ButterflyEffect
Well-known member
No not at all. The hempys were dwc style feeding off a huge res with a strong pump and lots of oxygen in the water. I don’t think blumats would work in perlite, and I’ve never seen it done. Won’t know till you try, but I’d go with the dripper route, wouldn’t be any different than rock wool just a different substrate.
My blumats run off a Shurflo pump with even pressure which you adjust on it with an Allen key. Each line going to every plant that has a blumat has a shut off valve. After a solid watering with runoff with the blumats already in the coco I shut off all the lines and run the pump. I adjust the pressure with the bleed valve on at the end of the manifold/lines. Once it sets I open the lines to each plant and dial individually. I’ve got a manifold going into two tents off this one pump/manifold.
I ran drippers for years and their solid once dialed in. It’s just more tedious to get even pressure to every plant if you’re running more than a dozen, and I never found a timer I fully trusted. With the blumat system I have an alarm for water spills which will cut the pump. Never had spills that I couldn’t clean with a shopvac fortunately.
Ok. I misunderstood.
Maybe one day I'll migrate to something that is easier in the feeding department. I may very well do drippers, as I don't feel comfortable enough to tackle coco. I already have roofing rubber on the floors and a shop vac handy. Plus I have tables that I'm installing drains that go to a dry well in the cellar, so overflow would only kill a pump or my water supply.