Appreciate your support amigo. :)))

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!).

Stand by! :)

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.

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

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

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

Thank you! Appreciated :)

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.

Its use is for automation, large or small.

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.

@@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.

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.

They go on and on and on and on… :)

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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

@@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!

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!

Thanks for your insights. Yes, I only use RO water in my indoor garden. I store that in a separate 200L tank so I always have a go-to supply.

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.

@@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

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.

@@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

Thanks Mark. Great to be back.

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?

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

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.

Thanks for your support :)

Lol. Bluelab lent me the doser to test.

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