedicated controller, replacement pump head 104.144-31, motor 104.144-1, universal 12 V/3 A power supply 104.144-4, and the patch cable historically used with reefdoser add 4.

Place the dosing unit on a stable, level surface or use the mounting solution supplied for the model. Keep it indoors and protect it from splashes, salt deposits, and the high humidity commonly found inside a sump cabinet. The EVO 1/3/5 manual specifies relative humidity below 80%; the EVO 4 manual likewise requires protection from water and humidity.

Keep the tubes as short and direct as practical. The official manuals give a maximum water height of 2 m, corresponding to 0.2 bar. The suction tube must reach the bottom of the supply container, while the delivery end must not hang in the aquarium water. The liquid level in the container must remain below the end of the dosing tube to prevent uncontrolled emptying or backflow.

Because peristaltic tubing can wear and eventually leak, position the pump above a drip tray, aquarium, or filter tank where practical. Before starting a program, verify the suction and delivery sides, remove sharp bends, fill the line, and confirm that the outlet cannot siphon aquarium water back toward the dosing container.

Fill the selected tube first, then place the suction line in approximately 50 mL of water or the intended liquid and the delivery line in a suitable measuring cylinder. From the controller's calibration menu, select the pump, begin delivery, stop it when the cylinder reaches 50 mL, and save the result. Repeat the procedure independently for every active channel.

Calibrate on a level surface and use the real tube route and liquid whenever practical. A change of pump head, tubing, route, or liquid can alter the delivered volume and requires a new calibration before the automatic schedule is trusted.

Inspect the dosing tubes regularly for wear, hardening, deposits, and obstruction. A blockage can increase pressure and produce leakage; a worn tube can release liquid outside the intended path. Recalibrate the affected channel after replacing a pump head, changing the tube route, or changing to a liquid with different flow behaviour.

Disconnect the power before changing a pump head so that no scheduled dose can start during the operation. The replacement head includes its rollers and internal tube. When fitting it, the motor axle must sit centrally between the three rollers and remain visible in the centre of the front opening.

Do not lubricate the pump. Never use corrosive or crystallizing liquids. If a solution tends to crystallize at the outlet, its suitability and the cleaning frequency must be assessed before automatic use; the manufacturer's prohibition takes priority over any generic application example.

• Strength: four independently calibrated channels keep multi-liquid protocols together in one station.
• Strength: the separate controller provides local programming without making routine dosing dependent on a phone App.
• Limitation: every channel still requires its own calibration, tubing inspection, and verified dose.