Dosing: Calibration, Portions, and Why the Controller Does Not “Catch Up” on Missed Doses

Dosing — trace elements in a reef tank, fertilizers in a planted aquarium, or care preparations in freshwater — is one of those tasks that benefits greatly from automation. Small, frequent doses are better than a single large one, and humans tend to forget. This guide explains how dosing works in Oquari, how to calibrate your pumps, and why the controller intentionally does not compensate for missed doses after a restart.

Four Channels, Doses in Milliliters

Oquari supports up to four dosing channels. You connect a peristaltic pump to each channel and set the doses directly in milliliters. For every channel, you configure:

• Liquid name (KH+, Ca, Micro, etc.), which appears later in the panel and in Home Assistant,
• Daily dose and number of portions, into which the total volume is divided (e.g., 20 ml split into 4 portions of 5 ml each),
• Time window — doses are only dispensed within the specified hours (e.g., 10:00–22:00),
• Interval between different liquids — some supplements (classically KH and Calcium) should not enter the water simultaneously; the controller manages this pause and queues the doses automatically. Channels never dose at the same time.

Calibration: A Minute with a Graduated Cylinder

Since the dose is defined in milliliters, the controller needs to know your pump’s flow rate:

1. In the panel, select Calibration for the channel — the pump will run for 60 seconds.
2. Measure how many milliliters were dispensed into a graduated cylinder and enter the result.
3. The controller memorizes the flow rate and from then on calculates the required run time based on milliliters.

The performance of a peristaltic pump decreases as the tubing wears out — recalibrate every 1–2 months (the controller will remind you).

Invisible Safeguards — Until They Trigger

• Daily hard limit: The channel will never dispense more than twice the set daily dose — a typo like “100 ml” instead of “10 ml” won’t result in overdosing.
• Air lock and empty bottle detection: The controller measures the motor’s current draw. A pump running “dry” draws significantly less current — the channel is stopped and locked until you confirm, and you receive an alarm.
• Usage counter and bottle capacity: Enter your bottle’s volume, and the controller will warn you in advance — “bottle will run out in ~5 days” — before the tank notices anything.
• Situational pauses: Dosing waits during feeding and water changes, and stops immediately if power is lost.

IMPORTANT: Missed Doses Are Not Compensated After Restart

This behavior is intentional and worth understanding. If the controller was without power between 12:50 and 13:20, and a dose was scheduled for 13:00 — that dose is simply skipped. The controller does not execute “backlogged” doses after startup.

Why? Dosing is a physically irreversible action. After a restart, the controller doesn’t know whether the dose was dispensed just before the power outage or not — and in case of doubt, a double dose of KH or trace elements is more dangerous to the tank than a missed one. The same rule applies to any clock shift: no portion will be dispensed twice, and the daily balance is always preserved.

Do not try to “catch up” manually after every power flicker. A single missed portion in a sensible schedule (several small doses per day) is unnoticeable for water parameters. If the interruption lasted a day or longer — test your parameters and adjust consciously, based on measurements, not guesses.

Panel Configuration — Step by Step

1. Panel → Dosing.
2. For each channel: name the liquid, calibrate the pump, enter the daily dose, number of portions, and time window.
3. Set the interval between incompatible liquids (default start: 15 minutes).
4. Optionally enter the bottle capacity — you will receive a warning before it runs out.

Finally, a good practice independent of automation: once a week, take a quick look at the tubing, bottles, and a control graduated cylinder. The automaton doses — but you know what a healthy tank looks like.

Najczęstsze pytania

Why doesn’t Oquari compensate for missed doses after a power outage?

Dosing is physically irreversible. If the controller restarts, it cannot know whether a dose was dispensed just before the outage or not. To avoid dangerous overdosing, especially with sensitive parameters like KH or trace elements, missed doses are simply skipped rather than duplicated.

How often should I recalibrate my dosing pumps?

We recommend recalibrating every 1–2 months. Peristaltic pump tubing wears out over time, which changes the flow rate. The controller will remind you when it’s time to recalibrate.

Can different liquids be dosed at the same time?

No. Channels never dose simultaneously. You can set a minimum interval between incompatible liquids (e.g., KH and Calcium) to prevent precipitation or unwanted chemical reactions in your tank.

What happens if my bottle runs out during dosing?

The controller detects air locks and empty bottles by monitoring the pump’s current draw. If a pump runs dry, the channel is automatically stopped and locked until you confirm the issue, and you receive an alarm on your phone.

Is it safe to skip a single dose?

Yes. In a well-planned schedule with multiple small doses per day, skipping one portion has no noticeable impact on water parameters. Only prolonged interruptions require manual testing and adjustment based on actual measurements.