Looking to break into hydro

[coldcanna]

So I'm a pretty new grower and currently run in a promix/compost blend with GH nutes. I've dabbled in coco and at the time wasn't ready for the more involved nature of a coco or hydro grow. I'm starting to build a solid base and for the next run I'd like to run 3 or 4 of my girls in a hydro setup and do a little side by side comparison. Soil has been a good place to start but that the frosty nugs and big yields I'm seeing over in this section have made me think that its time to up my game. I'm hoping some of you can point me in the right direction and give me some advice, whats a good system to break into the hydro style with? I see the ebb and flow, UC, drippers, hempy buckets, ect ect. I have solid plumbing/ building skills and looking to spend 150 bucks or so for a DIY style experiment. Thanks for any help - CC

 

[SecondAttempt]

PPK... check the vert subforum for everything you need to know.

 

[toastfighter2]

Here are my two cents. Go with flood and drain tables, look up the lucas formula(not the best formula out their, but it works well and can be heavily modified to fit your needs down the road), and mono crop with scrog screens. A 2x4 tray(including the fittings), pump, and a decent timer(digital is best for this application) should run just under $100. The material for the stand and screens shouldn't be much more than $35, and that's with enough twine to redo the whole thing a couple times. Add a heavy duty tote and your set to grow equipment wise.

 

[Oily Farmer]

After playing in the dirt, last year I decided to clean up my act and grow hydro. The first four crops showed me using rock wool cube for germination/seedling, then planting into 3 liter air pot containers filled with expanded clay pellets. Side note - the pellets have a tendency to block holes which are designed for aeration and root self-pruning. I had up to 12 containers sitting on a grow table, being fed using a drip recirculating system. The link below shows a picture of the setup, however it's set up in a drip-to-waste configuration.
http://www.growtool.net/fileadmin/medien/Download/growSYSTEMairpot/growSYSTEM_airpot_1.0.png
I've made some modifications this year having acquired a larger table, 16 additional containers, a pump fed watering wand, a 100 liter collapsible reservoir, and began using a mix of coco and 30% perlite. My first crop using these changes is currently in vegetation, so I'll know more/learn LOTS more as the season progresses.
From dirt to volcanic rock to coconut, what does that even mean? lol
Happy Farming...

 

[medicalmj]

I have done/built every hydro system out there. My first was simply a tote, a pump and some tubing. I used rockwool cubes and put them (4) on a 3 ft slab cut in 1/2. This was all placed right on the lid that had piece cut out for drain and fill. I did recirc top feed w awesome results and it allpwed me to get my feet wet.

Next I got some 6ft by 8 inch trays that each held two 3 ft slabs and put the cubes on that. This is the most common way tomatoes are grown in hydro greenhouses except the trays are custom lengths w several slabs in eaech. Top feed dtw is common but I did recirc and had outstanding success. My coverage area was about 7 ft by 5 ft., 1k HPS on light rail.

The top feed is probably the easiest to conceptualize and very simple to build. But for least "moving" parts I like toast fighters basic suggestion of ebb and flow. With either method I suggest sticking w RW for medium. Just think a day ahead as it does need a 24 presoak in RW conditioner.

While you can build a top feed without a tray I suggest getting one anyway as you can put on something next to and slightly above res for easier access. I found a concrete mixing tray at Home De pot for about $15USD that works ok for both ebb and top feed. But once you know for sure I'd spend the +-$80 on a real tray.

BTW - I am in coco right now. I am doing 2-3 per 1k HPS in 5 gal airpots set up with top feed dtw. I totally love it for bigger plants in larger areas.

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[SunGrown]

best advice I can offer is as soon as you can afford it, get a good chiller. Keeping your water temps at 68 degrees will save you lots of potential stress.

Good luck

 

[paladin420]

^^^^^ all solid advice from solid hydro growers.

From rereading your post and your skills and desires I would think about something homemade.
Using pots of a similar size to what u now use, pick a medium,clay,coco, RW cubes. whatever fits you. I use hydroton and coco.
Get a good tote for a rez. Elevate your pots ( 6" conc blocks)
1 pump plumbed to each pot with a collar drilled to water.
Drain back to res
We hav used sink drains and plumbing but u need to build a platform not blocks.

As a side by side I would still run GH at about the same rates.

A ph pen and a ppm/ec meter are worth every dime. Spend Ur extra there


Good luck
welcome to the water park
Pal

 

[coldcanna]

Thanks for all the responses guys, lots of helpful info. I came up with a plan that combines a few aspects of each of your recommendations. I'm thinking a reservoir up high fed by gravity, I'll build a manifold and have a simple valve on the feed and it will use drip lines to top feed. I believe I have some 5L buckets out in the shed so I'll fill them with hydroton on the top and bottom, either rw or coco inside prob come down to whatever's cheaper at the store. Ill have the hole small enough so that it takes 15 or 20 minutes for it to drain out (was thinking that's kinda like ebb and flow) The buckets will drain into a collection tub and I'll have a small pump that sends it back to the rezzy.

Questions for you guys -

1) I imagine I will use GH 3 part system as I am familiar with the product. When the plants first come off the EZ clone I can hit them once a day with 1/2 strength for a week, then bump it up week 2 to a normal schedule. I'll feed them once or twice a day.
2) Should I buy air stones for each bucket? Do you guys have any recommended websites you buy your pumps and random hydro stuff from?
3) I think I’ll change out the rez once a week, do a little top off half way through and then PH everyday or every other day.
So this is my rough plan, I’m open to input. I should be able to get some pics up online I’m just crossing my fingers for the medical paperwork to come through… should hear any day now!

