Automated Fert Dosing

[coffeekills]

Hello all,

I have been looking through the forums for a bit now trying to piece together a solution that works for me and I think I have a solid plan but need a few more answers from some of you with more experience before fully pulling the trigger. I travel a lot for work and the key aspect of this system is that it need to be able to survive for up to two weeks without me checking in. I have helpers that can come in special circumstances but overall automation is key. The system will be veg and flower in one chamber for a few cycles but then if all goes well this tent will become veg only and I will add on two 1k tents for flower only.

I have a 4x4 guerrilla grow tent with a diamond XML advanced LED 650 light and 6" can fan & filter
I will install a titan controls saturn 6 for temp/humidity/CO2 using the titan CO2 regulator unit and a 70 pint dehumidifier.

I live in LA so water is pretty horrible, I am using a hydrologic stealth RO 150 GPD RO unit. The idea is that this feeds into an 55 gal RO reservoir and controlled by a float valve. When triggered a pump in the RO res pushes water through a 4 dosatron set up (room to expand to 7 if needed) and into the 55 gal fert reservoir. This res has an EC/PPM and PH meter/doser hooked up for final solution tuning before feeding. The tent is then fed off of this reservoir based on a timer and will go to a top feed drip system using rock wool that is run to waste.

problems I need to solve...

1. RO float valve - I need to figure out how to have a float valve in the 55 gal RO reservoir open and close to fill that tank. The RO water coming in is a painfully slow feed and I am guess will be running most of the time. The line coming out of that system is 1/4" tubing and the system currently only turns on and off by me opening or closing the water inlet valve. How do I set this up to leave the valve open and have the water out to the RO res start and stop by a float valve? Any links to the right model?

2. fert reservoir float valve - I need to have a float valve in the fert res that when the level gets low enough will trigger a pump located in the RO res and push water a series of dosatrons to top it off. I am thinking the float valve would be under half way in the fert res and when it gets trigger it turns on the pump in the RO res for xx number of seconds. Is this even possible? If so any suggestions for the float valve and timer combo I would need?

3. Dosatron set up - dialing in how to automate the nutrients is clutch. I am looking to have a 4 (can expand to 7 later if needed) dosatron set up but am having a hard time figuring out which model to get. I think I want the D14MZ2 but these things are pricey and I'd hate to mess this part up. I will be getting the start kit, regulator and pre filter for it as well. The idea being that these units are fed by an ecoplus 1267 GPH pump that pushed the RO water through them and into the fert tank. Is there any issue with the water being fed into these by the pump mentioned due to pressure? Also, does 4 seem like a solid base to start dosing with?

4. EC/PPM & Ph meter doser - This would fed into the fert res and it seems the only two options out there that do both EC/PPM and Ph are the Intellidose unit and the dosetronic peridoser unit from Bluelab. Again, pricey but I need this level of automation. Any suggestion between these tow or other alternatives?

These are the big next step questions for me and any advice would be incredibly helpful...

Thanks,
Michael

 

[Ignignokt]

Gee. Walk away for two weeks? I don't know if I should giggle or be jealous of how much money you are throwing at this and wanting to see if you could get it to work without leaks or other mundane disasters killing the project. You are ambitious, yes?

 

[Pimples]

Shouldn't be a problem. I dont know much about Dosatrons but i know growers who do and are ideal for set it and forget it (to an extent) type grows. Ive taken 10 days vacation before without a hiccup using my old big ass 100 gallon tanks and just filled with a base soultion..set the EC..the pH and the timers..let it rip. Came back to some slightly over grown but very healthy canopys. I planned my little break to coincide with my pruning and canopy thinning time so it worked out perfectly. It can be done.

 

[OldManRiver]

This is pretty easy to do. You need a float switch in your reservoir, a solenoid switched valve (cf. https://www.digikey.com/product-det...6nmV7Dh5CnujC75uXFSEtX-We5f6lk-gaAvpHEALw_wcB) and a power supply. You make the float switch out of a micro switch () and a toilet ball. Essentially, you build the float switch by attaching the float to the switch lever (epoxy works), and then attach the float switch such that it closes when the water gets too low. This opens the valve, which releases water until the float comes back up. Ouila, a system you can walk away from for a few days. I did this back in the old days of stealth grows, though we just used tap water because we were blessed with good water.