Need help with drain to waste coco setup for vert

[Chris1]

Hey guys I have decided to drop my 600. I definitely plan on adding a 6 soon. How many plants is ideal? I want to keep count low. (Under 8?) Strain is LVPK...I've never ran her before but I know a lot of people here have. They are in 1 gallon pots right now, plan on going to smart pots after a good rootball is established

Should I stack the 6s or hang them side by side? Room is 5.5x5.5x8

Is a fan under a bare bulb a lot warmer than a cooltube?

Also, whats the best way to set up my DTW setup?


Thanks guys

 

[vman]

Hey

I am trying head formula and tropf blumats this run.
From now, this is the easyest way to water I ever tried. Nothing to say, everything is fine.
No runoff, even if I was afraid of it, girls are healthy.

I ran with cooltube too, and I removed it for the first time, putted a HW under the barebulb (low speed). I reach almost the same temps (a little bit higher to be honest, but with a better light exposure)

 

[DHF]

Good call on the Blumats Vman......Respect...if I was only gonna circle wagons round a bare bulb , the Deck and patio kit gives yas all the tubing , fittings , and sensor/emitters/carrots with top dial control for 12 plants....but.....

Blumat`s work best when sized to the proper container for constant drying out and transpiration from nutrient uptake....

They do well with smartpots and plant saucers under each 1 to judge and dial the sensor heads down to all but no runoff ftw if yas use reduced ppm`s since the plants are drinkin constantly as the medium dries out and get`s replenished by the carrot sensor/emitters....

Normal automated feed ppm`s will burn the shit out of most elite strains these days , so dial em down if you choose the blumats.....

Rule # 1 in coco....Dripclean @ 1 ml per gal.....dial the sensors down where they only drip enough for lil to no runoff......

Keep a topoff rez on a float valve to keep the active gravity fed rez at a constant level so as to not drop the pressure to the plantsites....IOW...

As the plants eat , the rez drops......the further it drops in said rez , the less hydrostatic pressure is put on those gravity fed sensors/emitters that only drip out the top as the carrots dry out and release the top cone to allow feed thru the tubing......

Fukin Ingenious shit.....Got friends at other places that won`t ever use anything else again , that`s how easy and redundant the setup is once dialed.....

The "Maxi" blumat`s are perfect for # 5 smartpots.....with good hybrids that is that stretch properly......

Good luck on your decision.....Go look at Bobble`s thread if yas wanna learn bout pumps , manifolds , and control valves to give equal flow and pressure to each plantsite so no plant gets less or more than all of em.....

DTW/Drain to waste need not exist anymore since dripclean hit the market , so save yer juice and run blumats with plants on the floor...simple....babyshit.....my 2 cents....

Good luck...DHF.........

 

[Chris1]

Awesome tips guys, I'm definitely gonna grab some drip clean and get these blumats. Is a V scrog preferable over just a "donut of weed"?

 

[OneTokeOver]

Keep a topoff rez on a float valve to keep the active gravity fed rez at a constant level so as to not drop the pressure to the plantsites....IOW...

As the plants eat , the rez drops......the further it drops in said rez , the less hydrostatic pressure is put on those gravity fed sensors/emitters that only drip out the top as the carrots dry out and release the top cone to allow feed thru the tubing......

Good luck...DHF.........

DHF, not trying to start any shit, but I thought the Blumats were controlled by water tension in the soil. So in theory, the valve just stays open longer as the level drops, no?

I love them, just bought my second and third set. Have to say tho, that I have not noticed the moisture content vary with rez depth. (I lift all the pots several times a day, partly cause I still can't believe how well they work but mostly because it gives me something to do in the flower room now.)

For me, having to worry about a control rez and auto top off negates the simplicity of the system. I would just go back to hand watering.

Chris, I am building a new flower room right now and am going 2 1000 k on vert light mover surrounded my 4 straight vert walls with screens. I have 8 x 7 x 9' tall though.

In your space I would stack 2 1000 and go 4 vert walls. put a fan directly under the lights. I doubt 5.5' is wide enough to vscrog.

Have fun!

 

[OneTokeOver]

I take that back, you could Vscrog but access would be a bitch.

 

[Chris1]

4 vert walls, meaning shelves of plants, or just plants 1 level of plants all around the room?? Say, 4 plants for each wall?

 

[CreQ]

The "Maxi" blumat`s are perfect for # 5 smartpots.....with good hybrids that is......

how many maxi blumats for a #5 smartpot? they're kinda of expensive at $7.20 a piece. are the blumats hard to run and setup on 80+ plants?

 

[OneTokeOver]

Shelves of plants. To maximize the use of space you want a vertical wall of plants.

2 to 5 rows depending on how long you plan to veg and how much your strain will stretch.

CreQ, I have limited experience, 6 mths, but once they are set you just fill the res. and watch em grow.

 

[DHF]

One toke.....Water tension in soil or any other medium is controlled by the evaporative process through what the plants drink/eat/transpire through the leaves from proper nutrient uptake and that circadian rythym that dope grows best at.....IOW....

It`s the drying out process from the plants drinkin that causes that "water tension removal" the blumat`s address so well.......Did I say ingenious shit for properly dialed no pumps required gravity fed plants on 1 level.....?.....

Peace....DHF.......

