Questions for the hydro people.

[GoodShit97]

I think I want to try my hand at DWC.
So i figured i should start this thread and see if its actually something id be able to do.
What are must haves to be successful?
What do i need to have at the bare minimum to do this, im on a tight budget so i cant really afford a bunch of stuff.

I can get Fox Farm hydroponic grow big from my father in law next time he comes down. He has RW cubes i could get a few of too.

But i have no clue what i should and should not get. I havent even looked online yet i figured this would be my first stop and see if im actually going to want to do this lol.


Also, if i chose to go through with it, which one of you hydro gurus is willing to walk a complete idiot through this?

 

[moe.red]

I think I want to try my hand at DWC.
So i figured i should start this thread and see if its actually something id be able to do.
What are must haves to be successful?
What do i need to have at the bare minimum to do this, im on a tight budget so i cant really afford a bunch of stuff.

I can get Fox Farm hydroponic grow big from my father in law next time he comes down. He has RW cubes i could get a few of too.

But i have no clue whqt i should get and not get. I havent even looked online yet i figured this would be my first stop and see if im actually going to want to do this lol.


Also, if i chose to go through with it, which one of you hydro gurus is willing to walk a complete idiot through this?

My first thought is RDWC not DWC.

I’ll bet I have most of the parts you need if you supply the totes.

There are plenty of folks here who will help you myself included if you need it

 

[GoodShit97]

My first thought is RDWC not DWC.

I’ll bet I have most of the parts you need if you supply the totes.

There are plenty of folks here who will help you myself included if you need it

Is there a major difference aside from recirculation?

I was thinking a single bucket dwc cause i have a bucket and lid i could use here, i would just need a net pot.

I have an 80 gallon air pump, with dual hoses and 2 stones, not sure if thats an option or not. I see most people are going away from air stones so i havent got a clue what to do

 

[moe.red]

What you are referring to is Kratky

It's a cheap and easy way to run hydro. I have done this, and personally do not find the benefits that hydro espouses.

Put an airstone in there and you are definitely on the right track. The limitation to Kratky is the replenishment of O2 to the roots.

RDWC does a few things. It makes maint a breeze. It makes water changes and top offs easier. It increases the water volume giving more stability. It allows you an easy way to take measurements without disturbing the plant. Once the plant is big, or in a screen, you will see why that is a huge benefit.

If you are weighing Kratky vs. soil, I'd have a hard time seeing the benefits personally. If anything, you might be going backwards. Just one man's opinion.

 

[GoodShit97]

What you are referring to is Kratky

It's a cheap and easy way to run hydro. I have done this, and personally do not find the benefits that hydro espouses.

Put an airstone in there and you are definitely on the right track. The limitation to Kratky is the replenishment of O2 to the roots.

RDWC does a few things. It makes maint a breeze. It makes water changes and top offs easier. It increases the water volume giving more stability. It allows you an easy way to take measurements without disturbing the plant. Once the plant is big, or in a screen, you will see why that is a huge benefit.

If you are weighing Kratky vs. soil, I'd have a hard time seeing the benefits personally. If anything, you might be going backwards. Just one man's opinion.

Well, with that being said, I will have to reassess everything and see what i can do. I didnt want to use my 3x3 for it but i think a 2x2 will be too small for an actual hydro set up.

This will be a winter project anyways as my house is hot as hell all summer long so ive got months to plan and get it together.

 

[tobh]

I started with DWC, and quickly grew to hate it. Between the noisy ass air pump and general PITA of res changeouts, bubble buckets just feel like a child's science experiment rather than a productive method. just my opinion.

that being said, you can set up a flood and drain system fairly easily and have an easier time imo. you could easily fit it in your smaller space, too, depending on height constraints. some 1 gallon fabric pots filled with hydroton, coco chips, rock, insert-inert-media-here, a couple sterilite or rubbermade totes, a small water pump, some bulkhead fittings, and you're good to go for ~$75 all in on equipment. then you need proper nutrients, pH buffers, meters, and ideally h2o2 to keep it simple, and you'll be ready to rock.

or, you could also pick up some rockwool unislabs and do a DTW style. if you give me about a month or two i'll be ordering another box and would gladly throw you onto a few unislabs and delta blocks. once i get my setup put back together, you can take a look at the plumbing and whatnot. it's a bit more expensive but if you're gonna do this as a winter project you can piece stuff together over time.

 

[SweetLeafGrow]

I don't regret going from soil to RDWC one bit, it upped my game considerably. Take the time to get the tools you need and you will be successful. Try to cut corners and you will fight it, or rather, it will fight you.

Must haves- (aside from the obvious like lights, fans, etc.)

