[diggity-dank]

well it seems like everyone is doing KBS grows on here so i hope i can get a little help with this.. im very new to hydro so please bear with me..

ok well i built a little hydro setup like the one here... https://overgrow.com/edge/showthread.php?t=273797
well after building it, it doesnt seems like it would work that well.

First of all, he designed it so the roots only stay in the 5" pots full of rockwool. I dont like this because it seems like the plants would wanna lets the roots go more.. This could cause it not to grow big.

2nd, correct me if im wrong here, i think having the drip lines drip onto the rockwool would allow the rockwool to pretty much filter the nutrients out of the water and hold a lot of nutrients and get all shitty.

so if anyone could let me know how they think this would work or some other opinions, that would be great.

ok next question would be, what kind of setup would you build for a little 'Mills Pride C13' cabinet with 250 watts? Keep in mind i will be starting with seeds so no SCROG yet.

Im thinking like [3-4] 3gal buckets in a DWC setup would work well.. i think the 5gal would be too high to begin with and not let me grow very high. So if i did this, would you have a main res or just fill each bucket up with nutes on their own?

please please please help a hydro newbie out here. i really wanna get away from soil due to the transplanting and huge messes. I also love the veg times for hydro. also, i wanna start some Lifesavers ASAP!

Right now i have...
- a couple rubbermaid bins
- [3] 6" netpots
- some rockwool
- lava rocks
- [2] air pumps
- lots of airstones
- 200gph water pump
- 70gph water pump
- and lots of seeds

coming in the mail soon...
- GH nutes (finally)

[Einsteinguy]

Hey diggity-dank

Newbie here also.

Look @ my pics and see if it is similar.

Let me know.

Einstein

[diggity-dank]

thanks einstein...

does anyone have any comments or anything about that other setup.. i was hoping to get this started today.

[diggity-dank]

guess ill take this over to OG.. thanks anyways..

[houdinihar]

i have grown hydro using a bubbler similar in configuration as the picture in the link you had. I don't use grow rocks or expensive grodan rockwool, I use some polyester matting from
Wal-mart sewing department to stick on the opening and hold my plants in place. This stuff is very porous and doesn't hold much water so it won't rot your roots. easy to sterilize or throw away and buy more new. Nice stuff.
houdinihar

[Hippo]

Hiya mate, only just see this so ill try to help.
Dunno how big of a system u want, u mention the XBS but also show a link to some little rubbermaids

I like nft for hydro personally, but that link is not my definition of nft anyway, i dont see why it shouldn't work though, however how well it will work is anyones guess. Imho i dont think its a great system by a long shot, if i read it right (i skimmed it tbh) its being fed by them drippers into the cubes right? well that means the top roots are just getting wet, the actual roots that take in most nutes are the at the ends and the root and the hairs, sounds like they are only gonna get nutes if they are dangling into the res part or if the drippers drip down onto em, which isnt a very efficent way of getting nutes in a plant.
Rockwool is good in some applications, it doesnt filter out anything that i know of, especially not nutes, for that system in the link though id probably turn it into a bubbler and use netpots n hydroton (tbh i wouldnt even use that system atall)

Ive tried most hydro setups in differant sizes and the best ive found for small scale apps is multi-duct nft trays and for your 250 watt size of job = the nft grow tanks: https://www.growell.co.uk/p/0330/NFT_Gro_Tanks.html
theres one that doesn't cost much atall and is perect for a 250 watt grow.
The growth rates in NFT are pretty damn hard to beat if u can keep the root temps and res temps right.
This is one of the most important things to think of when using these nft trays.
If u cant get these cool temps all the time nft systems will pretty much fuck ya plants after a little while if it gets too warm for too long, or if it gets too cold even although depending on how cold it ususally isnt as bad for them as too warm.
The best way that these work is if the nute/res temps are say 60-65F and u have to raise it a little with a fish tank heater.
I know u aint got an nft setup or the bits needed to make one, but if u gonna do a grow u might aswell make or get something thats worked well for many ppl, besides they are pretty good value them small kits, anyone who's used one will tell ya.
Hope that helps some
Hippo

[diggity-dank]

thanks for the replies guys!

houdinihar: ill take a look into that material... havnt seen anyone use it but it seems like anything would be better than rockwool.

