What is the best system for automation and biggest yield (AquaValve?)

[THCBrova]

Hey all,

Im currently planning/researching my next setup but am slightly overwhelmed with all the different setups we have at our disposal and wanted your help.

I want to know based on your experience what the best automated systems are that you have used, or are planning to try in the future.

I am torn between ebb and flow, dripper, and aquavalve systems, favouring at this point AquaValve. This is simply because I like the way it leaves a max 20mm in the tray and only refills when the plant has consumed that, so the plant can feed as much or as little as it wants to, no over or under feeding. In the words of the 3 bears, it is juuust right  lol. Plus this system is all gravity fed and so no electric or chances of error due to loss of power for any reason, or timer malfunction. Highly unlikely i know but... you never know!

The issue I have with this is firstly they require hand feeding until the roots reach the bottom of the pot. Also I wanted to opt for cloth/air pots next, can the roots come out the bottom of those, and if not, does the cloth pot have to sit saturated in 20mm of water/feed. And... does feeding only from the bottom provide effective feeding to the whole root system. Does the top soil, or coco in my case receive enough moisture.

In the explanation video they put a copper sheet in a 15ltr pot to prevent the growing medium going into the tray, 30% clay pebbles, the growing medium soil/coco, and re-pot a small plant from a 1ltr pot (i think 1ltr) with a packed root system, but in a 15ltr pot the roots are nowhere near the bottom, so how does it benefit here, does the water soak up through the copper sheet.... clay pebbles.... and the coco to the root system?

The other option I am considering is a dripper feed system as this is automated and top fed which I prefer, but this is reliant on the timer and trial and error with feed amounts. And I'm guessing requires manually altering as the plants grow and require more feed.

What would be ideal is a top fed system that feeds when the plant wants it, like the aquavalve but top fed.

I am currently hand feeding and well into the flowering stage, and they are drinking 2ltrs a day easily. Its a lot of work!

Your opinions and experience is always appreciated.

Thanks 

[MonsterEnergy]

wilma systems are easy to set-up and automated watering with the use of a timer,
have used b4 and definitely was easy to use, just set it to feed 3x times a day and only need to fill the rez once a week or so,

[bigbadbillybob]

flood and drain iws system is a favourite with certain types of growers.
you can set it up and leave it, if your res is big enough.
ive heard too many stories of floods with aquavalve systems

[Cooky2992]

wilma systems are easy to set-up and automated watering with the use of a timer,
have used b4 and definitely was easy to use, just set it to feed 3x times a day and only need to fill the rez once a week or so,

Does look good that . Love the idea of automated watering but hydro worries me 😅

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[British green]

Does look good that . Love the idea of automated watering but hydro worries me 😅

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Ya can fill them pots with ya favourite soil and just have it as auto watering 😃🇬🇧


Sent from a green and pleasant land

[Cooky2992]

Ya can fill them pots with ya favourite soil and just have it as auto watering 😃🇬🇧


Sent from a green and pleasant land

Ace , would the run off not be recirculated?
An how does that dripper bit evenly water the whole pot 🙈

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[British green]

Ace , would the run off not be recirculated?
An how does that dripper bit evenly water the whole pot 🙈

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A quick mod a ya can get it to run to waste and ya change the drippers to halo rings. It’s easy to build ya own system just taking the bits ideas ya need from the Wilma. Basically four pots big tray big res some dripper line and a pump . If ya can’t run to waste run the waste into another bucket/tub res 😃🇬🇧


Sent from a green and pleasant land

[Cooky2992]

A quick mod a ya can get it to run to waste and ya change the drippers to halo rings. It’s easy to build ya own system just taking the bits ideas ya need from the Wilma. Basically four pots big tray big res some dripper line and a pump . If ya can’t run to waste run the waste into another bucket/tub res 😃🇬🇧


Sent from a green and pleasant land

Aye man 😁
Maybe maybe might have to look into something 👍

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[THCBrova]

flood and drain iws system is a favourite with certain types of growers.
you can set it up and leave it, if your res is big enough.
ive heard too many stories of floods with aquavalve systems

Ye I heard about floods with the aquavalves but I spoke to a guy/rep at a show who said the reason was because the hole into the valve was too small and it would get blocked, but they have now made it bigger which has sorted that issue.
Its still only a 6mm tube however, so Im not convinced.

[420Rancher]

Ye I heard about floods with the aquavalves but I spoke to a guy/rep at a show who said the reason was because the hole into the valve was too small and it would get blocked, but they have now made it bigger which has sorted that issue.
Its still only a 6mm tube however, so Im not convinced.

They get clogged from minerals in the water, I was reading on a similar system, they talked about a lot of maintenance, so I'm going dwc, but ebb and flow is an easy simple system, but boring, lol.

Any system will work, you just have to know how much you want to fiddle with it.


Experimental grow over the counter dirt. 4x4 tent.
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sha...p%3Ft%3D168618
Home built rdwc, green house powdered feed!
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sha...p%3Ft%3D171166