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Janet commented on the blog post Air pump problem 10 months, 2 weeks ago · View
1/ By one way and two way air pumps I assume you mean 1 outlet vs 2 outlet. I used a small inexpensive 2 outlet pump to begin with. It worked to some degree but it was very noisy,and iI could not regulate the flow of water lift. I tried attaching a regulator valve to [...]
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Janet commented on the blog post Understanding MAMA v3′s plumbing 10 months, 2 weeks ago · View
Yes. I have been using Elite pumps. I found the Optima worked best, but it can only support 2 columns of 3 plant bottles. Make sure the distance from each reservoir bottle to the T is equal (T in the middle), otherwise the column with the longer tube will not get as much water.
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Janet commented on the blog post Using square bottles. 10 months, 2 weeks ago · View
Just make sure the roots have room and good drainage, I had to shim mine up by adding clay pellets below.
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Janet commented on the blog post Smaller Bottles 10 months, 2 weeks ago · View
The main issue as I see it is to have enough dark, drainable space for the roots to grow. If you can do that with a bottle smaller that 1.5 litre, I’d be interested in hearing about it.
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Janet commented on the blog post planning questions about good plants 10 months, 3 weeks ago · View
I have basil, dill, curled parsley, cilantro, pickling cucumbers, cherry tomato, physallis (ground cherry/gooseberry), bell pepper, lettuce, kale, swiss chard. The ones doing the best are basil, physallis, and swiss chard. I have lots of tomato blooms and have been using a vibrating toothbrush to pollinate, but only one measely fruit set so far. I [...]
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Janet commented on the blog post Can’t find 1.5 L bottles. 10 months, 3 weeks ago · View
I found 2 litre bottles worked well for me, I had difficulty finding 1.5 litre and when I did, they were too narrow for the basket size I was using anyway. The baskets sit a little too low in the 2 litre so I drop a handful of clay pellets in first and set the [...]
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Janet commented on the blog post My Window farm with pictures 11 months, 2 weeks ago · View
I like your lighting system. I am having trouble finding something like that. Can you tell me more about it?
My lighting setup is pretty simple. Its an extension cord with a plug in socket at the end and 3 clamp on sockets spaced at each plant bottle level. The clamp sockets are easy to install you just separate the plastic coated wires at the point you install the socket and you screw the back back on over the wires. Home depot has these and they self tap into the wire so there is no involved splicing of the wires. They can show you how they work.
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Janet commented on the blog post Introducing my baby, the Z-MAMA 11 months, 2 weeks ago · View
I wrote off the first crop (too much water) raised the baskets a bit, upgraded one of my pumps so they are now bothe Elite Optimas with much better flow control. My analog timers use 30 min intervals, so I have them set to start at 3,6,9 and 12, day and night so there are [...]
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Janet commented on the blog post Introducing my baby, the Z-MAMA 11 months, 2 weeks ago · View
Thanks. I jinxed it by claiming victory too soon. My ph was too high (7.6)and I did not yet have phdown so I added a bit of vinegar which made it too low (4.2). I have added more water to the reservoirs and it is up to 4.9 now. But I am not sure this [...]
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Janet wrote a new blog post: Introducing my baby, the Z-MAMA 11 months, 3 weeks ago · View
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Janet commented on the blog post Connecting Air Needles & Tubing 11 months, 3 weeks ago · View
Are these inflation needles stuck into the sides of the rigid tube? Are these lines put in at the top of the reservoir bottle and then turn down to be inserted below the water line? Does anyone have a picture they can post?
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Janet commented on the blog post Contest! How high can you pump water with the little aquarium airlifter? 11 months, 3 weeks ago · View
Brian, is the entire tubing assemble air lines? I was having enough trouble finding the rigid tubing, and I could not find any tees for that size. If I am understanding your sketch correctly, I could do the entire uplift system with just air lines?
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I am now operational after 3 months of stubbornly struggling in solitude. I kept thinking it would take me too long to write up my problems, but I will now list them all and their solutions for the benefit of this wonderful community. I modified the V3.0 MAMA design mainly because I could not find the same materials. I will post photos shortly, but I still have to install timers and lights. Right now they are getting plenty of light as it is.
1. I could not find 1.5 litre bottles that were wide enough for the size of baskets sold here, so I use 2 litre green plastic.
2. I found tracing a CD made the perfect template for the plant hole.
3. It was suggested to me that I use black/white polyvinyl to shield the roots instead of spray painting. For the conical area I wrapped foil tape around and secured the polyvinyl with it as well.
4. I could not find the kind of fastener that allows a bead chain end to be attached to another piece, so I used electrical alligator clips and aircraft wire instead.
5. Method B was used for the reservoir caps because no other parts were available here, but the washers did not sufficiently seal, so I messed around quite a lot until I found Lepage’s epoxy that comes in 2 tubes, a resin and a hardener. You mix them together and apply it on the outside of the cap and all around where the washers are until you have a nice big blob built up over the entire outer area. I still have smaller leaks where the air lines attach to the prest stems, so I will soon be sealing them up the same way.Those check valves don’t do diddly because they are designed for air, not water backflow. It is very important the pumps are located higner than the high water line in the reservoir. The diagrams and instructions are not clear enough on this. Of course this also seems to downgrade pump performance. I only have 12 bottles and have had to install 2 pumps, 6 per. Getting a second one nearly twice the capacity of the first did not seem to improve its performance one iota. But I am operational now and that is the main thing. Thanks to all the people here, I learned a lot and hopefully others can learn from my experience as well.
For more details and the instructions I wrote, please visit my blog:
http://millrisespin.shawwebspace.ca/pages/view/how_to_build_a_z-mama_windowfarm/ -
