Getting Started with Auto-Dosing Hydroponic Nutrients + pH Adjuster using the Bluelab PRO Controller

[@keorakeora]

Happy to see you are making content again.

[@Just4Growers]

Appreciate your support amigo. :)))

[@vojtator]

Holy shit man, we missed you so bad! Please upload more often!

[@Just4Growers]

Stand by! :)

[@will16320]

Great to see you demoing full auto, I have learned so much from all your videos. Used a bluelab in my aquarium after watching one of your earlier videos. Fantastic equipment

[@Just4Growers]

Great to hear! Yeah, I've been using Bluelab's gear since the 90s :) One never forgets one's first truncheon. Took it with me to Vancouver Island and thought it was broken when I tested their tap water (it wasn't, it was just very pure and low EC!).

[@GmanSoilGeek]

Great vid. I’ve never used a dosing system, seems pretty simple to set up. Good to see your doing videos again 🙌

[@Just4Growers]

Appreciated! I don't mind admitting, I was a bit intimidated at first (doesn't take much!) but it's all very straightforward. For me, the big deal was piercing holes in my nutrient bottles' lids! "No going back now!" - it really has made a lot of difference.

[@MohdAradi]

peristaltic pumps. cool way to auto dose your plants

[@Just4Growers]

They go on and on and on and on… :)

[@MattGarver]

Have been curious about automation, and appreciate your overview. Nice to see your hobby grow room is getting easier to manage. More fun, and less work!

[@Just4Growers]

Thanks Matt. Yeah, the more automation, the better for me. As I age, time sure begins to realize its value. :)

[@graemebuchan1919]

Don't the Samurai nutrients need to be shaken before use?

[@Just4Growers]

They all say that on the label. Not a bad idea to give the bottles a lift and shake every week or so. If you’re worried about less homogenous fluids, use a magnetic stirring device.

[@graemebuchan1919]

@@Just4Growers Cool, thanks for letting me know, i have my samurai bottles in a rack with an airline going to each bottle to agitate them, i was going to attach a 100$ WIFI aquarium doser to the lines instead since i just received a great (so far) 100$ PH & EC controller from Aliexpress but there is zero information on setup as usual with such products and they are so new on the market there's not even a youtube vid, i had thought about the magnetic stirring but the tiny battery powered ones that would fit my setup aren't cost effective

[@Just4Growers]

You’re welcome Graeme, A word of caution regarding over-aeration of stock solutions: Oxidation of Nutrients: Some nutrients can oxidize when exposed to air. For example, iron (Fe) can oxidize and precipitate out of solution, making it unavailable to plants. This is especially true for chelated forms of iron, which are often used in hydroponic solutions to keep iron soluble. The introduction of air can disrupt this balance. Degradation of Organic Compounds: If the stock solution contains organic compounds, such as certain types of organic acids or amino acids, aeration can accelerate their degradation. This can alter the nutrient profile of the solution over time. pH Fluctuations: Aeration can cause the pH of the solution to rise due to the off-gassing of carbon dioxide (CO2). This can lead to precipitation of certain nutrients, especially if the pH rises above certain thresholds. Potential for Contamination: Introducing air, especially if it's not filtered, can introduce contaminants, including pathogens, into the stock solution. This can lead to issues with disease in the hydroponic system. Gas Imbalance: While oxygen is beneficial for root health in the nutrient reservoir, excessive oxygen in the stock solution isn't necessary and can lead to imbalances. For example, excessive oxygen can drive off other gases that might be beneficial or necessary for the stability of the solution. Evaporation: Aeration can increase the rate of evaporation, leading to a concentration of the nutrients in the stock solution. This can make it harder to accurately dose the nutrients when preparing the feed solution. A final note on physical agitation: While the intention is to keep everything dissolved, physical agitation can sometimes lead to the opposite effect, causing certain nutrients to come out of solution, especially if they're sensitive to changes in temperature or pH.

[@graemebuchan1919]

@@Just4Growers I was wondering if it might be an issue to add air but it was only going to be for 2 seconds to simulate shaking, i bought an air pump for air domes in autopots years ago but its overpowered and i think i was trying to shoehorn it into my automation project to feel less wasteful, thanks again for the info and all the great videos

[@elliottdebell7783]

Your videos are the best! What do you think of dosatron or the trol master?

[@Just4Growers]

Both are very well-reputed systems and I’ve seen plenty of successful large operations using both. A bit overkill for my hobby set-up!

[@haychiieii5606]

Really need more regular upload again my bro ❤

[@Just4Growers]

Well, I have good news and only good news in that department 🎉

[@tobiasklazar8006]

IM GLAD U BACK AMIGO

[@Just4Growers]

Thank you! Appreciated :)

[@MikeParentLeap]

I wish I needed that.

