Reddit mentions: The best garden water pumps

I have a system similar to what you're describing, I posted it a while back here.

I have changed things recently, and maybe I can share with you some of the mistakes I made so you can avoid them. Firstly, you want a way to divide your flow and control it with ball valves. This is a great cheap pump on amazon. I know it seems like the gallons per hour are high, and with a small system that becomes an issue. If flow is too disruptive in your tank, your fish aren't happy. If flow is too high in your tiny grow bed, your plants aren't happy. I split the flow from my pump to divert some of it to two media beds and a third directly back into my tank. The splitting system was made of PVC and ball valves. It was the only way to reduce the flow rate so it wasn't crazy disruptive. A timer only costs about 10 USD and 15 min intervals really do help, even for an ornamental tank. I'd also recommend a bell siphon just because they're cool and can be made small. It helps your roots breathe.


I have aggressive filtration; small systems are very delicate and temperamental. Having lots of physical and biological filtration helps with this. I have an under gravel filter and also made a small canister filter that I run the water through before the media bed; you can make one out of anything water-tight. This provides a bit more water for your system and more aggressive filtration. Mine is full of filter mesh and bucky balls. I found that without this pre-filter, my media was getting disgusting within a few months.


My cheap fluorescent light worked like crap. You just can't grow things with anything but a good window or a good grow light. Amazon occasionally has great deals on lights, like this one. The T5's are great for little indoor systems.


Using clear acrylic tubing was stupid. It ended up with so much growth it gummed up everything. It also leaked like crazy everywhere even with hose clamps because it wasn't really made for any pressure. Use cheap black vinyl pond tubing like this. It's made specifically for this purpose and doesn't cost much more.


Heating a small system like this is a pain in the ass. I had a heater that was rated for 30 gallons, a heater in my canister, and it still couldn't keep up. Because there's so little water, as your water recirculates, it cools to room temp quickly. This makes your fish have to deal with constant temp fluctuations, which is stressful for them. You can get expensive line heaters on top of a heater for each tank, keep the room your tank is in at 24 degrees C, or just use cold water fish. I'd recommend the latter unless you have a good budget.


Finally, you still want to follow the general rules of aquarium keeping. Cichlids have no business in a 10 gallon tank, its way too small for them. Also an ideal pH for plants is ~6.8, so you need fish that are pH tolerant. I'm a little more lenient about goldfish and personally feel you can put 1-2 in a 10 gallon if you know how to keep your water chemistry happy. Goldfish police in this sub will tell you otherwise. That's up to your own opinion and research. Many people like to plant their ornamental AP tank, which is fine as long as they don't suck up all the nutrients and leave your herbs with nothing. I got rid of that second tank up top because I was naively hoping to use it as a little DWC area, but it became more hassle than it was worth for 4 net cups. I now have a 10 gallon tote, which is about the size you would want for your growbed as well. Fill it as high as you can to give your plants maximum root space.

OK, Im just going to list a bunch of stuff I've purchased through this process. Nothing is in any particular order.

Almond leaves (for tannin) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LKTX4VC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Moss - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035Q65TQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cholla Wood - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H4FUMHY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dried red Shrimp (Protein and Chitin) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027JCRVW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Instant Ocean (1/3cup per Gallon) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000255NKA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ultrasonic Mister/Fogger (for DIY Fogger) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PAK21WU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Digital Temp Humidity Controller - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I6BZ2IO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

LED White/Blue Light - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0191EWII2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

UTH (You may need to get a different size and this isn't the most recommended, but it works for me currently) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TR4HLEI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (This one has adhesive on the back of it, so you just stick it on like a sticker.)

Cork Bark Board - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019J1VPY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s04?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Water Conditioner - https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-116043304-Prime-500ml/dp/B00025694O

If you have any questions, please feel free. To mitigate confusion I felt just listing this as a reference first is the best approach. If you are looking for a new tank so that you can get friends, i would suggest 30 or more gallons and work towards that instead of investing into the current tank which would get changed.

Personally with the 5 i have i clearly see they need much more room than the 15 gallon they have now. I am in the process of acquiring an 85-120 gallon tank for permanency. These guys can live 20+ years with the proper care and environment. but not everyone has that freedom. 30 is a totally doable size for 3 crabs. they can grow to jumbos and be fine in there, but im sure if they reach that stage you'll be looking for another tank. Jumbos need at least 12" of substrate for molting.

1. I got the container at a place near Nashville called Southeastern Salvage. I couldn't find anything online, but here’s what the barcode sticker says:
   HF1562LAW
   LG antique white planter
   745896421086
   
2. Paver base from HD to level the container.
   
3. The fountain is the Beckett Container Garden Fountain Kit. It's available at Home Depot and Amazon. I added some aquarium filter media which really helps with cloudy water.
   
4. Typical pond liner from HD. This was the smallest size at my store and still way more than I needed.
   
5. Aquarium safe silicone.
   
6. River pebbles from Home Depot for substrate - I know most pond-owners don't recommend this, but my container is small enough to vacuum the gravel when it gets gross. This choice was may too natural/orangey and makes the fish harder to see.
   
7. I happened to have a broken concrete block (like this) which made a a nice base to keep the pump off the bottom and leaning another piece on it gives the fish a hiding spot.
   
8. Floating plants: water lettuce and water hyacinth. Aquatic plants: hornwort, anacharis and golden creeping jenny I pulled out of my flowerbed and tossed in.
   
   The build was pretty simple, when you break it down. It took a while just with life stuff getting the way and I didn't do everything exactly to this order - adding floating plants before I was done sealing the edges, didn't do the final liner trim until very last etc., but this is the gist:
   
   
9. I chose the location and made a pile of paver base wider than the bottom of the container.
   
10. Set the container on the paver base and set a large bubble level across its top. Pushing down, I worked the container back/forth/side/side until it was level all the way around and felt pretty stable.
    
11. Spread out the liner in the container (letting excess hang over sides) and filled with water making sure there were no bubbles or anything. I should have done a better job working out/consolidating the wrinkles/folds at this point. It was pretty hard when it was full, but it turned ok (not great). Once the container was full, I trimmed most of the excess to make it easier to work with, leaving about 12" all around.
    
12. I went ahead and put in some gravel, the concrete block pieces, and fountain at this point, though I should have waited to make it easier to work out wrinkles in the liner. I used the fountain to remove water until the water level was about 6" below the rim to keep the liner pressed against the sides, but allow me to access the edge. Then, I tucked the liner under the rim of the container and trimmed some more excess. Next, I used aquarium safe silicone to adhere the liner under the lip of the container rim so the edge of liner is concealed by the lip of the container. I used clamps in a few places to hold it in place while the silicone set. I had to be careful to keep the outside dry where the liner contacted the silicone to get a good seal. I did another pass later to remove the final bit of excess and add silicone where needed.
    
