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Questions for the hydro people.

GoodShit97

GoodShit97

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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?
 
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Those look OK, but this is what you want to look at IMO. Worth saving up for this system.

shop.pahydroponics.com

#1F8 - 1 Plant Mini Fallponic System custom built for a 2x2.5 or 3x3 Gorilla grow tent with 1 - 8 Gallon grow site with reservoir outside of tent.

PA Hydroponics is central PA's largest and most well-stocked hydroponics and indoor gardening store offering a great level of service, quality of inventory, and expertise. We ship anywhere in the United States and have everything you need to keep you growing.
shop.pahydroponics.com shop.pahydroponics.com
 
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tobh said:
Sterile = the only shit living in your nutrient solution is the root mass. You ensure sterility by using a corrosive agent (pool shock or hydrogen peroxide). This is the simplest approach because you don't deal with bacterial blooms that subsequently cause huge swings in pH and a slough of other issues.

Live = you inoculate the solution with beneficial bacteria and enzymes which help break down organic matter and hopefully prevent bad pathogens, like pythium (root rot), from taking hold. res temps are much more critical unless you do oxygen injection like @Aqua Man and the system, imo, is more fragile as a result. Definitely recommend against running a live res while you first get your footing in hydro.

You will most definitely save money in the long run. It's also way easier to pour your media down the drain than it is to dispose of it somewhere else. It's cleaner, so you won't deal with bugs as much (nor risk bringing in an infestation via a manufacturer's dirt). Once the learning curve around pH, EC, and temps is tackled, it gets almost stupid simple in comparison to soil. Plus, you don't have to worry about overwatering because, well, your medium is water for the most part lol
Click to expand...
I feel like the red headed step child,
Live,sterile and neither. Neither isn't recommended but it is an option
 
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SweetLeafGrow said:
Those look OK, but this is what you want to look at IMO. Worth saving up for this system.

shop.pahydroponics.com

#1F8 - 1 Plant Mini Fallponic System custom built for a 2x2.5 or 3x3 Gorilla grow tent with 1 - 8 Gallon grow site with reservoir outside of tent.

PA Hydroponics is central PA's largest and most well-stocked hydroponics and indoor gardening store offering a great level of service, quality of inventory, and expertise. We ship anywhere in the United States and have everything you need to keep you growing.
shop.pahydroponics.com shop.pahydroponics.com
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Why so many damn options, this is ridiculous bro lmao šŸ¤£

Ill have to put that together. Im not gonna spend that kind of money, my wofe will kill me lol
 
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smoke said:
Didn't you say you would be setting up a 6 site rdwc?
Click to expand...
originally, my plan was for a four site in my 4x4 tent. but, i'll be building a room so am either gonna do six or eight, depends how long i end up building the room. goal is to grow mini trees, so will go back to using HIDs instead of LEDs and hang the bulbs vertical like we used to see a lot of the old school cats do it.
 
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tobh said:
originally, my plan was for a four site in my 4x4 tent. but, i'll be building a room so am either gonna do six or eight, depends how long i end up building the room. goal is to grow mini trees, so will go back to using HIDs instead of LEDs and hang the bulbs vertical like we used to see a lot of the old school cats do it.
Click to expand...
I have the power outlet available for one more light and would like to hang a 1000 wt in the middle of my 4 plants but my wife says no to the ladder.lol

Whats your room dimensions ie height
 
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smoke said:
I have the power outlet available for one more light and would like to hang a 1000 wt in the middle of my 4 plants but my wife says no to the ladder.lol

Whats your room dimensions ie height
Click to expand...
i'll have to determine that once we're moved. plan is to do the room either 8ft x 10ft or 8ft x 12ft. if i have the space, ceilings will be 8.5ft high. i just don't recall if the area in the garage has a drop ceiling or not. the house is kind of odd due to having a daylight basement, and the crawl space is built into a portion of the ceiling on the bottom floor.

then, will set up a couple holding tanks for nutrient concentrates, RO, UV-C, top-up tank and epicenter. not gonna be the cheapest build but it'll serve for cannabis maybe one run a year, then veggies the rest of the year.
 
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GoodShit97 said:
Ill have to put that together. Im not gonna spend that kind of money, my wofe will kill me lol
Click to expand...
You sound a lot like me bro when I started, lol. One bite at a time.....that's how you eat an elephant. I did the same thing, just ordered the parts for a 4 site system and used his video to help me during the build, and I bought a bunch of the parts from Gary and saved a couple hundred bucks on his 4 site system. I did not do that until I have 3 grows under my belt in the single site systems. You wouldn't think adding those extra sites would complicate things all that much but they do.
 
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GoodShit97 said:
shop.pahydroponics.com

1 Plant 5gal Stirponic RDWC System

PA Hydroponics is central PA's largest and most well-stocked hydroponics and indoor gardening store offering a great level of service, quality of inventory, and expertise. We ship anywhere in the United States and have everything you need to keep you growing.
shop.pahydroponics.com shop.pahydroponics.com

So is this kinda what im trying to build here?

