Blumat auto watering

[TribalSeeds]

I may have asked this before, but what nutrients are everybody using?

I have been using Botanicare Pure Blend Pro, but I'm switching to CNS17 for a while to see how the plants and blumats like that. The consistency of the CNS17 makes me feel like it won't fall out of solution as quick as some of the other Botanicare stuff I was using seemed to (looking at you Liquid Karma). That might just be a gut feeling that is in no way based on science.

I think I'm going to just try running the CNS17 line straight with no additives. I might still have to use Cal-Mag+. Want to cut the Karma out completely, too thick. I'm not sure how I feel about Sweet, need more testing. Hydroplex is probably getting dumped. Cannazyme will probably be dumped too except for some when I'm recycling coco to help break down any residual dead plant matter from the previous use. We'll see how that goes. I strongly dislike using 5 or 6 different things every time I have to refill the res(s), both because it's a hassle and because I feel like everything I need could and should be contained in fewer products.

Have you been running Cannazym with the blumats? Any build up in the lines?
You wont need calmag with CNS17
Are you planning on replacing hydroplex, or not even using a boost? I think Hydroplex is probably the best boost to be combined with CNS.
Im not sure that you should need a boost with constant feeding though. My understanding is that farmers typically apply high p ferts because it doesnt stay in the soil for very long. WHen you are applying fresh nutes constantly it may not be needed, though you may still be able to increase yields and such applying it at the open and end of the fruiting cycle.

 

[rives]

I may have asked this before, but what nutrients are everybody using?

AK, you should take a close look at Hydroponic Research's Veg+Bloom. I just finished up my first run with it, and was amazed at the result - everything isn't dry enough yet to check yield, but it appears to be at least as good as my former best efforts, and probably better. This was with just Drip Clean and the V+B. I wanted to establish a base line, and all of the reports say that it is complete. It is. I used the RO version because my tap water has virtually no Ca or Mg, and this is the first run that I've avoided having any deficiencies raise their ugly heads. It doesn't fall out of solution, and works very well in the blumats.

There are a couple of threads on here about it. You can just vary your ppm to take care of the veg cycle, flowering and boost. I'd like to buy stock in it!

 

[coxnox]

hi,

pleaz i will need help designing my blumat system for my flowering room.
now i haven't acces to the water from my house for it anymore, so i need to use a tank.

i have the 40 blumat tropff system, i have all kind of accesoire, just need to help design the system with a tank indeed of the water supply i was used before.

my flowering room is 1,5 x 1,5 meter homebox, i put habituatly 16 to 25 plants inside it for flowering.

if i have 16 plants i need a 4 // lines system, each line composed of 4 tropf.
if i have 25 plants i need a 5// lines system, each line composed of 5 tropf.

now the question:
-how high do i need to put my tank ?
-can i use a pomp indeed of put a tank high ?
-if not, if i use 4 // lines since the tank would i be able to put the tank less high as each line is less long than 1 big lines with the 16 or 25 on it.

about the nutes:
-how do you do ? you put in the tank or do a manual feeding with more concentrate mix ?

 

[sunnydog]

hi,

pleaz i will need help designing my blumat system for my flowering room.
now i haven't acces to the water from my house for it anymore, so i need to use a tank.

i have the 40 blumat tropff system, i have all kind of accesoire, just need to help design the system with a tank indeed of the water supply i was used before.

my flowering room is 1,5 x 1,5 meter homebox, i put habituatly 16 to 25 plants inside it for flowering.

if i have 16 plants i need a 4 // lines system, each line composed of 4 tropf.
if i have 25 plants i need a 5// lines system, each line composed of 5 tropf.

now the question:
-how high do i need to put my tank ?
-can i use a pomp indeed of put a tank high ?
-if not, if i use 4 // lines since the tank would i be able to put the tank less high as each line is less long than 1 big lines with the 16 or 25 on it.

about the nutes:
-how do you do ? you put in the tank or do a manual feeding with more concentrate mix ?

Check the threads by Weed Killer, he is pioneering the pressure tank method. This would probably be best.

Next best would be as big of a reservoir as possible, as high up as possible.

I cannot speak on nutes, as I don't use them.
I am sure others can help with some of your other issues.

Good Luck!

 

[ItGrowsHerb]

A while back I posted I would leave out the perlite in the soilless mix. Having done so, I see no ill effects and the Fire OGs are quite happy. Oh am using fabric smartpots, mostly 5 gallons.

Thanks sunnydog for the tip about the distribution drippers. Saves placing multiple blumats to a plant. Got them this week and they are just awesome.

For a tip of my own, I took some aquarium charcoal and cheap womens stockings/hosiery and made six or seven balls of activated carbon twisting and tieing the stocking tight around two tablespoons or so. The I cut them into individual carbon balls and placed one under each drip point of the blumats and distriibution drippers.
The idea is the city water off the blumat pressure reducer will slowly percolate through the activated carbon and reduce chloramines a bit.
I really should get an inline filter before the pressure reducer but had these laying around for now. Works fine, pots still get watered fine with the carbon balls under the drips.

Have a good weekend blumatters!

 

[ak-51]

AK, you should take a close look at Hydroponic Research's Veg+Bloom...

What nutrients were you using before that you were not satisfied with, and why?

Hydroponic Research Veg+Bloom looks interesting. And it's just one part!

 

[rives]

What nutrients were you using before that you were not satisfied with, and why?

Hydroponic Research Veg+Bloom looks interesting. And it's just one part!

