You Gotta SIP, Not Slurp

[flylowgethigh]

One of my tents have a common reservoir, while the other is a simple bed with an overflow. Based on nothing, I suspect the plants like to communicate through the roots. This happens with the common reservoir, but not in the separate ones.

In this tent the SWICK is just a tub with a coiled pipe for support and rinsed perlite. I drilled a hole and stuffed a straw for the water height control.

I like to put the overflow from one tub into the other, so they can communicate somewhat.

 

[Growdo Baggins]

I've gotten most of the way through this thread. It's been the most helpful resource I had in figuring out how I wanted to make a SIP. The way you've done it is how I'm going to do it. I've got almost everything I need already and it's simple and works. Thanks for making this thread. You guys all have so many good ideas.

 

[Bio boy]

Got a lil tight in there ha couldn’t even get it working til last few weeks which caused guttation and lost a lot to mould so don’t water heavy at the end lol

Rebuilding now
what is the optimum depth and can you go taller ?
which would ya choose fabric pots
32x32x38 or 36x36x30 10 gal pots

 

[Squirrel Master]

Trying doubled up 5gal homer buckets with the inners bottom cut off, gets me a bit more height. I’m using the SIP irrigation piping like pucks at the bottom, kinda like a mini sip setup. So far so good. The girls have been very happy since transplant. Just lollipopped them the other day and they’ll go into flower 12/12 by end of the week so we’ll see how this works out

 

[Squirrel Master]

One of my tents have a common reservoir, while the other is a simple bed with an overflow. Based on nothing, I suspect the plants like to communicate through the roots. This happens with the common reservoir, but not in the separate ones.

In this tent the SWICK is just a tub with a coiled pipe for support and rinsed perlite. I drilled a hole and stuffed a straw for the water height control.

I like to put the overflow from one tub into the other, so they can communicate somewhat.

View attachment 18778134

I’ve heard of plants communicating through their roots. It’s fascinating to think that they are doing so to some extent. I’m using a common reservoir and control bucket and wondered about this

 

[thailer]

November 24th a week after transplant of seven Pineapple Fields. Not much growth during that week.

This was yesterday, the 6th. I have two short bushy girls, two in between and 3 lanky tall ladies. After I took the pic, I topped them so they're more even across the canopy.

I love the SIP because I haven't been to the grow since I took the first pic but also procrastinated so I can't really get inside to the deeper areas to add stakes for support. I'm gonna go back there this evening and hack a lot back then add support.

 

[flylowgethigh]

When I up pot into the SWICK I top water until the roots have grown into the bigger bag. This is when winged bastids like to buzz about, and the yellow stickies catch them. Later when the SWICK is working, the top of the soil will be dry.

I have never tried a Soil on perlite SIP… looks too messy for inside.

 

[flylowgethigh]

I was asked about my control box for the 4 tub auto watering ‘big tent’. Here is the control box. The center area is pumped out, the outer ring connects to the tubs and is where water comes in from the reservoir. The water level in the system is where the water falls from the outer ring to the center.



The reservoir connections are reversed so they can only be hooked up one way.



Inside the reservoir, the pump that feeds the outer ring has a valve to throttle it back. The hose for the water being pumped from the center area has a hole, to prevent a siphon. I suspect the feed hose from the reservoir to the outer ring siphons, cause I never have to run it.

 

[flylowgethigh]

To drain the water from the tubs, just remove the stopper from the 1/2” hole at the bottom of the inner bucket, which allows the outer ring to flow to the pump. Run the return line to a container, and get rid of the old water where it will do some good.

 

[flylowgethigh]

I have a simpler water level control system that will allow me to keep the wick water refreshed.

The water going into the bed will be via a pvc manifold around the top edge ov the perlite bed, holes drilled around the bottom, and a 1/2” inlet for the hose from the pump in the reservoir. That pump will run on a timer like a nearpow, that controls to the second.

The control bucket connects to the bottom of the tubs with a bulkhead fitting (using the same kind of screen, a rosin squish bag), using a 1/2” shutoff valve on either side of the 1/2” connector.

The water level in the control bucket is set by raising the pump so it’s float switch trips at the desired water level. To pump out the wick bed, remove the stand holding the pump up. That stand ought to be a brick - waterproof, heavy, won’t move. This design avoids the screws I had to put in the waterfall control box to hold the inner tub in place. That is a potential leak.

The bed water doesn’t have to be disposed. In veg the high EC from top feeding the soil may be good for the reservoir. Later, like where I am now, it may be best to get rid of the High EC runoff. This design makes draining the bed easy.



This is the design for the sativa tent, which has room for another 5 gallon bucket.

 

[flylowgethigh]

This is a good pump for the control box. It has a float switch. The nearpow timer is a good unit also. The timer is used for the water supply pump, which is just a 1/2 inch submersible and not shown cause mine is in the reservoir.

550522 — 1-ABS

Designed for in-pan placement, the 1-ABS shallow pan pump offers next generation technology for air conditioner condensate removal. With built-in, advanced mechanical switch that automatically...

www.littlegiant.com

 

[brickweeder]

... The nearpow timer is a good unit also.

I had the same nearpow timer wig out of me (programming would not stay programmed), they sent a replacment, which also was defective (program stayed programmed but the unit did not turn on and off at the programmed times). So I pitch them and will not touch nearpow products again...fwiw.

