- Thread starter
- #41
Sorry, but for now I'm sticking with MegaCrop. I have more than enough for a years worth of grows, and I like it.
When I said calmag, I didn't mean because of a cal or mag deficiency. Far from it.
See, you have to watch your N->K ratio really close. Anything greater than like 1:3 and you can lock out your plants in a big way. If you check the silica supplement, you'll most likely see that it's something like a 0-0-2 ratio, maybe 0-0-1 if you're lucky. Either way, with a 1-0-0 dose of calmag in addition to the silica, you're keeping that 1:3 ratio in check, thus preventing your plant from locking out because of an N->K imbalance.
The return line is just that, a return. It's all gravity and fluid dynamics. No pump.
Now the supply side, yes, obviously there is a pump involved that will supply up to 100gph per bucket. I will most likely tweak it down a bit through a feedback loop to get it somewhere in the 50gph-75gph range. The supply lines to the buckets will have a waterfall effect, yes. Also each bucket will get an airstone, as well as 2 disks in the res just for good measure.
What I would have liked as well would have been a venturi option on my pump, but couldn't find one that worked for what I'm doing. Most of those were on the higher gph models, or were on submersible pumps.
If I were running a chiller, I'd have used a submersible pump and been done with it.
As far as filters go, I have an intake filter for the pump which is just a mechanical prefilter that should catch the majority of things. At least anything that could hurt it. I also have a mechanical filter on the return in the res, to catch anything there as well.
I'm even putting some baffles in the res to keep from having a direct path from the return to the supply, which will keep the res mixing through the process. I found some nifty silicone mats that work just right for that, so that will be good. Kind of a side to side and around the bend type of flow. No resistance to it, so no worries on that.
What I'd like to really do is have my pump intake on the bottom of the res instead of at the bottom on the side. However I'm not really comfortable with doing that, mainly because if I need to sit the res on something other than it's little riser. I may put a slight tip on it though, and raise the end opposite the return an inch, which would allow for better drainage when dumping the system out.
I also have a small battery powered stick pump to get water out of buckets that's left over when fully draining. after a run. I'll have to flush with some additional pure water when changing out nutrients, but that isn't a big thing. I can use the top off for that.
When I said calmag, I didn't mean because of a cal or mag deficiency. Far from it.
See, you have to watch your N->K ratio really close. Anything greater than like 1:3 and you can lock out your plants in a big way. If you check the silica supplement, you'll most likely see that it's something like a 0-0-2 ratio, maybe 0-0-1 if you're lucky. Either way, with a 1-0-0 dose of calmag in addition to the silica, you're keeping that 1:3 ratio in check, thus preventing your plant from locking out because of an N->K imbalance.
The return line is just that, a return. It's all gravity and fluid dynamics. No pump.
Now the supply side, yes, obviously there is a pump involved that will supply up to 100gph per bucket. I will most likely tweak it down a bit through a feedback loop to get it somewhere in the 50gph-75gph range. The supply lines to the buckets will have a waterfall effect, yes. Also each bucket will get an airstone, as well as 2 disks in the res just for good measure.
What I would have liked as well would have been a venturi option on my pump, but couldn't find one that worked for what I'm doing. Most of those were on the higher gph models, or were on submersible pumps.
If I were running a chiller, I'd have used a submersible pump and been done with it.
As far as filters go, I have an intake filter for the pump which is just a mechanical prefilter that should catch the majority of things. At least anything that could hurt it. I also have a mechanical filter on the return in the res, to catch anything there as well.
I'm even putting some baffles in the res to keep from having a direct path from the return to the supply, which will keep the res mixing through the process. I found some nifty silicone mats that work just right for that, so that will be good. Kind of a side to side and around the bend type of flow. No resistance to it, so no worries on that.
What I'd like to really do is have my pump intake on the bottom of the res instead of at the bottom on the side. However I'm not really comfortable with doing that, mainly because if I need to sit the res on something other than it's little riser. I may put a slight tip on it though, and raise the end opposite the return an inch, which would allow for better drainage when dumping the system out.
I also have a small battery powered stick pump to get water out of buckets that's left over when fully draining. after a run. I'll have to flush with some additional pure water when changing out nutrients, but that isn't a big thing. I can use the top off for that.