Planning a Hydros Setup

[245013]

Ok so here it goes. We have a Red Sea Max E-260 reef tank. It comes with an awesome power strip/cable management setup. The protein skimmer, lights, heater, return pumps x2, and the gyre pump are all connected to this power strip with one empty outlet. The gyre pump and heater have their independent controllers that work great and the lights are controlled through the Red Sea app.

Now we are looking into a ATO, a dosing pump and auto feeder. We went ahead and bought the Avast Parrot ATO that is Hydros compatible and we also want to get the Avast Plank feeder. At first we were considering the Hydros Launch. But I realized we don't need all of that because everything else is already connected and running fine. We only want/need a controller for the new stuff.

My current thought process is to get the Hydros XS starter pack that comes with the controller, temp sensor, and the wifi power strip. The XS has 4 sense ports. The Parrot ATO, would use one, temperature sensor for another, the rope leak detector, and maybe a water level monitor (why not use all ports). The power strip has 4 spots. Two for the feeder, one for a simple dosing pump (All For Reef) and then a empty one for who knows what down the line.

For those familiar with Hydros. Would this set up work? If so what dosing pump should I use? I was looking at the simple BRS one or the Hydros one that plugs into an outlet. I just want to make sure it can actually monitor and control all this stuff with this set up and not buy incompatible things.

 

[n2585722]

Ok so here it goes. We have a Red Sea Max E-260 reef tank. It comes with an awesome power strip/cable management setup. The protein skimmer, lights, heater, return pumps x2, and the gyre pump are all connected to this power strip with one empty outlet. The gyre pump and heater have their independent controllers that work great and the lights are controlled through the Red Sea app.

Now we are looking into a ATO, a dosing pump and auto feeder. We went ahead and bought the Avast Parrot ATO that is Hydros compatible and we also want to get the Avast Plank feeder. At first we were considering the Hydros Launch. But I realized we don't need all of that because everything else is already connected and running fine. We only want/need a controller for the new stuff.

My current thought process is to get the Hydros XS starter pack that comes with the controller, temp sensor, and the wifi power strip. The XS has 4 sense ports. The Parrot ATO, would use one, temperature sensor for another, the rope leak detector, and maybe a water level monitor (why not use all ports). The power strip has 4 spots. Two for the feeder, one for a simple dosing pump (All For Reef) and then a empty one for who knows what down the line.

For those familiar with Hydros. Would this set up work? If so what dosing pump should I use? I was looking at the simple BRS one or the Hydros one that plugs into an outlet. I just want to make sure it can actually monitor and control all this stuff with this set up and not buy incompatible things.

Not sure how you would connect an ATO to an input port. Also do not use Wi-Fi power strip outlets for ATO, AWC or dosing since it communications between the controller and the Wi-Fi strip is interrupted the outlets will stay in their current state until communications is restored no matter how long that takes.

 

[245013]

Not sure how you would connect an ATO to an input port. Also do not use Wi-Fi power strip outlets for ATO, AWC or dosing since it communications between the controller and the Wi-Fi strip is interrupted the outlets will stay in their current state until communications is restored no matter how long that takes.

Ok good to know thank you! Also the Avast Parrot ATO has a specific connection for the Hydros Sense ports. Atleats that's what their website says.

 

[n2585722]

Ok good to know thank you! Also the Avast Parrot ATO has a specific connection for the Hydros Sense ports. Atleats that's what their website says.

I use the Hydros as my ATO. I have the water level sensors and a dosing pump. My DI reservoir is in my garage 35ft from the tank and the tubing is run through the attic. The ATO and AWC is done from the garage and has been for over 8 years. The first 4 years was with a different controller though. I have used the Hydros for over 4 years now though.

 

[n2585722]

Ok good to know thank you! Also the Avast Parrot ATO has a specific connection for the Hydros Sense ports. Atleats that's what their website says.

