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Offlinenandodando
Stranger

Registered: 05/29/11
Posts: 15
Last seen: 9 years, 4 months
Automation - How do you go away for a few days
    #751286 - 10/06/14 08:14 AM (9 years, 5 months ago)

I'm curious how people with a hydroponic system and folia feeding regiment go away for a few days.

What systems do you feel are adequate so that you feel safe leaving your system for lets say 2 nights in a row for starters.

1. I'm curious if people have been inventive.
2. What makes them feel their system is safe
(3.And how you still have lives and short trips if you don't have a sitter).

PLEASE ASSUME I HAVE NO FRIENDS

It's the side of growing I've seen little of.

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Offlinewebster10


Registered: 12/15/13
Posts: 466
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
Re: Automation - How do you go away for a few days [Re: nandodando]
    #751299 - 10/06/14 11:24 AM (9 years, 5 months ago)

A f&d, e&f and DWC could all do this effectively. For f&d and e&f just get nutes that have a pretty stable pH, adjust everything to correct levels, maybe a little less strong if you're going out for a few days because ppm will rise as time goes on. Use a timer for the pump and set it to your regular feeding schedule. Not exactly sure how DWC works so I'm not willing to comment on it.

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Invisiblemhbound
Ballin out at all cost
Male User Gallery


Registered: 09/22/08
Posts: 8,144
Loc: High Flag
Re: Automation - How do you go away for a few days [Re: webster10]
    #751344 - 10/06/14 03:43 PM (9 years, 5 months ago)

I'll never leave my grow again. I left it for like 7-10 days and came back to a strong smell of ozone. Went in the closet and my timer was hot as fuck. It could have easily caught on fire. The timer was rated for like 1500 watts and I was using 1/3 of that. To be fair it was a cheap timer but still...Shit happens and I won't be doing it again.

But using a timer if you use a flood table is simple...Set the timer to cut the pump off after you time it a few times. I mean....it's pretty much common sense. I would be wasting time explaining how a timer will make it work, it depends on your setup.

If you have a question about a specific setup.......


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Suck my balls America

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Offlinenandodando
Stranger

Registered: 05/29/11
Posts: 15
Last seen: 9 years, 4 months
Re: Automation - How do you go away for a few days [Re: mhbound]
    #751687 - 10/08/14 07:01 AM (9 years, 5 months ago)

Truth be told (and the advice is appreciated) I'm just setting up a manual one and hope to upgrade to a continuous feed hydro set-up I've seen.

Stable PH was a new note (as I knew I'd have to water down for rising ppm).

I was curious about automated sprays for feeding, or if too much hassle simply if say a toilet float sort of thing could add (slightly weakened) nutrients as the levels dropped from a reservoir. Also if said reservoir could top up 2 grows, and what you're experiences might be.

When you say more stable PH, what's the usual way one would buffer PH shifts?

The idea is that I could camp with the GF over maybe 2 nights...with a mind to someday be able to go away for 4 nights and not cause harm.

It's all about being slightly and only occasionally less bound. I'm sure you've all felt it's inconvenient if no-one else can watch it.

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Offlinewebster10


Registered: 12/15/13
Posts: 466
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
Re: Automation - How do you go away for a few days [Re: nandodando]
    #751733 - 10/08/14 12:44 PM (9 years, 5 months ago)

The way to keep a stable pH is by buying quality nutrients. Pretty much all GH nutes Flora series, floranova and maxi have rock solid pH's.

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InvisiblephychotronM
Medicated


Registered: 02/17/11
Posts: 1,995
Loc: Earth (mostly) Flag
Trusted Cultivator
Re: Automation - How do you go away for a few days [Re: webster10]
    #752692 - 10/13/14 12:01 AM (9 years, 5 months ago)

I've used Blumats and coco with great success. You can leave for as long as your res will hold out, drip automatic feeding. I've left for over a week multiple times with those working fine. I started out using those as my primary feed system and they work good. When the ceramic cone starts to dry out it opens a valve which un-pinches a tube that the nutrients flow through.

Not sure why everyone with hydro wants to use traditional hydro methods, drip/drain to waste in coco and a non recirculating tank keep the work load to almost nothing. Just mix up nutrients, let them sit till they are used once and top the tank off when needed. I flush once before PK week and before harvest by running mass quantities of water through the pots, sometimes when I'm lazy I skip the first flush and will just feed it lower strength nutrients or plain water occasionally. There is some buildup, but with Canna nutrients the plants don't mind and can sustain growth for awhile when doing plain water. The stuff flushes VERY easily at the end.

