Hogro Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 (edited) Hi all.... ive been researching the alien easy feed system to replace my current old and vey leaky run to waste system. what are the genuine cons of a bottom feed system? I understand the pots will be sat in water for a period of time but how detrimental to the Roots is it? Practicality wise with me needing to change the system this also offers the same level of convenience in terms of accessing the back of my room to feed. I want to keep away from very expensive kits like RDWC. Mainly due to the maintenance and cost but also down to the noise when an air pump and chiller is factored in. Will bottom feeding result in a loss of yield? Am I better waiting until I can afford a better kit? thansk Edited October 20, 2020 by Hogro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redeyezman Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 I believe the general rule is never bottom feed. I was when I first started out of laziness, and someone here told me not to and I've been way better off since. I use square plastic pots that fit nice in round 5 gallon buckets to easily catch my run off. Every other day before I do new water I empty the catch bucket. No mess; no fuss. Although I'm in rockwool not coir I believe the do not bottom fed still applies. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uBercaMeL Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 With bottom feeding you have to be an extra step ahead in reading your plants (adjusting for over and underfeed before they become a problem). Everyone I know who's used autopots has had problems eventually (usually root rot or just really bad rooting out from being kept too wet). If I wanted to use them I would go with a 60/40 mix, and would hand water until established before using the active res. Tbh a 8/16 way adaptor and a little maxijet pump, with pots raised, removing the run off as necessary, is the cheapest and easiest 'automatic' system. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogro Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 Safe to say I won’t be getting an easy feed / auto pot system haha! thanks guys!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OctoMan Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 I second the issues with Auto pot. The medium remains far too wet. If I were ever to use them again I'd probably raise the pots out of the trays and use some wicking cords to sup up the water. Top watering seems far more controllable. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growinggold Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Blumats? Really easy and cheap. Lots on here have great results.. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesketh Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 (edited) Ive the easyfeed system slightly modded, they do 2 tray sizes, I use the larger on with 30l fabric pots. I have a hozelock type 3 way splitter off my main res so the plants are not all fed off one line. From my res I have my timer unit and the splitter connected, I then run 3 x 14mm hose lines feeding 3 plants per line. I've also added inline isolators at each plant and I use hoze lock quick release connector couplers to connect the trays to the hose line rather than the barbed fittings they come with, reason being, I can isolate any of the plants and I can remove the plant in its tray if needed, or I can swap out trays for my next grow while I clean the used ones ( I have 2 sets of trays ). I feed every other day for 1 hour or so ( the system has a timer ) they take what they need and the timer stops them sitting in pools of water inbetween feeds, I let mine go near totally dry. I've messed with loads of systems but this is by far the most simple and successful system I've used... The orange diesel I'm growing at present are 5ft tall and as healthy as possible. My water EC is 0.6 without nutrients, I add nutrients till its 1.5, I'm growing in Gold lable 60/40 coco - pebbles HTH Edited October 23, 2020 by Hesketh 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firerabbit212 Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Ive found with auto-pots that I need to add H2O2 to the res frequently or else I will get root rot. Also an air pump in the res and use 60% pebbles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey90 Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 Only ever heard bad shit about bottom feeding coco??? get a tray to fit your tent and hand water or get a auto set up. Im hand watering 8 in a 1.2 x 2.4 and with the trays on a slight slope i can have them all done in less then 20 mins using a big sponge for the run of and i do that 3 times a day its easy compared to running 6 aqua farms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonge Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 I’ve ran 4 autopots in a 1.5 x1.5 m for at least 6 years. No problems what so ever.. no air stones , no pumps in tank. no root rot, no floods.. love em to bits for a lazy grower like me.. fill the bottom of