Right on! The second grow I’m following along on with these micro octopots. A huge part of me just wants to order a set with that price. Super cheap! Can’t wait to see your results man. Tuning in!
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Thanks for stopping by @kushdaddy
I’m still nervous, since this is my first time using Octo’s.
A few of my plants are Mg deffin on me. Will test this on a couple plants today. Res swap.
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veg them into bonsai’s or for a few months and then fill that space with 2 plants scrogged lol
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Cobbling. Still wip.
Thicker shaft for less wobble. Carbon fiber…should be strong enough. Lol
New shafts cut about an inch longer than the original.
Empty when the black washer touches the green holder.
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Mixed a 3 gallon batch of Jacks plus gypsum.
500 scale.
tds Before gypsum.
589
tds After adding 1.5 grams of gypsum.
655
For a 66 tds increase.
Note: I added the gypsum BEFORE calnit. Calnit last. Hope that’s otay.
This. Cut I half for 3gallon mix.
I had to dilute with about a gallon of RO to bring ppm down to to 700. 1.4ec.
PhD to 6.25
Also using ArmorSi and Rhizotonic.
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Now you’re gonna make me dig out my books on reef chemistry. Because this all seems to fall in line. Calcium is heavily used in stony coral reef building, and there were various ways to increase calcium. iirc 400 - 440ppm is about the max before calcium precipitates out. Alkalinity needed to be 7-8? in order to buffer calcium up. But it would also bufffer pH up to an 8ish range. We would also use pickling lime in a solution called Kalkwasser to increase calcium. Since precipitate could burn corals (and I assume roots too), you mix the pickling lime with water, let it settle, and siphon off the clear, calcium rich water, without stirring up the precipitate. Afterwards, just refill the container, wait for it to settle, and repeat.
Now ya got me thinking if I mix up some kalkwasser, and add some to my watering routine, that would help with Ca levels a lot, or perhaps an overload. Still need Mg in that equation, yes? Cause this does nothing for Mg…
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A friend had a reef tank… super cool. Not for the weak or timid. Lol
I did read something about not making stock out of gypsum because it will precip.
Correct gypsum has no Mg. Just Ca and S.
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I had several before getting into scuba diving…
This was my 300. (at the time there was over 1,400 gallons in 40, 55, 75 g tanks, with a 210 and 300) all in a common system / common sump.
I think I am seriously going to have to refresh some chemistry lessons because there are so many parallels here. From the lighting to the chemistry, reefs and reefer even share the name. LOL. (reefs prefer more veg aka blue lighting though red / yellow causes algae growth of course!)
I even have lab grade calcium carbonate (I think) somewhere around here, Dow Flakes or something like that (havent had a tank in 10 years, bear with me).
Have you ever used alternates like that? Calcium additives with the word “Reef” on them were 10x - 100x the markup of some common things like Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime or Dow Flake de-icer, and mind you corals are super delicate things so impurities could kill tanks, we were cautious on the alternative substances we used…
Biggest issue on either of them is they did tend to raise pH. Not an issue when you want an 8.0 pH, but when shooting for the low 6’s might present issues…
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All over my head. I have zero techno experience with reefs.
Sounds like you have a good base of chemistry knowledge to draw from. Should be helpful. My IT experience is not much help for growing. Lol
Your reef looks Flippin sweet!
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Your spreadsheets are giving me ideas. lol… mad scientist I swear!
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I’m gonna get a few of these for my wife to grow tomatoes. I missed if you tried using the wick they include. Did it not provide enough wicking?
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Have not tried to use the included wicks. Trying to keep it like the Octopot with just the net pot.
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I am using mine to hold my cup challenge cups to keep them from falling over. After they are done, I will be setting mine up to see how the wicking works.
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Holler if you want any of my spreadsheets.
I go back to Lotus 123. 
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They have moved up a gear : )
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Better for sure @ifish
I did a complete changeout on each res.
Learning curve…
One is very saturated and no roots below the net pot.
It’s the one I purposely filled with about 3/4 gallon. 3/4 full.
Mg defs. (Suspect coco media depleted of Mg - no roots to pull up fresh nutes from res. Begging me to top feed.)
Filling res too much too early - will not do that again.
Finding…
With the net pots I’m using, filling each res with 32oz (1000ml) brings the liquid level to just below the net pot.
Provides condensation and moisture all around the net pot to encourage the roots to drop.
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