13. Filled it back up adding pond water conditioner, added plants and fish. I used this new tank bio starter stuff too. I lost 1 goldfish on day 2 so it was probably on its way out anyways but the rest seem healthy after about 2 months.

Without a doubt it is my Counterpressure Bottle Filler. I hate bottling, and almost exclusively Keg these days. However, sometimes A beer turns out so well I want to either save a couple bottles for later, or bring it to people who won't be drinking it quickly enough for a growler to be reasonable. Option one was to bottle while kegging and bottle condition. The problems with this involve A) Not knowing if your beer is great yet, possibly wasting time. B) Having to clean the bottles and bottling equipment along with kegging equipment, adding time. C) Having trube build up during bottle conditioning, contributing to off flavors for long aging. D) unavoidable high DO / Oxygen levels in the bottles, also causing oxidization and other off flavors after long periods of sitting. The counter pressure filler allows me to bottle beers directly from a carbonated keg. The bottles are cold and carbonated immediately. But more importantly, allowing you to cap on foam like at most craft breweries, you can insure very low DO levels. Combined with the lack of trub, your bottles are likely to age very well for archival purposes. And for people asking, whats the best reason to save a good beer? Well, if you are trying to perfect a recipe, being able to sample the last several batches with your current one together really helps point out what your method changes do to your beer quality.


Another important purchase from the last few months is a combo of these two items: Faucet line Jumper and Submersible Pump. I use these in combination to clean my beer lines. I have a twin faucet tower kegerator. I keep two kegs on, and when they both cash, i clean my lines. I disconnect the line from my first keg, and attach it to this submersible pump, which is sitting in a gallon of caustic liquid line cleaner (from five star, but PBW would work too). I use the Faucet jumper to connect the ends of both faucets, and I disconnect the line from keg 2, and have it dump back into the bucket. What i have created is a recirculation that I let run for 30 minutes. It doesn't need to be supervised. This is so much better than how I used to do it, which was using a squeeze bottle and doing one faucet at a time. It took forever, and required me to be there. This new solution allows me to walk away and let it do its thing. Furthermore, I also use this time to defrost my kegerator if it needs it.


Edit: I would like to add that I think this might be the most interesting and useful post on this sub in a long time, good job OP. I have spent quite a lot of time googling other peoples purchases, some I haven't heard of, and am planning some purchases.

No worries at all. Not only do you have your own life, you're on the opposite side of the world from me. I've really enjoyed this discussion - not only am I able to help you out, but you're curious about a subject I love. Basically a win/win for me. :)

I honestly couldn't tell you how many teeth snakes have. I've seen maybe 6? on Puppy.

Those pictures are actually a few months old. She's going to shed tonight or tomorrow, though.

--------------

I bought this pump and filter combination, and this bowl to use as the basin. I also purchased some PVC pipe (3/4" inner diameter I think, 1" outer diameter), a couple sheets of flagstone, some flexible tubing (5/8" inner diameter, 3/4" outer diameter - so it fits inside the PVC pipe), some large diameter black pipe for spacing out the rocks, some gravel, and assorted fittings for the PVC pipe.

I built the frame out of the PVC pipe - you can see it a bit in the picture. It's the white pipe. The frame is composed of a rectangular cube, with T-fittings around the bottom edge. Each of the Ts points inward. I then have a single fitting that takes in all four of the Ts and lets you send a central pipe straight up. The gravel is in the bottom of the bowl, and the frame sits on it.

Next up, I cut the flagstone. Flagstone breaks in straight lines, so all you have to do is get a chisel you don't care about, score the line that you want to cut, and then put the chisel in the score and smack it with a hammer. It will break along that line.

Next I used this 1" diamond core drill bit to cut holes in the center of each piece of flagstone. The holes wound up being slightly too small, so I used these diamond files to make them wide enough to fit the PVC pipe.

Then I put the stones onto the frame, using the black spacer pipes between them.

Now, in order to get the water to actually flow, I drilled a hole through the center pipe in the frame, below where the lowest piece of flagstone sits and fed the flexible tubing through that hole and up to the top of the waterfall. Then I hooked up the pump to the flexible tubing.

Last but not least, I got a lamp dimmer and connected the pump's power cord to it. So, I basically have an on/off switch for it. That's necessary because the waterfall splashes a bit. If I left it on all the time, it would soak the substrate.

All told, the waterfall took months of work and a lot of mistakes. The final product turned out well, though.

------

If you have the freezer space and your snake cooperates, f/t is the way to go. It's the cheapest and safest option.

I feed Puppy live, but that's because she's a very picky eater. She refuses to eat anything unless it's alive. I recently switched her from a species called African Soft Furs (bigger than mice, smaller than rats) to regular old rats, which she didn't like at all. The entire process took around 3 months of hard, moderately traumatizing work.

However, that's a very specific issue that happens with carpet pythons - they get fixated on a single food source and can refuse to switch. I doubt you'll have that sort of problem.

One more thing - usually you want to let your snake digest for 1 - 3 days after you feed them. If they are full and become very bothered, sometimes they will regurgitate their meal. That is definitely bad.

----------

Yeah, ideally the shed will be in one single piece. The shed is actually longer than your snake is however - as they are shedding, the skin stretches to let them get out.

What I'd suggest is looking at the skin initially. You should be able to see the eyecaps on the discarded skin, the tip of the tail, etc. If you do notice stuck shed, there are a few common approaches:

1. Soak them in a tub of reasonably temperatured water for like 15 - 30 minutes, then pull it off by hand.
   
2. Put them into a damp pillowcase for a while. The moisture will loosen the shed, and the pillowcase will give them enough friction to rub it off themselves.
   
   Shedding is hard work, so I usually feed them a large meal, let them rest for a few days, and then hang out with them. However, it's totally cool if you want to hang out with your snake immediately after a shed, as long as your snake isn't acting stressed.

This is a 4x4 Flood Table built for a 5x5 tent. Just need to find good medium and I'll be popping seeds :) Glad to be back at it!