 

[flylowgethigh]

Mine works even after the power goes out for a while. Still knows what to do. Here is the hardware to plumb the tubs to th3 control bucket. The 160 mesh bag gets tie wrapped to the inlet screen to keep perlite from migrating.

 

[Squirrel Master]

Well everything seems to be working out good so far. Wrapping up week two of flower and the ladies are lovin the bucket sip.

 

[Squirrel Master]

Day 26 of flower and loving this growth. I’m legally limited to six plants only so this seems like a sure way to potentially max them out and continue to stay compliant

 

[Bio boy]

One of my tents have a common reservoir, while the other is a simple bed with an overflow. Based on nothing, I suspect the plants like to communicate through the roots. This happens with the common reservoir, but not in the separate ones.

In this tent the SWICK is just a tub with a coiled pipe for support and rinsed perlite. I drilled a hole and stuffed a straw for the water height control.

I like to put the overflow from one tub into the other, so they can communicate somewhat.

View attachment 18778134

are they just sat in a water tray ?
i ask as i have 4 big xl grodan trays 4inch deep and i have 2 50l fabric pots in them each there on a floatvalve bucket control so i can control the water level in them



im trying to figure out how i can make them self watering without filling them with pearlite i hope
my thaught was to stand them on bread trays with net pots underthem sat in the water ful of soil/pearlite to wick up
but im not sure lol

 

[flylowgethigh]

The thing about perlite is it gets crushed down to sand, and the fine stuff clogs the SIP inlet/outlet fitting in the tubs. The hollow drain pipe in the tubs is to both hold more water, and support the heavy bag. I don't know of a better wick material. I use about 3” above the drain tube as the thickness of perlite I set the bag on.

I am about to reskin the sativa tent, and a new water system for the SWICK will be implemented. This system will have a common control box with a float valve pump to remove water until the level is at the setting (pump height in the bucket can be adjusted with stacked plates). To put in water in the bed, a pump will pump water right onto the wick bed through a pvc pipe manifold hooked to the submersible pump in the reservoir with 1/2” black tubing.

The wick bed water is on a timer. My 10 gallon bags drink about a gallon a day. Put too much in and it gets pumped out. The float return pump can go to a waste reservoir if you are rinsing the bed, or back to the water reservoir. The height of the pump in the bucket determines water height in the wick bed. Lower the pump all the way, and drain the bed. Each fill is a bed flush.That helps when going into late flower.

 

[Sasult]

Has anyone tried the AC infinity self watering bases? They have a lot of good youtube reviews, but I don't put a lot of faith in those. I'm switching to sips, so I'm checking all the options.

 

[Bio boy]

The thing about perlite is it gets crushed down to sand, and the fine stuff clogs the SIP inlet/outlet fitting in the tubs. The hollow drain pipe in the tubs is to both hold more water, and support the heavy bag. I don't know of a better wick material. I use about 3” above the drain tube as the thickness of perlite I set the bag on.

I am about to reskin the sativa tent, and a new water system for the SWICK will be implemented. This system will have a common control box with a float valve pump to remove water until the level is at the setting (pump height in the bucket can be adjusted with stacked plates). To put in water in the bed, a pump will pump water right onto the wick bed through a pvc pipe manifold hooked to the submersible pump in the reservoir with 1/2” black tubing.

The wick bed water is on a timer. My 10 gallon bags drink about a gallon a day. Put too much in and it gets pumped out. The float return pump can go to a waste reservoir if you are rinsing the bed, or back to the water reservoir. The height of the pump in the bucket determines water height in the wick bed. Lower the pump all the way, and drain the bed. Each fill is a bed flush.That helps when going into late flower.

View attachment 18805141

I’m thinking without re buying this round as no room to move would be to drop them on risers and just fill the tray below and put wicking fabric in the water up to them

I can’t really get in there and am thinking to rebuild outside my tent however 2minds still there so think I’ll just be filling trays as i would Need to get perlite or new buckets lol again I baught some wrong shit I didn’t need in a panic


there all Sat on trays atm in fabric pots so what els can I do sit em on a perlite base or raise em up n wrap em lol

 

[flylowgethigh]

Here is the new set-up

I am about to reskin the sativa tent, and a new water system for the SWICK will be implemented. This system will have a common control box with a float valve pump to remove water until the level is at the setting (pump height in the bucket can be adjusted with stacked plates). To put in water in the bed, a pump will pump water right onto the wick bed through a pvc pipe manifold hooked to the submersible pump in the reservoir with 1/2” black tubing.

The wick bed water is on a timer. My 10 gallon bags drink about a gallon a day. Put too much in and it gets pumped out. The float return pump can go to a waste reservoir if you are rinsing the bed, or back to the water reservoir. The height of the pump in the bucket determines water height in the wick bed. Lower the pump all the way, and drain the bed. Each fill is a bed flush.That helps when going into late flower.

View attachment 18805141

Here is the set-up in that sketch in action. The sump pump in the bucket is all the way on the bottom. It can suck the system down to 1” of water height, which is how I can drain the wicks. Raising the pump 3” raises the waterline 3”, which is where it will run at.



The overflow from the return bucket into the carboy, which is nice because it can be dumped in the garden for the nutes. There is a tie wrap on the hose to keep the bilge pump discharge hose from coming out of the carboy snap-on cap.

The Little Giant sump pump comes with a plastic box, which makes a good stand to raise the pump, and thus the wick bed water level. There is 8 gallons in each tub, good for a week if something happens.



Just be sure to keep enough room in that carboy for the overflow.