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Coco in Containers - Automated Drip System

mowood3479

Active member
Veteran
Do u want him to put it on his cc and come set it up for ya also? Just kidding..
I can post a part list for a drip system if u want.. Probably pretty similar to the op's, mayb a few less parts.
1 resevoir I'd suggest 55 gal but whatever works
1 400 gph or so mag drive pump.
50 ft 1/2" black tubing
1 1/2" T
4 1/2" elbows
20 ft 1/8" black tubing
1/8 barbed fittings"
Stakes to hold the 1/8 tubing in ur pot ( I run open ended lines, drippers kept clogging)
1/8" hole punch
Zip ties
Duct tape
id do a manifold (rectangle) out of 1/2"
Ohh n a 7day digital timer
 

Bobbo4200

Active member
Veteran
Sweet Crusader!

Mowood: I am just looking to do a couple plants, do you think a need a 55g drum? Seems kind of big. I was thinking a trash can or something, and just refill every couple of days.

Thanks guys

Can someone post up a diagram of how the lines run to help better understand? Thanks
 
Hey Dude,
Can you PM me, and go into exactly what I need to get on a timer setup? What do you think of the automated drip vs. Blumats? I have Blumats, but never really got them dialed in-so I went back to hand watering once, sometimes twice a day.
Thanks
Whatsup bobboo and newb?

The 7 day 24 hour timer thing seems to work the best.. you need something that will time down to the minute since when your running the correct size pump to get a decent pressure in the lines you will need it on for only about 1 to maybe 3 minutes max..

1500gph pump running 2 minutes will feed 32-36 sites about 1000mL so 500mL/minute to each site.

Don't skimp out on the pump.. if you are only running a few sites (6-9 get at least a 500gph).. you can always put a t and a ball valve on the t back into the rez so you can adjust for higher flows.
 
great informative thread.
time for some pics !

i have a question
how you keep your nutrient solution ph stable over days?
Or rez is set up to run out after one single irrigation?

after just 24 hours i get a 1 point drift (5.8 becomes 6.8) using GHE ph- wich is both nitric and fosforic acid and some buffering agent. Definately not worth in Coco, altough pretty nice in Soil.

in a few days i will try canna ph- pro grow along with their A+B line.
Rula..

When running Rez.. lets say for easy numbers you have a 4K garden.. running 6 plants under each 1K, you can have a 150 Gallon Rez with a pump or 2 running Venturi's (airline to pump outlet to stir and add o2 to the water).. if you are doing 2 or 3 feedings a day with 1000mL for the first feed and 500mL for the second and or third feed, that 150 gallon rez will last you about 7 to 10 days.. You can also run a small 27 gallon wallyword tote (black with yellow lid - only one that seems somewhat durable) if you have way less.

Some nutrient lines will have PH Buffer.. if i start a rez with 7.2 pH, after i add everything including a silica product (which brings ph way back up) i am usually dead on at 5.7-5.8 (heavy feeding weeks will usually bring that down a bit more - maybe 5.5-5.6).

If you are running giant rez you can invest in the automated ph system for i think like 200-400 bucks and it will adjust your ph for you. but for smaller rez's you wont need anything like that. I would just run some bennies and a decent nutrient line so you don't have to worry about it. CNS17 seems to be the cheapest nutrient line with the best results.. plus i think hyrdroguard and dripclean are always two great products to work with. Some people will say you don't need it but if you are growing $4 pound lettuce it probably isn't.. but if you are getting.. you know where im going with this.

Canna is a great product but they are not cost effective when running larger gardens.

If your gonna change it up, give CNS17 a try and use CNS17Ripe the last two weeks. plus always use CalMag and a silica product such as SilicaBlast from Botanicare. The 5Gallon jugs of the botanicare CNS line are only 64 dollars a piece and you only really use a bunch of the Bloom.. very little Ripe and very little Grow. The Calmag is a must for coco and RO water which is a very good idea to switch to if you are running drip lines. a 100gpd unit is only 175 bucks. then you know exactly whats in your water.

Let me know if you have any questions.. i don't think i can PM since i am still considered a "Newb" on this forum.. haha
 
Thanks! I looked up that timer on Amazon, $73.

Not to be a pain, but could you list all the parts I am going to need to get on a drip-or maybe PM me? Do you have a link to which adjustable stakes to use? Hose? What size pump? I am only planning on hooking 1-3 plants up, so I am not sure if I need a huge pump

I was ready about to give up on coco all together, but have a few coco ladies going in 5g airpots that are doing great. Roots out the bottom, roots out the top. I am doing one or two feeds per day, but know I could bump that up on some
Thanks
https://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/hydrofarm-dual-outlet-timers.html

7 bucks i think is a little better then 70
 
Sweet Crusader!

Mowood: I am just looking to do a couple plants, do you think a need a 55g drum? Seems kind of big. I was thinking a trash can or something, and just refill every couple of days.

Thanks guys

Can someone post up a diagram of how the lines run to help better understand? Thanks

If you have space for the 55 gallon drum i would run it.. plus only 1-3 plants is a bit small.. not sure lighting but if you have a 600w i would do at least 6 plants.. in 3gal pots.. less veg time required = quicker turnaround without going to a SOG style which is a total pain in the ass!

The bigger the rez the less times you have to go fill that bitch up and more time just going in and checking out the babes haha..

but you can always use a small tote if you dont have the space.