Current Plan:
> ##Ebb & Flow:
> Finished Table
> Tray: 4x4 Botanicare Tray
> Fittings
> Pump: Active Aqua Submersible Water Pump, 400 GPH
> Drain Hose: 1/2" Inside Diameter)
)
> Pump Hose: 3/4" Inside Diameter
> Rubber Grommets: 1/2 inch

> Stand: 5x5 Wood Frame (Building this weekend)
> Reservoir: 55 Gal.
> Air Pump: 95 GPH
> Air Diffuser: 4x Air Stones




> ##Medium:
> Germination: Starter Plugs
> 6 inch Net Pot
> Hydroton (but willing to be convinced otherwise!!!)
> 4 x 4 Coco Mat


> ##Environment:
> Tent: 5 x 5
> Light 1: 1100W DE HPS bulb w iPower Ballast & Extend-A-Wing reflector
> Light 2: 600W of QBs
> AC inside, Venting Outside with 450CFM fan

> ##Nutrients:
>
> Flora Trio
> KoolBloom
> Diamond Nectar
> Armor Si
> Floralicious Plus
> Humboldt Snowstorm
> Mammoth P
> * Hydrogaurd

> Strain: Sweet Amnesia (from seed)



ANY AND ALL ADVICE IS APPRECIATED!!!

Oh man, thank you so much! I appreciate that! Definitely spent some hours pacing around my apartment wondering why I'm completely inept. Those are peristaltic pumps traditionally used for medical dosing.

I actually made a setup for an automated watering system not too long ago and I used submersible aquarium pumps for that. These were definitely easier to work with, cheaper, and much smoother than the peristaltic pumps so check those out. Happy to help you along on that project if you need help!

If you have a little space, meaning a little less than a square meter, you could assemble a fruiting tent with a humidity bucket pretty inexpensively.

Something like this is pretty simple, consisting of a cheap 4 tier "greenhouse", a 5 gallon bucket, pond fogger, and a reasonably sized computer case fan or two.

Basically, just throw the pond fogger into the bucket, and attach the fan to the lid blowing down into the bucket, and have a short length of hose coming out of the lid as well to carry the fog/air into the top of the tent. Fresh air and humidity in one shot. It's worked very well for me for a few years now.

The most important rule about pumps: there is no such thing as a "xxxx gpm/gph" pump. For every pump, flow is dependent on resistance (or back pressure). So you need to know both in order to select a pump successfully.

So, Back pressure - also called head - think resistance

This has two components:

• static resistance: this comes from the vertical height you have to overcome. This is the 8' you listed.
  
  
• friction or dynamic resistance: this is a tough component because it depends on the length of pipe used, size if pipe, and flow. And since it is flow dependent that makes it dynamic.
  
  In general, I recommend taking the static height and adding at minimum 5' to that for the dynamic head.
  
  Now you have an effective height that your pump will work against.
  
  
  Next you need to determine how much flow is required. I've always been told between you want to move your total system volume between 1-2 times an hour. So my philosophy is to pick 2 times an hour, and if I messed up my resistance part then I have some wiggle room to make sure I end up with at least 1 time an hour.
  
  So given all of that you want to find a pump that can move 400 gph (gallons per hour) at a height of roughly 13'.
  
  
  Now, neither of the pumps you linked to have any kind of flow chart, which is a red flag in my book. Any pump manufacturer worth the purchase should publish this and make it easy to find.
  
  For example, this pump shows for all their models what the flow is at various heights (last picture). Find a pump that shows this information. Unfortunately this brand doesn't have one large enough for you.
  
  They also show the power consumed. This is measured in watts. You want to compare pumps in either watts or Horsepower. 1 horsepower is roughly 750 watts.
  
  The hz your mention has to do with where you live. Generally the US has 60hz and Europe has 50hz power. Some devices may only be designed to work on one or the other.

Exactly this, and yes, it was wasteful given the expense but not too terrible and it's cutting down the time to clean all three tap lines by probably 80% (and a lot less hands on time!). I am very happy with the setup. This is the immersion pump I am using: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049XENYS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00 And it has a dual purpose also using it to pump water chilled with ice through my immersion chiller to get the boiled wort to lagering temp. Works great!

I have lots of stupid little things that make my time nicer. One of the things that I learned that helps quite a bit is methods for managing your cooler.

• have a decent, well insulated cooler and keep it in the shade.
  
• have a couple of lidded containers that are wide and flat that can float on top of the ice and water in your cooler. Put your leftovers and open packages in these.
  
• have everything else in the cooler be in completely water tight containers that can be fully immersed in water (ie vacuum sealed or with water tight lids). Let the melt water completely cover everything that isn't floating on top.
  
  In this manner there are no warm spots and you are keeping things colder than you would a normal refrigerator (ie right at the edge of being able to freeze but not quite) and food lasts longer (milk and meat stay fresh for two weeks or more with no problems if kept like this).
  
  When adding ice, drain only enough water that you can add your ice. Since you've taken the effort to keep everything well sealed this water is clean and can be used for showering, evap cooling, misting, etc.
  
  
  To make your life easier, when transferring water, don't try to use the cooler's drain. Use a small fountain pump (and tubing). Depending on your electric systems at your camp, you can get 5V fountain pumps that plug into a USB port, 12V pumps that will run off of 12V battery systems or 120V pumps that will run off a generator. This in and of itself was a huge deal for me and saved me from making muddy messes in my camp.

Thanks!

It's actually a DWC/Aero hybrid. It's a relatively shallow plastic storage container with 2 of these and an airstone in the reservoir. This way I can use it for cloning, germination (kind of) and full scale growing for things like lettuce/leafy greens. I cobbled it together for $50 or so.

I'm using the General Hydroponics Flora Series with 25ml of each per 5 gal (reservoir capacity). PH ranges from 5.9 to 6.4 but I try to keep it at 6.3 because that seems to be the best. Honestly, I haven't used my PPM meter at all this year - I could check when I get home if you really want to know!

Using some copper tubing from home depot coiled into the correct shape by coiling it around something. Added a few feet of braided vinyl tubing and hose clamps, and hook it up to this immersion pump. That goes in a big cooler with cold water and ice, plug in the pump and let it go to town, with the output going back into the cooler. Sometimes I'll do a run of just cold water for an initial temp drop, and then drain the cooler and replace with freshly cold water and ice to get it down to pitching temps. If I did it again, I would probably go with a more powerful pump, maybe the 396 gph model.

Here is a good visual/guide of what it more or less looks like. A good how to video on building the coil itself is [here}(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8xRGYnwEt8), and the way I did it I save a lot of hassle and cost by just using tubing with clamps instead of plumbing connections. It's definitely good to make your in/out tubes to up, out, and then angle down like this so if it leaks it won't get in your wort.

You're in luck. I bought the 396gph ecoplus pump just a few weeks ago, for exactly the same purpose. It's been used twice now with my immersion chiller, and has the perfect flow rate.

In Houston, ground water is over 80 degrees right now. An IC simply can't get things below 100. So I run regular hose water through until I get below 110 (about 8 minutes if I keep the wort constantly moving). Then I switch the hookup to that pump sitting in ice water, and another 8 - 10 minutes gets me to 70 degrees. Best $22 spent.

