Do it yourself MicroOctopot Auto Fill System

[GrouchyOldMan]

@kevinmalone,

I only use the UV light when I add a new batch of nutes to the big Rez. It has a timer that is set to run it for three hours and that seems to be enough to fry any living critters that have snuck in. If you leave the light in the Rez the salts will eventually create a film on the bulb and reduce the effectiveness.

Say, can you post some pics of your 3/8” float valve and fittings? I’m finding the specs to be very confusing. Some are in mm, and aren’t exactly 3/8”, others confuse interior & exterior diameters…

[kevinmalone]

Hey!

So from the rez I connect to the 3/8 tubing using this ( straight,1/2" female to 3/8"od tube )

The float valve I use is this.

I use the connector I mentioned above to join the 3/8 tubing to the float valve.

Though I am sure you can also use a 3/8 tubing with a 1/4 float valve using a suitable adaptor.

Hope I made sense

[GrouchyOldMan]

Well done! The links worked perfectly. I think those are just the thing.

[kevinmalone]

Glad I could help you out.
Just a pro tip, install the float valve on the lowest height that you can, in case you want to increase the level of the water you can always increase the height of the control box

[GrouchyOldMan]

Octo within an Octo

[I’m cross-posting this discussion from another thread because I thought it would be of interest here.]

The “pot within a pot”is another useful trick. When needed I can pluck those inner pots loose from their Octo pups and isolate them for pollination or whatever! Works great.

This is just an easy way to efficiently grow out some small plants by allowing the Octopot to provide consistent water and nutes to a plant in a cup that can be removed if needed for future transplanting, reversing or whatever. The roots tend to fill the speed cup rather than migrate deeper into the octo rez. A few roots escape through the holes in the cup, but I have yet to see any actually reach the octo rez.

I started using this for my bonsai Mother plants, that need to be kept healthy for very long periods with minimal maintenance. I periodically remove the mother plants from their cups for root pruning but otherwise they are fed by the octo and can go weeks without any other care. I also found it useful for rapid phenotyping because I can grow a bunch of small plants in a limited space to pick the best among them.

Consider these three plants:

I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do with them yet, but they will likely be useful and I want them to stay healthy. That single octo will hold them safely until they are needed. And when they are I’ll just remove their speed cup and move them to a final home, a solo octo, a bigger soil pot or maybe outdoors.

TBH, I’m not sure why this works as well as it does. I originally thought they’d get wet feet and suffer overwatering, but they actually seem fine with always having some damp soil around to draw from.

Make Sense?
-Grouchy

[GrouchyOldMan]

3/8” Reservoir to Controller Upgrade

After identifying the 1/4” float valve in our autofill controller as a weak link in the system some of us began to research the options for improvement. Thanks to @SaintAliasKnife, @kevinmalone and others, we found that an upgrade to more robust and higher volume 3/8” components was possible.

I just made that upgrade and present the results here along with a few comments on what NOT to do if you decide to make this upgrade.

Here are the pieces I used.

Amazon stocks a variety of similar items however, due to inaccuracies in many of the listings and an apparent lack of standards as to the exact sizing of the components I’d suggest sticking to these specific brands as they are known to be compatible.

1/2 Inch NPT Mini Float Ball Valve Kit Automatic Fill Feed Humidifier Tank Pond Shut off Water Float Ball Valve, 2 Pack

Brand: MMonDod

Straight 1/2" Female Thread to 3/8" OD Tube Quick Connector Tubing Fittings for Water Purifiers Filters Reverse Osmosis Systems accessories,5pcs.

Brand: YZMSZ

3/8 Bulkhead Fitting 3/8 O.D. Tube use Push to Connect Fitting(5, 3/8" Tube O.D.)

Visit the PureSec Store

Inline Shut Off Ball Valve 3/8 inch OD Tubing&Hose&Pipe Use Plastic Quick Connect Fittings for Water Purifier RODI System (Pack of 5)

Visit the PureSec Store

3/8" OD NSF Certified 25 Feet Length Tubing for Reverse Osmosis De-ionized Water Filtration Systems, Refrigerators, and Other Appliances (3/8" OD, 25’, White)

Visit the Metpure Store

Since these bulkheads do not come with washers, you’ll also need a supply of washers with a 5/8” inside diameter. These are usually referred to as “30x3” using the metric system. I purchased this washer kit since I have other uses for various sizes, but you can probably find a handful of them for less money.

