Auto Dose Ferts - What pump etc?

[Adam Chambers]

Hey all,

So I am unfortunately away a lot from home or about irregular hours. With that I can see people seem to suggest daily dosing is best for plants as it means they get nutrients more consistent and even splitting up the day into 3 during the photo period so that they get between 2-5ml every 2 hours for instance is best so that with Co2 can be balanced for optimum growth.

Makes sense. Lots of little snacks to keep their energy up and thus their growth.

Now I am looking at different dosing pumps from the marine side. I am using Tropica ferts specialist. I have a 5 litre bottle which I am hoping to hook up to the dosing system. I was then looking to put this inline similar to how we dose Co2.

I have £113 of credit at Charterhouse and they do a number of dosing pumps so wondering which one would work/is best for what I need. Any help appreciated.

http://charterhouse-aquatics.com/shop/aquatics/aquarium-pumps/dosing-pumps

Should I also get a dosing container. There is a TMC one that hold 5 litres for £40 that seems a lot or can I just put a hole in the top of the cap of my container and push the hose to the bottom so it sucks from the bottom?

The Aquamedic pump seems OK for what I need?

What else do I need to consider? I am still looking at a way to get the pipework connected however like an inline diffuser works I assume I could have something similar for the fluid.

 

[ian_m]

Check number of rollers in dosing pump. If 4 rollers you don't need a one way valve to prevent back flow. You might need a one way valve if 3 rollers and will certainly if two rollers.

Choice of one way valve is quite critical as some block up and fluid drains back down tubing.

Choice of tubing is critical, usually PVC is fine, polyurethane is better.

Pipes must terminate above tank surface to prevent water syphoning back.

 

[Adam Chambers]

Cheers Ian I will make sure to get a 4 roller pump and polyurethane tubing then.

I assume the way to check for 4 roller is to just check specs. Charterhouse are rubbish with their product descriptions so will look them up otherwise. This looks reasonable http://charterhouse-aquatics.com/sh...tech-4/grotech-tec-1-ng-1-channel-dosing-pump, however it doesn't specify the roller count. It does say that it can does from 1ml to 99ml and up to 24 times a day which seems good. Not too bad price wise.

No point skimping out though. I think I will tie the tube behind the spray bar then with some fishing line and then it would be hidden and also means the flow will distribute it nicely.

 

[Adam Chambers]

Or going for a D-D pump that is 1ml/min with a timer on it I assume would also work so that it comes on for 5 mins doses and then turns off again?

 

[Adam Chambers]

So charterhouse are recommending the TMC Easi-Dose 1 which I can get for £80. Thoughts?

Edit: It is a 3 roller so will get a non-return valve added if I do for it.

 

[ian_m]

This was mine I built. Specifically chose 4 roller peristaltic pumps so no need to use one way valves, which at the time I designed this (2012) were a major failure point with autodosing systems. The marine boys generally get away with without one way valves as well as using 2/3 roller pumps, as they are dosing into their sumps and have all the equipment on the same level, so fluid back flowing is not an issue.

https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/diy-dual-peristaltic-dosing-pump-with-alternate-switching.22332/

This no longer exists, as I have connected the dosing pumps (including a 1.8ml / minute liquid carbon pump) to a PLC controller.

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/how-to-use-a-plc-to-control-your-fish-tank-part-1.42993/

 

[Adam Chambers]

Cheers Ian,

Interesting bit of kit. So that is a slave dosing pump that doesn't need the timer unit built in and then just use the PLC for it and connect the solenoid up this as well to time it from one unit? I don't have a heater to worry about as that is built into the filter. And I am not sure if I can splice the Kessil lights into this? in that I have the ability to currently ramp the lights up and down during the photo period.

If so then I am just looking at saving the cost by going to a slave dosing pump which appear to be £27 rather than £80.

Regards

 

[Adam Chambers]

Oh and I could attach my power head although that also has it's own controller to do different speeds and timings?

 

[ian_m]

The pumps I used look like this "when naked". They need putting in a box before use.

http://www.williamson-shop.co.uk/100-series-with-ac-powered-motors-3274-p.asp

They are 240V rated, which you apply from a mains timer and they dose 3ml per minute, for macro and micro, and 1.8ml per minute for liquid carbon. Available in 0.3ml to 18ml per minute depending on the motor speed and pump head chosen. Available in 2 and 4 roller models as well. About £40 each. Also available in 6V, 12V, 18V & 24V versions that maybe speed controlled. For mains versions just set the on/off times for your mains timer accordingly. The reason I did the alternate switching unit is so that one mains timer and one mains lead controls both pumps (is half the cupboard space of two mains timers and leads).

The 3 pumps are now controlled via my PLC and timer blocks. The blocks below (in software) starts my macro pump for 14 minutes (about 40ml dose at 3pm) normally and about 1/2 that if in holiday mode. Done.