Notes:

1- The pump has a 1/2 inch female output, and a handful of different size hose barbs, none of which are useful. I went to a hardware store, and got a connector to go from that to a male hose receiver for a few dollars.

2- Yes, you could use this to save water by recirculating. However, as your source water heats up, you get less efficient. (Unless you had like a swimming pool or something to draw from)

3- It works fine lifting from ground level, but it works even better if you can raise it to an even level. I have my kettle on the propane burner, so my ice chest (with water and pump inside) sits on a chair.

4- If you can avoid it, don't waste your money on corner store ice. It's insanely over-priced. There's a "Twice the Ice" vendor by my house that sells 20lbs for $1.75. This suffices for the day.

Ask any other questions you have.

One I use.

https://www.amazon.com/EcoPlus-Submersible-Aquarium-Fountain-Hydroponics/dp/B0018X2XT4/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref=yo_pop_d_pd_t2

One I use in my tank as part of my filter:

https://www.amazon.com/Active-Aqua-Submersible-Water-Pump/dp/B002JPGE6S/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref=yo_pop_d_pd_t2

As long as it's strong enough to pump water to your tank it should be fine. Stronger will of course be better for speed and getting water there. I happened to have first one because I had to replace it with second as it was too strong to use as part of my filter.

Always happy to talk about it! So I've used a 5 gallon bucket, generally some sort of cheap riser (I use plastic gardening pots normally), and a fogger. The bucket is filled to where the water level is about 1-2 mm above the fogger diagphram and then I mix in nutrient solutions directly to the water (this is how you get maximum fog). After that it's just maintaining water level. I put a small hole in the lid next to the plant and if I open it and no fog comes out it's time for more water. Everything I use is on Amazon for ease of replacement, here's what I've used:
Fogger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P91ZFPA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_vUL4AbM8YCMX2
Bucket https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A1LUFEY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_XVL4AbGA6P7F2
Plant pots https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XJ5PBH6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yWL4AbHBY4RWC

As a note, make sure you either buy a black bucket or paint it black (what I did). Either way it's important to not allow algae to form in the nutrient rich water.

Very cool. I will warn you that this tank is long and heavy. It took two people to cary it into the house. Also water is heavy so this setup will weigh around a thousand pounds when filled with water. Our house is on a concrete slab so weight is not an issue for us.

My turtles are smaller than your slider so I have not tried to build my own basking area. I use large Zoo Med floating docs for my map and painted turtles.

These are what I use:
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Turtle-Gallon-Tanks/dp/B00178LI50

They also make an extra large floating doc for larger turtles but I have not tried it out:
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-78098-Turtle-X-Large/dp/B01AYBRVN8

I do not have a sump on the tank. I just run the FX6 and a UV sterilizer. Also the FX6 and power strip barely fit in the center compartment of that stand.

I used to use a syphon kit that I bought from the pet store to drain the water but that was expensive and a bit slow so I bought a cheap pump on Amazon and purchased a pipe to hose adapter at the hardware store. I start up the pump and let it run for a few minutes and then detach the hose so I can get the hose into the hard to reach corners of the tank.

Pump I use (it has a lot of different adapters for various tubing but no hose adapter):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018X2XT4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The adapter I have looks similar to this one except the one I have is male hose thread to 3/4" female pipe adapter (you can find these adapters in the irrigation section at Lowes and Home Depot):
http://www.homedepot.com/p/DIG-3-4-in-Female-Hose-Thread-x-3-4-in-Male-Pipe-Thread-Swivel-Adapter-50007/100186564

I clean out the tank about once a month and clean reusable media and swap out filter floss and polishing pads. Even after a month my water is still clear and my ammonia and nitrites are at 0 but my nitrates are in the 40-60ppm range.

Older pics (pump I use with the adapter is in the second to last image in the gallery): https://imgur.com/a/2c4d0

Even older pics: https://imgur.com/a/xOieq

Lovely that you’re trying to help them! Look up ‘bee house’ on amazon and there’s loads you can buy. Example:

Wild on Wildlife Esschert Design Wood Bee House - Natural https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000AMWT34/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_30MUCbEP18GHF

Woodside Wooden Insect & Bee House Natural Wood Bug Hotel Shelter Garden Nest Box https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01FMGTGKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_U1MUCbDZHDKW8

And if it’s cold you could maybe pad the outside with an old blanket or material?

Any tips for helping bees enjoy my garden? I already see a fair few as I have loads of plants (flowering trees and shrubs, as well as some flowers). I've planted some wildflowers too, which are currently growing. Are bee houses actually worthwhile?

Looks awesome and love the built in spool but can't get a sense of size. I use this pump and it works pretty well:

EcoPlus 728310 Eco 396 Submersible Pump, 396GPH https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018X2XT4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_bQP1GqSuczqht

This is the one I have. It's cheap, small, and effective. It's also pretty fun to play with. When I first got it I couldn't resist making my kitchen counter spooky.

This is the tent I use. It's a little short so if you can go taller I'd recommend doing so, but otherwise it's a fantastic tent for the money :)

For my small nursery/seed starting I use little tubs like that and give air with a 10 gallon airpump. I think they're $9-12 at amazon. Get a good airstone - not those little round ones the diameter of a penny - but get one that is 2-3" around. They're cheap. You cannot circulate too much air.

With a later than few-gallon container, you'll want a water pump to move the water around. You can just get a small aquarium pump and not hook up an output line, turn it sideways, and it will do the job fine.
I use these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JPGID2/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can get similar (prob made by the same china shop) at Harbor Freight for $15 sometimes or even less with a coupon.

Cant comment on compost tea other than it smells like poo and I wouldnt want that in my basement where I grow stuff :-)

ecoplus has worked great for me, and they are a great value

I actually just posted about this in another thread if you'd like to read about my process.

Thread

You need to look into an upgraded submersible pump and a tub/cooler for ice water. Being able to whirlpool would help as well.

Edit : This is the pump that I use and it does a great job.

Thank you. So if 600 L/hr is not necessary, I can cut the price a good chunk by buying this, this, or this.

Which one do you recommend? I know they all look a bit sketchy and none of them include pressure specs, but they do show amperage if that makes a difference. I'm avoiding going with a hugely expensive pump.

EDIT: I found this on Amazon. It's cheaper and will require me to get a Molex connector, but it's a great price and I think it fits in with your suggestions.

> Regarding the snipping of the ends... i'm not snipping all of the leaves... just the ends and I immediately dip my cuts in aloe vera.