I looked at the Avast ATO and it looks like you will need to get the pump of your choosing to use on a Hydros output. So you can either get the Hydros ATO pump, simple doser or a pump that runs off of an AC outlet on the Hydros. The Hydros ATO pump and the Hydros simple doser connect to a drive port. Those ports are on a few diffrent controllers but the XS is not one of them. Also all you really need for Hydros ATO is a water level sensor and a pump that will connect to the Hydros. As an example at the moment I use a Hydros Sole for my pump but have used the simple doser before that. It was still working when I started using the Sole. If I ever use the Sole for something else such as AWC I will use the simple doser again. I will post my ATO output settings and the settings for the Sole output. I have to use 2 outputs with it since it is a smart doser. With the simple doser you can do it with just the one output. The first three screenshots are my ATO output. Mine is more complex than most since I use 5 different inputs for control. The first one is the actual water level sensor for ATO. It has the active mode set to dry since we want the output to come on if it is dry and all the other inputs are also active. That is set using the combiner mode which when set to AND requires all inputs to be in the active state. The other setting OR would require only one of the inputs to be in the active state for the output to come on. The second input is a leak detector at the tank. If a leak is detected then I do not want the ATO to come on so it is also set to active when dry. The third input is a leak detector in the garage where my pump, DI reservoir and RODI unit is at. So if there is a leak detected there I don't want any of the pumps out there or the RODI to come on. So that s also set to active when dry. The forth input is a low level sensor in my DI reservoir. This one has the active mode set to wet since if it was dry that would mean the reservoir is low so I do not want the output to come on. The fifth input is a sump high water level sensor. If that sensor is wet then something is not right and I do not want the ATO to run. This input will also turn off my skimmer since I do not want it running if the water level is too high. I do not use a schedule on this output so has internal schedule is set to off. The output device is set to none since I amusing the Sole pump with it's own output but if I was using a Hydros ATO or simple doser I would set this setting to the output port where the pump is connected. The next setting if input/ dependency unavailable is what the output state will go too if an inout or the dependency are not available for some reason since they can be on a different controller as ling as they are all in the same collective. I set it to off since I do not want to run the ATO if any of those inputs are not available. I do use advanced settings so enable advanced settings is set to on. The first one is minimum off time. That is set to 5 minutes so once the output turns off it has to wait for at least 5 minutes before it will turn on again except for if it is forced off using depends on. In that case the off timer will not start the countdown until the depends on is no longer forcing the output to off. The next on maximum off time is set to 3 hours. For my tank if it goes 3 hours without doing a top off I want to know. Since I have an alert level set for these settings I will get a push notification if it goes 3 hours without a top off. It will not turn the output on though. The next setting is minimum on time. On mine it is set to 35 seconds so if it comes on it will run that long regardless of the inputs but with a dosing pump running at a flow rate of 55ml a minute that is not a lot of water at all. The next one is maximum on time which is set to 3 minutes. I also have run past max on time set to off so if it runs for 3 minutes it will turn off and send a push notification. It will remain off as long as all the inputs are active or it is not overridden to either on or off and then set back to auto. I would not override it to on unless I am where the tank is at so I could intervene on site if something happens. You never know when you could have a internet issue. The next setting is the notification level for the advanced settings. I have it set to yellow. The active in modes settings were left at their defaults which is active. If a mode is unchecked for the output then the output cannot come on in that mode when it is set to auto, which is the the normal setting. In auto it means the controller has control of the outputs state. If you override to on or off then the controller is no longer controlling it and it will stay in that state until you set it to a different state. The next setting is the depends on setting and I have it set to the ATO ok output and the dependency mode set to off if off. So if the ATO ok turns off it will force the ATO output to off also. The ATO ok output is setup to be on normally unless the return pump is off or the drain or fill pump are running. The drain and fill pumps are used for AWC so I do not want the ATO to run during the water change. The forth screenshot is of my Sole output settings. It is a doser and the type is smart doser. The next setting output device is set to the doser port where that doser is at. With the Sole it is built into the controller. A smart doser can only be used in schedules unless it is one that can be set to run constantly which the Sole can. So I set it to run constantly at 55ml a minute. The Sole is one of the dosers that can be set to different flow rates and can run either direction. Some dosers like the simple doser only run a one flow rate but you will still need to set that in the output if the setting is there and any schedules you have it in if using a schedule. The active in modes are set at their default. The dependency mode is how you will control a pump in runs constantly. This is set to the previous output the ATO output. The dependency mode is set to off if off. So if the ATO output is off this output will also be off. If the ATO output is on then this output will be on. That is about it for my ATO settings. If you use an AC pump you will need a XP8 and another controller or the Launch since those are currently the only 2 controllers with AC outputs. I would not use a wifi power strip outlet for ATO pump power.

