Newb, any and all info appreciated

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DillyTrying2Learn

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So the ggt hydro setup i was looking at is a 6-5gal bucket, 35gal reservoir. I noticed there's a DIY kit from pa hydroponics follponics that has 4-13gal buckets and a 13gal res. the pa system has a 400 gph pump compared to the 250gph gorilla. pa is also $300 cheaper, much assembly acquired lol. Any thoughts?
I use the PA 4 site Fallponics RDWC and it's a great over built set up.
 
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DillyTrying2Learn

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Now that I've have time to sit down here's my opinion and what I did. It was my first grow in about a decade and my first hydro. I bought the gorilla 5x5 to allow for the extra height and how sturdy it is(don't regret at all), AC Evo 10 light which is more power than I need but full coverage for the tent(don't regret), AC 6" inline exhaust with carbon filter(don't regret), PA 4 site 13gal fallponics RDWC( regret not having Gary do custom length to perfectly center in 5x5) 4 AC oscillating fans and 2 small floor fans, additional air pump for overkill, AC humidifier in tent for veg, dehumidifer in lung room for flower, I bought cheap Amazon PH and EC/PPM meters and they work ok but I'll be upgrading to Blue labs for this. I also installed a 90 GPD RO system right in my lung room that runs to a 55gal barrel with a float valve so I always have enough RO on hand for a swap. Next to this I have another 55gal drum that I use for mixing and storing nutes in. This is a crucial part to making it easy to do water changes which are recommend every week to prevent problems. I also had a sink installed in the lung room because water management can often be over looked and if you're hauling water in and out you'll quickly ditch hydro.

For Nutes I started with Athena Blended and am switching due to the cost with weekly water changes and a system this large. I am now using jacks 3-2-1 which costs much much less than Athena.

Also often overlooked is where you will dry you buds too. If doing this in tent or your lung room you may need an air conditioner.

I do not use a water chiller and my temps have been below 74 degrees.

If starting from seeds you'll need something for propagation also.
 
PooToe

PooToe

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For pH and EC/PPM measurements I would go with either Bluelab or Apera.

@DillyTrying2Learn

Where is your lung room that you can make these improvements? I'm assuming a garage?

One of the RDWC guys I talk to told me he likes to run his water temps at 72°.
 
amneziaHaze

amneziaHaze

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Thank you for your time and advice! I am wary of going hydro as I assume there's a bit more to it than soil. If it wasn't for others like amneziaHaze, I would have no clue about a ppm meter. Pretty vital so you know the concentration of nutes in the water during the different stages of growth.

You brought up a lot of good points and I appreciate all of it. As a new gardener, I should crawl b4 walking, let alone sprinting lol. My thinking though is, ultimately I want to go hydro. So if I fail spectacularly at my first, second attempt, I can dial back and for a few hundred, do soil.

Your experience and knowledge is invaluable. I really appreciate you confirming my initial apprehension of going hydro. That being said 😀, I'm going forth with it. I would greatly appreciate any info u could give, stuff you'd expect in a "hydro 101 for dummies" book. Or links even? This is asking a lot, have to try though 😀

I'd really like your opinion of the 2 hydro systems you would go with that I mentioned in this thread, the gorilla grow tent 6 bucket or the pa hydroponics follponics DIY 4 bucket.

You are probably spot on with your advice, and I truly do appreciate it, something I need to hear. Thank you!
there is no reason to try dirt or coco if you want to do hydro. its like learning to weld pipes but you are a plumber working with pvc.
hydro is a lot more work around the plant if you like to test the ph of water and manage amounts of nutrtients in the water almost daily this is for you

simplest hydro to build is dwc its also the best of all of them from growth side.but it has lots of calibrating the solution.
other types of hydros are more expensive to make but have different purposes an rdwc will reduce your time for nutrient changes since its all 1 bucket but roots can clog it soo you have one more responsobility now.

probably you know this but you have to buy hydro specific nutes because normal nutes dont have any or much micronutrients, i use masterblend for tomatoes works wonders
 
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DillyTrying2Learn

113
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For pH and EC/PPM measurements I would go with either Bluelab or Apera.

