I caught some post about these around thanksgiving and decided to snag up the 4 pot xl system. Been contemplating taking out one of 3 hydro systems to put this in a tent. Definitely seems like a good idea plus I can always go back.
A 4 bucket setup cost me $200 for autopot a
A 4 bucket rdwc parted out and fabricated in house
Without a homedepot run would cost me about 175-180 without pumps and net pots I already have.
Cost wise it’s on par with building your own rdwc.
Now if I’m just taking a 5 gallon bucket and putting a net pot on top then you can’t really compare that… what’s your time in those res changes worth after doing those 2-3 times a week…
I’m a first time auto pot grower. Is the soil mix staying wet not make it prone to root problems or bugs? My soil seems pretty wet if I leave valves open all the time. Soil mix is 2 parts Fox Farm Ocean Forest 1 part perlite 1part cocoa.
this is also my first grow using auto pots ive notice soil stays moist not that much but havent had any bug problem and i never close valves they will take in water as needed im using promix and clay pebbles bout 60/40 mix start off with bout inch of pebbles in pot then soil mix
Sorry @iceberg I’ve been slacking on getting over here . I do add some Overdrive like the last 2 weeks of flower . @Chip3 I’m not sure what you mean when you say leaving the valves open . The blue auto pot valve will shut off the water automatically once the soil has the proper amount . Maybe you could check your valves to make sure the little yellow rubber stoppers are still in place and that there is no dirt or debris in the water tray or the valves . I use just coco and perlite and haven’t had a bug or root problem , knock on wood !
thks for getting back to me ive been using advance nutrients master growers receipe that uses all there products but notice when i flush lines getting build up autopots state to use mineral based nutrients but i cant find any other than shogun nutrients
I’ve never run that schedule , the 3 part micro grow bloom PH perfect is what I’ve been using with out any build up . Maybe you could email Advance to see what they say, they might have something that would work better , they have good support .
ive never grown before and recently got a complete set up for auto pot xl and complete 5x5 tent grow kit, how many plants should i fit in the tent?? the kit comes with 6 auto pot xl
Sorry I wasn’t very clear. I meant the in line valve that goes to the reservoir the pots are in. Thanks for your help, maybe l’m just overly cautious about insects. I lost all 6 plants to fungus gnats and thrips last year. I keep things very clean but I may have brought them in with rain water which I don’t use anymore. Everything is looking good so far. Leaving in line valves open and the reservoir valves are working fine and all’s well. Thanks.
Rule of thumb is 2’x2’ per plant. I have done 5 plants in a 4x4 no problem except it is hard to reach and care for all of the plants in the back of the tent. If you use Screen of Green (SOG) then anything more than 4 is not a good option.
I would run no more than 4 since you are just starting out with your first grow. The less complicated you can make it the better. The next issue most new folks have is figuring out good affordable lighting. (Good and affordable lighting not easy to do both!!! ).
You will need to have a fair amount of light for a 5x5 tent.
I’m not the light guy @dbrn32 is the best fellow to ask, but the specs from their web site says, “☆ Coverage Area: Comparable to traditional 800W HPS/MH while consuming only 520W! Perfect for a 4.5x4.5’ vegetative coverage at 32” while 3.5x3.5’ flowering coverage at 24””
so it would appear to be ok for four plants.
ive been using optic led for past year have got great yields last grow was grand daddy purple 1/2lb i use 2 optic 2 for my 2x4 they have the optic 8 120 degree reflectors that are perfect for a 5x5
).
will definitely follow your advice and go with only 4, I have a viparspectra V1200 do you think this will do my friend