pots with 2 “ washed clay pebbles is a must. Fill with coco 60/40 I’m using the now then 1 “ pebbles on the top. I only handwater from top till pots root out then. just fill the 47 ltr res with a + b with Ec at 1.3 max the now, barely ever go above that and things just fly along.. only look in every 2 days to check all good and ph is around 6 for flowering. A wee bit less 5.6- 5.8 for vegging.. love em I do change the 6mm hose every grow or 2 to stop crap building in the pipes which cause the valves to flood..cheers gonge 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonshine123 Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 I bottom feed in fabric pots and coco from time to time, but only when I run out of room in my big tent to be honest I notice zero difference in yield or finished product as compared to say growing in the Wilma system. I just mix up 2 15litre buckets at a time, fill the watering can and fill the trays the fabric pots are in. But that’s just my results. Im pretty lazy when it comes to growing though, due to having a busy lifestyle with work/family etc but can still produce 19/20oz from a 600w with very little effort, which I am extremely happy with. If I wasn’t so busy with work I would love too spend more time in my groom but maybe when I retire I can focus on it properly 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amarillo slim Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 Laziness can be the first step to efficiency.... Medium was buffered coco with some perlite. Though pure coco, amended peat etc also work fine. The hort grit is only really needed with smaller pots imo. Valve in the pic is called 'easy2go' by aquavalve. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lasouris Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 On 21/10/2020 at 0:21 PM, growinggold said: Blumats? Really easy and cheap. Lots on here have great results.. I had no luck with Blumats. Didn't get them dialled in regardless what I did , I saw growers on other forums get brilliant results with them but some things just ain't for you. Ended up with coco in either pots or smart pots bottom fed in basins. Been getting great results whether coco or soil. I've now graduated to the latest autopot valves and a watering timer so I'll see what I can do with this. I really can't fault bottom feeding but it's really horse for courses. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firerabbit212 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 On 11/3/2020 at 0:32 PM, gonge said: I’ve ran 4 autopots in a 1.5 x1.5 m for at least 6 years. No problems what so ever.. no air stones , no pumps in tank. no root rot, no floods.. love em to bits for a lazy grower like me.. fill the bottom of pots with 2 “ washed clay pebbles is a must. Fill with coco 60/40 I’m using the now then 1 “ pebbles on the top. I only handwater from top till pots root out then. just fill the 47 ltr res with a + b with Ec at 1.3 max the now, barely ever go above that and things just fly along.. only look in every 2 days to check all good and ph is around 6 for flowering. A wee bit less 5.6- 5.8 for vegging.. love em I do change the 6mm hose every grow or 2 to stop crap building in the pipes which cause the valves to flood..cheers gonge Is that 60% coco or 60% pebbles and do you use the eco-thrive charge stuff or something else? And you just leave the tank open for the hole grow without letting the pots dry and without adding H202? The only way I can avoide root rot in autos is the H202 and letting the coco dry out a bit sometimes. Maybe I am growing a strain susceptible to root rot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonge Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 Hi there @firerabbit212 . I use gold label 60/40 coco mix. Sure it means that pebbles are 40% of mix in 60% coco.. I do mix a little root powder in on pot up but that’s it. I only use a + b now grow and bloom (growth technology green haze) and since simplifying the grow I rarely get any hassles. Learned from a few of folks on the forum that less is more.. no dramatic changes in feed or ph strength I have used boosts and other stuff but more problems appeared then me correcting them lead to more hassles so I was always firefighting to try and keep ahead.. rarely ever get above 1.3 ec now ( after reading gszz info on nutes) . That was a blessing and now got 4 plants. 6 weeks in and looking amazing . they are regs though from subbie seeds ....stink bomb x disco biscuit. . Smottie remix and a fem of hso 3 kings. I do like to have 1 guest plant / grow to mix it up a little. I fill tank and only keep the ph in check till it empty then repeat. The Aqua valves in trays do the filling and wait till it almost runs the tray dry before refilling.. I love em . I also got underfloor heating set at 20c on a stat.. that made a hell of difference keeping the roots stable temps.. so hope that helps a wee bit , good luck and sending good growing vibes mate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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