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Differences in Hydro Systems?

B

BuddyRichTHC

New member
Firstly, Hello! this is my first time in the forum. I have a few questions, for my first hydro setup?

What's the difference between using

Bubbleponics
55qt Tubs for "deep Water" hydro
5 gal buckets for each plant
4 or 5 inch Tube-style hydro

My understanding is that in each, you need a diffusion stone to move oxygen to the plant roots..... the "soil" including the clay stones has to stay above the surface of the water?

Any help will be appreciated!
 
P

packerfan79

Active member
Veteran
BuddyRichTHC said:
Firstly, Hello! this is my first time in the forum. I have a few questions, for my first hydro setup?

What's the difference between using

Bubbleponics
55qt Tubs for "deep Water" hydro
5 gal buckets for each plant
4 or 5 inch Tube-style hydro

My understanding is that in each, you need a diffusion stone to move oxygen to the plant roots..... the "soil" including the clay stones has to stay above the surface of the water?

Any help will be appreciated!
Click to expand...

If you haven't got a good handle on growing in soil, I would start their. I wanted the biggest and baddest hydro setup money could get. Within 4 months I traded it for more lights and started over in soil. Now I run coco exclusively and do quite well in fact.

Not trying to be a bummer just giving you some friendly advice. It sucks when your crop is unsmokable. Soil is easy and forgiving. Hydro is not at all forgiving.
 
Douglas.Curtis

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
packerfan79 said:
If you haven't got a good handle on growing in soil, I would start their. I wanted the biggest and baddest hydro setup money could get. Within 4 months I traded it for more lights and started over in soil. Now I run coco exclusively and do quite well in fact.

Not trying to be a bummer just giving you some friendly advice. It sucks when your crop is unsmokable. Soil is easy and forgiving. Hydro is not at all forgiving.
Click to expand...
Or, you can spend 6 months in research like I did and end up growing decent hydro from the beginning. Lucas formula AND Lucas res management methods, for the win. ;) Hydro is stupid simple, and forgiving, when you understand it. :tiphat:

BuddyRichTHC said:
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Firstly, Hello! this is my first time in the forum. I have a few questions, for my first hydro setup?

What's the difference between using

Bubbleponics
55qt Tubs for "deep Water" hydro
5 gal buckets for each plant
4 or 5 inch Tube-style hydro

My understanding is that in each, you need a diffusion stone to move oxygen to the plant roots..... the "soil" including the clay stones has to stay above the surface of the water?

Any help will be appreciated!
Click to expand...

Welcome to the wild, wild, world of cannabis cultivation! :D and to Icmag. :D

55qt tubs for DWC are difficult to beat. I run a 70 gallon reservoir, with about 45 gallons in it, for a 4x4 tent with a 1k hps. 1 Tub, 1 strain, 1 tent. Keeps top offs and res maintenance simple.

5 gal buckets for each plant, pain in the butt to check each for level of nutes, pH, ppm/ec, etc...

4-5 inch tube style hydro. Grows more like NFT, where root mass heat retention becomes an issue. More areas for biologicals to grow, more plumbing hassles.

Ultimately, I prefer one tub with one strain for each tent.
[/FONT]
 
R

Rondon

Member
PetFlora said:
Number of plants determines most efficient method
Click to expand...

No shit. And amen. Size of your operation and plant count really narrows it down to choices and decisions regarding methods and equipment. Does for me anyways. But it takes someone with experience to even think like that in retrospect.
 
Douglas.Curtis

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
BuddyRichTHC said:
Any help will be appreciated!
Click to expand...
Legal state, you say? Look around and find a grower who's sharing high quality cannabis. Ask them for advice. It's either this, or spend 6 months seriously studying soil or hydro before you start.

Knowing how to grow when you start, at least the full basics, is so much more rewarding.
 
R

Rondon

Member
Nothing wrong with getting on the good side of an experienced grower in your area if you dont know what your doing. If they let you in and hook you up with how it goes...you got a leg up on just about every other new wluld be grower without that resource. And if its a good grower willing to share experience and skills...save you ALOT of money on expensive fuk ups.
 
Lester Beans

Lester Beans

Frequent Flyer
Veteran
Hydroponics are easy to manage for new growers.

Keep res solution below 70 degrees.

Change res weekly

Stay on top of pH

Use good quality nutrients, i.e Botanicare or something similar.

Easy
 
clown baby

clown baby

Active member
im going to advocate for ebb and flow, aka flood and drain, for your intro to hydro.

It's idiot proof. East maintenance. Low/No risk of flood. Good results
 
R

Rondon

Member
Lester Beans said:
Hydroponics are easy to manage for new growers.

Keep res solution below 70 degrees.

Change res weekly

Stay on top of pH

Use good quality nutrients, i.e Botanicare or something similar.

Easy
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. Depends on the rookie. I started out decades ago fascinated by indoor hydroponics and cut my teeth building my own systems for the first few years. And I got really good at growing cannabis hydroponically. Wasnt until only after some time did I get into soils and peat based mixes and I was horrible at it for a minute. But I got grower friends and relatives that were completely opposite. They started with soils and mixes and dipped into hydro later and really sucked at it. At first anyways. To this day I will be honest and say Iam still not all that great with peat mixes. And ive grown in every way one can think of. To me...water based systems...rockwool and coco coir substrates...and all the other methods of hydroponics are a breeze. With a good pH and EC meter...I can use any fertilizer brand out there. And not too shabby mixing my own salts.
 
Douglas.Curtis

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
clown baby said:
im going to advocate for ebb and flow, aka flood and drain, for your intro to hydro.

It's idiot proof. East maintenance. Low/No risk of flood. Good results
Click to expand...
Lucas Information still applies, except E&F is a "roots-out" hydro system. This means there's a pH drop in the root zone, as the media dries out between waterings. ;) Account for this and everything is just as easy as any roots-in type hydro. (DWC, RDWC, NFT, ETC)
 
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