Got a question about my DIY Hydro System and if it'll work! *+Rep*

Something like this? http://forum.grasscity.com/do-yourself/1047947-diy-ebb-flow-lucasized-under-$100.html


Or skip all the plumbing and just use bubbles in the plant bucket!

 

Was on my way to bed last night, what I may should have also mentioned...

I remember these drawings and daydreams about getting started...good times, wasted a lot of money, but had fun! That was twenty years ago, and I didn't have the wealth of info on the Internet that you're privy to now!

What it looks like you've got is a combination of Ebb/Flow and DWC, or recirculating DWC. I don't know anything about RDWC, but I believe you'd need two pumps, one to push it out, one to pull it back (but don't quote me on that!). I do know about plain DWC and especially Ebb/Flow. For Ebb/Flow, your setup is close, but you need to flood a more shallow tray or table for a short period of time. Flood from the bottom, have an overflow fitting in the tray and when the pump stops the tray drains back through the fill line. In DWC, a reservoir such as a 5 gallon bucket is used by itself with copious amounts of oxygen (bubbles).

In your drawing, the pump is way too big, 550gph would empty your 5 gallon rez in under two minutes and the overflow on the side wouldn't be able to keep up. Your choice of light size is just fine for one plant...200HPS, is that a conversion bulb? Never heard of that size, I think you may mean 250 HPS...is this a switchable ballast you've got to run both MH and HPS? If not, and budget is a concern, you could get away with the HPS only.

I like that you're thinking, but in this case there's no sense in reinventing the wheel! Have a look at my DIY for Ebb and Flow (in my sig) or if you want to give DWC a go, Rumpleforeskin has a top notch DWC DIY at http://forum.grasscity.com/do-yourself/121335-lets-build-bubble-bucket-*step-step*.html.

Hope this helps!

 

Casual has it all right.
For ur first grow its good to be excited but like many I wasted 2x as much money changing systems because I insisted on making my own. You can make ur own just use someone else's PROVEN blueprint. A simple dwc system is always best for 1st time hydro growers. U can hallways and easily check for root issues and pump failure or small power outrages wont kill ur plant in dwc like it Canon a flood and drain or nft system

 

Then the best way would be to have just one bucket with one plant. Deep Water Culture. At it's most basic: one bucket with a netpot lid, an air pump and stone, nutrients...that is all.

If you're just bent on trying something "new", please feel free but share what you learn. What you learn in trial and error will serve you well moving forward.

 

I don't know of perlite as being successfully used in a bubbler...would've been all right already have the medium on hand!

I like expanded clay (hydroton is a well known brand) for dwc and ebb/flow; it's reusable! I'm sure there are a number of others who have been successful with different medium, but I don't have their experience to say.

I used 1.5" rockwool cubes to germinate for ages and bought a bag of rapid rooter plugs last year just because and would use either from now on. I soak the cube/plug in RO water for a bit, drop the seed in the hole and put the cube under a dome for a couple days. Once you've got a seedling you can put it in the bucket, but you may need to hand water for a few days waiting for root development.

 

[quote name='"shotnva777"']

That's funny u say that about the perlite... Because a cpl sites I've been reading notes perlite as one of the BEST hydro mediums. But they could just be idiots, didn't seem like it tho!

Yea, I'm just going to germ them in my normal ways.... Sprout them normally and then when its an established plant (cpl leaf sets) /ill throw her into the big ol bubble bucket!

... Thanks for all ur help bro![/quote]
It can be a great medium but hydroton is better. Here is why.
Perlite decays and water erodes it very fast. That also leaves perlite dust in ur water contaminating with solids giving u an off ppm
Also alge grows on it
Lastly for typical net pots the perlite is to small and will fall through the holes.

Perlite is good but once again there are reasons that hardly anyone uses it for more than clones in a hydro setup.

Hydroton has none of those issues.