I have that style now on a shower ring I made from plastic tube and a T, the timer comes on every once in awhile and waters for one minute. I need a cycle stat instead of a timer to get the schedule/rate down but growth is amazing and your not throwing away any nutrients. I had Blumats as a backup system when I first switch to a drain to waste setup and they completely saved my plants when I was learning the new watering schedule.

http://www.growery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/722233/page/1 for my setup--grow log shows the first time with that water method and Blumats saving my ass.

Also, Canna nutrients are some of the most stable when it comes to leaving it mixed up or topping the tank off for weeks. Their stuff doesn't leave a bunch of salt residue and form solids as fast as other stuff (specifically switched from Advanced Nutrients because their crusty-salty nutrients.)

I haven't tried too many other brands of stuff, as once I found Canna I gave up the search for the best nutrient I could find. Simple to use and gentle on the plants. Some say they're expensive but they have a bare minimum product line, which also helps keep the tank from getting gummed up. I pay less than $5 per oz in nutrients, and soon to be even lower since I've found a replacement for their most expensive product; the Boost at $100/L is too much.


As for foliar feeding, I might do it in veg and early flower but avoid doing it once the plants have flowers showing up. One to keep the leaf itself clean, but also I don't want to get water in between the layers of leaf and possibly mold.


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Any help given is for educational purposes only. Its your responsibility not to break any applicable laws
Bamboo Bongs I make | Perfect Dry and Cure | Grapegod under LED
“Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune intoned in the distance by an invisible player.” ~ Albert Einstein

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Offlinedelta9hippie
Stranger
Registered: 09/01/14
Posts: 52
Last seen: 6 years, 7 months
Re: Automation - How do you go away for a few days [Re: phychotron]
    #753650 - 10/17/14 11:28 AM (9 years, 5 months ago)

I have seen some pretty amazing automation with Arduino computers. They are super cheap, and there is a large amount of amazing open-source documentation and software. There are a couple programs designed for hydroponics. Basically, they have all the programming done, so you don't have to teach the computer to understand your sensors for hydroponic grows. Pretty nifty. Google it. :cool:

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Offlinenandodando
Stranger

Registered: 05/29/11
Posts: 15
Last seen: 9 years, 4 months
Re: Automation - How do you go away for a few days [Re: delta9hippie]
    #754139 - 10/21/14 03:43 AM (9 years, 5 months ago)

Great advice people, thanks :wink:

if it's not too cheeky, Arduino projects are many (with hack-a-day, instructibles.com and the like) if you've seen it any chance you still have the links to the ones you thought useful? Some project diaries don't pan out and I was hoping to find something approachable and competently made/documented&tested if I was going in that direction.

I'm capable of re-creating anything but with so many variables and the nature of the subject matter goggling it is unlikely to get me too what 'you' a specific more experienced grower intended me to find. I am in essence a nerd clueless.

And I appreciate informed peer judged data :wink:

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Invisiblecaptain.koons
Failed Botanist
Registered: 06/25/08
Posts: 6,170
Trusted Cultivator
Re: Automation - How do you go away for a few days [Re: nandodando]
    #756293 - 11/07/14 05:47 AM (9 years, 4 months ago)

The biggest issue with leaving is your reservoir going out of whack. Usually because the plants are consuming too much water and making your pH fluctuate or ppms rise, this can be corrected (mostly) by a secondary reservoir which will top off the first usually activated by a float valve. Simply adding tap water will remedy the situation but won't be 100% ideal.

Another solution is to use run to waste systems, where you have 2 reservoirs, one is to feed, the other is where the drain goes, this is practical with drip systems but not so practical with ebb and flow systems as you would be using up a lot of nutrients.

Another solution is to use a much larger reservoir then you need. The larger the reservoir the less change there will be. ie. if your plants drink 5 gals of water a day, your 40 gal reservoir is going to be depleted 1/8 each day and much of those nutrients will build up in the reservoir leaving a toxic environment. If you have a 100 gal reservoir the same 5 gals is a 1/20 of your total solution, so although it's still somewhat problematic it doesn't become a problem until a later date.

Another thing to consider is your environmental conditions, you want your humidity to be in check ie. 50-60%, temps to be in check ie. 75-78F and your air exchanges to not be overboard, 70% volume / minute is adequate, 1per minute is fine, more than that is going to lead to excessive amounts of transpiration which = water loss both in your plants and your reservoir.

DWC I wouldn't leave without a top off reservoir that is automated, I'm a recirculating guy myself.


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TROLLS NEED LOVE TOO!

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