 

[medicalmj]

I'm thinking a reservoir up high fed by gravity, I'll build a manifold and have a simple valve on the feed and it will use drip lines to top feed. I believe I have some 5L buckets out in the shed so I'll fill them with hydroton on the top and bottom, either rw or coco inside prob come down to whatever's cheaper at the store. Ill have the hole small enough so that it takes 15 or 20 minutes for it to drain out (was thinking that's kinda like ebb and flow) The buckets will drain into a collection tub and I'll have a small pump that sends it back to the rezzy.
!

Just my 2 cents, but I think its too complicated. Put the res on the floor and keep whatever you use to hold plants above it. That way you need only 1 res, 1 pump and less tubing etc., and less to go wrong.

I'll try to get a pic of this plan, and it can be tweaked to your situation, but consider a tray that's +-8 inches deep and the size you want, maybe 3x3 or 4x4. Place that on a stand that is just above the res. Insert a drain. Your res can set directly beneath or you can add a lil tubing and place nearby. Now when you pump to plants (you can still use your buckets if you want) it just drains to res. Unless you're growing trees you could just by 4x4 or 6x6(Hugos) rockwool cubes and forget the buckets.

For sure the cubes will be the easiest and cheapest. You can then do ebb n flow or top feed. Ask your hydro store for the plumbing parts. Should only cost a couple bucks for the riser and drain to make ebb n flow, a lil more for top feed since you'll need drippers, tubing ect.

 

[G.Goo]

Flood and drain for first timer . This allows most room for error being roots only submerged when the pump is on . Keep a ph of 6 and feed light

 

[-Capfan-]

+1 for the DiY Ebb and Grow...


2 pumps 2 timers, Good to go.

 

[gmanwho]

Coldcanna, good to see fellow new englander. One thing i will say is, if u can learn to utilize the colder winter temps to cool your garden you can become more efficient in your garden. From simple blower fan management to recirculating glycol&water cooling systems.

On a hydro system..... recirculating top drip is wonderfull. been ebb& flood (ebb&gro System) buckets 5 years now. After 2 trial runs in a smaller room, Next system will be 5 gall top drip recirculating 24/7. Low water depth undercurrent meets waterfarm.

Good luck in your quest, keep it safe & simple , research your stuff before the possibility of the hydro store guy selling you everything.

B-safe

 

[Yesca73]

Flood n drain has been good to me . I use airpots filled with hydroton

 

[anon0988]

If you're looking for cheap and easy, start with a DWC made out of a storage tote. I actually just started this exact project because I wanted to learn how to clone and do hydro. I started with a 18 gallon storage tote from Walmart, it was $6. From there, I got some 4&3/4" netpots for like $1 each, then bought a 4&1/2" hole saw drill bit, it was like $26. Drill some holes in the lid pop in the netpots, there's your top side. Then while at Walmart I went to the aquarium section and bought their cheap air pump for like $13 (came with 2 air stones), some tubing for like $3. I picked up the GH 3-pack and some rockwool cubes from my local hydro store and was set. I think all in it was around $100, but that's without lighting or anything, just the hydro setup itself.

Anyway, my overall advice would be don't get too complicated if you're just trying it out.

 

[coldcanna]

So the DWC and ebb and flow seem like the easiest options here, this is a trial run while I wait for the caregiver stuff to get lined up. Is one system generally regarded for higher yields... or do most hydro systems run similar numbers?

 

[paladin420]

Under currents and ebb n flo generally are the bigger producers.IMHO

I've seen plants aproachin a pound out of 2.5 gallon pots.

 

[gmanwho]

closest i got out of a 2.5 gal ebb&gro bucket was like 13oz', by accident, i dont want plants that big, so paladin420 is def on the money. BUT,i dont like to get them too big unless theres some serious watts per sq ft.

coldcanna, with the ebb&gro system, 2 plants per 2.5 gal bucket, 6 buckets per 4x4 parabolic hood w/vert bulb i average 1.75# with a 600, a 1000 in the same hood can pull 2-2.25#'s. this is 3-1/2 4 ft plants with atleast 8+ cola tops per palnt. modifed lucas nut program an some organic additives. SILICA BLAST at like 5mil a gal is one of the single most additives i would not go without, if possible!!!

waterfarm or ebb&gro type system, i like the bucket design on the titan system too, no stagnate water sitting in bottom after the drain.

b-safe...

 

[-Capfan-]

Unless you are willing to dump the change into a DWC and Keeping water temps cooler, it gets to be a pretty penny.


Please dont buy a bucket system if you go that route, they over charge for a simple system..

 

[M.R.GT]

I like RDWC with waterfarm style top feed. these are pretty easy to diy.

5 gallon buckets, 8" net pots. the top feed is no more than 1/2 pvc, 3/8 id x 1/2 od tubing and a couple of 3/8 barbed T's. total cost per bucket about 12$. I used 3 1/2 gal pot because of low ceilings net pots fit either 5 or 3 1/2 pots so its your choice .

air pump, 1/4 black drip line, 1/4 90's, 1/4 straight barbs.

plumbing the recir is just 1 1/2 pvc, 1/2 pvc, uniseals or bulk heads and a pump. ball valves as you like.

drain is plumbed straight into the return with a ball valve. flush and fill entire system in 30 min

total cost for 6 pot system about $200

runs 24/7. GH Maxi line with DM Zone & Silica blast. 1 KW HPS

you can use these in a RDWC or as a stand alone waterfarms.

Cheap and effective. The only limitations on this system is your imagination.

Good luck
GT

 

[sureshot66]

i vote for ebb and flow as it was the 1st setup i used,simple, and its exciting to watch the tray fill heh