a ppk for a 6 plant limit

[av8or]

Getting ready for my first grow, and I'm thinking about Turface. Looking at previous posts about washing it, the recommendation is lots of running water with turning the product over with shovel or hoe. Fair enough. Is this OK to be done with regular tap water or does this also need to use RO or distilled?

I did a little rinsing with distilled but reading past posts on the subject, seems like I need to do more than a rinse.

I drilled a bunch of holes in the bottom of a 5 galoin bucket then lined the bottom with the same screen material I use for the wicks. Then I just fill it up and use the garden hose to rinse it with tap water from the spigot on the back of the house. I don't screen for small particles and I've never had an issue. I rinse (without aggitating the surface) for maybe three or four minutes then I get on with it. I know others out there are more meticulous about this part of the process but the size and health of my plants clearly speak for themselves, so a quick wash of the turface doesn't seem to negatively affect growth. Just my two cents.

 

[McKush]

Getting ready for my first grow, and I'm thinking about Turface. Looking at previous posts about washing it, the recommendation is lots of running water with turning the product over with shovel or hoe. Fair enough. Is this OK to be done with regular tap water or does this also need to use RO or distilled?

I did a little rinsing with distilled but reading past posts on the subject, seems like I need to do more than a rinse.

Oysters, check out the link. When im done with 8822 this is where im going. No brainer.

Credit goes to D9 for originally posting this link earlier this thread

http://www.profilegrow.com/Profile-Professional-Hydroponic-Growth-Medium-s/100.htm?gclid=CJzQm4GE1MUCFQWUfgodmLwA_w

Funny thing is profile distances itself a bit from this particular product. Could find no mention of it on profile dot com but only at profilegrow dot com. They are proud of it tho and tell you that NASA grows weed with it.

Well they didnt exactly say weed but im sure someone at NASA has thought about hydro space weed.

 

[funnymath]

Oysters, check out the link. When im done with 8822 this is where im going. No brainer.

Credit goes to D9 for originally posting this link earlier this thread

http://www.profilegrow.com/Profile-Professional-Hydroponic-Growth-Medium-s/100.htm?gclid=CJzQm4GE1MUCFQWUfgodmLwA_w

Funny thing is profile distances itself a bit from this particular product. Could find no mention of it on profile dot com but only at profilegrow dot com. They are proud of it tho and tell you that NASA grows weed with it.

Well they didnt exactly say weed but im sure someone at NASA has thought about hydro space weed.

I thought that was kind of overpriced but after thinking about it, it's not too bad. Still more expensive than buying turface mvp and screening/rinsing but a lot less head ache. I got 2 40 lbs bags for a little over 30 bucks and right now two 40 lbs bags on the site would cost 52.50 with that spring sale. Especially since it seems like it's free shipping. I might have to get a bag or two just in case!

 

[McKush]

Considering how important media is with this system that doesnt seem bad. Pays for itself in not having to screen or wash the media prior to use not to mention possibly in yield and quality too.

I only have four sites so its easier to be lnsensitive to price.

Honestly rinsing or not i dont think it matters even with 8822. I did rinse mine a little but not alot and some never got rinsed. I did not classify it either, no screening. So far no drainage issues. I wonder if my 3" tail makes that possible? I cant recall the size tailpipes that clogged. Much of that was media related like using coco

I might just order some too esp if its on sale

Edit; i did attempt to screen but found it very not fun nor did it seem to work. i didnt think it would make much difference so i saved the hassle.

 

[Oysters]

Thanks for the help and advice. My screening also didn't seem to remove much but the little rinsing I did seem to be worth it. I think I'll go with what I've done and get on with it. This first time grow is a small one that I hope to learn from. As I go along, switching to products tested and approved by astronauts may be a better answer.

 

[funnymath]

Considering how important media is with this system that doesnt seem bad. Pays for itself in not having to screen or wash the media prior to use not to mention possibly in yield and quality too.

I only have four sites so its easier to be lnsensitive to price.

Honestly rinsing or not i dont think it matters even with 8822. I did rinse mine a little but not alot and some never got rinsed. I did not classify it either, no screening. So far no drainage issues. I wonder if my 3" tail makes that possible? I cant recall the size tailpipes that clogged. Much of that was media related like using coco

I might just order some too esp if its on sale

Edit; i did attempt to screen but found it very not fun nor did it seem to work. i didnt think it would make much difference so i saved the hassle.

