Hydro tub build, tell me what tweaks to make!

[pot4my20friendz]

Ok so I've never done hydro before but I'm neck deep in a build now and want to know what you experts out there who HAVE grown hydro before think of what I have built so far. Of course the tub will have to be made light tight with black out tape but other then that do you think it will work? What improvements should I make? What problems can you for see if any?

Plants have been under 12/12 2100K since seeds.
I have six 2" tall bag seeds in dirt I plan to switch over to hydro in a few days.
I chose perlite cuz I had it already.
(although I'm not real happy with how some falls through the baskets)
I have a ph meter and pH up and down.
Will get FoxFarm organic hydro ferts soon.

There is also a 12" air stone in there making a nice layer of bubbles along the surface of the water. I plan to let everything run all night to test it out. I'm wondering if the pump (284GPH, way more then I need but it was free) will make the water too hot. Will test water temp after its been on over night.

Whatcha think?


EDIT: After an hour of running the water temp is same as room temp (which I made sure to make it when I filled it) 76degree's

1) is that too hot
2) how light tight does the tub have to be to prevent algae from growing?

[eL Tauro]

man lol youre just asking for algae with you see thru tub the ideal temp for a dwc is 70f

[pot4my20friendz]

...and you're just asking to get slammed for not reading my post completely

Originally Posted by pot4my20friendz

Of course the tub will have to be made light tight with black out tape but other then that do you think it will work?

how light tight does the tub have to be to prevent algae from growing?

Thanks for the temp info, I knew 70 was optimal but what problems will 76 cause? Being that my room temp is 74-76 what can be done to loser the water temp if 76 is unacceptable?

[doob3r]

76 will cause problems, and it needs to be very ery light roof, and light will cause algae regardless of res. temps, tape it u with alimunum duct tape man, but that is no where near enough root space for that many plants, your on your way though, heres some ics of mine maybe youll get some ideas,

[pot4my20friendz]

Originally Posted by doob3r

76 will cause problems, and it needs to be very ery light roof, and light will cause algae regardless of res. temps, tape it u with alimunum duct tape man, but that is no where near enough root space for that many plants, your on your way though, heres some ics of mine maybe youll get some ideas

Again, what problems will 76 cause???

Yes, aluminum tape I have and plan to use.

I'll also cut some foam disks for the top and make sure to do my best to light tight it.

As for root depth I've only got 6 plants, I'm not going to fill as many holes as I have circles drawn but thanks for the info none the less because someday I would like to fill all 14. When I bought the 7" deep tub pictured I wasn't sure if it was deep enough so I also bought a 11" tub and the lids are interchangeable. Will that be deep enough?

Also just so you know I plan to do 12/12 under a 400W HPS the whole grow like Hal's thread about 12/12 from seed talks. Shorter, less bushy, smaller plants being the result so I'm homing less root space will be needed.

Should one not take off the lid while a grow is going to prevent algae or would it need a continuous light leak to start? Also how do you get rid of algae if you get some?

[chronicpenguin]

doober, your setup is exactly what im looking for

can you post me a guide on how to make one from scratch?

[eL Tauro]

to tell the truth when my res gets to hot i just throw a ice cube or to in that mofo lol
and 76 will not cause any problems

[pot4my20friendz]

Originally Posted by eL Tauro

to tell the truth when my res gets to hot i just throw a ice cube or to in that mofo lol
and 76 will not cause any problems

See this is what I hate about forums, one person says 76 is bad and going to cause problems and another says it's not optimal but wont cause problems. I could do the ice trick easy enough,.. but I'm kind of looking to go hydro so as to have less maintenance though. I love the building aspect, (light proofing the tub now) but after that I just want the weed to grow itself and do so fast for the most part. Thus my 12/12 from seed try this grow

[eL Tauro]

hydro isnt as care free as you think i check ppm every 2 days and ph once a week you got a ppm meter? and ive grown in dwc setup with the temp at 76 before it will not cause problems however during flowering your plant will get more hues if it is at 70 say for instence your growing a purple strain at 76 it might stay green but still be dank but at 70 to 66 it will definetly turn purp

[pot4my20friendz]

Thank you, see that's information i need. I'll try to find a way to keep it at 70 or below. Yes I have a ppm meter too. I have a combo meter, Hanna HI 98129. Not that I've ever used the ppm meter in it though so if someone could tell me it's purpose and how to use it id appreciate it. Pretty much all I know about it is ppm=parts per million but parts of what am I measuring and what is optimal? :-)

[pot4my20friendz]

any ppm helpers out there?

[eL Tauro]

your measuring how strong the nutrients is you dont want to add to many nutes and burn the shi out you plant lol which is why you check the ppm for young plants a use 1/4 my regular nutrient solutioun my regular is 1600 so 1600/4=400ppm 1/4 the nutriens gives me 400 ppm

[eL Tauro]

o yea you also check it for adding back nutrients google the lucas forumla it should give u a much clearer idea

[pot4my20friendz]

adding back nutrients? you mean when you feed them again?

[eL Tauro]

no in your dwc tub your resovoir will go down threw out the weeks because your plant has drunken some of the water your ppm will also drop because your plant has drunken some nutrients so to add nutrients back to get your ppm where it was you have to know where it is i use the lucas formula it fool proof