@DillyTrying2Learn

Where is your lung room that you can make these improvements? I'm assuming a garage?

One of the RDWC guys I talk to told me he likes to run his water temps at 72°.
My lung room is my utility room, besides the mechanical stuff I have a bunch of space and it's Oman ideal set up. I dry in my office which with the vents closed sits at about 58-62 degrees year round so it's perfect for drying. From what I understand around 68 is ideal for water and about 78 and you're pushing it.
 
amneziaHaze

amneziaHaze

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Cheap ali express pens will work for 1 grow but second grow and the pens start giving random numbers but what do you want for 2$
 
Skinnypuppy80

Skinnypuppy80

20
3
I am a scientist, and I agree with this message thread. Welcome to the Farm
Thank you! So you agree that I should dial it back and get some soil grows first b4 attempting hy
Now that I've have time to sit down here's my opinion and what I did. It was my first grow in about a decade and my first hydro. I bought the gorilla 5x5 to allow for the extra height and how sturdy it is(don't regret at all), AC Evo 10 light which is more power than I need but full coverage for the tent(don't regret), AC 6" inline exhaust with carbon filter(don't regret), PA 4 site 13gal fallponics RDWC( regret not having Gary do custom length to perfectly center in 5x5) 4 AC oscillating fans and 2 small floor fans, additional air pump for overkill, AC humidifier in tent for veg, dehumidifer in lung room for flower, I bought cheap Amazon PH and EC/PPM meters and they work ok but I'll be upgrading to Blue labs for this. I also installed a 90 GPD RO system right in my lung room that runs to a 55gal barrel with a float valve so I always have enough RO on hand for a swap. Next to this I have another 55gal drum that I use for mixing and storing nutes in. This is a crucial part to making it easy to do water changes which are recommend every week to prevent problems. I also had a sink installed in the lung room because water management can often be over looked and if you're hauling water in and out you'll quickly ditch hydro.

For Nutes I started with Athena Blended and am switching due to the cost with weekly water changes and a system this large. I am now using jacks 3-2-1 which costs much much less than Athena.

Also often overlooked is where you will dry you buds too. If doing this in tent or your lung room you may need an air conditioner.

I do not use a water chiller and my temps have been below 74 degrees.

If starting from seeds you'll need something for propagation also.
Thank you for taking the time to post! I also was leaning more towards the PA, more room for roots. U can email them or something asking for it to be built for the 5x5? Or I suppose just do the cheaper DIY kit, but that seems like it'd b a pain.

So what I was looking at besides the PA, was the gorilla 5x5, AC 6" inline w filter, 2 AC SA fans, AC controller 69, mammoth mint 8 led, and a clone/seed tent from gorilla. Will grab a bluelab ph and ppm meters as well.

U brought up one thing that very well may sway me away from hydro, the whole weekly? water changes. The PA is what, like a 65-70gal system? I am in a small second floor apartment so draining and filling could be a bit tricky. I was under the impression you change water when it starts looking dirty, is that about a week then?! Thanks for ur input btw, glad I got on here b4 blindly just ordering some grow tent kit
Now that I've have time to sit down here's my opinion and what I did. It was my first grow in about a decade and my first hydro. I bought the gorilla 5x5 to allow for the extra height and how sturdy it is(don't regret at all), AC Evo 10 light which is more power than I need but full coverage for the tent(don't regret), AC 6" inline exhaust with carbon filter(don't regret), PA 4 site 13gal fallponics RDWC( regret not having Gary do custom length to perfectly center in 5x5) 4 AC oscillating fans and 2 small floor fans, additional air pump for overkill, AC humidifier in tent for veg, dehumidifer in lung room for flower, I bought cheap Amazon PH and EC/PPM meters and they work ok but I'll be upgrading to Blue labs for this. I also installed a 90 GPD RO system right in my lung room that runs to a 55gal barrel with a float valve so I always have enough RO on hand for a swap. Next to this I have another 55gal drum that I use for mixing and storing nutes in. This is a crucial part to making it easy to do water changes which are recommend every week to prevent problems. I also had a sink installed in the lung room because water management can often be over looked and if you're hauling water in and out you'll quickly ditch hydro.