I'm a little confused, all the videos on taking clones I saw had the grower cutting off 30%-50% of the tip of all the clones leaves. So 2 inch leaf ends up 1"-1.5 inch long. This is what I did and what I assume you did. I didn't mean to imply it doesn't work, I was trying to point out how/why it works (less transpiration vs encouraging root growth)

> What supplies did you purchase to get that setup? 2 buckets and what is that machine pump ?

[Water Pump]
(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018X2XT4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

360 Spray Nozzle

(2) 5 gallon buckets from home depot

(1) 4" long 1/2" connector from pump to 'T' piece of PVC

(6) 2" black foam inserts for holding plant stems

long piece of PVC and more 90 degree and 'T' pieces of PVC

> So far it's worked tremendously fast. So it does work. Perhaps not the best method, but works!

Lots of cloning methods work great, I chose my method b/c being a total noob at it I figured I needed every advantage I could get.

can't really gauge the size of your tent but you can always raise your lights up higher and put your plant up on something while you recover to make the watering easier. maybe a cheap $9.99 ikea table and just putting your plant on it so its a lot higher up?

you can also look into a hand held liquid pump such as this one https://www.amazon.com/TeraPump-TRHA01-Battery-Operated-Pump/dp/B00APU2X0K/ref=pd_sim_263_9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6CN1BPZ04P6BRRFNMTEC which might make watering a bit more tolerable.

So as long as we're not looking for a mobile....

You'll need to put together a few things. It's important to say that this is a level of building that I would feel comfortable doing with my 10 year old nephew, so you should be up to it.

You'll need a small water pump. I use this, pump

Some surgical tubing, 10 feet or so.

An ice chest

A couple towels

Some sewing needles and thread.

A small DC power supply.

And BLOCK ice. Not ice cubes, they melt to fast.

Lay a towel out and start sewing surgical tubing to it. You want to make "S" shapes but sew it down so that it doesn't crimp. You'll also want both ends of the tubing to exit the towel on the same corner.

Plug the tubing onto the water pump, and plug it in to the dc power supply. Careful that the cord doesn't get wet, 12 volts won't kill you, but it's annoying.

You now have a Cold blanket. You can stitch another layer of towel on, and I recommend it, to finish it off.

Put it between your sheets and enjoy a cold bed.

You may want to look into using a pump

I got one and have loved it. Fill a bucket with ice water and pump it through the chiller. Cools way faster then the sink and since it’s recirculating it used way less water too. Just keep adding more ice to keep it nice and cool.

1. Most of the standard siphon vacuums you can find in stores would work. The hardest part with those is the source needs to be higher than the destination. So taking water out is pretty easy since the bucket is usually lower than the tank. But getting the bucket of water higher than the tank is more difficult. I used this one for a bit:
   
   https://www.petsmart.com/fish/maintenance-and-repair/vacuums/top-fin-aquarium-gravel-vacuum-5162807.html
   
   But it's a lot easier to just get a motorized fluid pump for pumping water back into the tank. Something like this (but there are cheaper $10 versions):
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APU2X0K/
   
   
2. You probably saw the Mag-Float:
   
   http://www.magfloat.com/
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Gulfstream-Tropical-AGU030SM-Mag-Float-Aquarium/dp/B003WRKVUC
   
   
   Edit: Forgot to mention, the siphons usually remove water faster than I can clean the tank, so I like using this to clean my tank since it pumps the water back into the tank while catching all of the waste/debris:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003OYOPNW/

I bought a couple of these awhile ago for a similar project: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010LY7P3Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can get them from aliexpress, but there are also a bunch on amazon in the $5-10 price range from various resellers. Mine works great!

I saw a review, and saw this one was recommended, but showing the amount of flow coming through the lines I was thinking faster flow might give it a better clean:
https://www.amazon.ca/EcoPlus-Submersible-Water-Pump-Power/dp/B0012UZYMG

You mean this? :)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APU2X0K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I love it for draining my DWC buckets. A regular shop vac would work great too but I like having this dedicated for draining them out.

I think you will need a different tent than this if you are using that LED light. You're going to need to leave enough room between the light and your plant so that the LED doesn't burn your leaves. Therefore, you are going to have no space to let your plant grow, and things could get kinda crazy when your plant hits the flowering stage stretch.

Aren't tents this size usually used for veg tents, and then the plants brought into a bigger space for flowering? Just a thought, you could get the girls started in there and have a few weeks to find something for the second half of your grow.


I have a couple questions: Can you use FFOF straight to grow plants in? I see lots of people say they mix with Perlite/Espom/Happy Frog/ other things. What is the benefit of doing this, and how much will it hurt my plant to just use FFOF?

Also, how much will using a 2 gallon pot like suggested by OP affect the final yield? I'm debating between getting a 5 foot grow tent and a 6 foot grow tent so I'm playing with the idea of using 2/3 gallon pots instead of 5.

Good luck dude!


PS: Here's a 4 foot grow tent, that's somewhat similar in the other dimensions to what you're look at. I really think that extra foot is going to make all the difference if you want something so compact:
https://www.amazon.com/Oshion-2x2x4-Small-Indoor-Hydroponics/dp/B01GCJ66NM/ref=sr_1_14?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1482139892&sr=1-14&keywords=grow+tent

Hey i've always been wondering - do you submerge the mistmaker in the tank itself and that's OK for the fauna? The ones like this I'm guessing you're talking about. Asking as I've got a 40g paludarium that's honestly more for orchids than fish but definitely will get at least shrimp in the water eventually

PSA: The recommended pump is filled with vegetable oil. The seal will fail and coat whatever you're "cleaning" with oil that is a lot harder to remove than one would think. I was using it to wash bottles and came back to a tub filled with a cloudy, rancid smelling water. The tub still has an oil sheen in it after cleaning it numerous times, I ended up throwing the bottles out.

I now use a 1000 GPH fountain pump, it's not as powerful but it still works great.

Active Aqua Submersible Water Pump, 1000 GPH https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049XENYS

I use this cheap little pump for a ton of stuff in the brewery

my only gripe is that it did not come with a 3/8ths barb, other than that, super useful for cleaning kegs, draftlines, post brew day cleanup and recircing ice water through my IC.

I would go with something like this. Check around elsewhere for higher quality or cheaper ones. These work really well and a couple people on here use a few of these in a container to create a really effective large humidifier. That said I don't personally use them because I've had lots of them die quickly. I believe /u/cruzzfish1 has a pretty solid source for them.

I found a neat irrigation controller on amazon that has a web interface. You can hook it up to your local weather stations and it can help figure out how much rain you've received and compensates the irrigation! https://amzn.to/2GWjq2s it's a "rainmachine"

The metal conduit is used with nets on the strawberries to keep the birds out, on the other beds they are used with plastic as a greenhouse in the winter.