[@Des420]

It’s really designed for people with too much money and not a lot of time, rather than a necessity outside of a facility.

[@eliasw.1155]

Your content & knowledge are great and I'm happy for the new videos after such a long time :) keep up the good work, you have great potentional to teach other. Am I allowed to use your videos to train my AI?

[@Just4Growers]

Hello amigo. Thanks for your positivity, support and feedback. I am also interested in AI, particularly deep learning and large language models. Perhaps we should put our heads together? Very interested to learn more about your project in any case.

[@normagee]

for a small commercial grow it looks great , thanks for sharing & all the detail 😎

[@turboturd7954]

Its use is for automation, large or small.

[@Just4Growers]

If I had to describe the product in one word, I’d say ‘versatile’. It can be configured to make the life of even a small, hobby grower like me much easier. But it’s really a pro product or serious enthusiast: Remember it is quite capable of dosing commercial sized reservoirs using the L3 peripods (10Xdose rate). My Pro Controller presides over a relatively small feed tank here in my basement - just 50L - compared to the run-off tank under the grow tray which is 200L. I think all commercial hydroponic grows, small or large, should be recirculating their run-off, and this machine helps a lot with it’s continual, tiny adjustments, as well as making up fresh batches.

[@normagee]

@@Just4Growers absolutely a good point you make , my thoughts its perfect for that in-between size grow , but youre right it would work just as well in a smaller set up for a home grower who is an enthusiast with a good budget . I think a lot of products get criticism for their price but its a free market & not everyone is poor & a lot of people would happily have this product to add further to their set up & system & the price being irrelevant.

[@dannyarmata8878]

Wud love that since i run (3) 5x5 areas now but the price is too high to justify it, i don't mind mixing my 50 gal trashcan by hand. i do keep 60gph submersible on 24/7 as well for 5y or so. Its def the way to go

[@Just4Growers]

It’s professional grade gear, there’s no doubting that, with prices to match the build quality. As I’ll bang on about in future videos, these dosing machines can play a great role in making a water-wise and nutrient-wise recirculating hydroponics system.

[@Janik-dc9ye]

This was a nice interesting video 👍🏻

[@Tyrone-Ward]

Would you recommend any less expensive options?

[@SkyForest-rg2gw]

So thorough, thank you!

[@evonyf5072]

Hello. Please tell me why you devided your water tank capacity by 20 ?

[@Just4Growers]

Just a rule for of thumb I developed as a starting point for setting up the dosers.

[@hannibalb893]

Hi, to what strength do you dilute the ph down. Thank you

[@Just4Growers]

When using a nutrient doser, I go for a 2:1 dilution (two parts RO water, one part acid) although I know some growers who don’t dilute at all due to the small amounts added each time. I like to be on the safe side and it gives me a finer granularity of adjustment with my small reservoir.

[@hannibalb893]

@Just4Growers Thank you for the reply good sir 👍

[@Just4Growers]

@@hannibalb893 Always happy to help if I can.

[@stoshbeast1]

I like growing without any electronics...not even a thermometer or hygrometer. Old school...the way my uncle did it in the 80's. Actually, I guess I do have one piece of electronics...a timer, for the lights...and it's about 25 years old too...the mechanical ones 😂

[@Just4Growers]

I hear you! I always look for a segmental timer first, unless it’s for a micro-irrigation :)

[@phenofinder9145]

We love you OG

[@BigFarm_ah365]

I wonder if you found that doser on a discount, as it appears that they bought out a company that made their own doser and seem to be in the process of rebranding it now. There is some information available under the original company's name and some under Bluelab's name. I'm looking at an insanely good deal on one ATM and struggling with pulling the trigger, mostly because I don't have a grow at the moment. I am planning on having one again but my whole life is up in the air.

[@Just4Growers]

I was very fortunate to receive this unit on ‘perma-loan’ from Bluelab for the purposes of testing and product development. Not sure about any recent acquisitions on the part of Bluelab, but I know the company to be constantly innovating so wouldn’t be surprised if they had some interesting new developments up their sleeves!

[@Just4Growers]

PS: hope your life settles back down soon! Peace and happy growing.

[@BigFarm_ah365]

@@Just4Growers Of course, I should have thought of that. Well, it was too good of a deal to pass up, it looks like the new one isn't available just yet from Bluelab. I just happened across the Autogrow Intellidose Open box-like new at my favorite secret spot and doing a bit of research I noticed that half the info was Autogrow and half was Bluelab. I'll just say that I got the whole system with 3 peristaltic pumps for less than Bluelab is selling 1 add-on peristaltic pump. It's my way of predicting my future. Thanks for the kind words, I love the videos. I don't know if you've been gone or the algorithm has been keeping you from me, but happy gardening!

