Most efficient, yet simple method

[giroldo]

what would you guys think would be a good method for a grower looking to dip his foot into new waters (no pun intended). i have done soil grows, but now i am looking to make a few bucks on the side, and thought that i should try out hydroponics.

what do you guys think would be the best method for somebody used to growing, just not hydroponically?

i am most interested in:

Nutrient film technique (NFT)
drip system
deep water culture (DWC)

also, i am somewhat interested in:
ebb and flow



i will be growing from seed to harvest for now. I am fairly new to hydroponics but want to get into it. Which method listed above would be best in terms of easiness for a beginner to hydro, highest yield and best efficiency.

money isnt all that much of an issue.

thanks guys.

 

[Habibi]

im also new to hydro and from what i gathered from friends and fellow ICers ebb and flow was the way to go. take a look at my hydro thread youll see what i got setup, keep in mind i have no prior experience with hydroponics and the grow is going quite well for me

its the easiest to maintain and most simplistic of all the hydro methods available

 

[giroldo]

that is what i figured. im going to look into it more. thank you.

 

[bounty29]

Check out this thread...
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=93983

 

[giroldo]

i was also wondering, with an ebb and flow, how exactly does the water drain out? sorry, that part seems to confuse me.

 

[the_shadow]

Personally, I recommend recirc DWC, similar to bio-buckets. Very efficient, mostly automated, and great yields.

 

[yamaha_1fan]

i was also wondering, with an ebb and flow, how exactly does the water drain out? sorry, that part seems to confuse me.

There are two drains. One is set at the highest point you want the table to flood at, maybe 4". The second drain is at the lowest point or basically just flush with the table. Your pump will pump out through that drain, and when it shuts off, the water will drain back through the pump backwards. That part confused me too.

I have only grown E&F and aero. I can tell you forget aero and I know its not on your list. I have heard res temps in DWC are more critical, while in E&F, higher rez temps can be tolerated. And with your plans, those reses may get warm if left in the room.

For the scale you are talking E&F is the way IMO. Easy setup, foolproof.

 

[rule35sub1]

If you want to try out hydro that is super easy, try hempy buckets.

 

[mantizz007]

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=13327

Thats how I got started. very easy and great yeilds.

Peace out
MANTIZZ

 

[statictattoo]

If you got the money, Id go with a Recirculating DWC bucket system, the plants are in their own bucket you can move them around, from what ive seen DWC gets you the biggest root system. Or Id go with a Ebb & flow it has fewer parts to leak on you, Im just doing my very first grow now, never done soil, i went with a ebb and flow just because of the simplicity of it, your pump is only running for 15 minutes 3-4 times a day, instead of 24/7 (Less likely to break down on you) only 2 hose connections instead of 30.. and i plan on doing a SOG which i think will be easier in a big bed instead of idividual buckets and u can pretty much build your flood table as big as you need it custom fit a space

also Id stay away from the Nutrient film technique (NFT), from what Ive read its only recommended for hydroponic growers with a few years of experience.. from what Ive read anyways

 

[DEDHEDFRED]

The easiest most maintenance free active "hydro" system is as Yamaha says .....Ebb and flow tables...and I say...Ebb and flow buckets.....same animal.....different application......No rootzone temp issues ever....If you set it up right it runs itself for at least a week at a time..........I don`t agree with rez`s in the room underneath the tables cuz of so much stored solution that can cause potential humidity in the rooms that hasta be dealt with in late flower when multiple tables are used but to each his own and dialing environment makes up a lot more of the equation than systems or how much light you blast their ass with..........Done right .......Ebb and flow gives explosive growth with excellent yields..........Then there`s the up and comer........Coco..........That`s another thread......Hempy style buckets are definitely right up lazy stoner asses cuz they don`t haveta be watered or fed for days at a time depending on size of the container.....I run coco mom plants that only get fed every 3rd-4th day or so......This shit`s all relative boys and girls..............You only get out of directly what you put into your grows........You can be diligent or lazy.......There`s systems for all of yas.........Peace.........DHF........ ..........

 

[yamaha_1fan]

The OP should have mentioned he plans on running 10-20K watts in lighting and has no or little hydro experience, but a few years of dirt growing.

When I do it again, I would have the rezes in a sperate room. Humidity isnt a problem but res temp is.


I thought the hempy buckets were a PITA, or am I thinking of BIO buckets?

 

[DEDHEDFRED]

Bio-Buckets

 

[giroldo]

thank you for all the help guys. it is much appreciated.


EBB AND FLOW IT IS !!

 

[Budweiser13]

Alright I have a question that I dont see very often when folks talk ebb n flow tables. How do you determine what size pump you need? Is it based on the size of the flood table so lets say I have a 3x3 flood table would a 250 GPH pump be OK and would I still flood for 15 mins every 2 to 3 hours. Or if I had a bigger pump on a 3x3 say 350 GPH would I only flood for 10 minutes every 2 to 3 hours how do you folks figure that math out?

 

[DEDHEDFRED]

Hempy`s are a stoner`s paradise.....Couple inches of solution left in the bottom container in case of forgetting to feed em........Grows good plants too but if you let em dry out they`ll fall over from bein top heavy cuz the shit`s like popcorn ...Don`t weigh shit dry ......Tried vermiculite/perlite mixture for bigger plants yrs. ago.....didn`t work out for me cuz the mix couldnt support the rootmass that supports the size plants I was growin at the time.....But that`s my experience........Coco`ll do it too unless you use big enough containers also........Weighs nexta nothin just like the verm/perl mixture if you don`t keep it fed regularly...............DHF........ .....

 

[NorCal]

for commercial enf is the way to go

i use coco and the combo is the shit

only prob w/ coco is the salt build up issues but that just means you need to flush which means you gotta water from the topevery once in a while if you have a heavy hand w/ the ferts

good luck w/ your setup, stay safe

 

[NorCal]

for flooding you dont want a slow pump in the rez in my exp

when i want to dump my reservoirs i unplug my flood hose and attach a barbed fitting to a run of hose that will go to the nearest toilet, bath (drain). I turn on the pump and itll pump my water out. i usually refill the res and then pump the water out once more so i make sure i get as much of the water and acccumulated nutes (salts) in the res out, finally i refilll the res one more time and add my nutes

the reason i explained this is because if the pump is not big enough itll take that much longer to do tasks like these

i have run 2x4 's w/ a 20 gallon res
3x3's w/ a 40 gal
4x4's w/ a 40 gallon
3x6's an 4x8's w/ a 70 gallon

for all of them ive used a 500 gph pump and they worked great hth

 

[yamaha_1fan]

My pump for a 4x11 table is 2400 GPH, maybe 3600. It fills the table pretty quickly and I have it T'eed so some of the water goes back in the rez. I also have a valve after the T so I can adjust the flow to the table. I can close it and make it so the pump only recirculates, great option when adding nutes or adjusting PH.

But when I dump my rez, it still takes quite some time to pump through 50 feet of garden hose. I guess 200 gallons is alot, but standing around or having to come back and check on it is a PITA.

I do the same as Norcal, dump, fill, drain, then fill again. I could always shop vac the rez clean but I figure a couple fill and dumps is enough to clean out the nutes between rez changes.


Giraldo, you could put the tables on wheels and if you have an emergency, you can always roll the tables out. You can also use the tables in a drip system.

 

[giroldo]

you guys have been a great help. wow!!!


but i was curious if anyone could post some pictures of their setups.