I use a fogger on a timer. The folder is outside the table and is directed in like a waterfall. Looks awesome. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00P91ZFPA/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1521297502&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=fogger&dpPl=1&dpID=31QpNrG%2B9DL&ref=plSrch

I've got this one and it works great https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012UZYMG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works well for cleaning out beer lines on the keezer also. You'll need one of these to do that though. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010P1WT8E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

No personal experience with these, but it looks like they work both in water and out.

Active Aqua Submersible Water Pump, 400 GPH https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UXBGTI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_V4RHzb4M4GM6F

You could probably look around for something similar to that.

You can find pretty cheap pumps on amazon that will work. In Zipgrow towers they generally have 2GPH drippers in them.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-Active-AAPW250-Submersible-Water/dp/B002JPGID2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=active+aqua&qid=1550686698&s=gateway&sr=8-1

​

The 550 should give you a total of 7.2 Ft of head pressure and give you a bit of extra flow for adding towers

​

Cheers

The 396 gph version isn't much more expensive. To keep from using too much ice, you could start by letting the pot rest on its own for a few minutes (try a hop stand!), then switch to cold tap water through the pump, then switch that out for ice water. The key is just maintaining a high differential between the wort and whatever you're cooling with.

Another option -- and this is a little off the wall -- is to use your shower. You could switch to a handheld shower, get a diverter, or get a showerhead with a splitter that would let you easily swap in your wort chiller. Handheld showers use a pretty standard 1/2" thread.

Watched a few youtube videos to get a high level knowledge. Checked amazon to get a rough idea of costs, Went to a local hydroponic store, asked for help and they helped me pick out the nutrient solution, ph balancer, stakes, tube etc. Bought the rest off of amazon. Read the instructions on the bottle. I'm sure there are better ways of doing things but this worked for me.

Light : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JQBQZQ/

Shelf: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CL9204C/

Tray: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XFZHF93/

Automation: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075GWQSYH/

Ph Control: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BNKWZY/

Pump (overkill): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012UZYMG/

Reservoir: Ikea storage box I had already.

White Basket (Not needed): From Target that I had already.

Rest I got from local hydroponics store.

I'm using these $10 foggers as humidifiers. Been told they work just as well but cheaper

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00P91ZFPA/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1491177709&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ultrasonic+fogger&dpPl=1&dpID=412wzE0GKOL&ref=plSrch


Can u recommended a humidifier that works well for less than $30 - $40?

Right on, I found an alternate photo of it on Amazon as well. http://www.amazon.com/EcoPlus-Submersible-Pump-264/dp/B0012UZYMG

Thanks for following up, I'm buying it.

I am using the arduino to control everything that is controlled, including to monitor temp and control the turner timer.

Humidity is definitely controllable as long as I can find/build something that can put out enough moisture to raise the humidity - but also be turned off equally as effectively. Currently I'm planning on using a ultrasonic mister. (https://www.amazon.com/AGPtek-Aluminum-Fountain-Machine-Atomizer/dp/B00P91ZFPA) I'll post again to show the results of that.

The setup you want is pretty quiet. With the airstones on 24/7, set the top feed drip pump to come on a couple times a day and it will still be quieter than a window A/C unit

Air Pump

Drip pump

/u/Auwardamn, this is also my suggestion. I've followed in the footsteps of others in using an EcoPlus pond pump. I have a $20, 290-gph, but this one is just $4 more and more powerful (396-gph).

Another thread suggested this 20w pump with this fitting and I've been happy with it for the 6 months I've had it. I run my pump 24/7 to keep the water circulating and so far still working fine

I use this pump, and it's awesome for both draining and filling the tank - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018X2XT4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

Good point. It also looks like the cost of a utility pump that runs 1800 GPH costs less than the pond pumps that can push 600.

If you are willing to cut 4 inch pvc and use a heat gun to mold the openings, this guy shows you how. I then put them in a 5 gallon bucket, food grade from Lowes, with a hole in the top for the tower and another one for adding water and nutrients.

I use a small pump rated for around 5 to 6 feet.

There are 3 nutrients that you can get on Amazon.

Hydroponic Tomato Fertilizer 4-18-38 1lb. 8 grams (10 for tomatoes)

Calcium Nitrate Fertilizer 15.5-0-0 2lb. 8 grams (10 for tomatoes)

Hydroponic Organic Magnesium Sulfate Soluble. 4 grams

I wrapped mine in kevlar Reflectrix. to keep them dark and insulated. Keep the water at around 4 gallons. Change the water and add new nutrient solution every couple of weeks... I use a hand pump, but there are other ways.

edit: I just wanted to add that I have towers connected to a timer. 1/2 hour on and off.

You can also purchase the plastic net pots and clay pebbles on Amazon.

I use a lowes 5 gal bucket, two bags of ice, and a cheap aquarium 264 gph pump from Amazon. Use faucet hose till I hit 100F (10 min), then switch to ice water re-circulation.

Been working great on these hot summer days.

I use this pump to pump cold water through my chiller, works great for me.

If your pond receives reasonable amount of sunlight, you might like solar fountains like these: https://www.amazon.com/Solatec-Solar-Fountain-Black/dp/B077215M1R/

EcoPlus 396gph Submersible Pump - $23.95 $22.50

This pump would be great for a chilling water re-circulation system

^1/6/2017 ^10:56am ^EST

Solatec Solar Fountain, Solar Powered Bird Bath Fountain Pump 1.4W Solar Panel Kit Water Pump,Outdoor Watering Submersible Pump for Pond, Pool, Garden, Fish Tank, Aquarium https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B077215M1R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wJlTCbKSZWJT0

She said the hummingbirds loved it.

Looking to build a carboy washer because the one at Northern Brewer feels too expensive. Anyone else done something similar and can give me tips?

I've found this youtube video with a shopping list, but I'm not sure if this pump will do it or if there's something better out there.

If the water had to be replenished daily I would just shoot myself, or I guess grow in soil. Like the others said: change every 7-10 days, top off as needed, keep pH ideally at 5.8.

For pumping water out, I use a more heavy duty pump because those siphon pumps are sooooo slow.

I use this one and it can change a 10 gallon reseviour 2-3 minutes

I've been looking at internet-enabled home devices (think Nest) and Cloud-anything has been a deal breaker for me EVERYTIME! Hell, the first-gen Nest's had the same issue - "Thanks for supporting us at the beginning, now fuck you! ;)"

I've managed to find some really nice hardware for my Thermostat, Sprinkler Controller (though I bought the 12-station controller) as well as hackable Wifi 120v (or 240v) light and switch controllers for $5-8 each!! And I totally forgot about my OpenGarage!

