Thoughts?

[jgolden]

Well, the plants in the tanks have finally started spreading (no thanks to the plecos and clown loaches trying to uproot them all the time). I haven't gone the pressurized CO2 route yet, but I've gotten into a religious exercise of generating a fresh batch of yeast fo the DIY system every 10 days. I've also been relatively good with the ferts (but could be better, I must admit).

I'm going to be away on business for a couple weeks, in a couple weeks, and while I know my wife and son will continue to feed the fish, I don't think she'll provide the ferts or CO2.

I was thinking of trying to build a DIY drip fert ijector (basically a gravity feed that drips the ferts into the water). Drip valves are relatively cheap, and easy to adjust the rate of a drip.

Does anyone have any experience with anything like a drip fertilizer system? Does anyone see any pros / cons about it? 1 pro tat I can see is that, if I get the drip rate just right, the fert concentrations would remain at a stable rate.

Now, assuming this fert drip works, and without buying a pressurized CO2 system, I just gotta figure out how to deliver 3 weeks worth of yeast to my DIY CO2 ....

[Mettle]

I'm not very fluent in all this DIY stuff and definitely not with the ferts/CO2. However. My biggest recommendation is to get it done asap if you're doing it and test it out for a week or so before you go, to see if it works properly or not, and so you can monitor it. Otherwise if a mishap occurs while you're away it'll spell disaster, I think.

[darkdep]

Drip fert system...what a great idea.

[Toss]

I would leave it as is. Three weeks, the plant s can wait for that. Less work and worry if the system fail. Give fert (do not overdose to compensate the three weeks)and make a new batch a day before you go...and enjoy the trip. Bring some fish (or plants) home if you can .

[jgolden]

Drip fert system...what a great idea.

truth be told, I've been thinking of building something liek this for a bit, even if I didn't have to go out in 3 weeks.... Call me a little lazy. :lol: I wanna make the ferts as per Big daddy's home fert formula (posted in this forum prior to XMas), and let it dole itself out in a controlled, calibrated rate. I figure mixing a 1L bottle would be good for at least a month.

[jgolden]

I would leave it as is. Three weeks, the plant s can wait for that. Less work and worry if the system fail. Give fert (do not overdose to compensate the three weeks)and make a new batch a day before you go...and enjoy the trip. Bring some fish (or plants) home if you can .

Yah, that's probably what I'll do anyways. I'd wanna be here to monitor the system for a couple weeks begore I fully leave it to run unattended. Will see what I can do about bringing anything back, crossing the US border and all...

[Quatro]

I love the ideal but not sure how it would work.  If we assume a drip size of two milliliters then you would need a drip rate of 1 drip per HOUR for one liter to last 3 weeks.  Does anyone know what drip rates are available?  Is 1 per hour even possible?

Mike S

[Mettle]

Here is an interesting DIY article on this topic:

http://www.plantedtank.net/articles/Automatic-Dosing-Pumps/21/