Hydro system for a newb!

[Green Giant]

I have been growing for a while now, started in dirt, moved to chow mix and now into just coco.

Have been thinking I want to get into hydro, I have read a lot on this, and realize that starting off with the wrong method can be a bad thing such as trying the DWC the first time out. I would love to be like some of you guys are that are pulling 1+ bows per light, but want to start out slow and right, and not to kill off all my ladies!

With that said, what would you recommend for a first timer?

TIA.

 

[mayonnaise]

flood tables are what i've used for years. pretty simple to set up, just remember to keep everything as clean as possible. that shit can go sideways quick. I've had great results with DWC in the past but i think flood and drain has been easier for me. If you want more specifics on the system I use feel free to hit me up.

 

[ttystikk]

Shit, I dove headfirst into RDWC and never came up for air! Not an approach I would recommend to others, lol

 

[Jalisco Kid]

If you are looking for weight over time a 20gal chowmix can make a 2.5 lb plant with less pain. If you are bored and want to put in more time/money a good rdwc or aero tank sys will work just fine. JK

 

[urbanfog]

I 2nd the flood system, easy peasy

 

[Kushwick]

Well the dwc systems are so easy to setup and cheap to start up with all you need is netcups,bin,air pump and tubing and you have your system easy.

 

[DrRabbit]

In order to respond in a manner other than "you should do it the way I do", you'll need to talk a little about the scale of the grow you want to have. If you're transitioning into hydro from soil and coco, what sort of potentially useful items do you currently have (pH pens, TDS meter, favorite nutrients, etc). You can spend virtually all the money you can stomach, but a sense of your budget will help give good advice. Any particularly annoying traits in your area, such as size or heat?

And DWC's no more complicated than coco.

 

[d1esel]

In order to respond in a manner other than "you should do it the way I do", you'll need to talk a little about the scale of the grow you want to have. If you're transitioning into hydro from soil and coco, what sort of potentially useful items do you currently have (pH pens, TDS meter, favorite nutrients, etc). You can spend virtually all the money you can stomach, but a sense of your budget will help give good advice. Any particularly annoying traits in your area, such as size or heat?

And DWC's no more complicated than coco.

Noon not boob diary, I am doing personal medical grows. First timer, ebb and flow, clay hydroton, smart pots, ...from start to current I've spent around a grand. Cheaper if did a diy, tray and what not. Happy growing!

 

[DrRabbit]

Noon not boob diary . . .

Huh?

 

[d1esel]

Sorry, my grow diary.... in case proof was needed of the simplicity.... I'm a k.I.s.s. grower. I know enough to be dangerous, lol.

 

[DrRabbit]

Sorry, my grow diary....

Darn, I so wanted to start using the 'boob diary' technique at my grow! ;-)

 

[d1esel]

Darn, I so wanted to start using the 'boob diary' technique at my grow! ;-)

Your the the Doctor...lol. I'm working on one, different web site ;) damn that's the next grow! Sorry for the sidetrack kushwick...I am thinking scrog next run, should be easier with the flood n drain.

 

[Green Giant]

If you are looking for weight over time a 20gal chowmix can make a 2.5 lb plant with less pain. If you are bored and want to put in more time/money a good rdwc or aero tank sys will work just fine. JK

JK. Its not so much weight I'm looking for,(although that would be an added bonus) its just that I need to start a drip feed/top feed on my coco grow, I just don't have the time it takes to hand feed the girls, so its either drip feed my coco or take the next step and transition into hydro. I have been thinking of doing hydro since I started growing.
I have some what limited ceiling height so I cant grow big trees.

 

[Green Giant]

In order to respond in a manner other than "you should do it the way I do", you'll need to talk a little about the scale of the grow you want to have. If you're transitioning into hydro from soil and coco, what sort of potentially useful items do you currently have (pH pens, TDS meter, favorite nutrients, etc). You can spend virtually all the money you can stomach, but a sense of your budget will help give good advice. Any particularly annoying traits in your area, such as size or heat?