All im really finding are 2 site systems and larger and until i see what im trying to do, im so fucken lost šŸ¤£šŸ¤£
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For RDWCā€¦ yup
 
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There is of course the most budget of all and i always hate recommending these nutrients because ppl try to fuck with em.

PH perfect no ph meter needed and you just add it to the proper concentration ut do not try to adjust PH or add a bunch of other shit like buffers etc.

If you simply add and do your changeouts it works
 
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GoodShit97 said:
Or ill have to look at one thats been put together and works correctly. I could probably manage making a 2 site system, its the leaks i worry about lol.
Click to expand...
I have the feed line run from pump in the res through the 3" drain pipe to the grow bucket vs externally, so if any fittings or connections were to fail, the water stays in the system. The only potential for leaking is the 2 bulkhead fittings/holes for my drain pipe, and w good bulkheads this is a non-issue.
 
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tobh said:
originally, my plan was for a four site in my 4x4 tent. but, i'll be building a room so am either gonna do six or eight, depends how long i end up building the room. goal is to grow mini trees, so will go back to using HIDs instead of LEDs and hang the bulbs vertical like we used to see a lot of the old school cats do it.
Click to expand...
I was always amazed by vertical growing. It was my favorite subforum on RUI.
Definitely looking forward to seeing that bro.
 
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Cool_Beans said:
I have the feed line run from pump in the res through the 3" drain pipe to the grow bucket vs externally, so if any fittings or connections were to fail, the water stays in the system. The only potential for leaking is the 2 bulkhead fittings/holes for my drain pipe, and w good bulkheads this is a non-issue.
Click to expand...
Gahhhh. Its all jibberish to me.
Idk what any of this shit is.
Maybe im getting in over my head here....
 
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Cool_Beans said:
It's two buckets and some PVC pipe brother, you can absolutely do this. You know where I am and I'm happy to help with putting things together if you need it.
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Yeah im just not getting any of it. For some reason its mot clicking in my brain.
Ive always sucked at plumbing so probably why im having such a hard time with this.

I need to find one thats ideal so i can just copy it. I dont even know what im trying to build without seeing one first. šŸ˜•
 
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Could a fella run one hydro plant in a tent with some others in dirt? Been curious on this...or are there too many different parameters the hydro side needs that make it non-feasable (temp humidity etc?)
 
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SweetLeafGrow said:
Those look OK, but this is what you want to look at IMO. Worth saving up for this system.

shop.pahydroponics.com

#1F8 - 1 Plant Mini Fallponic System custom built for a 2x2.5 or 3x3 Gorilla grow tent with 1 - 8 Gallon grow site with reservoir outside of tent.

PA Hydroponics is central PA's largest and most well-stocked hydroponics and indoor gardening store offering a great level of service, quality of inventory, and expertise. We ship anywhere in the United States and have everything you need to keep you growing.
shop.pahydroponics.com shop.pahydroponics.com
Click to expand...
So in this system, the black tubing pushes water to the plant from the res, and the pvc allows it to flow back into the res? Or is it the opposite?
I need to better understand whats happening there before trying to put one together.

I really wanna do this, but right now im kinda stuck without a paddle lmao
 
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I would think opposite. I'd say the bottom is pushing water (well more like allowing it to flow in, like a return) and that top black hose is allowing water to flow back out before it tops the bucket

Like the hole in a bathroom sink

I'm probably wrong though

Edit yea...apparently I was backwards here is a simple diagram I found on Google

RDWC-System-Diagram.png
 
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Digital Combo pH & Temperature Meter, Aquarium Thermometer pH Monitor with Automatic Calibration Function for Fish Tank Hydroponics Aquaculture Laboratory https://a.co/d/87TwfO1

With this be ok for a monitor? Or should i just get a good one?
 
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You can save some by building it yourself and pulling all the parts together if you bargain shop. Shipping is killer right now which substantially adds to the cost. The buckets are fairly hard to find, expensive and the shipping is high. I think I saved a bit over 100$ when I built my 4 site system over what he charges.
 
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GoodShit97 said:
With this be ok for a monitor? Or should i just get a good one?
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You get what you pay for. Taking a chance imo. Like I said before, cut corners and they will fight you hard. Then you gotta spend more money AGAIN when you could have done it right the first time. Roll the dice? Up to you bro. I feel for you, I am still there in many regards! lol
 
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SweetLeafGrow said:
You get what you pay for. Taking a chance imo. Like I said before, cut corners and they will fight you hard. Then you gotta spend more money AGAIN when you could have done it right the first time. Roll the dice? Up to you bro. I feel for you, I am still there in many regards! lol
Click to expand...
Alright. This project will have to go on the back burner until i start working again and then ill just outright buy the shit i need.

Seems like im just trying to get myself into something i cant afford right now.
 
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