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Krypto's Ultimate Controler

billbob

Member
the water filling the buckets will only go as high as the controller buckets shut off float. So typically you would want the controller a bit taller than the buckets.

Kryptonite - so you go straight from the aero cloner to the leca with no rw, what watering schedule do you use for veg in bucket and then flower. Any problems with leca? do you throw it away or reuse after washing?
 

casey

Member
so technically it doesnt have to be all that much bigger,just taller?


because i'm thinking off using a more narrow,taller bucket to get a higher water line in the pots.

I just need to know if it's water capacity or float switch placement that puts the waterline where it is.
 

billbob

Member
casey - it is the float switch but if the control bucket is too short you will not be able to place the float switch high enough.
 

Kryptonite

Active member
I flood every two to three hours for 15 minutes.

I've re-used them up to four times.

Kryptonite said:
One of the things about using Leca I've always dis-liked Most has been Cleaning them for re-use.

This method has saved me LOT's of Time and aggravation.
It's actually made it quite easy.

To start I decided on the size I wanted to use by how it would fit on my wash basin.

I cut the 2 X 4's to length and then ripped @ an inch down the length of them. If you don't have a table saw you could just buy a piece of 1 X 2 and use that.

I built my frame from the 2 X.

Placed a piece of 1/4 inch Hardware cloth on top of that frame and then nailed the ripped pieces, or 1 X 2 ,on top of the hardware cloth.
This sandwiches the hardware cloth between the pieces of wood then nail or screw through the one inch piece into the 2 X.

Should look like this:


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Begin by placing your rootball onto Krypto's Rock Cleaning Contraption. ;)


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I Break That up real nice,,


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And Seperate it pulling out large masses of roots or other unwanteds.


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I get out my spray nozzle and using clean, hot tap water give everything a good hosing down.


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After a good hosing I move all of the rocks to one end of Krypto's Rock Cleaning Contraption.
As I roll them back towards me with the palm of my hand I rinse small roots through the screen bye blasting them with the clean tap water.



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Clean, Root Free, LecaTon. :tup:

Once the rocks are placed back into your system, you can run clean water and a leaching agent such as Clearex through your system and emptying the reserviour before returning to using nutrients.
 

billbob

Member
Kryptonite - why only reuse 4x? Do you flood at all in dark? not having the rockwool will the plant be hurt (bad) if not watered for a day or does the rock provide some backup as the rw does?
 

shiva das

Member
Krytonic and all--
Stay clear of the pond and pool company where you get the timer...I rushed out and bought one form them, before reading the whole link. Let me tell you, those people suck!!! They never answer the phone or e-mails. The timer did make it to me, well not really one timer but TWO!. It only took them two months to get here. So I now have an extra timer. I don't want to send it back and take a half a year to get my money back so I'll hold on to it. Maybe but it on e-bay or something.

Edited by Admin, please don't offer goods for sale

thanks kryptonic for a great thread.
I saw a soquick thread that used 2.5 gal buckets as the main bucket. Has anyone else tried, or is using this system? The way he puts it....5 gal buckets are too big. He gets great results using 2.5 gal. I HAVE TO ADMIT,,,,it;s pretty impressive.
buen suerte todo amigos
 

billbob

Member
2 1/2 gallon buckets are the size that they sell the system with and good for a 3 1/2 gallon control bucket
 

synthacide

Member
just wanted to let everyone know...

i ordered my switches and timer through the companys listed, all though i got now email verfication my orders arrived very fast... the switches only took 3 days...

just a heads up... :wave:
 

memyselfandi

New member
Hi, this is a great sistem, i was trying to design something like this you just make my day.
A thing it could be good to try is to put a electro valve in the depo so the depo pump is always moving water and adding a venturi sistem in it to add air ( like an aquarium pump), when you need to pump water to the controler the valve opens and fill the controler bucket. Is the useful or there is enought oxygen diluted in the nutriens already?
 

billbob

Member
When water is not in the control bucket there is nothing to add air to. When it fills it shoots out like a faucet and so air does get mixed in very much. I also always suggest keeping an air stone in the res. A venturi would work for that instead of a stone I guess. Some people keep stones in the actual buckets as well. Fantastic system!
 

synthacide

Member
loosing my mind...

loosing my mind...

so im goin' nuts.... :bashhead:

this is my 5th time redoing it the same as directed in the tut. ( which im sure is right ) here's what happens when i turn my controller on.... :badday:

timer moves to "on" position, engages everything on (on both outlets) only bottom switch works, and turns every thing off (bottom switches turn everything off when lower of the two is first actuated) top switchs so nothing....timer moves to "off" position, bottom switches do nothing, top switches now work BUT the lower of the two will turn system on and off, but when the higher of the two is actuated, it must be released in order to the system off, no matter what the position of the lower switch is in....

but no matter what both outlets are always both on...

now i was thinking it was the relays, i double checed the mfg. specs. and they're what are called for, (same ones from rat shack krypto used and also the guy with the nice box, looked at pics) my wiring looks the same (also studied pics.... maybe they just arn't????

any help MUCH APPRECIATED..... :bow:
 

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