RDWC system with external reservoir and recirculation water pump
Air pump with airstones
Chiller also with water pump
pH, ppm, water temp, room temp and RH monitors

 

[tobh]

Chiller also with water pump

Some would say this isn't entirely necessary but it can make life a hell of a lot easier. @Aqua Man did some research on res temps and found the sweet spot to be about 72F iirc, but one either has to have a very healthy culture of beneficial bacteria in the system or stay on top of keep the solution sterile.

either way that's a solid list of equipment to have on hand.

 

[moe.red]

Some would say this isn't entirely necessary but it can make life a hell of a lot easier. @Aqua Man did some research on res temps and found the sweet spot to be about 72F iirc, but one either has to have a very healthy culture of beneficial bacteria in the system or stay on top of keep the solution sterile.

either way that's a solid list of equipment to have on hand.

Too many variables to set a standard temp IMO. 72 is a good number for bennies and roots without starving O2. It's the middle ground IMO.

Higher temps with extra O2 and they go faster. And not just a little. Lower temps give you more O2, but in my experience slower growth.

I just need to say IMO one more time. I don't think anyone has done a side by side on this, you would need 2 systems running in the same growspace to do it, and I've never seen anyone set up like that.

 

[tobh]

Too many variables to set a standard temp IMO. 72 is a good number for bennies and roots without starving O2. It's the middle ground IMO.

Higher temps with extra O2 and they go faster. And not just a little. Lower temps give you more O2, but in my experience slower growth.

I just need to say IMO one more time. I don't think anyone has done a side by side on this, you would need 2 systems running in the same growspace to do it, and I've never seen anyone set up like that.

ship some of that gear in your warehouse to me and i'll be the guinea pig

 

[moe.red]

ship some of that gear in your warehouse to me and i'll be the guinea pig

This is a little embarrassing. I just went to the warehouse and started looking in the boneyard.







Yes, I have a problem.

 

[tobh]

you can ship me some of that CAT6 while you're at it save a brotha a couple hundred bucks

 

[moe.red]

you can ship me some of that CAT6 while you're at it save a brotha a couple hundred bucks

Good eyes.

 

[GoodShit97]

Ok so this is gonna be a lot bigger of a thing than i had planned...
Maybe ill just stick to dirt, i fuck that up enough as it is.

 

[moe.red]

Ok so this is gonna be a lot bigger of a thing than i had planned...
Maybe ill just stick to dirt, i fuck that up enough as it is.

Not trying to talk you out of it, but I could see how these posts would.

Dipping a toe in hydro can be a huge PITA. Do it right up front and commit or don't waste the time is my best advice. There is a learning curve.

 

[GoodShit97]

Not trying to talk you out of it, but I could see how these posts would.

Dipping a toe in hydro can be a huge PITA. Do it right up front and commit or don't waste the time is my best advice. There is a learning curve.

Ill have to look into the overall cost of everything before i commit to anything.
My electric bill is already 350-400 dollars a month so idk if i wanna make it go up even more

 

[Aqua Man]

Too many variables to set a standard temp IMO. 72 is a good number for bennies and roots without starving O2. It's the middle ground IMO.

Higher temps with extra O2 and they go faster. And not just a little. Lower temps give you more O2, but in my experience slower growth.

I just need to say IMO one more time. I don't think anyone has done a side by side on this, you would need 2 systems running in the same growspace to do it, and I've never seen anyone set up like that.

Yeah with added o2 my average res temp last grow was around 83…. I can’t help but feel Plants would be dead if i did that without the o2 addition

But for a vasic system 72f is right about that super sweet spot. The sweet spot for o2 injection I haven’t a clue yet but it will likely be in the 78-80 range

 

[Aqua Man]

I shoukd add thats with co2 also… just popped into my mind as root temps effect plant temps and plants handle heat much better in higher co2 atmosphere and higher o2 rootzone

 

[moe.red]

Ill have to look into the overall cost of everything before i commit to anything.
My electric bill is already 350-400 dollars a month so idk if i wanna make it go up even more

Minimum viable setup:

5 gallon bucket with lid.
Tiny aquarium air pump
Air stone to match
Netpot
Bulkhead
Tubing
Something to raise the bucket a few inches

Amazon.com

You want a metal bulkhead with gaskets on both sides to make up for the curvature in the bucket so it does not leak.

Put the hole at the lowest point on the side. Add a fitting to a 1/2" barb 90. Attach a clear tube and run it vertically along the bucket. This will allow you to see the water level in the tube you attach. You will also use this to drain and refill the bucket which you will need to do very often. Probably every 3 days or so. In the process of draining, we will be measuring PH and EC, so you will need those pens as well.

Inside the 3" netpot I recommend coco + perlite.

You will need to keep this hand watered until you get roots in the water.