 

[245013]

I looked at the Avast ATO and it looks like you will need to get the pump of your choosing to use on a Hydros output. So you can either get the Hydros ATO pump, simple doser or a pump that runs off of an AC outlet on the Hydros. The Hydros ATO pump and the Hydros simple doser connect to a drive port. Those ports are on a few diffrent controllers but the XS is not one of them. Also all you really need for Hydros ATO is a water level sensor and a pump that will connect to the Hydros. As an example at the moment I use a Hydros Sole for my pump but have used the simple doser before that. It was still working when I started using the Sole. If I ever use the Sole for something else such as AWC I will use the simple doser again. I will post my ATO output settings and the settings for the Sole output. I have to use 2 outputs with it since it is a smart doser. With the simple doser you can do it with just the one output. The first three screenshots are my ATO output. Mine is more complex than most since I use 5 different inputs for control. The first one is the actual water level sensor for ATO. It has the active mode set to dry since we want the output to come on if it is dry and all the other inputs are also active. That is set using the combiner mode which when set to AND requires all inputs to be in the active state. The other setting OR would require only one of the inputs to be in the active state for the output to come on. The second input is a leak detector at the tank. If a leak is detected then I do not want the ATO to come on so it is also set to active when dry. The third input is a leak detector in the garage where my pump, DI reservoir and RODI unit is at. So if there is a leak detected there I don't want any of the pumps out there or the RODI to come on. So that s also set to active when dry. The forth input is a low level sensor in my DI reservoir. This one has the active mode set to wet since if it was dry that would mean the reservoir is low so I do not want the output to come on. The fifth input is a sump high water level sensor. If that sensor is wet then something is not right and I do not want the ATO to run. This input will also turn off my skimmer since I do not want it running if the water level is too high. I do not use a schedule on this output so has internal schedule is set to off. The output device is set to none since I amusing the Sole pump with it's own output but if I was using a Hydros ATO or simple doser I would set this setting to the output port where the pump is connected. The next setting if input/ dependency unavailable is what the output state will go too if an inout or the dependency are not available for some reason since they can be on a different controller as ling as they are all in the same collective. I set it to off since I do not want to run the ATO if any of those inputs are not available. I do use advanced settings so enable advanced settings is set to on. The first one is minimum off time. That is set to 5 minutes so once the output turns off it has to wait for at least 5 minutes before it will turn on again except for if it is forced off using depends on. In that case the off timer will not start the countdown until the depends on is no longer forcing the output to off. The next on maximum off time is set to 3 hours. For my tank if it goes 3 hours without doing a top off I want to know. Since I have an alert level set for these settings I will get a push notification if it goes 3 hours without a top off. It will not turn the output on though. The next setting is minimum on time. On mine it is set to 35 seconds so if it comes on it will run that long regardless of the inputs but with a dosing pump running at a flow rate of 55ml a minute that is not a lot of water at all. The next one is maximum on time which is set to 3 minutes. I also have run past max on time set to off so if it runs for 3 minutes it will turn off and send a push notification. It will remain off as long as all the inputs are active or it is not overridden to either on or off and then set back to auto. I would not override it to on unless I am where the tank is at so I could intervene on site if something happens. You never know when you could have a internet issue. The next setting is the notification level for the advanced settings. I have it set to yellow. The active in modes settings were left at their defaults which is active. If a mode is unchecked for the output then the output cannot come on in that mode when it is set to auto, which is the the normal setting. In auto it means the controller has control of the outputs state. If you override to on or off then the controller is no longer controlling it and it will stay in that state until you set it to a different state. The next setting is the depends on setting and I have it set to the ATO ok output and the dependency mode set to off if off. So if the ATO ok turns off it will force the ATO output to off also. The ATO ok output is setup to be on normally unless the return pump is off or the drain or fill pump are running. The drain and fill pumps are used for AWC so I do not want the ATO to run during the water change. The forth screenshot is of my Sole output settings. It is a doser and the type is smart doser. The next setting output device is set to the doser port where that doser is at. With the Sole it is built into the controller. A smart doser can only be used in schedules unless it is one that can be set to run constantly which the Sole can. So I set it to run constantly at 55ml a minute. The Sole is one of the dosers that can be set to different flow rates and can run either direction. Some dosers like the simple doser only run a one flow rate but you will still need to set that in the output if the setting is there and any schedules you have it in if using a schedule. The active in modes are set at their default. The dependency mode is how you will control a pump in runs constantly. This is set to the previous output the ATO output. The dependency mode is set to off if off. So if the ATO output is off this output will also be off. If the ATO output is on then this output will be on. That is about it for my ATO settings. If you use an AC pump you will need a XP8 and another controller or the Launch since those are currently the only 2 controllers with AC outputs. I would not use a wifi power strip outlet for ATO pump power.

