Looking for better top-feed hardware/system.

I'm doing top-feed coco in 1 gallon pots. I find the 1/2 inch tubing to be a bit big to make a ring out of for my pots. But the 1/4 tubing gets clogged too easily. And the emitters don't give an even distribution to the whole plant roots.

Anybody have a top-feed system that really works well for them? What do you use?

Bloom Brothers hydro halo's work pretty well for me.

Netafim spray stake emitters

Open lines via Aqarium manifolds work for me.

Floraflex

Good stuff.
Thanks.

yeah netafim PC drippers
with a good pump
they deliver exact same amount at each site

I have some hydro halos but I have yet to set them up. Im getting tired of hand watering my one plant, its pretty bushy. Do you guys have to ph your auto feed reservoir often?

I just had this thought as im about to install my hydro halos. Won't the legs or even other drip stakes potentially injure the roots as they're being driven into the media?

MikeLife500 said:

I just had this thought as im about to install my hydro halos. Won't the legs or even other drip stakes potentially injure the roots as they're being driven into the media?

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Yes. Some very minor root damage could happen. But it's a non-issue.

I've used halos and never an issue with plant being visually affected.

TintEastwood said:

Yes. Some very minor root damage could happen. But it's a non-issue.

I've used halos and never an issue with plant being visually affected.

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Good to know, and thanks for always giving advice. Also is there a such thing as being to late in the plants life to install them, as far as the roots are concerned?

MikeLife500 said:

Good to know, and thanks for always giving advice. Also is there a such thing as being to late in the plants life to install them, as far as the roots are concerned?

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Never too late. Sooooo nice for feeding.

Yea I think I'll go head and install after my next res change

TintEastwood said:

Never too late. Sooooo nice for feeding.

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Also, about how often are you having to adjust ph of your res?

Probably too large for 1 gallons, looks good though.

MikeLife500 said:

Also, about how often are you having to adjust ph of your res?

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PH adjust, probably about every 4 or 5 days.

My small 8gal res holds PH, with slight drift, but the res only last 2 days or 3 days before I need to refill.

Much depends on what you put in the mix. I find additives can cause the PH to drift excessively.

I use gh flora trio. Only additives I use are armor si and calmag. In a 5 gallon bucket filled to exactly 4 gallons, when I ph'd down to 5.8, in about 2 or 3 days it was back up to around 7.5. Lately I've been just mixing nute solution and adjust the ph of each feeding in a separate container.

MikeLife500 said:

I use gh flora trio. Only additives I use are armor si and calmag. In a 5 gallon bucket filled to exactly 4 gallons, when I ph'd down to 5.8, in about 2 or 3 days it was back up to around 7.5. Lately I've been just mixing nute solution and adjust the ph of each feeding in a separate container.

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For me, RO water = more stable PH.

Half RO half tap water is another method.

(My tap is good and under 150ppm. But the PH and tds can vary randomly. Driving me nuts until I realized it was fluctuating)

TintEastwood said:

For me, RO water = more stable PH.

Half RO half tap water is another method.

(My tap is good and under 150ppm. But the PH and tds can vary randomly. Driving me nuts until I realized it was fluctuating)

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Ok now it makes sense. Can't go wrong with RO water. Im gonna have to make it work with my good old 225 ppm tap water. With the auto feed system I might have to manage ph every other day I guess. Or I heard of people letting their tap water sit for 48 hours before mixing nutes and everything. Maybe that'll help stabilize ph.

MikeLife500 said:

Or I heard of people letting their tap water sit for 48 hours before mixing nutes and everything. Maybe that'll help stabilize ph.

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That is good for removing Chlorine, it will evaporate out. But letting it sit will not remove minerals like calcium magnesium and sodium, which are what contributes to the higher ppm of tap water.