 

I'm all for budget just pointing out facts and thats there is a reason no one here has a successful budget hydro grow.
Hydro its easy to fail and get frustrating easy that is why its good to take this advice not just from me but the other posters.
Without proper preperation little things that u say won't become an issue do in a hydro set up.
Soil is way more forgiving.
Best of luck all I say is even with one bucket make sure your air pump makes that water boil with oxygen that will help reduce stress and speed growth and make ur job easier

 

Ok First off. If your trying to be budget savvy then the new system you are considering is not going to fulfill that goal. I am confused, are you trying to use this DIY hydro set-up to grow just one plant or many? I Know that you need about 20gal of water to keep * plants alive from seed to harvest.
The thing I would suggest is completely getting rid of your external air pump that goes straight to the bucket/s. You should put the air pump attached to an air stone directly into the reservoir. And you only need one 250gal per hr submersible pump to get the water from the res to the plants. this pump should be measured and then brought up to the plants attached to a 8 hose manifold that distributes the water to each plant via smaller tubes and 1/2 gal per min drip heads. An instead of using many 5 gal buckets you should just buy a 2x4flood tray or which ever size your room needs. An then drill holes on one end of your flood tray that are drain to waste or that drain back into the reservoir. So in essence you would need: 22gal plastic storage container $10, 1 - 250 gal pump $15, 1 - air pump $15, 20ft black 1/2in tubing $10, 20ft 3/8in black small tubing for manifold connections and air pump to air stone connection $8, 1 air stone $10, 8 - 1/2gal a min drip heads $4, 2 - 1/2in outlet extensions $3, 2 - screen to screw into outlet extensions $1, 1 flood tray $40-$80 depending on size and area you live, and finally 1 timer $5.
So with this system what you would do is cut 4 holes into the top of the storage cont. then you would cut the 1/2in tubing into X2 5ft pieces x1 10ft piece or adequate length to extend from res to tray, then cut 2 holes into one side of flood tray, Connect the 1/2in outlet extensions to tray sealing with some kind of water proof silicon sealer and screens screens into extensions, hook up x2 1/2in tubing to outlet extensions this is your drain you can either drain directly back into the res or drain to waste (I recommend draining back into the res to save money, drain to waste will cost you significant money from nutes as well as labor, time, calculations and planning. Where recirculating the water you will only have to fill the res up half way through the week with fresh water. Drain to waste you will have to refill the water with pre-mixed nute water which can lead to over/under fertilizing your plants.) So after attaching tubing place 1/2in hoses into res via holes cut on top of the lid, then put in you air stone on the bottom of res have 3/8 tubing cut about 4ft long come out of res and attach to air pump, place submersible pump into res and take 10 1/2in tubing come out of res going into flood tray connecting to manifold, then take the rest of the 3/8 in tubing should be about 16ft left and cut it into x8 - 2ft length and connect to manifold heads and then put dripper heads on end of each tube connected to manifold, the manifold should be a x8 head pressure adjustable manifold that you can adjust each fitting with a small screw driver, get small stakes x8 to put into soiless mix so drippers can feed from above, then fill you fill res turn timer to water 3 times a day, starting with 2-3min during first week of veg and slowly extending time each week as plants get bigger and need more food. I attached some pics of my grow set up this system should be about $120 - $150. I have extra tubing coming out because I was in an area where i needed to chill my water. I used 5 gal buckets to remove water from res and also to refill. An I reccomend cleaning the res tubing and everything 2 times a month. basically with every water change. The first few weeks every two weeks will sufice for water change but after that you should carefully monitor water levels and change water every week after flowering begins. An for the sake of us all hand water clones and seeds. It is unnecessary to use the systems and risk over watering, root rot, etc. Oh and you see how mine were first clear tubes going into the plants. Well lets just say DO NOT USE ANY CLEAR TUBING, THIS WILL ALLOW ALGAE TO GROW, ROOT ROT TO HAPPEN JUST TWENTY KINDS OF BAD USING ANYTHING THAT WILL LET LIGHT LEAK INTO THE WATERING SYSTEM. SO KEEP IT ALL SEALED AND BLACK AND YOU WILL BE FINE. iF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AND THIS POST WAS TOO LONG AND CONFUSING JUST SHOOT ME A MESSAGE AND I WILL DRAW UP SOME BLUE PRINTS AND BETTER STEP BY STEP I MIGHT JUST DO THAT ANYWAY. GL

BTW your system would work it would just eb a lot of work to maintain, and I think pretty costly, and second you can save space and money by just buying 3gal pots and hydroton. So take it leave it I will hit you up with the re-post of this if i get around to it soon.