Blumat auto watering

[Maj.Cottonmouth]

well I just got my patio set from Costco . I was surprised that Costco has a Hydroponic section now.
I have read thru the first 80 pages on this thread
So is everybody still running these Blumats ?
Now that people have had them for a few years now what do u think ?
I am planning on using in a tent grow either with smart pots or airpots(i have both)
I want to use w coco though I am not too experienced with it
I could use FFOF
I have some sample of Botanicare KIND that i got @SFexpo that I would like to use

Blumats work great with coco, I have had great experiences using B'cuzz coco straight out of the bag. I have been using my blumats for several grows and I honestly don't know what I would do without them. Not only are they a huge time saver, I honestly believe they grow bigger plants because of their ability to tailor the feeding to exactly what the plant wants instead of the normal wet dry cycles of hand watering.

I have been using mine with smart pots and they work great but I have not tried airpots. I think rives tried both and found the airpots to be superior.

Blumats will work with FFOF, it is what I used the first time I tried blumats but I think coco is just a better medium.

 

[rives]

Yes, I prefer the airpots because of their rigidity. If you move the plants around, the smart pots allow the coco to shift around and disturb the roots and the spike.

I use Botanicare ReadyGro Aeration mix and it works great. It is also helpful (some say mandatory) to use Drip Clean at 1ml/gallon to keep the nutrients from building up in the media since Blumats don't lend themselves well to creating controlled runoff. The DC also will help keep the drip line clean.

 

[komboloi]

I think every page of this thread is required to have certain specific questions asked, so I'll do it on this page 234:

1. Those Blumats don't work as moisture sensors, do they?
2. There's no difference between Blumat Jr.'s and Tropf Blumats, right?

Hardee har har....

 

[Smokeyjojackson]

Hey I am thinking about giving these a try in a room and was curious if anyone knows where the best price is right now?

I see 40 site setups from $275-340 on ebay.

Can anyone tell me what all I need to get running?

Can I just buy the cheapest "Deck and Planter Kit XL" I can find and get my spare T's and fittings locally at the big box store?

 

[Fou]

This year I will try them for my outdoor grow...
Here are my questions...
1)should I use 12lt pots for 1 plant or is it better to use 75lt pots for 7 plants?
2)do I have to water my plants?,once a week for example,
or I only have to refill my reservoir?

 

[exploziv]

better for each plant to have it's own pot.
if you set them well you don't need to water the plants. just make sure the reservoir is filled with water and covered to keep the water clean. Debris in the water could block your water pipes/blumats.

 

[Maj.Cottonmouth]

Hey I am thinking about giving these a try in a room and was curious if anyone knows where the best price is right now?

I see 40 site setups from $275-340 on ebay.

Can anyone tell me what all I need to get running?

Can I just buy the cheapest "Deck and Planter Kit XL" I can find and get my spare T's and fittings locally at the big box store?

Costco has the 40 piece set for $270 you just add a res.

http://www.costco.com/CatalogSearch?storeId=10301&catalogId=10701&langId=-1&keyword=blumat

 

[Spacecadet01]

Running these in 100gallon smartys in custom dirt using 4 maxis per pot in a GH this summer. Which would be more beneficial...running 4 maxis per pot or 1 maxi and 4-5 distributors? Also what are your thoughts on running these in large grows say 150-200/ 100 gallon pots in a GH?

 

[sunnydog]

Running these in 100gallon smartys in custom dirt using 4 maxis per pot in a GH this summer. Which would be more beneficial...running 4 maxis per pot or 1 maxi and 4-5 distributors? Also what are your thoughts on running these in large grows say 150-200/ 100 gallon pots in a GH?

Using more than 1 sensor ensures a degree of redundancy.
If you have easy access, this may not be an issue for you.
Outdoors, guerrilla style, I found the slave drippers could clog, but indoors they work like a champ.

 

[sunnydog]

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to rives again."

 

[sunnydog]

yeah...they're clay spikes. the only difference between the professional version and the JR are the feeding lines. it's the same shit.

but anyway...magic clay spikes that sense water levels sounds a lot better for all that money you're dropping on em.

https://blumatsystems.com/
i mean they tell you right on the website exactly how it works. i just didn't want anyone going around thinking these were magic based on your insistance that they "sense water levels" they don't SENSE shit. there's not SENSING equipment anywhere in there. it's simple gravity and siphoning.

This is incredibly ignorant. Read, homie, read.

 

[Coconutz]

Its funny when someone posts a link that disproves everything they just said in the same post.
I always feel dumb when I do that, but then I pull 7 zips off a bubba plant and feel like a genius.
Peace

 

[mr. gt]

considering using....just tagging

 

[~Shhh~]

Hi,

I have 2 x (8'x8') tents, each has 3 lights in with 4 plants under each light or 12 plants per tent.

The tents are side by side with the rez situated in between them. The rez is 25 gals and elevated 4' above blumat height. I have another rez 25 gals that feeds the elevated rez.

The elevated rez has 2 tank connectors attached one going into each tent. The 8mm line is run between all plants in a J-shape (linear style).

I was wondering can I allow the 8mm feedline to rest on the floor, with feed T's pointing upward, and then just make my 3mm drip line long enough to reach the blumat and then extend the required 8cm out of the other side?

Does this cause any run way issues? I've alway had my 8mm feedline rest on the top of my pots but this setting up as described above would make it all much easier

Also is there a required distance apart each T for 3mm drip line needs to be or does it not matter?

 

[Lapides]

I haven't tried that much of a drop. I have allowed the 8mm line to rest along side of the pot, maybe a 1.5-2 inch drop.

If anything, I think it would cause a decrease in your overall pressure. You may need to elevate the rez some more to compensate.

I really don't see how it could cause a runaway if the needed/recommended pressure is there.

If someone has experience contrary to this, please chime in.

 

[~Shhh~]

I was thinking the same about pressure decrease, but then I see a lot of folks running them this way that say they have no problems. Just as an example...

From flowerfarmers Blumats in Circles 5000w thread:

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=236359

 

[rives]

I have mine at the base of the pots in one case, and about 4" below the bottom of the pots in another (the pots are on screens that are spaced off of the bottom of a flood & drain tub, the 8mm line rests in the bottom of it). It works fine for me. If you can elevate the smaller reservoir more, it would probably benefit you. I've moved mine up several times until now I just have room beneath the ceiling to get the lid off and look in with a mirror, and I have 9' ceilings.

 

[~Shhh~]

Thanks for the post rives.....

at the mirror to peek inside mate. Sounds like my first blumat set up.

I'll try raise the elevated rez another couple of feet but then it will be near celing height as it's pretty tall. Guess I better find the duck tape, a stick and a mirror then

How about the 'T' feed piece question, do I need a certain amount of space in between each T feed piece? Or Can I have them pretty much next to each other without causing probs?

Cheers guys...

 

[rives]

I dimly remember reading something about a minimum distance between the T's long ago, but I can't find it now on either their site or in the instruction booklet. I know that I have mine set on about 2-1/2" centers and they work fine.

 

[northerngrafta]

I hear that reservoirs need to be elevated to create the pressure im used to running autopots so that is a gravity system aswell I rely on the pressure created in the 100-200L res from the water pushing it out the tap at the bottom to create pressure. i might raise the tank 6 inch if that. is this going to work for blumat or do I need to get it up 1m?????