For Nutes I started with Athena Blended and am switching due to the cost with weekly water changes and a system this large. I am now using jacks 3-2-1 which costs much much less than Athena.

Also often overlooked is where you will dry you buds too. If doing this in tent or your lung room you may need an air conditioner.

I do not use a water chiller and my temps have been below 74 degrees.

If starting from seeds you'll need something for propagation also.
 
D

DillyTrying2Learn

113
43
Thank you! So you agree that I should dial it back and get some soil grows first b4 attempting hy

Thank you for taking the time to post! I also was leaning more towards the PA, more room for roots. U can email them or something asking for it to be built for the 5x5? Or I suppose just do the cheaper DIY kit, but that seems like it'd b a pain.

So what I was looking at besides the PA, was the gorilla 5x5, AC 6" inline w filter, 2 AC SA fans, AC controller 69, mammoth mint 8 led, and a clone/seed tent from gorilla. Will grab a bluelab ph and ppm meters as well.

U brought up one thing that very well may sway me away from hydro, the whole weekly? water changes. The PA is what, like a 65-70gal system? I am in a small second floor apartment so draining and filling could be a bit tricky. I was under the impression you change water when it starts looking dirty, is that about a week then?! Thanks for ur input btw, glad I got on here b4 blindly just ordering some grow tent kit
When my system is full its about 46 gallons, when it comes to hydro, cleanliness is your friend and the longer you go without water changes the higher your chances are of having a problem. The water isn't going to look dirty since there isn't any dirt or organics you're putting in your system. When I drain my system the water is very clear still. Hydro is more work, more control, less bugs and pests, faster growth rate and much more expensive on the front end. I have over $4k into my lung room and tent set up.
 
PooToe

PooToe

391
93
My lung room is my utility room, besides the mechanical stuff I have a bunch of space and it's Oman ideal set up. I dry in my office which with the vents closed sits at about 58-62 degrees year round so it's perfect for drying. From what I understand around 68 is ideal for water and about 78 and you're pushing it.
That's so awesome!

From what I know, cooler water will hold more O² but one of the people I was discussing this with said that, while pumping air into your water does raise the DO a bit, oxygen levels will equalize quickly as the O² tries to equalize with the air pressure around it so while it does help you need to use it immediately or it will lose O² as it sits in the reservoir. As we were discussing this a few of the RDWC guys said they like to run their water temps warmer to keep the sap in the roots and plant more viscuous for easier sap flow for the plant. I asked if they saw any signs of stress or a slow down in growth and they both said no.
 
AZreefer

AZreefer

994
143
So I have not ever grown, am I getting into too much by doing hydro? I'm looking at getting a 5x5 gorilla tent and their hydro recirculating dwc 6 bucket setup, gorilla hydro clone/seedling tent, mammoth 8 led, and aci hvac and controller. Any advice, suggestions, or links would be greatly appreciated as I am looking at close to 3k on this purchase... thanks in advance!!
I'm in a gorilla 5x5 with the kind 750. I got a diy rdwc. You want to drop that cash you do it bro. There are hydro growers here on the farm that can help you! You gotta jump in to swim. Let's go!
 
PXL 20241013 214948556
AZreefer

AZreefer

994
143
@DillyTrying2Learn you have a thread? Your setup sound very similar to what I just got going.
 
PooToe

PooToe

391
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To give you a little insight into how I set up my soil grows.