Each of these have open "REST" APIs that accept LAN requests to their local webserver (e.g. 192.168.1.15/api/do/something?key=secret&on=true) so they are wide-open to program against.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00P91ZFPA/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1499811809&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=ultrasonic+mist+maker&dpPl=1&dpID=412wzE0GKOL&ref=plSrch thats the exact fogger i used. Then a 10 gallon rubbermaid container. Then 3" net pots and 3" neoprene inserts. I used an extra net pot and zip tied some neoprene scraps to make the ultrasonic fogger float at its ideal height.

Alright, so let me just put a little list together of what I need so you can confirm that it'd work. :P

Pump: [URL]http://www.amazon.com/EcoPlus-185-Submersible-Pump-158/dp/B0018WVNXC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1462546781&sr=8-5&keywords=aquarium+pump[/URL]

PE tubing: [URL]http://www.amazon.com/Renovations-HRD-Drinking-Culligan-Filter/dp/B00SDKZUV8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462546432&sr=8-1&keywords=pe+tube[/URL]

Loc Line: [URL]http://www.amazon.com/Loc-Line-Coolant-Assembly-Acetal-Copolymer/dp/B006VKESA6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1462547076&sr=8-2&keywords=loc+line[/URL]

Would that set up be able to sufficiently wet the belt to prevent heat build up? If not I may just bite the bullet and get an air compressor and a Kool Mist system. :P

This one is probably better PP80006: 800 GPH High Lift Pump, Waterfalls/Ponds/Vertical Hydroponics/Aquaponics - 6' Cord https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006M6MSHE/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_w9yCwbQRG5NZH

It depends on the height you are trying to lift the water too.

Here is the last pump I bought:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006M6MSHE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I was running it up 6 feet, so I was getting about 600 gallons per hour. There is a good chart on that product page that can clue you in for what you need specifically.

Sorry for not including info.

It's actually a 158gph submersible pump: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0018WVNXC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1427527694&sr=8-1&keywords=eco+158gph

I bought a 1/2" hose, and an adapter that allows you to screw on garden hose size attachments. I just mix everything in a 5gal bucket (for now). So far, it's been totally worth the investment! It was about 50-60$ for everything at my local hydro store.

Pump option would look like this:


Hydrofarm Active Aqua AAPW250 Submersible Water Pump, 250 GPH https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JPGID2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_u6KUDbMQBJ8BM

That’s what I use. Get some hose to go with it like this:


Hydrofarm HGTB50GF 1/2-Inch Black, 25 Foot Roll, 30 PSI Operating Pressure at 70 Degrees Tubing, feet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0079QUTSQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Z7KUDbCN7TCD6

I just set up a really basic watering system so that they got watered while on vacation, using:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B013JPIJG4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018WVNXC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 (I should have gotten larger, but this works)

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MVF16JG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I timed how long it took for the pump to go thru a 5 gallon bucket (my normal amount to water) 3 times, and set the timer to go off for a little longer than it took on average, on the day I wanted them to get watered.

I'm now using it to water since I'm in flower and it's easier to just let it water them while in darkness, since I'm only awake for a little time they are getting light.

http://imgur.com/a/eM0M2 I just made one of these. Works really really well for cheap. Get one of these pumps.

The tetra whisper filters for small tanks are powered by an air pump. You could run one of those.

You could also do a sponge filter or something like this

You could also look into a USB powered pump and use it to rig up some sort of filtration system.

I've done something similar. I chained my buddy's chiller in front of mine and put his in a bucket with ice water once the wort reached about 130 F. Previous brew day it took an hour to chill my wort to 80 F and it just would not go any lower. With the pre-chiller it took 30 minutes to reach 70 F.

Another option is using small pump to recirculate ice water. I have this 185 GPH pump and it isn't quite enough for a good flow. Get something with a higher flow rate if you go this route.

Start with the size fish tank you want. This rearing tank is sized as a function of your stocking density and/or the amount of lettuce you'd like to grow. The tank water should be fully exchanged at least once per hour. A pump with a 2" outlet would be something akin to a pool pump and moving water at somewhere in the neighborhood of 3000 gph. A 0.5 hp pump is what's used in a full-scale UVI system. Is that how much you want to up your game? Otherwise, a small centrifugal pump like the one I use runs at about 90 W and has operated continuously for years, but I think my new system will need something twice this size.

I found this pump that I am considering ordering and giving a shot.

After speaking with my mother about this idea, she's going to get together with my father and see what they can come up with as far as a vest/shirt.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JPGE6S/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

this is one I was looking at. Could this be rigged to attach to my garden hose adaptor on my wort chiller? If this works, I'm surprised some pumps are so expensive because this is $14

Here are some extra pics.
These are 4" pipes.
Used electrical outlets at the end and gorilla glued them in.
Three inlet tubes for circulation on the end, then the four on top are for air.
Overview
Crazy glue job
Pump
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012UZYMG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JPEVMC/ref=ox_ya_os_product_refresh_T1

Not sure how this setup is going to work yet, but I will post more with success or failure.

Just a heads up, you can get a submersible water pump on Amazon with free shipping (if you have prime) for $15 that does 158 GPH. It has several hose adapters, including 3/8. Not sure what your water pressure is like, but this is way faster than my sink at home. You can also chill the water and recirculate it. Just a thought.

If you have an IC already you can do the first part using a pond pump fairly cheap, here is one for $28. Can't speak to how good that one is, but I'm just saying there are cheap options out there.

I purchased this pump from amazon.

EcoPlus 728310 Eco 396 Fixed Flow Submersible/Inline Pump 396 GPH

Buy a cheap amazon tent for $42.

Here's another idea which is a twist on what I do. I have one of these pumps. I put it in a sink full of water and ice and use that to feed my chiller. It works really well but you have to have lots of ice.

It's actually a mister for a mini room fountain. Haven't seen something like this before. Definitely more convenient than 8 top feeds
Mini Mister

Ahah, just post this on Shroomery or something. Buy a pond fogger and stick in in a bowl of water in your fruiting chamber and that'll do the trick, maybe add H202. It's easier than misting with one of those high pressure sprayers that might too direct and harmful for the fruit or something.

