I've been working all weekend on a spreadsheet that takes into account all my nutes I need thru veg and flower stages and their right proportions to dilute them. Once diluted the premixed nutes go into 5 gallon sealed buckets for the Intellidose to dispense either with solenoid vales or peristaltic pumps (I'll use the latter as these doses aren't that small and are more accurate not needing gravity flow + quicker to set up/calibrate).
Well here's my spreadsheet showing all my nutes and their amounts relative to the main nutrient that doses at 100%. The main dose sets for whatever seconds you choose and the smaller doses are calculated as a percentage of the main dose (which is the largest dose in ml). These are the doses from Dyna-Gro's charts for recirculating hydro, I just converted doses to proper dilution rates with water for dispensing for the Intellidose.
This is designed so the maintenence is a bi-weekly calibration of your pH & EC meters, topping off a tank or 2 every month, many tanks will go months on end without need to top off (just look at "Total gallons" compared to 5 gallon main nute tank). The Bloom nute tank will be 2-5gallon buckets connected as that will be used the most (last for 2 months instead of 1). PLUS your pH and EC reading will always be where you want them for weeks on end - even do res changes automatically (just have to time your rdwc circulation rate to every 3-5 minutes and dosing times to every 6-10 minutes and it will not overdose). Also hooked up to 2-55 gallon RO fresh water barrels that go to float valves in the res tanks, float switches to turn on/off circulation & top feed pumps too. Intellidose has a relay box option that helps you do res changes with your drain pump, even fresh water top offs too or if you want to flush your system (solenoid valve on fresh RO water line).
There are other systems that do auto dosing like Blue Lab Dosetronic but they are limited in outputs (2 nute tanks and 1 pH tank) and this is 1 instance where I like some one elss product over Bluelab (which is Intellidose). Growbot uses their own smaller tanks and can dose up to 8 tanks like Intellidose. There's even DIY PC controllers where you just add your own components like solenoid valves, pumps etc...
Anyone else use Intellidose or do auto dosing or pH control? I was just going for pH automation at first and realized all you have to do to fully automate is add the components for dispensing nutes (though not cheap that's for sure, each system is pushing $3,000 or more for each veg and flower room).
Well here's my spreadsheet showing all my nutes and their amounts relative to the main nutrient that doses at 100%. The main dose sets for whatever seconds you choose and the smaller doses are calculated as a percentage of the main dose (which is the largest dose in ml). These are the doses from Dyna-Gro's charts for recirculating hydro, I just converted doses to proper dilution rates with water for dispensing for the Intellidose.
This is designed so the maintenence is a bi-weekly calibration of your pH & EC meters, topping off a tank or 2 every month, many tanks will go months on end without need to top off (just look at "Total gallons" compared to 5 gallon main nute tank). The Bloom nute tank will be 2-5gallon buckets connected as that will be used the most (last for 2 months instead of 1). PLUS your pH and EC reading will always be where you want them for weeks on end - even do res changes automatically (just have to time your rdwc circulation rate to every 3-5 minutes and dosing times to every 6-10 minutes and it will not overdose). Also hooked up to 2-55 gallon RO fresh water barrels that go to float valves in the res tanks, float switches to turn on/off circulation & top feed pumps too. Intellidose has a relay box option that helps you do res changes with your drain pump, even fresh water top offs too or if you want to flush your system (solenoid valve on fresh RO water line).
There are other systems that do auto dosing like Blue Lab Dosetronic but they are limited in outputs (2 nute tanks and 1 pH tank) and this is 1 instance where I like some one elss product over Bluelab (which is Intellidose). Growbot uses their own smaller tanks and can dose up to 8 tanks like Intellidose. There's even DIY PC controllers where you just add your own components like solenoid valves, pumps etc...
Anyone else use Intellidose or do auto dosing or pH control? I was just going for pH automation at first and realized all you have to do to fully automate is add the components for dispensing nutes (though not cheap that's for sure, each system is pushing $3,000 or more for each veg and flower room).
. Very interested to know how you setup the excel spreadsheet to calculate everything? Automation is one of my current interests where growing is concerned 
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