I've used a variety of things, AK. GH 3-part, Osmocote Plus, rose & tomato nutrients, etc. Because of my regular, lengthy absences, my nutrients either need to be a just-add-water type or stable enough that a large reservoir will work without frequent diddling. The biggest problem that I've had in the past is Ca & Mg deficiencies. My tap water is very near RO in compostion - it only has 1.1 ppm of Mg and 4.6 ppm of Ca. I never found a good way of supplementing both into viable regions - dolomitic lime made my pH go way too high; epsom salts went away too quickly, were hard to judge, and didn't have any Ca; CalMag+ has too much N, etc, etc.

I was about to swap over to either Jack's or Maxibloom (I bought both......) when I started running into threads about V+B. I liked the composition better, there was enough Mg to satisfy my mag hogs under LED's (seems to make the def worse), the Ca level is 3x the Mg, and it works beautifully in blumats. Perfect.

 

[coxnox]

Check the threads by Weed Killer, he is pioneering the pressure tank method. This would probably be best.

Next best would be as big of a reservoir as possible, as high up as possible.

I cannot speak on nutes, as I don't use them.
I am sure others can help with some of your other issues.

Good Luck!

hi,
anylink to share ? i can't find any weed killer here on icmag !

 

[Weed Killer]

Sure
First setup
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=5198162&postcount=2173
Second
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=5236670&postcount=2268
and my grow
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=242815

 

[coxnox]

thanks, here is a draw of how i would like to use it next time:

is it good ?

 

[sunnydog]

thanks, here is a draw of how i would like to use it next time:
View Image

is it good ?

Looks fine. Only thing I might add would be to connect to the tank from both beginning and end sides of the circuit. This might help to get around any potential obstructions, bubbles,etc.

 

[sunnydog]

Cool!

Cool!

Just did my 7-10 day room check.....all systems kicking ass!
Gotta check on the dark side tomorrow(flip-flop).

 

[lowbrow]

Floodstop

Floodstop

Just did my 7-10 day room check.....all systems kicking ass!
Gotta check on the dark side tomorrow(flip-flop).

Very glad to hear this, yet again. My additional parts (should) finally arrive today. Nothing is even set up yet, but I'm considering adding a FloodStop type emergency shutoff. Maybe you guys can help decide.

Are there ANY known instances of runaways with the pressure reducer? (..assuming a properly set up and dialed in system, soaked media and cones filled underwater, etc..) If the sensors work so well under constant pressure the only thing I can think of that might cause a runaway is a kinked drip line.. does anything else come to mind as far as user error or random mishap?

Is a floodstop still necessary for your peace of mind, rrog? I'm not sure how to tag another user but I'd like to hear your current thinking if you see this.


Planet Earth Hydro unfortunately did not live up to my expectations with my second order. Two more patio kits, the pressure reducer, and another shut-off. It was backordered and has taken almost 2 weeks to get here by drop shipment via UPS ground instead of Priority Mail. The fellow working was super apologetic when I called, so in the future he suggested calling to confirm immediate availability and a quick shipment. I'm not sure if I'll ever need this many parts again but there's your updated retailer review for any other blumat noobs like me.

 

[sunnydog]

Evidence..........

Evidence..........



5 Gal. pot, 3 slave drippers. Ace Golden Tiger........

 

[lowbrow]

5 Gal. pot, 3 slave drippers. Ace Golden Tiger........

Damn brother.. the only word for that is a tree trunk! Good on ya!

Should I take this to mean don't worry about the floodstop device? Or are you just being badass?

 

[sunnydog]

Damn brother.. the only word for that is a tree trunk! Good on ya!

Should I take this to mean don't worry about the floodstop device? Or are you just being badass?

Since installing the P/R, neither I, nor AFOM, have had ANY ISSUES with ~40 plants apiece, for several runs. After dial in. No "issues" really then, either, but you should obviously always watch them for the first week. This works out to 300-400 pots (over time) with no issues. I was shaky on the P/R at first, no more. I REALLY only check every 7-10 days. And it is always ho hum, pick a dead leaf, prop something up, leave.

So far, so good! YMMV!

 

[moodster]

ive been using the blumats for a while now i grow in 15l pots and one side of the pot always looks dry does everyone get this with blumats thanks everyone

 

[lowbrow]

I REALLY only check every 7-10 days. And it is always ho hum, pick a dead leaf, prop something up, leave.

I am really looking forward to this!

Got my pressure reducer and extra parts, and hooked up my veg room tonight. 20 1-gallon pots. Dialed each sensor to a clinging drop, then +2 arrows.

So begins my blumat adventure! (or hopefully, uneventful, even, consistent watering with little to no attention from me..!)

Thanks everyone for this amazing thread! I almost feel like I *know* you guys at this point. Looking forward to the checking on things in the morning, and I will report back with anything of note.

 

[sunnydog]

I am really looking forward to this!

Got my pressure reducer and extra parts, and hooked up my veg room tonight. 20 1-gallon pots. Dialed each sensor to a clinging drop, then +2 arrows.

So begins my blumat adventure! (or hopefully, uneventful, even, consistent watering with little to no attention from me..!)

Thanks everyone for this amazing thread! I almost feel like I *know* you guys at this point. Looking forward to the checking on things in the morning, and I will report back with anything of note.

Just make sure your soil is reasonably well packed, and your drip line is @8cm.
Keep an eye on things for 7-10 days,and you should be good!

 

[budman678]

im a little late to this party it feels, regardless...all is well now.

i order the patio kit, extra feed line and an auto shuitoff valve.

questions, i have many a 5gallon buckets...i have about (9) 5 gallon smarties. would i be having to fill it up every three-four days an phing the water?

any ideas for a 10gall rez? thanks guyys. im pumped to get these blumats

shoutout to silver hawaiin for pushing me over the edge and reminding me to just BUY these blumats and quit talkin bout it!

:::thanks homie:::