 

[bobblehead]

DHF, not trying to start any shit, but I thought the Blumats were controlled by water tension in the soil. So in theory, the valve just stays open longer as the level drops, no?

I love them, just bought my second and third set. Have to say tho, that I have not noticed the moisture content vary with rez depth. (I lift all the pots several times a day, partly cause I still can't believe how well they work but mostly because it gives me something to do in the flower room now.)

For me, having to worry about a control rez and auto top off negates the simplicity of the system. I would just go back to hand watering.

Chris, I am building a new flower room right now and am going 2 1000 k on vert light mover surrounded my 4 straight vert walls with screens. I have 8 x 7 x 9' tall though.

In your space I would stack 2 1000 and go 4 vert walls. put a fan directly under the lights. I doubt 5.5' is wide enough to vscrog.

Have fun!

I don't think you realize how easy it is to hook this up... If you are willing to take the time to setup and dial-in the blumats, there is no reason you can't handle an auto-topping rez. You go to the toilet section at home depot, buy the ball float valve for $11, drill a 1/2" hole in the side of your rez, insert float valve, connect the float valve to another rez sitting higher than that one, for a gravity powered refill... My rez is auto-topped by my RO filter. Seriously, it's a 5 minute job.

 

[megayields]

I don't think you realize how easy it is to hook this up... If you are willing to take the time to setup and dial-in the blumats, there is no reason you can't handle an auto-topping rez. You go to the toilet section at home depot, buy the ball float valve for $11, drill a 1/2" hole in the side of your rez, insert float valve, connect the float valve to another rez sitting higher than that one, for a gravity powered refill... My rez is auto-topped by my RO filter. Seriously, it's a 5 minute job.

Wow I think even I can do that..........

 

[bobblehead]

lol... I'll be here all night, tutoring you kids on "wealth through stealth"...

 

[Chris1]

Thanks for the input. Definitely gonna set up a top off res with float valve . What size main/top up res is appropriate for an in room set up? Room is 5.5x5.5x8. Do I keep the top up with pure water or full strength?

I'm gonna return the water pump and drip stakes I got @ the hydro store and swap it out for some drip clean, try to find a good deal on the blumats.

is #5 a good size to run with? I'm in pure canna coco

Really appreciate the tips

 

[bobblehead]

Thanks for the input. Definitely gonna set up a top off res with float valve . What size main/top up res is appropriate for an in room set up? Room is 5.5x5.5x8. Do I keep the top up with pure water or full strength?

I'm gonna return the water pump and drip stakes I got @ the hydro store and swap it out for some drip clean, try to find a good deal on the blumats.

is #5 a good size to run with? I'm in pure canna coco

Really appreciate the tips

I don't recommend keeping your res in the room... but if you do, keep a lid on it, and drill holes for the tubing to come out. The res can add unwanted humidity to the room later in flower.

as far as the size of the feed res... Well, if you're using blumats, and you need hydro-static pressure like Freds was talking about... You should go with a taller res. Size doesn't matter as much as height. You can probably get away with a 10-20 gallon feed res, I use a 20gal trash can. Keep it topped off with the float valve...

As far as the water you're adding... I would suggest that you use full strength juice, otherwise you're going to be constantly adjusting the pH and ppm's... I have to separate my RO filter from my main feed, but right now I'm checking on my pods daily. I just wanted to make an example of what the possibilities are.

 

[Centrum]

Anyone know a good place / Price to buy the blumats ?

 

[Chris1]

I saw the porch and patio kit DHF referred to online for about 75 bucks. Dunno if the local stores carry them

 

[CreQ]

I don't think you realize how easy it is to hook this up... If you are willing to take the time to setup and dial-in the blumats, there is no reason you can't handle an auto-topping rez. You go to the toilet section at home depot, buy the ball float valve for $11, drill a 1/2" hole in the side of your rez, insert float valve, connect the float valve to another rez sitting higher than that one, for a gravity powered refill... My rez is auto-topped by my RO filter. Seriously, it's a 5 minute job.

so the nutrients is going to get weaker as the higher rez refills the feed rez?

 

[bobblehead]

so the nutrients is going to get weaker as the higher rez refills the feed rez?

not if you have the refill res full of regular strength nutes, and pH balanced... I was just giving an example of the possibilities. I'll be separating my RO filter and my main rez, but I've been adjusting pH and ppm's on a daily basis lately... It's a new system, so I have to pay extra close attention for a little while.

 

[DHF]

The best wayta describe the explosive growth with coco and blumats once dialed with all the top off shit hooked up for proper gravity fed sensors for optimum equipment performance , is as good as I ever saw my ebb and flow buckets perform with no pumps , bells , and whistles other than environmental control....

IOW...Fast hydro performance with babyshit simple components for KISS.....and yeah....shit ain`t cheap , but look at what you`re NOT havin ta buy for end results once dialed , as well as NO powerbill ta run said previous hydro equipment....Win Win........

Dial your medium Chris.....Run Blumats for weed donuts on da floor.....Plants up the walls need manifolds and control valves with proper pump assist for dialed automated feed unless yas wanna build elevated platforms with topoff rez`s on all the levels for walls of weed Blumat fed..........

Now THAT I`d liketa see.....Bobble ? , Laylow ? , Anybody ?....LOL......

Many waysta grow vert.....all depends on your needs and budget...

Good luck....DHF.........