And DWC's no more complicated than coco.

Dr. I would think of it as a small med grow, I run 4 1k lights in flower, I will be adding 2 more 1k soon. 4-5 plants under each light.

I have a ph pen and a ppm pen. I run H&G coco line right now, I would/will switch over to H&G aqua flakes for hydro.

My budget would be limited so most of it will be a DIY thing.

Im in Michigan so not too bad on the temps.

 

[DrRabbit]

Dr. I would think of it as a small med grow, I run 4 1k lights in flower, I will be adding 2 more 1k soon. 4-5 plants under each light.

I have a ph pen and a ppm pen. I run H&G coco line right now, I would/will switch over to H&G aqua flakes for hydro.

My budget would be limited so most of it will be a DIY thing.

Im in Michigan so not too bad on the temps.

Are you monocropping single varieties under each light? If so, you may want to look into a DIY RDWC setup. There are a couple of recent threads that show some such setups. I do DWC, but the size of your grow is too big for that approach, as that would be too labor intensive.

 

[Green Giant]

I would more than likely run two systems with 8-10 site, so I can run two different strains.

 

[Jalisco Kid]

I never had to worry about nute temps(especially with summer coming) in chow like you do in dwc. A lot more disease is possible in dwc the chow.
I ran 20 gal brutes for a friend and got those weights on 5' plants.70% hydroton :30% coir. Strarted with 2 feeds a day and worked uo to 8 or so. I also ran air to those buckets. Coir seems to limit the amount of air a plant gets from the compaction. JK

 

[Green Giant]

Well I stopped over at the local hydro store, looked at a few different hydro setups. Looks like I will go with the dwuc As soon as I build out new rooms to accommodate it I will give it a go.
What do I need to look out for? All the reading I have been doing, it looks like water temp is key, too high of temp causes root rot??

 

[NWElite89]

@Green Giant

There are a lot of factors to worry about when running hydro, especially if this is your first time. Since you have grown before, you understand how environmental factors can make a difference. Wrap all you buckets or tubs, etc... with reflective material, and to insulate them if at all possible. Light is not friend and if it leaks into your system, you could have all sorts of problems. Water temperature is definitely key for big roots success which is usually between 66-68 degrees for optimal growth. For nutrients I would start out at least a 1/4 strength and see how your plants respond and then adjust accordingly. As always, there is a a ton of info on the forum here. Also having lots of air in your system make a difference as well. A good air pump with good stones, will do do you wonders, try not to buy the cheap air stones from like a pet-smart. Spend the money on good quality equipment now and then if you decided to jump from dwc to rdwc, you will already have a good head start. Hope this helps, and you have a good dwc first time experience

 

[Green Giant]

I

@Green Giant

There are a lot of factors to worry about when running hydro, especially if this is your first time. Since you have grown before, you understand how environmental factors can make a difference. Wrap all you buckets or tubs, etc... with reflective material, and to insulate them if at all possible. Light is not friend and if it leaks into your system, you could have all sorts of problems. Water temperature is definitely key for big roots success which is usually between 66-68 degrees for optimal growth. For nutrients I would start out at least a 1/4 strength and see how your plants respond and then adjust accordingly. As always, there is a a ton of info on the forum here. Also having lots of air in your system make a difference as well. A good air pump with good stones, will do do you wonders, try not to buy the cheap air stones from like a pet-smart. Spend the money on good quality equipment now and then if you decided to jump from dwc to rdwc, you will already have a good head start. Hope this helps, and you have a good dwc first time experience

I hear ya!! I plan on running an ap-100 for the air pumps per 8 spots. Not sure of the air stones, if you guys have any suggestions, I'm all ears. I will wrap all modules and PVC piping with reflextic. I will also have the pump and epicenter/control bucket outside of the grow rooms. I'm hoping all this will help reduce the use of a chiller.