[notjonesinNEmor]

I'm working on getting setup for a small scale dripper/pot setup and I have a question that I have not been able to get answered in the stickies and searches.

What size pump are you small scale guys using?

I am planning on 4-5 3-gallon pots in a 28"x33" cabinet under a 400w mh/hps. I would prefer to use a smaller (hopefully quieter) pump even if it means running longer. I see a ton of pump out there but most of them seem way too big for what I need. I don't need 350gph @100psi with a 6 foot lift (made up numbers, but you get the idea :smile: )

Any pics of your small setups would be great as well. I am thinking out RTW at the moment, I just don't know what to do with the waste yet. Oh well plenty of time to figure it out as I am just about to go into flower with a soil grow. Hopefully last soil and on to coco!

You don't need much of a pump...especially if it isn't required to push too far up. I have a 450g/hr unit...but I don't need that much. You can use a multiple outlet maniffold that will pressure compensate so every pot gets the same water pressure no matter how long each line is, or where the lines hook into the feedline.



Check out drip irigation https://www.dripirrigation.com/index.php

It will give you a few ideas also.

Cheers,
SC

[dusto2k3]

i have a 500 gph propump
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=56035
thats my deal there, it works well, but youd only need 150 or so. My 500 is overkill.

I also recirculate my drip, so i dont care how long it is on for.

[notjonesinNEmor]

At first I was thinking that I could get away with a gravity feed setup, but then reality set in and a big tank of liquid over the light was not a good idea.

I am not opposed to larger pump, I was just wondering how small I could go.

Suburban - thanks for the link. I know exactly jack about irrigation stuff.

Dusto2k3 - I saw your thread. Good lookin setup. I like the idea of recirculating, i am just not decided on the stability yet. I'll be keepin an eye or your results

I wouldn't recommend recirculating system with coco, unless you plan on filtering the runoff before it enters back into the rez. Little coco particles will be constantly entering your rez if you don't.

Cheers,
SH

[dusto2k3]

Personally, i would let a filter stand in the way of recirculating. And yes i do have little particles, i wrap my pump in a few layers of nylons and viloa, no issues. Little coco never hurt anyone and I have yet to see any ph flux or any issues from it.

notjonesNEmor, my plants are lovin it, i just let them veg too long as this is my first coco grow, so its really thick in there so i don't know how good the results are gonna be. I wasn't ready for them to get this big.

[BlueBear]

Hey Dusto, BlueBear from C.Com, glad to here that you are doing a full coco grow. I am still hand watering, but even though it is a little bit of a pain to do it on a daily basis it helps me from geting to lazy. But since I am about to make a move and be very busy I may have to switch over.
Are you dripping into pots or cubes?
Adieu

Originally Posted by suburbanhomeboy

I wouldn't recommend recirculating system with coco, unless you plan on filtering the runoff before it enters back into the rez. Little coco particles will be constantly entering your rez if you don't.

Cheers,
SH

No prob. Slip a sock or a pouch made of cheese cloth over the drain from the tray, let it dip into the rez water so it'll grow some beneficial bacteria, and you're done. If it'll make you feel better, slip a sock over the pump as well.

Peace

[NPK]

My thoughts: you can grow some large bushes in 3-gallon pots, but I'm not sure you're gonna get the light penetration you'd need for such large plants with a 400-watter. You could make more efficient use of the light by growing a few more plants in smaller pots--say, nine in one-gallon pots--by keeping 'em to 24 inches or shorter. You'd get better light penetration.

I veg my plants under a 430-watter in a 2x4 tray. I recirculate, and as dusto pointed out, it's no problem at all when you filter the runoff and cover your pump with some panty hose. I was running the pump (310 gph for 10-12 plants at a time) 4-5x per day cycle until the batch I'm vegging now. The growth was just too fast: I couldn't make space in my flowering room (also a drip recirculating setup) in time for the new girls. So now I'm back to hand-watering vegging plants once a day. It's more manageable.

[dusto2k3]

Bluebear, good to hear from ya. I have these 8.5x8.5x8 square pots. then i have little rings made of the 1/4" line and a tee which i drilled holes in, around the stalk. I wasn't aware that they have coco cubes. I'm using canna coco and i also plan on reusing it after a cannazyme soak. So we'll see how that goes.

NPK, your right the growth is way crazy. I fudged this up a little and let mine veg too long. I wasn't prepared for the amount of growth i saw. Huge difference from the promix. I water 4 times light on and once in lights off.