Final decision, sterile or live. If live you will need an innoculant. If sterile, H2O2 is my strong recommendation. Chlorine works, but would do all thee things I could to promote O2 in the bucket, which peroxide does.

So starting from scratch, you are looking at $100 for an inferior system that you will outgrow quickly. But you have some parts already, so your decision is harder. You could probably do it for $20. Free if you rummage thru my boneyard.

AC use in this system is negligible. Probably 10 watts for an air pump.
Nute use will go up because a lot will get dumped down the drain.

 

[Rootsruler]

DWC is upfront heavy. You'll also have to be on top if it much more than you are now in soil.

I'd say start with one bucket alongside whatever dirt grow you have going and see if you like it. A bucket, a net pot, an air stone and an air pump are all you'll need outside of what you already have. Once you're comfortable you can move onto RDWC and do multiple sites.

 

[Cool_Beans]

If you're coming up to Maine I can leave you a care package w enough gh nutes etc to get going. I've got 3" netpots and hydroton as well.

 

[GoodShit97]

Minimum viable setup:

5 gallon bucket with lid.
Tiny aquarium air pump
Air stone to match
Netpot
Bulkhead
Tubing
Something to raise the bucket a few inches

Amazon.com

View attachment 5237

You want a metal bulkhead with gaskets on both sides to make up for the curvature in the bucket so it does not leak.

Put the hole at the lowest point on the side. Add a fitting to a 1/2" barb 90. Attach a clear tube and run it vertically along the bucket. This will allow you to see the water level in the tube you attach. You will also use this to drain and refill the bucket which you will need to do very often. Probably every 3 days or so. In the process of draining, we will be measuring PH and EC, so you will need those pens as well.

Inside the 3" netpot I recommend coco + perlite.

You will need to keep this hand watered until you get roots in the water.

Final decision, sterile or live. If live you will need an innoculant. If sterile, H2O2 is my strong recommendation. Chlorine works, but would do all thee things I could to promote O2 in the bucket, which peroxide does.

So starting from scratch, you are looking at $100 for an inferior system that you will outgrow quickly. But you have some parts already, so your decision is harder. You could probably do it for $20. Free if you rummage thru my boneyard.

AC use in this system is negligible. Probably 10 watts for an air pump.
Nute use will go up because a lot will get dumped down the drain.

Yeah i guess ill have to set up a 2 site rdwc in my 3x3 if i do anything at all. So ill have to do some research, price everything out, and see what i need to get and study up on cause im a hydro idiot.
I know absolutely zero about it.

 

[tobh]

Yeah i guess ill have to set up a 2 site rdwc in my 3x3 if i do anything at all. So ill have to do some research, price everything out, and see what i need to get and study up on cause im a hydro idiot.
I know absolutely zero about it.

just remember in RDWC, typically the nutrient solution is pulled through the system, not pushed. that was a mind bender for me when i first started diving into that rabbit hole lol

 

[GoodShit97]

If you're coming up to Maine I can leave you a care package w enough gh nutes etc to get going. I've got 3" netpots and hydroton as well.

That would be very generous of you man,
I go to fryeburg about once a month usually. But i have to think about this and see what i want for my end goal. I need to research all my options first because i haven't got a clue what im getting myself into lol.

I just figured its something i always wanted to do, i just never did any research into it when i started growing because soil was an easy go to.

 

[GoodShit97]

just remember in RDWC, typically the nutrient solution is pulled through the system, not pushed. that was a mind bender for me when i first started diving into that rabbit hole lol

Yeah ive got a lot more reading to do that i originally thought. You hydro guys make things look so simple.... and im over here still trying to figure out live vs sterile

 

[SweetLeafGrow]

I just figured its something i always wanted to do, i just never did any research into it when i started growing because soil was an easy go to.

I did the same thing bro. What I found is soil is much more difficult than hydro. There I said it

Go for it!

 

[Aqua Man]

Yeah ive got a lot more reading to do that i originally thought. You hydro guys make things look so simple.... and im over here still trying to figure out live vs sterile

For simplicity sterile… most beneficial imo live.

 

[Aqua Man]

I did the same thing bro. What I found is soil is much more difficult than hydro. There I said it

Go for it!

I found that also… like not even close

 

[GoodShit97]

I did the same thing bro. What I found is soil is much more difficult than hydro. There I said it

Go for it!

If i end up liking it, i could do a 4 site in my 4x4 and a 2 site in my 3x3, giving me my legal amount plants lol.

With the number of people here that are highly successful with hydro and wicked supportive i know i could get through it, its just getting the ball rolling thats gonna suck lmao.

I would probably save money not having to buy soil and perlite too.

Ill research and read until the fall and see how i feel about it lol.

 

[GoodShit97]

For simplicity sterile… most beneficial imo live.

I guess i just dont really understand any of it is what it comes down to lmao