I have a no name 5 x 5 tent. I use the ScrOG method when I grow. I usually run 4 - 6 plants. I use 5 -7 gal cloth pots. I use Roots Organic Original soil. I use GH FloraNova for my nutrient feeds.

I'll snip around 10 cuts off the mother plant cultivar I want to grow and propogate them for roots. Once I have them rooted I will transfer them into solo cups. If I go from seed then seed in solo cup. If they are feminized seeds then I'll sprout one more than I will need. In both instances I'll cull whatever sprouts/clones don't look vigorous enough compared to the others and use those. The rejects get planted during my "Midnight Planting" runs in whatever neighbors yard I think deserves a nice cannabis plant! 😉 When I put seeds/clones in solo cups I like to plant them in clear solos and use a red one as a sleeve. This way I can see how the roots are developing. Once they've been in the cups for a couple weeks I'll transplant them into 1 gallon pots. After 2 -3 weeks I'll transplant the 1 gals into their final pot and amend the transplant hole with some mycorrhizae to get the fungal community going. I'll let them veg for another 2 -3 weeks then flip them into flower using a ScrOG net to open them up and get more even coverage.

I use a DIY irrigation setup so I can change the water output at the different stages of growth.

The only thing I spend time on once I have it set up is to mix up some nutrient solution and fill my 30 gal res. That will last me around a week. Mixing up a batch of nutrient takes me around 15 min. After that everything else is pretty much automated so I don't really have much to do other than the one major defol session I run the same day of flip. I don't have to check water pH or EC levels during the week as soil has natural buffers that will keep the pH in range. EC levels, I use PPM for solution measurements, are done at the time of nutrient mixing. After that I just let it go and do its thing.

01302024


03032024 under canopy
 
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DillyTrying2Learn

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@DillyTrying2Learn you have a thread? Your setup sound very similar to what I just got going.
No not really, I've made a couple posts about when I was having problems created by myself. I feel like I did very poorly on my grow and I got 26oz of bid that turned out pretty good actually and another 5oz of larf.
 
Skinnypuppy80

Skinnypuppy80

20
3
I'm in a gorilla 5x5 with the kind 750. I got a diy rdwc. You want to drop that cash you do it bro. There are hydro growers here on the farm that can help you! You gotta jump in to swim. Let's go!
Nice! I was initially looking at the gorilla 5x5 hydro kit, and have since decided against it. Wasn't really feeling the 6-site or the kind in that kit. I'm extremely interested on how ur experience of doing the DIY version was. Just have to get ur own pvc and drill the holes, and save like $275 i believe? I was looking at the 13gal , 4-site version. I plan on getting the gorilla 5x5, gorilla clone/seedling tent, AC 6" inline w filter, 2 AC S6 circulation fans( maybe more?) AC controller 69, and a mammoth mint 8 led. Oh, and of course ph, ppm, nutes, and medium. I'm still debating on which way to go w on the nutes. There's the tomato one I haven't searched yet, HWGrow recipe, and Jacks that I have been considering.

The community support/knowledge here has been invaluable! Lots of ppl coming forth with good information! Thanks for chiming in! Any info or opinions r appreciated :) Pics r always nice as well!
 
mstrpkl

mstrpkl

397
93
I'm in a gorilla 5x5 with the kind 750. I got a diy rdwc. You want to drop that cash you do it bro. There are hydro growers here on the farm that can help you! You gotta jump in to swim. Let's go!
Bro its so fun watching your grow get bigger lol i bet its 10x more fun MAKING it bigger! 🤣 cant wait to see what @Skinnypuppy80 does too! Il be watching 👀 lol
 
amneziaHaze

amneziaHaze

177
43
Yeah, I think bluelab would be the way I go 😀
Blue lab same shit its more precise but we dont need that much precision.and you have to calibrate it every 3 months and keep it in that liquid... more expensive.i have it works great but personally i would not buy it again
 
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