Ok so it sounds like we were on the right track to begin with and we should get the Hydros Launch. We already have a pump for the ATO. We can plug that into the launch outlets along with the auto feeder. Then we can get the Hydros simple dosing pump that will plug into a drive port with room for other sensors and devices that we may want. Thank you for your response!

 

[n2585722]

Ok so it sounds like we were on the right track to begin with and we should get the Hydros Launch. We already have a pump for the ATO. We can plug that into the launch outlets along with the auto feeder. Then we can get the Hydros simple dosing pump that will plug into a drive port with room for other sensors and devices that we may want. Thank you for your response!

It is also expandable by adding another controller and connecting it to your existing controller. Add it to you account and setup the wifi on it then select it and update the firmware to match your existing one. Then select your original controller and create collective in the app. Then you add the new controller to the collective.Once the new controller is in the collective any inputs and output can be used by the collective. So you can use an input from other controllers to control an output on another. The collective acts like one larger controller. I currently have 14 controllers in my collective, but I control quite bit of things with the collective.

 

[dschuffert]

I looked at the Avast ATO and it looks like you will need to get the pump of your choosing to use on a Hydros output. So you can either get the Hydros ATO pump, simple doser or a pump that runs off of an AC outlet on the Hydros. The Hydros ATO pump and the Hydros simple doser connect to a drive port. Those ports are on a few diffrent controllers but the XS is not one of them. Also all you really need for Hydros ATO is a water level sensor and a pump that will connect to the Hydros. As an example at the moment I use a Hydros Sole for my pump but have used the simple doser before that. It was still working when I started using the Sole. If I ever use the Sole for something else such as AWC I will use the simple doser again. I will post my ATO output settings and the settings for the Sole output. I have to use 2 outputs with it since it is a smart doser. With the simple doser you can do it with just the one output. The first three screenshots are my ATO output. Mine is more complex than most since I use 5 different inputs for control. The first one is the actual water level sensor for ATO. It has the active mode set to dry since we want the output to come on if it is dry and all the other inputs are also active. That is set using the combiner mode which when set to AND requires all inputs to be in the active state. The other setting OR would require only one of the inputs to be in the active state for the output to come on. The second input is a leak detector at the tank. If a leak is detected then I do not want the ATO to come on so it is also set to active when dry. The third input is a leak detector in the garage where my pump, DI reservoir and RODI unit is at. So if there is a leak detected there I don't want any of the pumps out there or the RODI to come on. So that s also set to active when dry. The forth input is a low level sensor in my DI reservoir. This one has the active mode set to wet since if it was dry that would mean the reservoir is low so I do not want the output to come on. The fifth input is a sump high water level sensor. If that sensor is wet then something is not right and I do not want the ATO to run. This input will also turn off my skimmer since I do not want it running if the water level is too high. I do not use a schedule on this output so has internal schedule is set to off. The output device is set to none since I amusing the Sole pump with it's own output but if I was using a Hydros ATO or simple doser I would set this setting to the output port where the pump is connected. The next setting if input/ dependency unavailable