(EDIT): try this

This one is supposed to fit on a Python hose. I forget who, but it was recommended by one of the bigger youtubers. I plan on getting one as it's faster than siphon power alone, and you don't need to leave your water running on your python to use it.

i use these on 12v @ ~4 watts:
http://www.amazon.com/KEEDOX%C2%AE-DC30A-1230-Brushless-Waterproof-Submersible/dp/B009X6ADCM

Basically am trying to get out, could this , http://www.amazon.com/EcoPlus-728310-Submersible-Pump-396GPH/dp/B0018X2XT4/ref=sr_1_5?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1398359780&sr=1-5&keywords=water+pump+electric, power a 50ft hose if you provided the water source and electricity?

I've heard of people doing this and some shop, I think Williams Brewing, actually sells this as kind of a kit. I think the most commonly used / most economical are the "EcoPlus" pumps. You can get them for about $25 on Amazon.

This is the working end of a ultrasonic mister unit.

https://www.amazon.com/AGPtek®-Aluminum-Fountain-Machine-Atomizer/dp/B00P91ZFPA

https://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-Active-Aqua-Submersible-Water/dp/B0049XENYS/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=active+aqua+water+pump&qid=1562185269&s=gateway&sprefix=active+aq&sr=8-2

With one of these built into it. That's the little device that makes these work.

This one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018X2XT4/
And this adapter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AB5X28G/

Solatec Solar Fountain, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077215M1R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_irwODbXXFGEV5

AGPtek Aluminum Mini Mist Maker Fogger Water Fountain Pond Fog Machine Atomizer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P91ZFPA/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_pU-0Db9B7N2M5

Cheaper than a prechiller is using a cheap submersible pump in a bucket of ice water. You can recirculate or run your hose into the bucket to keep it topped up as you pump your ice water through the chiller.

I use this one and it works well...maybe not quite as fast but it knocked my 5 gal wort down to 60 degrees in about 10 minutes.

Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018WVNXC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1427527694&sr=8-1&keywords=eco+158gph

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018WVNXC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1427527694&sr=8-1&keywords=eco+158gph

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

I actually bought a 0.96" OLED screen that I might add to display when the plant was last watered.
Arduino
Raspberry Pi
Pump
Relay
Sensor

This one does.

I've used this one to recirculate ice water in a cooler through my immersion chiler.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0018X2XT4/ref=sxts1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492282275&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65

A bit overkill but I flush the rads with a pond pump + filter using distilled water for 6 hours.

I use this one http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00P91ZFPA/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1453408950&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=ultrasonic+fogger&dpPl=1&dpID=412wzE0GKOL&ref=plSrch

I got this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018X2XT4/ref=oh_details_o07_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So I just run hose water until the wort gets down to about 110 or 100. Then I hook my IC up to this pump sitting in an ice bath and just recirculate the water until it gets down to pitching temp.

Sorry I'm a little late but here: http://www.amazon.com/EcoPlus-728310-Submersible-Pump-396GPH/dp/B0018X2XT4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

Not really at this scale. Also I'm not 100% sure it can be run unsubmerged, checking on that now.

Edit: I'm finding sources that say it can be run either way.

Edit2: Its also cheaper here (but backordered):

http://www.amazon.com/Magicfly-DC30A-1230-Brushless-Waterproof-Submersible/dp/B009X6ADCM

I made my own large scale swamp cooler based very loosely on figjams unicooler. I made a box out of 1x2 lumber and lined it with plastic shower surround material then caulked the inside. Cut a hole on one side for the fan and cut a hole on the other side for the pad (air intake)

I used this fan

And this pump

and this pad

I think one place where figjam is just flat out wrong is that he uses too large of a pump. The entire premise of a swamp cooler is that the Ideal Gas Law states that as the phase change occurs and the gas expands, the temperature of the gas is lowered, however for this to happen you want rapid evaporation. If the pad is too wet, it will interfere with evaporation due to cooling the pad itself.

I forgot about these. We used to use them for emptying snowmobile gas tanks at the end of the season.

https://www.amazon.com/TeraPump-TRHA01-Battery-Operated-Transfer/dp/B00APU2X0K/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=battery+powered+water+pump&qid=1568670368&sr=8-6

I use this guy:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JPGID2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

1" exit pipes are a must if you want this guy on max, .75" if you put it on the lower setting. Otherwise vacuums don't break. Can't say it's not made in china.. never checked. Don't care. Has lasted me years.

What kind of pump do you use? I set up something similar to this with a small fountain pump, and it sucks. The water moves through the coil, but only at a trickle.

This is the pump I used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018WVNXC/

Get the small pump:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B002JPGE6S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

$20 and it saves you worrying. As I mentioned above, I have found many other uses for that little pump after I switched to a ferm chamber.

Nice enough, but could do better.

For example, get a Terapump battery pump like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APU2X0K/ref=s9_hps_bw_g60_i5

You might have to do some lengthening of the hose, and add a shower fitting, but it works on batteries (so you're not tethered to the vehicle, and hence maybe don't need the tent either) and does 10qt/min, roughly 2.5x the flow. And can do fuel and is cheaper.

And don't use those cheap Aquatainer things. Leaky and the fittings are junk. Get the Sceptre or LCI containers instead, http://www.buylci.com/ItemDisplayF.aspx?D1=SKILCRAFT-Water-Can-Desert-Tan--5-gal--5-gal&ItemID=906396. Far sturdier, with big openings so you could drop in your pump without having to fiddle with a bucket, although they're handy sometimes. I added a hose fitting and air valve to mine and just use a bike pump to add pressure to shoot out water.

Still, I prefer shower bags. Unfortunate he holed his, but they are simpler than all that gear and also solve the heating issue. And cheap.

That does look like bruising. Did you handle the cake or touch the base of those stems any?

I've seen cakes bruise from rapid drying but not stems, yet.

For the humidity issues, I use an ultrasonic atomizer submerged in a container of water connected to a programmable logic controller but you could connect one to a timer easily also. It takes a little tweaking but once you figure out the interval to maintain 95%+ humidity it is very low maintenance. I use a 1.5L container of water and fill it every 2-3 days.

The above is in addition to the typical PF tek with perlite, but I use a larger fruiting chamber. specifically a 50gal resin deck box. The concepts are the same and you could adapt to use a smaller container of water for the a smaller chamber.

edit: sorry if i offended someone? not sure what i said that is so bad...

You could use this With a small 6 cell lipo battery.

AGPtek® Aluminum Mini Mist Maker Fogger Water Fountain Pond Fog Machine Atomizer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P91ZFPA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_s-9NBbB2JQ442

Edit: The problem with using a vape is the vapor will pretty much just sit there in the tank or the atomizer and not go anywhere because there's nothing forcing air through it so you would still need some type of air pump hooked up to the atomizer And then you have another problem of their only made to run for 2 or 3 seconds at a time while you take a hit off of it running for longer than 10 seconds you're risking overheating and burning parts up.