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Blumat auto watering
- Thread starter sunnydog
- Start date
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- Tags
- blumat drippers irrigation watering
W
wodi
Following. Great thread.
c00kie,
One of the main reasons for avoiding the factory 8mm line and using your own custom distribution tubing is that the 8mm is pretty ridged. It's difficult to get it to lay flat, which will tend to tug on the 3mm line causing it to kink.
This is made easier if you purchase lots of 3mm tubing which will allow you to secure the 8mm stuff down near the floor as opposed to securing to the rim of each pot (or whatever), but in my opinion 1/2" tubing (or larger) w/ 3/32 barbs is the way to go for longevity and flexibility in which ever way you might want to set it up, now and future use.
The 8mm thru hull is pretty fragile too which tend to break if you happen to hit the barb will moving your rez or something (or try to pull the 8mm line back off of it.. it'll stretch the barb). After 1st experimenting with the deck and patio kit this ultimately forced me to just use regular supplies and 3/32 barbs unless I wanted to order the overpriced 8mm thru halls.
This is just my opinion. Not saying any of the other responses are wrong by any means.
For what it's worth I currently run 36 blumats using 3/4" tubing. This gives me all the pressure I need to have a solid stream when open full blast. I feel it is an upgrade over the 1/2" tubing I used to use. The blumats seem more reliable and I feel safer leaving them for longer periods of time. With the 1/2" tubing... once I elevated my 4x4 trays a foot off the ground (for run-off control when hand watering and during setup). Even with my elevated rez pinned at the 8' ceiling I was still having pressure issues when they all were trying to drip.
I now have 20 gal brute upper rez (a bit overkill) in a closet a floor above my garden. Each 4x4 tray has it's own 3/4" line that goes down to it.
Working wonderfully now.
I'm going to be turning my 8k 7 plant tree room into a horizontally lit garden with each light over a 4x4 tray. I'm going to be running a 3/4" loop field. Haven't decided on plant count, but it'll likely be 32 plants or 72 plants depending on how many I decide to put per tray. I'm going to be doing a write up regarding my blumat setup for this garden. I'll be sure to pop back in here and link to that thread.
One of the main reasons for avoiding the factory 8mm line and using your own custom distribution tubing is that the 8mm is pretty ridged. It's difficult to get it to lay flat, which will tend to tug on the 3mm line causing it to kink.
This is made easier if you purchase lots of 3mm tubing which will allow you to secure the 8mm stuff down near the floor as opposed to securing to the rim of each pot (or whatever), but in my opinion 1/2" tubing (or larger) w/ 3/32 barbs is the way to go for longevity and flexibility in which ever way you might want to set it up, now and future use.
The 8mm thru hull is pretty fragile too which tend to break if you happen to hit the barb will moving your rez or something (or try to pull the 8mm line back off of it.. it'll stretch the barb). After 1st experimenting with the deck and patio kit this ultimately forced me to just use regular supplies and 3/32 barbs unless I wanted to order the overpriced 8mm thru halls.
This is just my opinion. Not saying any of the other responses are wrong by any means.
For what it's worth I currently run 36 blumats using 3/4" tubing. This gives me all the pressure I need to have a solid stream when open full blast. I feel it is an upgrade over the 1/2" tubing I used to use. The blumats seem more reliable and I feel safer leaving them for longer periods of time. With the 1/2" tubing... once I elevated my 4x4 trays a foot off the ground (for run-off control when hand watering and during setup). Even with my elevated rez pinned at the 8' ceiling I was still having pressure issues when they all were trying to drip.
I now have 20 gal brute upper rez (a bit overkill) in a closet a floor above my garden. Each 4x4 tray has it's own 3/4" line that goes down to it.
Working wonderfully now.
I'm going to be turning my 8k 7 plant tree room into a horizontally lit garden with each light over a 4x4 tray. I'm going to be running a 3/4" loop field. Haven't decided on plant count, but it'll likely be 32 plants or 72 plants depending on how many I decide to put per tray. I'm going to be doing a write up regarding my blumat setup for this garden. I'll be sure to pop back in here and link to that thread.
I've been running 10 drops/gal, and spraying with DR.DOOM(pyrethrin) daily. Seems to be working. Once they're under control, what's a reasonable dose for maintenance?
BTW...Thanks for the tip
TBH once the little fuckers are gone i really don't have a maintenance dose. i use neem seed meal in the soil mix and drench with neem seed teas and it keeps them in check for the most part. i do what i can to make sure they never get their breeding cycle going though. when i see flyers i fog and dose the rez ASAP with the 10 drops for a few days.
it's spring and i have been battling them recently. some of my blumats run on the pressure regulator so i don't have a way to add Microbe Lift to the rez. i've been using Mosquito Bits (same thing as a mosquito dunk) in a small pile around the slave drippers and it seems to be doing the trick too. it's a little cheaper than the Microbe Lift and you don't use it as often.
i guess BT is BT however you apply it, but it's good to have options
skyview
Member
I just did a little research and found that most (if not all) compressor hose is made from PVC and "Flexible PVC products contain toxic plasticizers that leach out of the material and can be a health hazard for users. PVC plastic is not widely recyclable and when burned releases dangerous hydrogen chloride gas and dioxin, one of the most toxic chemicals known."
See article: http://www.watoxics.org/healthy-living/healthy-homes-gardens-1/factsheets/vinyl
The SuperFlex tubing that's discussed earlier in this thread is silicone (same as the 3mm Blumat tube) and just as flexible and easy to use.