[@Just4Growers]

Probably a bit of both. YT is a crowded place compared to how it was in 2011, and shorts reduce the real estate for suggested videos even more. Glad you found me again!

[@ivanivanovich5904]

how to add stuff like Balance from Athena that needs to be added first, wait 20 mins and then add only A+B+Calmag?)

[@mohsenaghdam3136]

Wow this is the game changer.I watch your Chanel since 2018 I always wondering why do you grow chilis as a main crop

[@Just4Growers]

Thanks for your support all these years! I love to grow chillies as I live in a rural part of southern France - there are markets that sell chillies but only on weekends in the nearest city. I prefer to grow my own and freeze / dry / store them in oil etc. I also have some neighbours from North Africa who love it when I share them! Cooking, especially Asian cuisines, is another passion of mine.

[@mohsenaghdam3136]

@@Just4Growers Thank you for sharing, you are The best hydroponic Grower in world 👏🏽

[@Humbulla93]

With a drain to waste system you only have to mix the nutes once and it'll stay the same, the waste water can be used to water other house plants or rhe lawn. Another good idea would be making a 10% stock solution with nute salts so the dosage gets easy to apply, furthermore it's cheaper by a grand margin. My Suggestion would be hakaphos red 8-12-24(+4), calcium Nitrate, and Magnesium sulfate aka epsom salt. With this 100 liter of nutrient solution would cost 50 cents. 25kg of hakaphos red costs 78,90€

[@Just4Growers]

I do not consider drain to waste a viable option for sustainable hydroponics. By adopting my approach of a relatively small feed tank compared to run-off / top-up tank, you use a lot less nutrient and water.

[@E_-_-]

Dont give away the secrets dude, weedheads need to be kept on their $ubscription of 90% water bottles to erm, benefit the industry

[@geggug]

hey man, great to have you back. two questions: some formulas like canna require to shake the bottle before dosing, how do you deal with that? how does the controller deal with ec going higher than the set value?

[@Just4Growers]

Thanks for your questions! All brands of liquid nutrients suggest shaking well before use, but a two part mineral-based nutrient won’t really need it - everything is (or should be) in solution. Not that it’s a bad idea to give your bottles a shake from time to time, and you could always use magnetic stirrers (handy for gloopier, more viscous one parts). My feed reservoir has a float valve which tops it up from the run-off reservoir (which, in turn, is filled mostly with RO water). Due to the dilution of the leacheate / run-off with the RO water, the top-up solution is always a lot lower EC; this serves to counteract any event where the EC has risen above the max setpoint. Set the on-time for nutrient dosing so the EC doesn’t go up more than 0.1mS each dosing event.

[@JeemsJustJeems]

*looks at prices* nah these still aren't for home or hobbyist growers. Small commercial grow that hasn't hired an automation engineer yet sure. For home and hobbyist growers, there are DIY / open source options for a fraction of the price. would be cool to see yta tackle those. Everything is easy with enough money.

[@Just4Growers]

It’s not cheap gear. No getting around that. I was lucky to get these units to test, and Bluelab were super patient with me and supportive when I had technical queries. Talking to other growers, I’m not alone in appreciating their high level of customer care. So, yes - the gear comes with a price tag - and I can definitely vouch for commensurate build quality and usability, but - just as importantly - the excellent customer support from Bluelab and also now their Edenic platform for managing multiple devices adds significant value for me. If you have the tech skills and the time, it must be really empowering to create your own bespoke solution, but for a busy grower like myself, always juggling a lot of plates, the Pro Controller has proven invaluable.

[@edwinlynch2413]

what is the cost

[@Just4Growers]

Depends on where you live and how many liquids you intend to dose.

[@markrich3271]

My man I missed you 👋 HEY

[@Just4Growers]

Thanks Mark. Great to be back.

[@markrich3271]

Can I ask you something? I've always grown with solistek 1000w double ended hps lights mostly. I grabbed some mars hydro sp6500 lights . They are 650w . They put out 2100 ppfd. I don't see them performing any where close to a de hps. Is it me or do others experience the same issues?

[@bafgr]

🦾🦾🦾Cheers

[@Just4Growers]

Thanks for your support :)

[@gregorstopek6233]

250g = 1000 l 😂

[@jakes8545]

Bro you spending all this money and aint even growing weed… you’re either really rich or these ain’t the real plants you growing

[@Just4Growers]

Lol. Bluelab lent me the doser to test.

[@nickspeakstruth133]

I have 4 of these. All with an m3 & m4 attached. Take a guess what I grow? 😉 😎

[@turboturd7954]

Where did my comment go?

[@Just4Growers]

Only seen this one, TT7954. Maybe the YT comments algo exterminated it. Hope you enjoyed the video in any case.