Def run bennies (hydroguard) if you are running a rez for a while. It keeps the slime and problems out!

See attachment..

If you just have one light or a couple you can set it up just like this.. i have seen 8 lights with just one main line and it worked fine with a 1500 gph pump.

If you run two rows of lights it needs to be more of a manifold system to keep pressure the same (which can be adjusted by the adjustable drippers which i highly recommend over just 1gph or 2gph drippers)
 

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Do u want him to put it on his cc and come set it up for ya also? Just kidding..
I can post a part list for a drip system if u want.. Probably pretty similar to the op's, mayb a few less parts.
1 resevoir I'd suggest 55 gal but whatever works
1 400 gph or so mag drive pump.
50 ft 1/2" black tubing
1 1/2" T
4 1/2" elbows
20 ft 1/8" black tubing
1/8 barbed fittings"
Stakes to hold the 1/8 tubing in ur pot ( I run open ended lines, drippers kept clogging)
1/8" hole punch
Zip ties
Duct tape
id do a manifold (rectangle) out of 1/2"
Ohh n a 7day digital timer
1/2" tubing is garbage but if you have an extremely small setup it defiantly does the job.. but making a manifold out of 1/2" should be suplied with 3/4" main line from pump then reducers at each row of manifold to help increase flow.

after every cycle (sometimes every other if im busy/lazy) i throw all the lines and drippers away and get freshies so i don't have to worry about clogs when im not around.
 

stoned40yrs

Ripped since 1965
Veteran
Speaking of plastic drums: you can buy 15-30-55 gal pretty easy. These are the size that are used in car washes for soap. They usually end up on craigslist or you can check at any carwash. I bought two 30 gal ones last night for $20 each.:tiphat:
 
Those 30-35 gallon ones are awesome.. i prefer the barrels so you don't have like 5 gallons of water in there that a pump or Venturi pump can't even suck up like in the totes that are way wider then tall.
 

Bobbo4200

Active member
Veteran
Hey Dude!,
Thanks for the diagram! I am using Maxibloom on my coco ladies, can Maxibloom be used in a timed drip system?
Do you put an air pump in your rez?
Thanks again!
 
Hey Dude!,
Thanks for the diagram! I am using Maxibloom on my coco ladies, can Maxibloom be used in a timed drip system?
Do you put an air pump in your rez?
Thanks again!
Bobbo,

You are talking about the Maxibloom powder?.. i always wanted to try that stuff since it seemed very cost effective. But getting back to your question, yes I'm sure you could use it. You can use basically any nutrient line for drippers you just want to make sure you have an inline Y filter between your pump in your rez and your first dripper.

the Y filter just unscrews and you can flush out any debris or bullshit that has been caught by the filter.. best 9 bucks you will ever spend. Make sure you mix your nutes really well and i have found that at 72 degrees is the best for my rez temp.. get good mixing and good beni activity!

And no i do not use air pumps.. I used to then realized how much better a venturi is.

A Venturi is just using a water pump and running an air line to the outlet of the pump.. so not only are you stirring the shit out of the water, but you are adding a ton of o2 as well. Plus, they usually run much more efficient then an air pump and a whole hell of alot quieter!
 

Bobbo4200

Active member
Veteran
Yes, I was talking about Maxibloom the powder.

Could you post a picture of the inline Y filter?, so I know what to get.

So a venturi is just a hose on the end of a submersible pump in the rez?

Thanks Dude
 

xoch

Member
Cheap timer.Compared to the hydroponic brands

Mistking Digital Seconds Timer

Look on ebay only about 35 dollars.
Will do sec increments.
 

Bobbo4200

Active member
Veteran
Hey Dude,
I am only gonna be running two ladies on a coco drip, so the guy at the grow shop said I should be ok with 1/2" tubing. I couldn't find one of those filters in the 1/2" size... Thank you
 
Bobbo,

Your first problem is.. your listening to the guy at the grow store haha. No, but he is kind off right, you can run 1/2" but you need that filter so your going to have to buy the 3/4" anyways.. there are two ways you can do this..

Since you only have two ladies i would recomend spending a little more and going with Hydro Halo's.. so your setup would be:

Pump > 3/4" Tubing > 3/4" Y Filter > 3/4" Tubing > 3/4" T Fitting > 3/4" Tubing on both sides of T Fitting > 3/4" to 1/2" Reducer on both sides of T > 1/2" Tubing on both sides > 1/2" Ball Valve (this will control the flow since hydro halos are not adjustable emitters) > 1/2" Tubing on both sides > Hydro Halos on both sides = best setup ever! haha

Then just use a 500 gph pump.. you would only have to run it for about 1 minute a few times a day and the hydro halos would give you very even watering. This setup will last way longer and for the extra few dollars i would set it up like this.

or... if you wanna cheap out

You could just get a 250gph pump.. run 1/2" tubing from that put a "T or Y Fitting" on it to split the line to go to the two ladies then have a ball valve right at each plant site then have another "T or Y Fitting" which would be used instead of the hydro halo or drip emitter.

so it would be Pump > 1/2" tubing > "T or Y Fitting" > 1/2" Tubing on both sides of T or Y Fitting > Ball Valve for both lines that are running to each Lady > 1/2" Tubing on both lines > then put a T or Y Fitting at the end which will get ziptied or staked down to the pot

^ that would be the cheapest way
 

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