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Blumat auto watering

Protea

Member
I have a semi related question, I didnt find an anser anywhere, but i am short on time so forgive me if i should have locked more,

i have just installed the blumats, whit a 300L res. this morning i filled it up to 150-200L and adjusted the ph to 5.9, now 5 hours later it shoves as PH6.5. Is this normal?, what causes this, is it natural like the ph - steaming off, sounds unlikely sins the temp. is 11deg. celsius.
is it the plastic, or the pump that make the PH go up?
will it stop?, what can i do?
thanks.
 

Lapides

Rosin Junky and Certified Worm Wrangler
Veteran
pH changes in a lot of mixtures after they've had time to settle in to their solution.

re-adjust your pH.
 

Herborizer

Active member
Veteran
Ph drift is a common problem. Usually when people use RO water. Due to the buffer capacity. Mixing in 25% tap water will help a lot. You can also add some Diamond Nectar as wel. Never the less, it's important to let your reservoir settle and rechecks for an hour or 2 between adjustments.
 

Protea

Member
you guys where right again. i have to use straight tap water, since the only tap two taps i can fit the ro filter in is1 outside in minus 10c, and i have to carry the wather inside and down a flight of stairs into the basement, and then to the grow room. quit fare, and i am not a strong man. or 2. the one wife likes to think of as "reserved" for the washing machine, so tap water it is.
late last night i adjusted it to 5.75, and this morning it is 5.79 so it is all going well.
another question: Please guesstimate how long my 150L of water will last for 9 plants in week six of flower, in 11Ltr pots+5 bonsai mums(newly pruned). what i want to know is it going to be enough water for them for 18 days?
 

Lazyman

Overkill is under-rated.
Veteran
Add a hose splitter to the tap for the washer (a brass one) and your problem is solved. Two valves, two outlets.
 

Lazyman

Overkill is under-rated.
Veteran
oh, and i see big plants drink about 2-3 liters of water per day each when they are about 4-5 feet tall.
 

Protea

Member
I wont work, it is to visible, and i still have to move the water through the kitchen, and down one floor to the basement. and that just isn't feasible, the better option is to get a plumber to change the tap i am using now to one that will fit a ro machine, but that has to be later maybe next year.

I just went to measure them, and they are 60 cm, so 2feetich.
i would say that until i installed the tropf blumat, I watered say 4L every 3 days, or so a litre and a bit a day for the flowering, so say 10L a day for them, and maybe half for the bonsai mums. that makes it 14/15L a day x 18 days =200L
i will top it up.
another question: who far does water have to fall for it to get oxygenated?
 

bendoslendo

Member
another question: who far does water have to fall for it to get oxygenated?

I don't know if it's directly applicable to your system, as it seems alot of people here run a dead rez without aeration for their blumats. But Big Tokes has a recommendation for his Bio Buckets here: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=8182

The thing that you need to know is that your return water/nutrients needs to drop one-foot or no less than 7” before reaching the surface. (Preferably in the range of 10” to 12” is recommended.)
 

bendoslendo

Member
New setup for vert shelves

New setup for vert shelves

Hey blumat guru's :wave:

I was hoping you might look at this sketch and give it a :yes: or :no: maybe a few helpful tips? I'd be much obliged :tiphat:

It's basically four pots on three teirs of plastic shelves. I'm just concerned if the loop can be run like this, on a plane perpendicular to the floor rather than parallel with it. I plan to put three of these shelves around a 600w bare bulb, a perpetual triangle.

dabheaadj.jpg
 

bendoslendo

Member
You mean the thread to whose design I'm ripping off? haha, epic thread! That 2 ft drop # has to look familiar to you?

BTW, reso. is on a heavy duty shelf approx. 2ft. above highest dripper.

I haven't been this excited about a new setup since... well maybe my first setup! Thanks SD and Lazyman, Lapides and everyone else that has contributed so much to this thread.
 

sunnydog

Drip King
Veteran
You mean the thread to whose design I'm ripping off? haha, epic thread! That 2 ft drop # has to look familiar to you?



I haven't been this excited about a new setup since... well maybe my first setup! Thanks SD and Lazyman, Lapides and everyone else that has contributed so much to this thread.

:laughing::jump::jump::jump: :laughing:

SD:tiphat:
 

inreplyavalon

breathe deep
Veteran
Thanks for the inspiration folks.
I got two questions.

1. Can i make the 3mm lines longer? This thread seems to say its ok, but my hydro guy said they won't flow well. I think he is repeating something he has been told.

2. Also can the main feeder hose be BELOW the blumat, with the 3mm tubing rising up to the pot? As long as the rez is high enough. Or does the main feeder 8mm tubing better to be running along the tops of the pots?

Thanks!
 
D

dubdi3mond

Hey IRA..

Yes you can, I made my 3mm lines about 2.5 ft and also my feeder tube is on the ground while my blumats are in a 10" high pot and I have not had any problems with water getting to the sensor
 

Lazyman

Overkill is under-rated.
Veteran
Yes, and yes. My feeder hose is on the ground, and some of my 3mm lines are 6' long rising up to the pots. Works perfectly.
 
Last edited:
finally got my blumat maxis in the mail for my 5 ft indoor tree grow and I had a few questions about the general use of these I hoped some of the blumat masters could help me with.

1. using coco with nutes how moist do you want the coco to be? do you let it get dry or keep it constantly wet? Ive watered coco lots of ways and I want to know how to use the blumats the best way.

2. I always use drip clean great stuff but Im also using hygrozyme mutlizyme and budxl and I read on this thread some people get film build ups on the drippers cause of these enzymes. I was wondering if anyone has had any trouble with this?

these things look great cant wait to try them out!:thank you:
 

Lazyman

Overkill is under-rated.
Veteran
1, moist, not wet, at all times. Heft the pot to see how heavy it is, or kick it with your toe.

2) I had bad luck with enzymes and bennies, I would advise against it. Run a dead res with Zone or bleach and you will be fine.
 
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