Yea not to mention that turface is reusable. All the rinsing and soaking of other mediums really puts me off since I would have to do it every time I got a new bag.

What was your process to screen? My turface is still sitting in bags in my garage with the aluminum window screen. I'm still not sure how I am going to screen it though without doing it in super small batches lol. Yea this profile stuff looks better and better for lazy people like me.

 

[delta9nxs]

Getting ready for my first grow, and I'm thinking about Turface. Looking at previous posts about washing it, the recommendation is lots of running water with turning the product over with shovel or hoe. Fair enough. Is this OK to be done with regular tap water or does this also need to use RO or distilled?

I did a little rinsing with distilled but reading past posts on the subject, seems like I need to do more than a rinse.

hey oysters, welcome!

i know everyone hates it but i think dry screening first over aluminum window screen produces the right particle sizing for correct air filled porosity. which i'm thinking should be maybe a little higher than 30%. 35-40% with pumice seems to be working really well and both turface and pumice have about the same capillary rise capability.

you should wash it too.

but the good thing is that turface can be reused infinitely. i think maybe pumice also.

looking at the profilegrow http://unbouncepages.com/profile-tomatoes/ you can see the differences in particle sizing between what they are terming "soil modifier" and profilegrow. i think the particle sizing of the profilegrow is too large for the ppk. it's been designed as a direct replacement for hydroton.

although i have heard of a successful ppk grow using hydroton it will not have the capillary rise potential to backfeed the plant.

in other words they got lucky.

whatever material you use you should do an airfilled porosity test and a capillary rise test.

i have shown the AFP test and just did a capillary rise test on 0-8mm pumice (5/16" and below) and got a minimum rise of 7", which is about the same as turface.

a kitchen counter capillary rise test can be done with 20 oz's of material cleaned thoroughly and then cooked bone dry.

take a 20 oz clear plastic pop bottle that's clean and dry. fill it with the material. drill a 1/8" hole in the cap. and another one in the bottom and stand it upright in a shallow dish with about a 1/4" of water in it.

wait three days. you should be able to see the water level in the bottle. this is capillary rise and with the ppk needs to be at least 6".

best of luck! break a branch!

 

[delta9nxs]

just thought i would show another alternative for plumbing.

this is for those who don't want a dedicated reservoir. this let's you use the bottom containers as a collective res and still keep the liquid volume up.

since there is no float in the bottom containers it is located in the black bucket outside the grow chamber next to the volume tank.

i could have put the pump in one of the containers but then would not have had easy access if maintenance was required.

the last shots show 6.5 gal containers, the first are 3 gals.

these 6.5's are the choice here as the 7 gal tuff tubs won't sit flat on the tote lid.

this is an extremely stable arrangement.

notice the top feed lines and valves are attached through the middle hole in the totes, allowing free turning of the plant container.

the valves on the pump and manifold assembly are there to allow knocking the pump loose for maintenance and to shut off flow for pumping out the system by attaching a hose to the brass fitting.

no glue was used anywhere in this except for the bulkhead fitting on the pump intake tote.

the lines around the outside are connecting all totes. being flexible you can slide the containers in and out from the center to adjust proximity to the center bulb. which is a 1500 watt metal halide stadium bulb.

the other five bulbs are hps 600's and are movable in and out for plant proximity.

in the last photo you can see the cutout from the tote cover with a 4" hole in it and a slit to go over the medium to discourage algae.

 

[delta9nxs]

a complete plant module.

pump and manifold assembly again.

and showing the connections for the totes and from the float container. just pushed into holes.

no leaks.

the manifold is all threaded fittings so it can be taken apart for cleaning or reconfiguration.

the 2400 gph pump is way the f**k too big for a wave pulse but i already have it. i think a 950 gph mag drive would be perfect for a wave pulse. i have yet to build the rings for distribution.

editing to say that the 950 gph would be right for 5-8 maybe. i did run a 24 plant wave pulse set up with the 2400.

 

[RamCTD1027]

D9,

I like the new set-up!! Looks very clean.

Do you recommend using reflectix/other reflective material on the floor when going vert? My walls and ceiling are covered in Orca but the floor is still bare concrete.

Also interested to see your distribution rings once you build them.

Keep up the good work and stay safe!

Ram

 

[delta9nxs]

.

 

[delta9nxs]

D9,

I like the new set-up!! Looks very clean.

Do you recommend using reflectix/other reflective material on the floor when going vert? My walls and ceiling are covered in Orca but the floor is still bare concrete.