Originally posted by Hippo
Hiya mate, only just see this so ill try to help.
Dunno how big of a system u want, u mention the XBS but also show a link to some little rubbermaids

lol sorry...i meant that the only talk in the hydro section is about the 'XBS' Buckets.. and i didnt want a system like that...MUCH smaller... im growing in a wardrobe closet.

I like nft for hydro personally, but that link is not my definition of nft anyway, i dont see why it shouldn't work though, however how well it will work is anyones guess. Imho i dont think its a great system by a long shot, if i read it right (i skimmed it tbh) its being fed by them drippers into the cubes right? well that means the top roots are just getting wet, the actual roots that take in most nutes are the at the ends and the root and the hairs, sounds like they are only gonna get nutes if they are dangling into the res part or if the drippers drip down onto em, which isnt a very efficent way of getting nutes in a plant.

actually what this system make the plant do is JUST stay in the rockwool the WHOLE time. The maker said the roots wouldnt really try to get out of the pots. To me it doesnt seem like that would be a good idea.

got any links to a some instructions on how to build a good one? how many plants would you run? just a few? thanks!

[Captain Canibus]

KRUSTY is going to rip you a new one!

He has a lot of wisdom (experience) to offer. I came to the realization today that rockwool is bad. Really bad! His advice on GH nutes to me was priceless.

Realize THIS. Not everyone is using the KBS.

Just go for it. Do it. You can only succed if you learn from your failures. Make a commitment, start and learn. Your second attempt will be better than your first.

It is only my opinion, but it works for me. Just do it!!!

[diggity-dank]

KRUSTY is going to rip you a new one!

why? because im asking for advise?

Realize THIS. Not everyone is using the KBS.

i know..

dude i cant grow in krusty buckets... im in a small apt. it ISNT gonna happen.. thats why im asking for ideas for small setups...

i know rockwool is bad.. thats why i said i didnt wanna use that one i linked to... and thats why i said after i built it, i started thinking it wouldnt work and i wanted something else..

and i know GH nutes are good.. thats why i mentioned i ordered some already..

[krusty]

heyas diggity ....sorry didnt really notice yer thread....ussually if somone wants help they go "hey krusty" or something in either there title or pm linking me to yer thread:P

its the weekend and i am working:(

but i do have a system that is simular to the one you showed.....i talked about it a few times and it works great...i ussed to use it to pre grow plants for the buckets..

i even one time thru the system inside the grow room and budded them off and actually got some sweet large buds...

i use 2 rubber maid containers instead of one...but it is a simular idea to the link you provided...except i ussed round circles instead of squares.....i had 6 per bucket....and i ussed a valve system to turn on/off the top feed and also a valve to turn on/off the sprinklers i had in the rubber maids....

it works well if your on concrete floor to keep the container cool...

but if you are not on concrete i hugely suggest you have a resivoir and then a table ......this way you can try and keep the resivoir away form the heat generated by the room....and thus you will have cool roots instead of piss warm ones that tend to cause problems...

okies DWC sucks ass.....it works yes but it truely will never provide you with good quality or high yields per watt...

rockwool again...pain in the ass...unhealthy to yer body...its just an all arround cluster fuck

you want NFT....DWC will never allow you to have enough air to roots....so dotn even bother....only a dumb fuck who has a dwc set up would argue that there is anything better then NFT....and that would be cause he cant ahndle the idea of re setting up..

if you cannto grasp/trust me that NFT is the best/only way to grow hydroponically then the convo might as well stop here...

so let me know if yas want me to spend an hour figure'n out a system that would be right for your area/space n stuff....

let me know dimensions of the area your growwing in...and how much you can afford to buy equipment....maybe the current temps of the air/floor in the room you want to grow in....

then like i said i iwll come up with something for you....but again if yer that lost that you cannot see the reasons why rockwool suck or that dwc is lame....or you cannot see why NFT is the only way to grow properly i aint going to bother trying to beat a dead horse

peace

krusty