135 PCS Plumbing Rubber Washers Assorted Kit and Flat Silicone Gasket Assortment Set with Screen Filter for Faucet Shower Head Washers Garden Hose O Ring Hot Water Pipe Seals Replace

Visit the ZDBB Store

So that’s the gear, here’s how I put it to use.

You’ll need 7/8” holes for the bulkheads and float valve, a speed bit is the best way to make those holes cleanly.

Rather than try to expand the existing reservoir bulkhead hole, I left the 1/4” outlet & shutoff valve in place and added the new 3/8” outlet on the opposite end.

I thought I’d be clever and install the new float valve directly above the 1/4” one. That was a dumb idea, I should have put it to one side to avoid the two floats getting in each other’s way.

The kludgy but workable fix was just to remove the float from the old valve.

All plumbed and ready to test.

The final step is to adjust the float valve to set the water level to about 3”

The new valve has a much higher flow rate and should be more resistant to clogging. I left the outlet side of the controller with the original 1/4” tubing since it provides adequate volumes and is much easier to work with than the 3/8” pipe.

-Grouchy

[kevinmalone]

Glad to see it working out for you!

One thing I don’t like about this valve is that there’s a min level below which it won’t go.
Is that how it is for you too?

The goal is to get a thin layer of water via a float valve

[GrouchyOldMan]

@kevinmalone

One thing I don’t like about this valve is that there’s a min level below which it won’t go.

Very interesting question Kev, I set the level for my float valve to shut off at about 3” in the Controller because that results in a 75% full Octopup assuming the controller is on the same level as the Octo. I can easily move the controller down an inch, or up a couple inches to fine tune the level in the pots.

As you point out, a thin water layer in the controller would work just as well. The level in the controller “controls” the level in the pot, changing the float level, or raising/lowering the controller amount to the same thing. The float valve determines the top surface of water in the pots. I want that top to be 3” above the bottom of the controller and the Octo Rez.

Make sense? I’m not entirely sure I understand your “goal is to get a thin layer of water via a float valve”? I guess the “min level” for the float valve is “just high enough to close the valve…. About an inch?

[kevinmalone]

@GrouchyOldMan

I’m not entirely sure I understand your “goal is to get a thin layer of water via a float valve”?

Well so I am working with the understanding that the plants have an explosive growth in this system because of the nutrient water+air ratio mix.
The frequency with which you water is inversely proportional to the amount of media the pot holds. So if you are watering continuously you can get by with little to no media.

Which is why I wanted to grow them in small 3 inch netpots filled with perlite.

So smaller the pot, lower is the water level I’d like.

So basically I am thinking of the system as a modified NFT that runs on a float valve and does not recirculate.

Also @GrouchyOldMan thanks for being so patient and indulging my questions
I know you want to keep this as simple as possible!

[GrouchyOldMan]

@kevinmalone

So basically I am thinking of the system as a modified NFT that runs on a float valve and does not recirculate.

Ah, so. That makes sense.

You are taking the concept to a whole different level and I wonder if a float valve system is really the best fit for your purposes? You might be better served with an automated watering system based on feedback from sensors.

I have always appreciated your comments and questions, please keep em comin!

Cheers,
-Grouchy

[kevinmalone]

@GrouchyOldMan

I wonder if a float valve system is really the best fit for your purposes?

Well, the way I look at it is, I just need to find the right kinda valve

@GrouchyOldMan

You might be better served with an automated watering system based on feedback from sensors

For running a NFT yes, but I am too lazy for that you know

[JOHN1234]

Have you considered using the same valve but varying other parameters?

Vary the controller box height in relation to tray being supplied.

Vary the mount height of the float valve in the controller box.

[kevinmalone]

Lowering the control box w.r.t the tray does not work as the water does not travel.

There is a limit to the lowest level you can attach the float to because of its size

[GrouchyOldMan]

Hey Kev,

Have you ever checked out @Mr.Sparkle’s setup? It’s next gen for sure.

Growing with Mr.Sparkle : 2024

Figured i should finally get my 2024 thread started. Introductions, Hi I’m Mr.Sparkle and welcome to my grow journal. This year im gonna be away from home for a few 2-3 week spans so my growing will be a lot less than in the past just to coincide around not having to worry about plants when im away, so we will see how this thread runs. So refresh for those that are new around here or people who haven’t seen my threads im typically an auto grower that likes to make my own crosses and just play…