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Blumat reservoir size?
- Thread starter OPT
- Start date
G
greenmatter
i have not tried to count how many different set ups people are using for blumats, or for how many different reasons they do it, but there are lots of ways to make them work great
M
moodster
I wud go with 9 gal that's what I got lasts a week easy
nachoconqueso
Member
Start with a 5 gallon bucket. You can easily move up from there. Like the other dude said, when they're going full blast you'll be changing the water pretty frequently, but hardly enough for it to be a hassle.
I do pretty much the same thing right now and 5 has been working for me, but I'm going to get a decent res (10-20 gal) in the not too distant future. As of right now I'm carrying the 5 gallon bucket back and forth from the sink. Once the new res comes in I'll just run a hose from the nearest faucet. I say start small and build up that way you can always find out exactly what your needs are.
I do pretty much the same thing right now and 5 has been working for me, but I'm going to get a decent res (10-20 gal) in the not too distant future. As of right now I'm carrying the 5 gallon bucket back and forth from the sink. Once the new res comes in I'll just run a hose from the nearest faucet. I say start small and build up that way you can always find out exactly what your needs are.
nachoconqueso
Member
Didn't see that you need to go for a week unchecked. Yeah you'll need at least 10 imo. 6 Plants at full blast will bring your water levels much too low by the end of the week. If the water was low and kept evaporating you'd get salt precipitates which will clog your drip line. Been there. Also, the large majority of water pressure in your line is based off of the weight of water located directly above your outlet. If your water ran too low then you may lose needed pressure.
G
greenmatter
OPT
do you have a water line running anywhere close to your room? you could make a rez that tops itself off with a 5 gallon bucket and a toilet valve. might seem a little ghetto to some, but it would work,and you wouldn't need a bunch of tools, money or time to do it
do you have a water line running anywhere close to your room? you could make a rez that tops itself off with a 5 gallon bucket and a toilet valve. might seem a little ghetto to some, but it would work,and you wouldn't need a bunch of tools, money or time to do it
OPT
Member
Well im running house and garden coco nutes, so i cant really have it hooked up to auto top off, because i need nutes in my water, almost all the time. I wont really have to leave it alone for more then a few days at a time unless i go on vacation or something.
I think i will just try out a 5 gallon or 8 gallon utility bucket, hopefully the bulkhead fits properly.
OPT
I think i will just try out a 5 gallon or 8 gallon utility bucket, hopefully the bulkhead fits properly.
OPT
Ganja Maker
Member
What most do is use the 5g bucket raised up, but have a larger res on the floor with a small pump that tops off the bucket.
You have an overflow run back down to the big res like one big cycle.
This way you never touch the top bucket, just fill up the bottom res when you think you need it. You will also keep constant pressure going to all the blumats,and have less chance of a runoff.
If you do some blumat searches you'll find some exact examples of this.
You have an overflow run back down to the big res like one big cycle.
This way you never touch the top bucket, just fill up the bottom res when you think you need it. You will also keep constant pressure going to all the blumats,and have less chance of a runoff.
If you do some blumat searches you'll find some exact examples of this.
T
THriveCompany
I run 8- 5 gallon smart pots on a 20 gal rez last a week tops when raging
what he said ftw! 10-15 gal w/ auxiliary 5 gal bucket at cieling feeding drip lines. with a drain set at a certain height in the 5gal that waterfalls back into the main rez(i usually put the top of the drain about 8" from the bottom of the bucket giving me around 1.5 gallons in top rez at all times, which maintains constant line pressure and prevents things from going out of adjustment due to fluctuation in water pressure) this is the only way that I have setup my blumats and felt comfortable leaving for any given period of time. my main rez is on a float valve and gets fed fresh filtered tap as the level falls, usually after a few days I turn the source water off and use up whats left to prevent things from getting too diluted.
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OPT
Member
Well i watered them pretty good, let them sit for a few hours. I then installed the blumats to my 5 gallon bucket, set them like recommended.
Put into coco, opened till it streamed full, then backed it off till just a drop clinged to the end, and turned them 2 arrows.
So far i can't really tell if they are working yet. I did just transplant into 2 gallon buckets 5 days ago, so the roots haven't fully branched out, so i don't think they are drinking much yet.
Just looking at them, i dont see them dripping, but like i said the coco is still pretty moist.
crossing my fingers!
OPT
Put into coco, opened till it streamed full, then backed it off till just a drop clinged to the end, and turned them 2 arrows.
So far i can't really tell if they are working yet. I did just transplant into 2 gallon buckets 5 days ago, so the roots haven't fully branched out, so i don't think they are drinking much yet.
Just looking at them, i dont see them dripping, but like i said the coco is still pretty moist.
crossing my fingers!
OPT
time drips if your running in coco...I let a drop fall every 2-3 seconds to maintain optimum moisture in the pots...within a week or so there is a patch of roots on the surface of the coco that will ultimately try to climb into the end of the blumats drip line, at which point i usually turn the entire blumat a little less than a quarter turn...gotta keep the roots outta the line for at least the first few weeks of 12/12
It usually takes me a few days or more to dial em in, starting at one end of the continuous loop finishing on the other. daily adjustments are necessary at the beginning but once thats all said and done and things are running smoothly, blumats rock.
It usually takes me a few days or more to dial em in, starting at one end of the continuous loop finishing on the other. daily adjustments are necessary at the beginning but once thats all said and done and things are running smoothly, blumats rock.
OPT
Member
So, what you mean is i should try to get 1 drip ever 2-3 seconds if my coco is to the wetness i want it to stay?
I'm just afraid that since my pots aren't full of roots quite yet that it will water them more than what they can drink which will lead to runoff that could get to be excessive.
OPT
I'm just afraid that since my pots aren't full of roots quite yet that it will water them more than what they can drink which will lead to runoff that could get to be excessive.
OPT
yep excessive runoff does happen on the occasional plant doing it like that, I just kind of hover over things and tweak the adjustments for the first few days..come to think of it, i transplant 1 week before flip normally and hand water in veg, so they do get a week long period to get semi established before the blumats get hooked up....just keep a close eye on em for the first few days and when making your initial adjustments do a few "laps" through the circuit because as you adjust the drips down the line the pressure in the line is going to vary causing the ones you have already adjusted to come out of adjustment.
