Thanks for jumping in Scolley. Well I've taken so much from this site that I didn't even think twice to contribute this post when I thought this up. I mean heck if everyone didn't share their ideas we wouldn't have all of these plant specific gadgets we all use to make our lives easier. -DIY reactors and Yeast CO2 to name a few.
This is a feasible alternative to whatever else if out there. Just note that this method is to daily fert dosing as DIY CO2 is to injecting C02. It is in the ballpark, but not exact. I think I need to make that clear. Also note that the small air pump laying around from your 10 gal isn't going to cut it on that 100 gallon. What I use is a Tetra tec pump that was rated for 100 gallon tanks if I remember correctly. I can look up the exact model if anyone is interested, but it's the one with the green dials on the sides and two outputs
Update: I was cleaning the Garage- well actually looking for something else and I found a clippord needle valve from one of my Co2 rigs of several years ago. One end is barbed and the other is threaded. I went ahead and swapped out the cheap plastic air valve for this and I like it much better. It's easier now to adjust. The barbed end is connected to the supply and the threaded side has a short piece of airline that that I was able to slide over threads. This side directs the drops into the tank a little better. Note that the hose is still suspended above the water so that I can see the drop rate.
The only downside I note with this system is that when starting a new fert solution you have to open the valve all the way up so that you can "prime the line." Then when all the air is out and you have a good flow you can taper down the flow with the valve to get the drip rate you want. So there is a bit of tinkering, but its an extra 5 minutes and then I'm set for the whole week although I must admit I'm spying on the drip rate whenever I feed the fish just to make sure. While it's not perfect I can usually set it so that the container empties into the tank in about 6 days give or take 4-6 hours. One can also experiment with the starting solution size to further fine tune it. More solution=longer time to finish, Smaller solution= less time to finish. I must note again for anyone trying this to use plain water to experiment until you get the hang of it.
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