is what the output state will go too if an inout or the dependency are not available for some reason since they can be on a different controller as ling as they are all in the same collective. I set it to off since I do not want to run the ATO if any of those inputs are not available. I do use advanced settings so enable advanced settings is set to on. The first one is minimum off time. That is set to 5 minutes so once the output turns off it has to wait for at least 5 minutes before it will turn on again except for if it is forced off using depends on. In that case the off timer will not start the countdown until the depends on is no longer forcing the output to off. The next on maximum off time is set to 3 hours. For my tank if it goes 3 hours without doing a top off I want to know. Since I have an alert level set for these settings I will get a push notification if it goes 3 hours without a top off. It will not turn the output on though. The next setting is minimum on time. On mine it is set to 35 seconds so if it comes on it will run that long regardless of the inputs but with a dosing pump running at a flow rate of 55ml a minute that is not a lot of water at all. The next one is maximum on time which is set to 3 minutes. I also have run past max on time set to off so if it runs for 3 minutes it will turn off and send a push notification. It will remain off as long as all the inputs are active or it is not overridden to either on or off and then set back to auto. I would not override it to on unless I am where the tank is at so I could intervene on site if something happens. You never know when you could have a internet issue. The next setting is the notification level for the advanced settings. I have it set to yellow. The active in modes settings were left at their defaults which is active. If a mode is unchecked for the output then the output cannot come on in that mode when it is set to auto, which is the the normal setting. In auto it means the controller has control of the outputs state. If you override to on or off then the controller is no longer controlling it and it will stay in that state until you set it to a different state. The next setting is the depends on setting and I have it set to the ATO ok output and the dependency mode set to off if off. So if the ATO ok turns off it will force the ATO output to off also. The ATO ok output is setup to be on normally unless the return pump is off or the drain or fill pump are running. The drain and fill pumps are used for AWC so I do not want the ATO to run during the water change. The forth screenshot is of my Sole output settings. It is a doser and the type is smart doser. The next setting output device is set to the doser port where that doser is at. With the Sole it is built into the controller. A smart doser can only be used in schedules unless it is one that can be set to run constantly which the Sole can. So I set it to run constantly at 55ml a minute. The Sole is one of the dosers that can be set to different flow rates and can run either direction. Some dosers like the simple doser only run a one flow rate but you will still need to set that in the output if the setting is there and any schedules you have it in if using a schedule. The active in modes are set at their default. The dependency mode is how you will control a pump in runs constantly. This is set to the previous output the ATO output. The dependency mode is set to off if off. So if the ATO output is off this output will also be off. If the ATO output is on then this output will be on. That is about it for my ATO settings. If you use an AC pump you will need a XP8 and another controller or the Launch since those are currently the only 2 controllers with AC outputs. I would not use a wifi power strip outlet for ATO pump power.

This is brilliant. Thanks for sharing. I just did a very similar setup on an ATO using your configs and it works perfectly. I was using GHL for this but wanted something easier to work with and now using Hydros.