big plant ppk

[bobblehead]

Well I'm back. I hope you don't mind the photo dump D9, but this belongs here more than it belongs in my thread.

40lbs of Thrifty-Sorb from O'Reilly's yielded about 5 gallons of medium after screening with aluminum window screen. I spilled a little on the ground too.

To the left, some of the refined clay, and the smaller stuff is what fell through the screen.

 

[delta9nxs]

thanks, was that regular aluminum insect screen?

 

[SecondAttempt]

AZ gives a %10 discount to fire/police/military vets, and 20% to employees... finally a reason to join the military or work for that shitdump company.

 

[Ichabod Crane]

Just a question. Don't they use wood chips for your leaking roos dave?

 

[bobblehead]

thanks, was that regular aluminum insect screen?

Yes, regular aluminum window screen. It seems pretty impossible to remove all of the fine granules... I can be a little obsessive... But most of what is left is rather coarse.

 

[delta9nxs]

Yes, regular aluminum window screen. It seems pretty impossible to remove all of the fine granules... I can be a little obsessive... But most of what is left is rather coarse.

me too, i clean the shit out of it. it should flow well, but check that porosity although mine looks good after screening i will check it first.

all you need is to remove the stuff that falls easily through the screen.

so we have o'reilly's at $1.28 per gallon of usable. the best so far.

 

[SecondAttempt]

I grabbed a bag of AZ 7133 oil absorbent today, screened ad rinsed a small batch to check out... after rinsing I can break it apart too easily, I don't think I like it. I have a solo cup of it soaking because I want to see what it looks like after soaking for a day or three.

D9 I defer to you and your final decision on 7133 because I've never even seen Turface. I want the 7133 to work because it only costs me $5.60 however I'm not about to make concessions on media again... Not after today's coco nightmare(i will update my thread with the narrative tonight as well as long overdue pics).

 

[delta9nxs]

I grabbed a bag of AZ 7133 oil absorbent today, screened ad rinsed a small batch to check out... after rinsing I can break it apart too easily, I don't think I like it. I have a solo cup of it soaking because I want to see what it looks like after soaking for a day or three.

D9 I defer to you and your final decision on 7133 because I've never even seen Turface. I want the 7133 to work because it only costs me $5.60 however I'm not about to make concessions on media again... Not after today's coco nightmare(i will update my thread with the narrative tonight as well as long overdue pics).

ok, i'll check it first thing tomorrow.

 

[Snook]

I grabbed a bag of AZ 7133 oil absorbent today, screened ad rinsed a small batch to check out... after rinsing I can break it apart too easily, I don't think I like it. I have a solo cup of it soaking because I want to see what it looks like after soaking for a day or three.

D9 I defer to you and your final decision on 7133 because I've never even seen Turface. I want the 7133 to work because it only costs me $5.60 however I'm not about to make concessions on media again... Not after today's coco nightmare(i will update my thread with the narrative tonight as well as long overdue pics).

I've tried Napa 8822, with and without rice hulls, mule mix and MVP.. right now, I'm running 2 plants with a mixture of all 3. everything seems to work. if i had to pick one, cost not a factor, i'd go with the mule mix. dono why, mabe because its red. there are no orileys arond here or id give it a go. i dont have the patients to screen, although i have. screening is a pita, >>wash, let dry, stir, wash, let dry stir, wash, dry, etc., 3-4 times.. good to go.

tried coco too, god damned gnats! dont care how good it runs, gnats.. all the time.

 

[delta9nxs]

well, i just went out and messed with it and it is not as hard as turface but it is much harder than 8822.

it will work unless it's toxic somehow and we won't know that until someone puts a plant in it but they do show "potting soil" on the thriftyzorb bag.

i took larger pieces and a knife and pushed the blade down with increasing force on them. the 8822 breaks easily, turface is actually hard to break, and the moltan stuff falls somewhere in between.

but i think it's usable.

 

[forkup]

Great info guys, thanks for doing the dirty work!

 

[delta9nxs]

i ran a whole 50 lb bag of "turface mvp/primera one" down the slide and got approx 7.5 gals usable. so with my latest invoice showing 12.49 per bag that's $1.66 per gal usable for me.

but you guys buying from john deere are getting the big green one up the old chute!

 

[delta9nxs]

I've tried Napa 8822, with and without rice hulls, mule mix and MVP.. right now, I'm running 2 plants with a mixture of all 3. everything seems to work. if i had to pick one, cost not a factor, i'd go with the mule mix. dono why, mabe because its red. there are no orileys arond here or id give it a go. i dont have the patients to screen, although i have. screening is a pita, >>wash, let dry, stir, wash, let dry stir, wash, dry, etc., 3-4 times.. good to go.

tried coco too, god damned gnats! dont care how good it runs, gnats.. all the time.

no wonder you don't like screening! i do one pass down the slide dry right out of the bag, working it back and forth with a 24" stiff bristle push broom.

then into one of those cement mixing tubs from lowes, angled so water runs out over one edge.

flushing until it runs clear, turning it over with a shovel.

half hour on the screen and another half hour in the tub and that's it.

after i load the grow container i rinse it one more time.

i don't pre-charge with calcined clay or arcillite, with is the proper name for montmorillonite clay after it's been fired.

but i do put the container in place and let it cycle for a while before the plant goes in.

 

[SecondAttempt]

you guys buying from john deere are getting the big green one up the old chute!

John Deere told me like $20 a bag... that about what everyone else is being quoted?

 

[delta9nxs]

the porosity test for moltan arcillite after screening and washing came out right at 33%, just like the screened and washed turface.

again, looking at the msds's for moltan i find that all the "coarse" grade products are exactly the same stuff so this porosity should apply to them all.

tractor supply has the "safe T sorb" brand. haven't got a price yet. 40 lb bags

 

[icdog]

Hey D9 I've just finished a test ppk and have a question about turface.
You said you use fibreglass at the bottom of the tailpiece. That stuff is pretty tight, how much does it matter if stuff less then a window screen hole size is in the system? Does it clog somehow?
How clean does the turface have to be, what happens if it isn't clean?

I'm very keen to try this out.

 

[Ichabod Crane]

tractor supply has the "safe T sorb" brand. haven't got a price yet. 40 lb bags

Looks like $4.99

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/safe-t-sorbtrade;-oil-absorbent-40-lb

 

[Snook]

John Deere told me like $20 a bag... that about what everyone else is being quoted?

the local JD distributor here said they dont make MVP any longer... only the sports stuff... Lieing Bastards.

 

[Snook]

no wonder you don't like screening! i do one pass down the slide dry right out of the bag, working it back and forth with a 24" stiff bristle push broom.

then into one of those cement mixing tubs from lowes, angled so water runs out over one edge.

flushing until it runs clear, turning it over with a shovel.

half hour on the screen and another half hour in the tub and that's it.

after i load the grow container i rinse it one more time.

i don't pre-charge with calcined clay or arcillite, with is the proper name for montmorillonite clay after it's been fired.

but i do put the container in place and let it cycle for a while before the plant goes in.

I bought a smaller plastic yard wheelbarrow, cut 4, 1 1/8" holes in the bottom, gooped a piece of screen over each hole.. wash, dry, etc., etc. letting th hose run it too over flows, taking dusty stuff with it over the top and out the bottom... can not do those things outside around here, too many questions with not too many good answers.. "hey, why you screening and washing those bags of floor dry?" <gimme a good answer.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Fish tank gravel... I was just out on the deck thinking the same thing. I screened indoors, wearing a respirator, washed outside. Only got through 1/2 bag... I wish I could build a 25 foot slide, how do I explain that to the neighbors though?