Blumat or Timed Drippers?

doob · Mar 30, 2015

Hi Guys, newbie alert here, hello to all :wave:

i am just about to start my first grow in coco, but unsure what feeding system to go for so was hoping for some input. I will be using a gravity fed system, feeding 4x 6.5litre square pots for my flower area.

Originally I was going for an irrigation timer with 2x drippers per pot. But the blumat does look a good system. Only issue i have is the reservoir is 25 litres. So I liked the idea of calculating how long it lasts before I need to top up, especially when I go away for a couple days. Also liked the idea of 2 drippers in each pot to give a more even distribution of feed.

Would love to he's thoughts to help me decide

dissolute · Mar 30, 2015

you have to adjust timers as the plant grows but they have less tendancy to randomly fail.

blumats work better though, provided you set them up with some thought. set a small rez a few feet above their operating height, keep it auto filled with a small pump and recirculation loop or a float valve to maintain constant pressure on the droppers.

stoned40yrs · Mar 30, 2015

Like dissolute says you need 2 rez, the top higher rez should be filled by the bottom one every few hours so it stays nearly full. The top rez needs overflow pipe to drain back into the bottom rez so it can't over flow. Using only one rez will mess up when the pressure drops too much. You do not need two blumats in a 6.5 liter pot. Coco is like a sponge, drops hitting one spot will spread to it all.
I don't think it matters one bit if the coco is feed by the almost constant drip of blumats or timed release of more water with drippers. 6 of one or a half dozen of the other. blumats are sweet.

Meison · Mar 30, 2015

I'm trying blumats for the first time, in a 3 gal, 100% coco. I was worried about using only 1 blumat on the pot, but like stoned40 said, its like a sponge.

I only have 1, 5 gal rez. Since I only have 1 blumat for the test. About 80cms from the ground. Works great!

So far I love them compared to my drip system! Set them and that's pretty much all the work you will do besides topping off! AWESOME!

Cheers

stoned40yrs · Mar 31, 2015

Way easier and safer with the double rez. Less runaways. Double rez with a pump to the top rez keeps all the feed the same ph wise and adds air. My pump comes on for 15 minutes every 3 hours. The pressure in the top rez stays pretty much the same. My top rez is 5 gal, my 6 plants in bloom used 3-4 gal when lights on. It would be a pain in the ass filling the top rez every day and worrying if it had enough pressure.

doob · Mar 31, 2015

Thanks for your replies, definitely made my kind up actually. Decided after a day of blumat reading that is going to be the best route.

I will use a side fill valve on the 25 litre bucket, which will be fed from a large reservoir above. Then have a ring of blumats from the bucket.

Only concern I have now is keeping the system clean and running smoothly. I will need to warm the tanks in the colder months which may be an issue?

Unclecrash · Mar 31, 2015

Are you guys just using the top rez to gravity feed and to keep the pressure up to the blue mats. Thanks UC

stoned40yrs · Mar 31, 2015

Unclecrash said:
Are you guys just using the top rez to gravity feed and to keep the pressure up to the blue mats. Thanks UC

Yes, that's the best way unless you are just feeding water. In that case a pressure reducer on a open tap water feed without any rez is the best way. :tiphat:

TheDude420 · Mar 31, 2015

Check out the post i created today.. i am new so don't just look asume im an idiot since i only have a couple posts..

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=303941

If you are doing a gravity feed why would you want another rez and all this other stuff.. just get adjustable irrigation emitters from ebay (15 bucks for 50) and use a sub pump or jet pump if you want to be really fancy about it.

a 1500gph pump only needs to run 2 minutes to water each plant with .25 gallons of water in a 32 plant system. so you would only have to run it about 2 to 5 minutes a day depending on watering schedule which wouldn't cost a thing. You could water twice or even three times a day to increase air exhange and get more explosive growth rates!

Then get another cheap 20 dollar pump and make it a venturi to put oxygen in and mix up the rez.. you could even set that to a timer so it only runs 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off to save electricity if you are really that concerned but those are only about 15-30 watts for a small 250gph pump and they would also remove any noise you would create from using air stones and a stupid air pump.

Let me know if you have any questions..

doob · Apr 1, 2015

Noise is an issue where my set up will be, so that's the main reason I wanted to stay away from pumps. I also have good height above the tent for reservoirs. And after lots of blumat reading I really like the idea the coco will be kept perfect all the time through flower for optimum growth, surely it doesn't get better than that?