Also interested to see your distribution rings once you build them.

Keep up the good work and stay safe!

Ram

thank you!

i don't think it will help much with the reflectix on the floor. i just kinda went wild with it.

but photons are either reflected, transmitted, or absorbed so the more light bouncing around the better.

this first room is overbuilt. i'm working on another right next to it that's not quite as anal.

 

[Oysters]

best of luck! break a branch!

Thanks for the detailed response. I'll do both tests you recommend and hope that luck will be with me as well.

 

[rover747]

Gee ,i already bought bunch of 3.5 gal buckets )
You room look alike space ship Or may be room from series Dexter
Looks cool ,cleanest room i saw so far ,i like this idea using reflectix as covers for walls .

 

[mufinman]

How much more yield do you expect to gain in that capt video room?

 

[gregor_mendel]

Is that a geodesic dome, and is that why there are 5 plants?

 

[delta9nxs]

How much more yield do you expect to gain in that capt video room?

probably not much but it was cheap to build.

every facet reflects back to the center of the room and in the center is a 1500 watt mh with 170,000 initial lumens and a spectrum very much like daylight. the bulb is what is used in approx 80% of all college and pro football stadiums. it's made by ge and is called the "sportstar". this one cost 22 dollars but most of them are around 40.

the 5 hps bulbs are 600's. if you were to assign an electrical efficiency value to bulbs based on their initial lumen output and a hortilux mogul 1k is a 145 the 1500 watt mh with 170,000 initial lumens could be assigned a 113.3 and a 600 watt bulb with 90000 initial lumens could be assigned a 150. with 4500 watts my whole setup has a relative rating of 143.88 so it is roughly comparable to 5 1k hortilux in initial lumens but with less consumption.

i'm hoping the greater proportion of blue and uv will give me tighter plants with more trichs.

but there is something else going on in this room that may make it perform better than a standard rectilinear room. i think the shape and the reflectivity is focusing infrared and i'm hoping it will do the same to visible light.

i say this because the standard for cooling is 4000 btu per 1k bulb and a single 25000 btu machine wouldn't quite do it with these bulbs and 18000 btu theoretically should have done it.

so i added a second 25000 btu machine and running them both on lower settings does the job. so i estimate about 6000 btu per 1k is necessary with this room for some reason.

we'll see. this is experimental for me.

 

[delta9nxs]

Is that a geodesic dome, and is that why there are 5 plants?

it is an icosahedron, the platonic solid with the highest number of equal faces. it is the basis for most dome structures that you see.

that's why there are five plants.

but i'm not sure how i'm going to operate it because the laws are changing here since i started building this.

i currently have 1 lonely little seedling in there. i'm growing it out for clones and then off to the races.

 

[mufinman]

probably not much but it was cheap to build.

every facet reflects back to the center of the room and in the center is a 1500 watt mh with 170,000 initial lumens and a spectrum very much like daylight. the bulb is what is used in approx 80% of all college and pro football stadiums. it's made by ge and is called the "sportstar". this one cost 22 dollars but most of them are around 40.

the 5 hps bulbs are 600's. if you were to assign an electrical efficiency value to bulbs based on their initial lumen output and a hortilux mogul 1k is a 145 the 1500 watt mh with 170,000 initial lumens could be assigned a 113.3 and a 600 watt bulb with 90000 initial lumens could be assigned a 150. with 4500 watts my whole setup has a relative rating of 143.88 so it is roughly comparable to 5 1k hortilux in initial lumens but with less consumption.

i'm hoping the greater proportion of blue and uv will give me tighter plants with more trichs.

but there is something else going on in this room that may make it perform better than a standard rectilinear room. i think the shape and the reflectivity is focusing infrared and i'm hoping it will do the same to visible light.

i say this because the standard for cooling is 4000 btu per 1k bulb and a single 25000 btu machine wouldn't quite do it with these bulbs and 18000 btu theoretically should have done it.

so i added a second 25000 btu machine and running them both on lower settings does the job. so i estimate about 6000 btu per 1k is necessary with this room for some reason.

we'll see. this is experimental for me.

"cheap to build"? This is an out building outside the homestead?
in previous threads, you posted parts lists and fulfillment venues, you upin your sources?

 

[delta9nxs]

"cheap to build"? This is an out building outside the homestead?
in previous threads, you posted parts lists and fulfillment venues, you upin your sources?

do you want to know how to build it? it's in a shop building. i'm building 2 in this location so i can flip them back and forth.