Looking for beginners hydroponics suggestions

Vexor1717 · Apr 10, 2021

Hello, I'm new to growing. This lat run I used coco coir for the 1st time with my autos and very happy with the results so I was thinking of setting up a small feeding system for my 5x5 tent then I realized that I may as well run hydro if I'm doing all that and it's basically the same thing. I was looking at deep water culture buckets but that seems too easy to not have a catch to it that I'm not seeing. I think this may be my best bet starting off if it's as it seems. Anyone have experience with this? Growing in coco has given me a better understanding of how soiless mediums work. I did have a couple ph imbalances but came out pretty good and I'm about to start flushing those. Anyway any advice welcome. Thanks!

Cookoo4Coco · Apr 11, 2021

If your Doing DWC and doing more than 1 or 2 plants you want a linked Recirculating system with a control bucket so you dont have to manage a bunch of different reservoirs.

Unless your handy enough to build it yourself a drip system is way cheaper that RDWC

i haven't actually done DWC yet ive just been growing for a while and done alot of research so take what i say with a grain of salt.

Im getting ready to do a small pot pure coco drip next run, Used to do HP Aero but thats a whole other thing...

Pushrod Monkey · Apr 11, 2021

Vexor1717 said:
Hello, I'm new to growing. This lat run I used coco coir for the 1st time with my autos and very happy with the results so I was thinking of setting up a small feeding system for my 5x5 tent then I realized that I may as well run hydro if I'm doing all that and it's basically the same thing. I was looking at deep water culture buckets but that seems too easy to not have a catch to it that I'm not seeing. I think this may be my best bet starting off if it's as it seems. Anyone have experience with this? Growing in coco has given me a better understanding of how soiless mediums work. I did have a couple ph imbalances but came out pretty good and I'm about to start flushing those. Anyway any advice welcome. Thanks!

It’s not difficult but does require a simple routine of checking solution level, pH and EC . Nothing grows bigger plants than DWC. Use 1 plant per container. A good RDWC as suggested above is a very productive system. Veg short. You will see why in stretch. I suggest topping and supercrop both starting early. Have fun. You can watch them grow almost.

Pushrod Monkey · Apr 11, 2021

Big warning with warm weather approaching. Your solution must stay 70 F or cooler to prevent big issues. A chiller might be required for your situation. Do a lot of reading beforehand because once you’re underway things can turn quickly. Root root, algae, slime. It’s very easy to stay clean and hell trying to get back there with sick plants.

Nate_in_AK · Apr 11, 2021

Pushrod Monkey said:
Big warning with warm weather approaching. Your solution must stay 70 F or cooler to prevent big issues. A chiller might be required for your situation. Do a lot of reading beforehand because once you’re underway things can turn quickly. Root root, algae, slime. It’s very easy to stay clean and hell trying to get back there with sick plants.

Slightly differing viewpoint here. Keeping the res cool is important, but with regular use of Southern AG antifungal I have had no problem with my res in the low 70s. Don't take that as "don't worry" but strict sub-70F may not be necessary in all situations.

Pushrod Monkey · Apr 11, 2021

Nate_in_AK said:
Slightly differing viewpoint here. Keeping the res cool is important, but with regular use of Southern AG antifungal I have had no problem with my res in the low 70s. Don't take that as "don't worry" but strict sub-70F may not be necessary in all situations.

You’re in Alaska eh? Even then daily rez checks are recommended as well as regularly looking at the roots.

Brendanpre · Apr 11, 2021

I've also been considering trying a plant or two in hydro and I have been wondering why nobody seems to use Hempy Buckets anymore? From my (very limited) research, this looks like the simplest way to go for somebody just dipping there toes in the world of hydro. Very cheap to set up, very simple design with no moving parts, very little tinkering and adjusting, and from what I have found online they seem quite productive. Obviously not quite the explosive growth you get from RDWC, but better than a typical soil grow.

I'm curious as to whether anybody has tried them and how did they work for you?

PS: sorry for the hijack of your thread, but we both seem to be in the same boat and I'm not sure if you have seen these or considered them, or even if they really work like they are supposed to.

chemistry · Apr 11, 2021

This is how I got started. Two five gallon buckets, two plants in a five by five tent, if you have to many plants with out previous experience of DWC, and some thing goes wrong, then it becomes hard work and not enjoyable at all. I filled my tent wall to wall with just the two plants, that was under a 600 HID. Keep it simple with your additives and you should do well based on info from your last grow.

DankNugz420 · Apr 11, 2021

My advice is use half the recommended nutrients and check reservoir ph and ppm often, then work from there. Im still trying to get my first hydro tuned in lol. Here's something I found helpful for hydro

Nate_in_AK · Apr 11, 2021

Pushrod Monkey said:
You’re in Alaska eh? Even then daily rez checks are recommended as well as regularly looking at the roots.

Amen to both. I setup an electronic monitoring system for my environmental and ph/EC, it has been awesome.

Pushrod Monkey · Apr 11, 2021

Nate_in_AK said:
Amen to both. I setup an electronic monitoring system for my environmental and ph/EC, it has been awesome.

When I lived in Peters Creek I didn’t need a chiller. Got sent to NM to finish out my career for 18 months and DWC without a chiller was out of the question. I rigged waterfalls but the ambient temperature was too high for anything but mechanical cooling to help.

Vexor1717 · Apr 11, 2021

Pushrod Monkey said:
Big warning with warm weather approaching. Your solution must stay 70 F or cooler to prevent big issues. A chiller might be required for your situation. Do a lot of reading beforehand because once you’re underway things can turn quickly. Root root, algae, slime. It’s very easy to stay clean and hell trying to get back there with sick plants.

What is best used to cool the air?

airedog · Apr 11, 2021

If you run beneficial bacteria in your res be sure not to run carbs as that will cause an excessive amount of biofilm (which is inherent to bennies and R/DWC). If you are doing a drip feed, and using beneficial bacteria you may find that it's easier to toss your nutrient lines, drippers and drain line/s at the end of the grow rather than trying to clean and sanitize them.

Also, you will need to either use an air pump and airstones/diffusers or setup a waterfall to aerate your solution. In a vented room environment you can cool air by ensuring your intake air is cooler than the room; sealed room will require a/c.

FWIW, many here use a BlueLab Guardian to constantly monitor pH; solution strength (EC or PPM) and solution temperature. Th arey're pricy, but they last and replacement sensors are readily available.

If you use pumps in your buckets or res to drain and refill the system, never ever, leave a hose or pump in the system while answering a phone or anything else that takes you away from the grow; if the interruption is longer than planned or you forget, you'll get to see the negative effects of siphoning. I could go on, as i've probably made every mistake possible with R/DWC systems over the years, but those are the basics.

Looking for beginners hydroponics suggestions

Looking for beginners hydroponics suggestions

Vexor1717

Cookoo4Coco

Pushrod Monkey

Pushrod Monkey

Nate_in_AK

Pushrod Monkey

Brendanpre

chemistry

DankNugz420

Nate_in_AK

Pushrod Monkey

Vexor1717

airedog

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