Brand new to Coco. Question about dripper choice

[ButterflyEffect]

I was a long time Hempy 1G perlite grower. I realized recently that I hadn't been fertigating properly for the perlite. Instead of continuing to reinvent the wheel, I decided to go Coco. I also switched from vertical 315 CMHs to HLG LEDs. Big changes in the rooms!

So, my question is, what drippers should I buy?

I'm in 3G pots with 70/30 Char Coir. I already have a pump system with 1/2" tubing in place. The pumps are 2400GPH sump-style pumps and I do between 6-8 plants in each room, per run. I'll be doing high-frequency fertigation, so 3-5 feeds per cycle.

I've read that I might want a higher GPH dripper to accomplish this and I don't think I want to keep using the open-ended 1/2" hoses that I currently use as I'm concerned about not getting enough WC saturation to ensure proper runoff for EC control.

What say y'all?

 

[Creeperpark]

I was a long time Hempy 1G perlite grower. I realized recently that I hadn't been fertigating properly for the perlite. Instead of continuing to reinvent the wheel, I decided to go Coco. I also switched from vertical 315 CMHs to HLG LEDs. Big changes in the rooms!

So, my question is, what drippers should I buy?

I'm in 3G pots with 70/30 Char Coir. I already have a pump system with 1/2" tubing in place. The pumps are 2400GPH sump-style pumps and I do between 6-8 plants in each room, per run. I'll be doing high-frequency fertigation, so 3-5 feeds per cycle.

I've read that I might want a higher GPH dripper to accomplish this and I don't think I want to keep using the open-ended 1/2" hoses that I currently use as I'm concerned about not getting enough WC saturation to ensure proper runoff for EC control.

What say y'all?

Very interesting post friend and thanks for sharing. It would be even more interesting if you show us how you set up and use this system. I think the higher GPH dripper would be the best choice for saturation. Someone should come show up here soon that can help you. Hang in there and keep us posted.

 

[I Care]

Bump

 

[Orange's Greenhouse]

I have 8 liter per hour dripper for my 3 liter Air Pots. Works fine and I get run off after about 2 minutes. I don't think it matters too much as you can just run the pump longer till you get sufficient run off. That is the important bit not if it takes 30 seconds or 5 minutes.

With drippers even distribution is a challenge. I cut out polyester felt to top my pots and have a bit surfactant in the reservoir. Watering manually every now and then would also work.

 

[Bush Dr]

Open ends of 1/4” pipe are what I use, never had a problem

3 gallons is unnecessary, half that would be fine

 

[Orange's Greenhouse]

Open ends of 1/4” pipe are what I use

I like pressure compensated drippers. They deliver the same amount of water to every plant and I don't have to fiddle around to get it even.

 

[ButterflyEffect]

Very interesting post friend and thanks for sharing. It would be even more interesting if you show us how you set up and use this system. I think the higher GPH dripper would be the best choice for saturation. Someone should come show up here soon that can help you. Hang in there and keep us posted.

Hello there CP! I was hoping you'd chime in. I drew quite a bit of inspiration from your posts and it has helped me become proficient in learning how to learn.

Here are the bins and pumps that I use. I'll follow up with pics of the room that is setting the stage for the others a bit later at light on...

Gorilla Zkittlez in my first ever Coco. Transplanted on 8/21. I'll get a newer pic today, as well

I've been seeing references to those drippers. I'm interested to know if that's my solution aand whether I can integrate it reasonably into my existing setup

 

[ButterflyEffect]

I have 8 liter per hour dripper for my 3 liter Air Pots. Works fine and I get run off after about 2 minutes. I don't think it matters too much as you can just run the pump longer till you get sufficient run off. That is the important bit not if it takes 30 seconds or 5 minutes.

With drippers even distribution is a challenge. I cut out polyester felt to top my pots and have a bit surfactant in the reservoir. Watering manually every now and then would also work.

I've been more or less dealing with the same nuances for years now with my current setup. I've modified it for horizontal so now I just need to find 1/2" to 1/4" adapters and deide how long I want the 1/4" lines to be. Well that and the emitters!

 

[ButterflyEffect]

Open ends of 1/4” pipe are what I use, never had a problem

3 gallons is unnecessary, half that would be fine

How many ends do you use per container? What size do you run? I was using 1Gs prior. There seemed to be a consensus that 3G was the most widely used. Now that I'm geting into the weeds, I agree with you. I've easily been able to grow large plants in the 1Gs. My issue was due to a lack of understanding with respect to fertigation strategies especially with regards to what amounts to a zero CEC media. I'll do a few runs with these before deciding to go down to perhaps a 2G

 

[ButterflyEffect]

I like pressure compensated drippers. They deliver the same amount of water to every plant and I don't have to fiddle around to get it even.

Do you suggest ones in particular?

