Quick question on jacks, I’m mixing my first batch… ever.
Silica ran the pump for 1/2 hour
Part-A & Epsom running the pump for 1/2 hour… but… lol there’s always a but…
In the bottom of my barrel, I can see a couple shiny flakes. I stir them so they’re floating around in the water but they settle after a few minutes. The water is clear.
Is this normal? Don’t want to add Part-B until I know it’s ready.
When I say pump, I have a pond pump with a 1/2 line, Tee’d 3/4 of the way up from the bottom, side extension 6 inches with elbows pointing down at an angle to swirl the water.
If you were to not dissolve part A and immediately add part B, it creates a compound that the plant cannot uptake. A few speckles here and there won’t matter.
You will see the nutrient mixture turn to looking like milk if you do it wrong. I had that happen once and it was glaringly obvious. You should be fine to move forward.
Me too, always has a little pink tint. I put the A in 1 bottle of warm water and the B in another. I give them 15 minutes or so to dissolve before mixing A into more water and then add the B.
I just use a bubbler to decrease dissolve times. The epsom, I will dissolve in warm water when I’m in a hurry because even with the bubbler it takes the longest to dissolve.
So this seemed odd to me but I brain farted from task overload. I calibrated the Apera, got busy and forgot to PH the water prior to adding nutrients. Grabbed the pen, 6.0. How the…
I’m still waiting on parts so my RO system isn’t hooked up. This was tap that I let sit in the barrel for three days. Really put out at myself for not checking prior, would love to have known.
I’m leaving it there because we just filled a DWC tote for my wife’s… whatever she’s gonna feed us.
You go through way more trouble than I do…one thing I noticed that makes a bit of difference is the water temp… if it’s on the warmer side the nutes dissolve faster. Also, my cheepo ro system makes water much faster with warmer water temps so it kinda works out…
I’m try’n ta go through the poopie now so I can coast later. I have my RO barrel over my nutrient barrel so I can just open the valve and let it fill. The RO barrel has a float valve so it should stay full unless I over use it. Once the nutrient barrel is full, dump in the nutrients and let the pump run.
I’m already looking at automating the nutrient mixing. May have to set up concentrates. I need a grow or two to have a better idea of consumption so as to only mix as much concentrate as need.
Damn i must be doing it wrong…i dont do any of that chit. I use a 5 gal home D epot bucket with 3 gal tap. Put in the A give it a stir and set tiner for 20min. Give it a stir or 2 before times up. Check and 9 out of 10 tines its all gone uxcept a few grains. I add the epsom and B set timer for 20 min …repete. ck and adjust Ph and feed.
I’m try’n to build my system to support my girls, and a bunch of other stuff on the farm.
I also know I need to get away sometimes so need to automate as much as possible.
I am using three 5 gallon buckets, used buckets cleaned up and put a “gamma” lid on them. (Whatever TF they call those lids that seal and thread on.) Makes a nice stackable place to store my jacks and epsom. I just leave it in the bag, drop it in the bucket, toss in a desiccant pack and put the lid on.
Simple is good! I mix 3gallons at a time in a 5gl bucket. I use an aquarium powerhead pump to mix. It mixes fast. Probably about 10 minutes and it’s all ready unless I’m using silica which I give a good 10 min by itself before I add the rest. I love simple and easy!
