A Botanicare question for MrGreenjeans...

Discussion in 'Hydroponic Cultivation' started by OldSmokey, Sep 9, 2016.

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  1. OldSmokey

    OldSmokey Registered Users

    I'm using the Pro Grow.
     
  2. Mrgreengenes

    Mrgreengenes Administrator

    That's what I'm using. I wanted to make sure we were talking about the same product.:ebert:
     
  3. OldSmokey

    OldSmokey Registered Users

    Here's what Botanicare says:
    "I typically recommend a small recirculating pump attached to the bottom or the side toward the bottom of the reservoir to help keep everything suspended in the reservoir. The Pure Blend Pro is an organic-based nutrient and what you are seeing are most likely the organic extracts, humic acids, etc, which can be more prone to settling, especially in taller reservoirs."

    Okay... So it's time for a circulating pump. I've got a spare 120 gpm one to try. It's about the biggest pump that will fit though the opening at the top of the tank.

    What do think would work better: Blowing the discharge of the pump at the bottom of the tank to stir it up or blowing the discharge upward? Also, does your reservoir run noticeably warmer than ambient?
     
  4. Mrgreengenes

    Mrgreengenes Administrator

    My temp in the sump runs the same as the room in summer and cooler in winter. My grow room is in the basement with a concrete floor under it. I'm sure that helps. I have my pump stuck on the side of the reservoir at the very bottom with the exhaust blowing across the bottom of the sump. They do make sump chillers but I'm sure there not cheap
     
  5. OldSmokey

    OldSmokey Registered Users

    I radically topped one of the young bonsai moms yesterday, as it was growing too damn good and I need to get some clones started pretty soon. In the past, this would always send plants into shock for a day or two, and cause at least a couple of yellow leaves. Not this time. The plant looks like nothing happened. I'm impressed. These nutes may be a little more work than the GH, but I think the results so far are worth it.

    It's gonna be tight to get another pump into the bottom of the tank, but I'll squeeze it it in there somehow.
     
  6. OldSmokey

    OldSmokey Registered Users

  7. Mrgreengenes

    Mrgreengenes Administrator

    Your growing in buckets correct? DWC.
    I'm trying to figure out your setup by looking at this picture. Could you please tell me what your exact set up is. Sorry, I feel like I'm missing something.
     
  8. OldSmokey

    OldSmokey Registered Users

    Not DWC. Hempy buckets with automatic watering.

    I thought it might be better to have one pump dedicated to feeding the plants, with no valving.

    The extra pump allows me to easily pump out of the tank into containers to feed the bonsai moms. This "dispenser" pump has 3 valves on its outlet that will let me fill the tank with RO backwards through the pump, dispense RO into a container, or pump out the contents of the tank. It's real handy for flushing.

    It all could have been done with one pump though.
     
  9. Mrgreengenes

    Mrgreengenes Administrator

    I willing to bet you could loose one of those Airstones for space with the circulation pump in there too.
     
  10. OldSmokey

    OldSmokey Registered Users

    I was thinking about raising up the air stones an inch or two to allow circulation below and around them a little better. Got to do something productive with the air that comes out of my oversized air pump or else it has to get bled off.

    Last night I played around with the pump in a 5 gallon bucket with a few inches of water and was kind of surprised at how well it circulated. With nothing but the pump in the bucket, there wasn't much to slow the whirlpool down. Iit was interesting to see how much the angle of the pump's outlet relative to the side of the bucket affected the speed of the whirlpool. There was a sweet spot that really got the water going. Next time I fill up the tank, it's going to be experimenting time.

    While doing a bit of searching, I came across this:
    www.spray.com/literature_pdfs/B635_Tank_Mixing_Eductors.pdf

    I wonder if one of these gizmos would be helpful. My little pump only puts out 2 psi at 120 gph max so I'm not too sure. McMaster has these in polypropylene for about forty bucks.
     
  11. OldSmokey

    OldSmokey Registered Users

    I hate to admit defeat with Botanicare, but I think it’s necessary. It looks like I’ll be going back to GH 3-part. The Pure Blend Pro seems to grow well enough, but the inability of the mixed nutes to stay in suspension without a circulating pump is messing things up, big time.

    The circulating pump is able to keep the nutes in suspension just fine, but now my reservoir is running several degrees above ambient, due to the 40 Watts that the pump adds. And since ambient temp can get as high as about 75F, I see problems ahead. (Unfortunately, I did not get the mini-split as I had planned; maybe next time, though I’m pretty certain that it wouldn’t help with this.)

    Yesterday was a cool day around here and the room temp stayed at 70F with no AC needed. When I made up the nutes last night, the incoming water was 67F. By 8AM, the reservoir was 74F and that was after the room had gradually cooled to 65F during 6 hours of lights out.

    A chiller might be the proper solution here, but I really don’t want to add one, with its contribution to the electric bill, added complexity, noise, heat, risk, and initial cost. Especially if GH seems to work.

    Mr. G, I appreciate the time you’ve taken to answer my questions very much. Pure Blend Pro works; it just doesn’t work well in my system.

    Thanks again,
    OS
     
  12. Mrgreengenes

    Mrgreengenes Administrator

    I understand man. I tried Advanced nutrients twice and had nothing but problems. I will say this stuff works great for straight Hempy pot grows.
     
  13. mytwhyt

    mytwhyt Established Healthy Roots

    I think the main way things that grow in water get in, is in the air... Don't see how attach a filter to the new pump with the cover over the intake..With only 3 Waterfarms the GH covers my need for air... It also allows a simple filter attachment, double sided tape, and a painters filter.

    IMG_2099.JPG pump.JPG
     
    blazerwill420 likes this.
  14. blazerwill420

    blazerwill420 Fuck AUMA

    That's pretty cool.
     
  15. OldSmokey

    OldSmokey Registered Users

    That is indeed pretty cool. To minimize noise, I run my air pump in the cabinet with the stinky air, with the reservoir out in the clean air. As long as the air stones in the reservoir are covered with solution, I don't smell any stink. If the reservoir is empty, the air in it stinks rather aromatically. So the stink seems to be absorbed by the nute water and is delivered back to the root systems. Kind of like cannibalistic recycling... I wonder how much it affects the nutrients and the plants.

    I had the same pump that you have. It was potent enough, just too damn loud. It's 60 cycle noise was the main thing heard, even over the AC and dehumidifier. It had to go. The new pump is much quieter, but is a little over the top with its air delivery volume. It sure does mix the mix GH nutes quickly though. It's a little weird how lots of air bubbles wouldn't keep the Pure Blend Pro mix in suspension. (It seems to me that the Liquid Karma was actually the main problem.)

    I like your idea, Mytwhyt. It might be a little work to mount on the new pump but it looks doable. Might help to extend the pump's life too.

    Thanks,
    OS
     

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