 

[Bush Dr]

2 x 1/4” open pipes per gallon

 

[ButterflyEffect]

2 x 1/4” open pipes per gallon

I'm also considering a 1/4" ring with 4-6 tees acting as the sprayers. I'm just not certain if a higher pressure dripper is the better idea

 

[ButterflyEffect]

Not terrible for my first LED run. Also haven't done horizontal in a very long time. You can see the defs I was referring to. Looks to be mostly K, which is no bueno

Here you can see the manifold and piping. The PVC going back to the pump from there is 3/4"

 

[ButterflyEffect]

The newbs from today. The next run is on the perimeter still in solos. They'll be transplanted next week. Going forward all transplants will happen much earlier. I'm still experimenting with how many per room and training. Currently I'm trying one top followed by pulling the two mains down as in the pic.

The ones on the right are the third run in the pattern. Soon clones of that size will be transplanted now.
The ones thew left are GZs that I'll just pop in to the next run and hand water. I always hate tossing them when they don't make the cut for a run

 

[Orange's Greenhouse]

Do you suggest ones in particular?

Mine are pressure compensated from iDrop and they do what they are supposed to. But it's not that I tested a different brand.

 

[ButterflyEffect]

Mine are pressure compensated from iDrop and they do what they are supposed to. But it's not that I tested a different brand.

At this point, I'm going to see how a 1/4" ring with either 4 or 6 tees pointed down work. I'm keep check back to see if there are any other suggestions to possibly employ them, as well

 

[Grapefruitroop]

As far as drippers i used Netafim pressure compensated 2 Liter x hour with a little stake that goes in the medium...There are many flow rate option, i chosed the slowest one...and put two in each pot

 

[ButterflyEffect]

As far as drippers i used Netafim pressure compensated 2 Liter x hour with a little stake that goes in the medium...There are many flow rate option, i chosed the slowest one...and put two in each pot
View attachment 19095715
View attachment 19095716

Thanks for this. I've been busy getting the rooms all situated that I forgot to follow up here.

I ultimately went with DIY 1/4" rings with 6 evenly spaced open tees. So far it has worked out very well

 

[ButterflyEffect]

So here's what I put together. It all works very well and was super cheap

This is the room now

 

[Ca++]

As far as drippers i used Netafim pressure compensated 2 Liter x hour with a little stake that goes in the medium...There are many flow rate option, i chosed the slowest one...and put two in each pot
View attachment 19095715
View attachment 19095716

Good Kit.
Many people think a 2G emitter, will emit 2G, regardless of line pressure. Most people never get near their emitters rating, as it's typically measured at 1 bar. A pressure their pump can't reach. It's a 10 meter head, or 14.7psi.
The netafim PCJ 2G will flow 2G with half a bar of pressure, or a 5m head pump. This is a pump people might have. If the pressure goes higher, they have a magic trick, where they clamp down and still only give 2G. Even at 4 bar, which is like the tap, they flow 2G. Thus, you run a pump that can do greater than 0.5bar and all the drippers will flow at the same rate. They can't flow faster, up to the point where they shoot off through the window.

The CNL version needs a bit more pressure, but has a second trick. Can-Not-Leak. For us at home, the main gain is anti-siphon. If the pressure in the line is low, they won't let fluid pass. This is a problem that many drip users encounter. The pump stops, but the tank is higher than the pots, so the water keeps coming. The CNL will stop this, and also stop the manifold draining out the lowest point, should the manifold be higher than the emitters.


An emitter in the middle is a good idea. The ring system isn't putting water where the heart of the root system is. Instead, water reaches their as a final destination, and deposits it's salts. I believe a 3G pot wants 4 of the 2Lph emitters. One dead center, and 3 around. This gives an even soak in about 10 mins, which is time for the last fertigations salts to be nice and fluid, and get moving towards the bottom of the pot. A much better final destination. Coco needs the salts to leave, which is the hardest part of using it. The middle emitter is important.

One circulating tale, is that when a 500Gph pump isn't flowing enough, get a 750Gph. In all likelihood, it won't flow better, and your goal isn't even 200Gph. What you need isn't more Gph, it is more pressure. The Gph rating has little relationship to pressure.
If you have a 1" pump with 1000G and another 1" pump with 1500G, then yes, the 1500G is getting more water through the same sized hole 1". However, if your 1500G pump was 1.5" then actually it is pushing no harder. We don't have to weigh up these facts though, as the pumps pressure is wrote on them, but just seems to be ignored. Many people use a sump pump, so it should be a 10 meter. This 10 meter, is telling us the pressure is like having a water tank, 10 meters above us. This pressure could be given in Bar (1Bar)or PSI(14.7) but on a sump pump, generally it's in meters. This is the pressure to make a standard emitter work, in 90% of cases.
If you use a pond pump, you might not have 2 meters. That is a poor tank head. You might be better to take off the emitters, and balance the flow with taps and pipework mods.

Most of this, and more, is in the 3 phase pump thread. Most of us will find a pump there, we can hold in our fist, yet annihilates a typical sump pump. As it's designed to make the pressure we need, not the Gph we don't. A 20$ quiet pump, of some of these netafim cnl reds, and that's a well thought out system. Low cost. Well sized hose. Equal flow. No siphon. Just needs a nice inline filter, like a 10$ 200# to keep the emitters clear.