Has there been any side by side testing with these setups?

TheDude420 · Apr 1, 2015

the nod said:
Noise is an issue where my set up will be, so that's the main reason I wanted to stay away from pumps. I also have good height above the tent for reservoirs. And after lots of blumat reading I really like the idea the coco will be kept perfect all the time through flower for optimum growth, surely it doesn't get better than that?

Has there been any side by side testing with these setups?

If you decide to go with the BlueLab make sure you let me know how it worked out with the gravity fed system.. but like someone said above, if you don't keep a float valve and top of that main rez you are going to have issues with even water distribution i feel since after you get about halfway through that rez you will have way less pressure but if the bluelab keeps everything optimum that might not be an issue since it would just let run for a while.

stoned40yrs · Apr 1, 2015

the nod said:
Noise is an issue where my set up will be, so that's the main reason I wanted to stay away from pumps. I also have good height above the tent for reservoirs. And after lots of blumat reading I really like the idea the coco will be kept perfect all the time through flower for optimum growth, surely it doesn't get better than that?

Has there been any side by side testing with these setups?

I haven't seen any side X sides posted up but there are plenty of guys who ran both systems. It seems cashcroppers or high plant count guys would choose the timed drippers over blumats. Both systems work great, pick one to suit you. You won't be disappointed either way. sustainablevillage is the place to buy blumats and parts.

RedBeardy5 · Apr 2, 2015

I ran blumats with a gravity fed system. As water overflows from the top reservoir it aerates and mixes on its own. Its a very simple method and yet so efficient.

IndoorAddict · Apr 2, 2015

Yup blumats for the f-ing win!

doob · Apr 2, 2015

@ thedude, my 25l reservoir will fed from a higher 50l res by a ballcock setup. I have decided to use blumats, loop with 2 tank connections to the 25l bucket. Both will be black reservoirs, the large one also in a cardboard box to keep as much light out as possible. All though there is no light to the room anyway. The 25l bucket will be 2 metres above the plants, and as I'm only doing 4 pots so minimum tubing, pressure should be ok.

Thanks for all your replies. I have gone on to read that huge blumat thread, but still don't know about how the canna A&B I'm using will slime up my system. I'm hoping 1ml/gall of drip clean and after every flower a good rinse out with hot water will keep it in good shape. The water temp wont go above 20degC where it is located. I will also use foil tape across my lines which may help.

Be good to hear what other coco heads have to do to keep their reservoirs clean for drippers. Maintenance is the only thing I now have questions about

TheDude420 · Apr 2, 2015

get a 150 micron Y Filter and add it in the main line. Never worked with the bluemats but they probably have some sort of filter. flush out the 150 micron filter every once and a while by putting a ball valve before it and closing that then removing the bottom (flush nut) and then opening the valve for a second to flush out any garbage then close the valve back up and put the flush nut back on.

Are you planning on running bennies or a sterile system (chlorine or H202)?

As long as you are able to go there every couple days you probably wont have any issues.. the only problem with the drip systems i have found is that you can set them up pretty solid but one of those stupid drippers will always clog after a while and if you only go and check on things once a week then you might lose a plant or two from time to time.. my one buddy does two drip lines per plant site to ensure this doesn't happen since he only visits his garden once a week at max.. sometimes not for 3 weeks.

Let me know how things turn out and post some pics if you have some time.

al70 · Apr 2, 2015

I gotta look into this shit, I'm hand watering 17x10 liter pots by hand at the moment, what a f#*#*&g nightmare come feeding time.

IndoorAddict · Apr 3, 2015

I just started using zone in my blumat rez and am happy thus far. Before that I ran pharmacy grade h2o2 and I believe it was actually the culprit of my problems

cyat · Apr 3, 2015

blumats are fuckin amazing!!!!

special drip according to each plants needs, pumps just cant do that, the simplicity is mindblowing

stoned40yrs · Apr 3, 2015

Blumat makes inline filters. sustainablevillage sells them. I just hooked my blumats back up today. My 6 month experiment with twice a day handwatering is over. All I got to say about handwatering is fuckthatshit :dance013:

Blumat or Timed Drippers?

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