It sounds like it is probably precipitate from your nutrients. You might check into the order that you are adding them if you are using multiple bottles, and if it is powdered, then the temperature of the water can make a difference - some like to be mixed in warm water, V+B works better with room temperature water. Mixing the nutrients up in a gallon of water may work better than trying to add the nutes to a reservoir full.
spaceboy
Active member
just about to set these up. Im intending to upgrade to 3/4" line and run them all from that with 3mm line.
Not quite sure about the return line from top rez to bottom. Was thinking about just drilling a hole and put some pvc in there and then siliconing around it so its water tight. Does this sound ok, any better ideas?
I have a 250gph pump running in bottom rez on timer
Not quite sure about the return line from top rez to bottom. Was thinking about just drilling a hole and put some pvc in there and then siliconing around it so its water tight. Does this sound ok, any better ideas?
I have a 250gph pump running in bottom rez on timer
these work great for what you're doing. you just need to size the drain for what you pump delivers (bigger is better) and get enough extension pieces
thanks good to know.. stopped using the blumats cause my organic nutes were clogging the lines
.
I feed my top rez using Danner Mag-Drive pump with 1/2" tubing.
I overflow (return) to my lower rez using 1" drain fitting and tubing.
I distribute to my blumats using 3/4" drain fitting, 3/4" tubing to 3mm dripper line.
I'm using the fittings identical to what is pictured in EnA's post.
just about every grow store should have them on the shelf, or if you google ebb and flow drain kit you should find what you need
banknchips
New member
So I have had 12 these setup up for about a week and a half now. I run 100% coco with heads 6/9. Things I've noticed are the setup of these is needed extra dripper line on pots is a must. It definitely matters the brand of coco used with blumats. I've always been a bonicare guy because of the lighter more airated stucture but I read that canna coco works better with blumats so I ran 6 in bonicare and 6 in canna. The ones in the bonicare definitly dry out fast I went down tonight and it was almost a stream comeing out of blumat so I lifted pot and it was really light as we're the rest of the bonicare pots. The canna pots had a more even moisture content. Im still trying to figure out the right moisture content I don't think sopping wet all the time is good even though it is coco. When I would hand water daily I gave them one solo cup in 8l pots at lights on and it seemed good. Im still trying to figure out how to incorperate molasses into into this as it will gum up the dripper lines. Has any one figured this out? All in all I really like them beats hand watering, plants seem just as happy. I thread is has helped me so much almost every question I've had has been answered by reading. I'll give these a month and see how they work then setup my veg room with them.
banknchips
New member
Wow, can I edit that lol.
banknchips
New member
So I have had 12 these setup up for about a week and a half now. I run 100% coco with heads 6/9. Things I've noticed are the setup of these is needed extra dripper line on pots is a must. It definitely matters the brand of coco used with blumats. I've always been a bonicare guy because of the lighter more airated stucture but I read that canna coco works better with blumats so I ran 6 in bonicare and 6 in canna. The ones in the bonicare definitly dry out fast I went down tonight and it was almost a stream comeing out of blumat so I lifted pot and it was really light as we're the rest of the bonicare pots. The canna pots had a more even moisture content. Im still trying to figure out the right moisture content I don't think sopping wet all the time is good even though it is coco. When I would hand water daily I gave them one solo cup in 8l pots at lights on and it seemed good. Im still trying to figure out how to incorperate molasses into into this as it will gum up the dripper lines. Has any one figured this out? All in all I really like them beats hand watering, plants seem just as happy. I thread is has helped me so much almost every question I've had has been answered by reading. I'll give these a month and see how they work then setup my veg room with them.
banknchips
New member
Lol that didn't work. I'll stop now.
Check out RAW Cane Molasses.
I don't have 1st hand experience with it, but supposed to be a soluble molasses w/o all the mess.
RAW is the manufacturer's name.
Another one to look at might be Nectar for the Gods Aphrodites Extraction. It's sucrose/glucose as opposed to syrupy type of sugar sources.
_-_-_
I've used blumats in both Atami coco and Cyco coco with great results. I'm liking the Cyco the most right now. It's a lot lighter and a hair more fibrous. Seems to be able to maintain a pretty wet setting without any signs of over-watering or the a like.
I don't have 1st hand experience with it, but supposed to be a soluble molasses w/o all the mess.
RAW is the manufacturer's name.
Another one to look at might be Nectar for the Gods Aphrodites Extraction. It's sucrose/glucose as opposed to syrupy type of sugar sources.
_-_-_
I've used blumats in both Atami coco and Cyco coco with great results. I'm liking the Cyco the most right now. It's a lot lighter and a hair more fibrous. Seems to be able to maintain a pretty wet setting without any signs of over-watering or the a like.
BrownFingas
New member
Hi! I wonder if someone could help me. I just set up the system. I got 7 carrots combined, 2 with 5 drip distributors and 1 with 4 distributors. The system is in 2 "branches" with 20 litre reservoir and the entire lenght is about 7 meters.
I did everything like it was said in the instructions (at least I think I did lol), but only the 2 last cones r are working. They give good pressure, so I don't think it's a pressure issue. Can somebody help me with troubleshooting? I have a crappy picture to give a better view how it is set up. The reservoir is only half a meter higher than the highest sensor. I can lift it up another half a meter if necessary. Thanks!
I did everything like it was said in the instructions (at least I think I did lol), but only the 2 last cones r are working. They give good pressure, so I don't think it's a pressure issue. Can somebody help me with troubleshooting? I have a crappy picture to give a better view how it is set up. The reservoir is only half a meter higher than the highest sensor. I can lift it up another half a meter if necessary. Thanks!
