Anybody using Alien easyfeed system?

[Tommytopper]

Hi guys I’m a coco grower and always hand fed but it’s getting more and more difficult to tend to my garden been away with work 3 sometimes 4 nights per week my wife has always helped me which has never been a problem but it’s getting more and more difficult for her with lockdown, home schooling an so on 

 

the guy in my local grow shop as suggested these alien easyfeed systems and to be honest I’ve done abit of research last couple of nights and they look ideal for what I need 

 

is anybody using them ? 
 

never done a bottom feed grow/system before 

 

 

 

any help tips and advice most welcome 

 

thanks 

[GSZZ]

They're better than autopots simply down to the timer that comes with them that allows you to set how often you want to flood the bottom trays, rather than them being sat in water all the while like in an autopot system. They're still not ideal as its still bottom feeding and it leads to issues.

 

That being said, with a bit of prior thought and a little effort during the grow you can get stonking crops from these types of systems with little input. Keep the EC low (1.2 - 1.4), do a hand flush to drain through the top of the pots with 1ml/l A&B once per week, and make sure your plants are drinking like a group of lads on a night out in blackpool before you even think about putting them on the system - if they aren't on their way to being dry 24 hours after a water its too soon for the system - a good way to force this is to use smaller pots than you usually would, so they root it out and get to drinking quicker. Don't worry about "lack of root space" pot size in coco only means how often you have to water them.

[Tommytopper]

@GSZZ thanks for your reply I normally use 15/20 litre plastic pots  would you recommend the small 10/16 litre easyfeed system? 
 

thanks again 

[GSZZ]

@Tommytopper I'd go for the 10L mate - thats generally as big as I will ever go with my drippers, I'd apply the same train of thought to easyfeed/autopot. Small root mass thats drinking lots and then stick it on the system - I think you'll be surprised by how quickly they take off and how much they drink, little and often really is the way to go. You might even have to have the system turned on fully during the lights on period in peak flower only turning it off for the dark period and some dry back.

[Tommytopper]

@GSZZ thanks buddy I will look into it some more and try and find a diary with them been used 

 

take care 

[undercover hippie]

1 hour ago, GSZZ said:

@Tommytopper I'd go for the 10L mate - thats generally as big as I will ever go with my drippers, I'd apply the same train of thought to easyfeed/autopot. Small root mass thats drinking lots and then stick it on the system - I think you'll be surprised by how quickly they take off and how much they drink, little and often really is the way to go. You might even have to have the system turned on fully during the lights on period in peak flower only turning it off for the dark period and some dry back.

How do you drain excess water from each pot/tray when required -do you pump it out?  say when you do the regular flush you mentioned. Cheers 

[GSZZ]

@undercover hippie I don't use the system/never used the system so some of the finer details like what to do with the run off after you've flushed the pots I honestly don't know - I've had my hands on the trays a couple of times, I can't quite remember if its possible but you may be able to take the float valve off while still keeping the pipe attached, if thats the case it may be possible to add a tap to the end of the 16mm line to drain the whole thing off at once, granted the float valve hole will always be a few mm above the bottom of the tray, so there will always be some standing water if you did it like that - or you could slide a saucer under each pot everytime you flush. All of this maintenance kinda defeats the point of a system like this though, IMO, its alot of labor.

 

Worst comes to worst, do 24hrs through the system on 1ml per litre A&B and flush the lines with the remaining solution via a drain tap.

[undercover hippie]

12 hours ago, GSZZ said:

@undercover hippie I don't use the system/never used the system so some of the finer details like what to do with the run off after you've flushed the pots I honestly don't know - I've had my hands on the trays a couple of times, I can't quite remember if its possible but you may be able to take the float valve off while still keeping the pipe attached, if thats the case it may be possible to add a tap to the end of the 16mm line to drain the whole thing off at once, granted the float valve hole will always be a few mm above the bottom of the tray, so there will always be some standing water if you did it like that - or you could slide a saucer under each pot everytime you flush. All of this maintenance kinda defeats the point of a system like this though, IMO, its alot of labor.

 

Worst comes to worst, do 24hrs through the system on 1ml per litre A&B and flush the lines with the remaining solution via a drain tap.

Thanks man that's good info. I've currently got an 8 pot R-DWC and I've got a diary up now. it just feels like the extra stress that goes with the system isn't worth it so considering going back to coco in the future and looking at possible alternatives. Cheers 

[badbillybob]

i seem to remember reading somewhere that you're not meant to flush these systems, or autopots. not from the top anyway, im sure i read someone was planning doing it, but was advised against it

something to do with them being bottom feeders, there is a fair build up of salts in the top layers of the medium, and flushing them was going to build up in the lower part of the medium.....it might have been a dream though

 

the r-dwc isnt really a very good recirculating system imho, pipes are too small, so are pots, but im digressing. 

Edited January 25, 2021 by badbillybob