Been debating going hydro my next grow. I am a bit confused on how the whole flood/drain tables work. Do you just fill them with soiless media, drop your clones in rockwoll and run a pump to fill it? Any videos or good reads with some pictures? What about DWC? The guy at the growshop said the problem is with DWC is air isnt absorbed into water until 72* iirc, and that the plants will grow fine until flowering then die? Any truth to this or anyone know wtf hes talking about? Thanks guys.
lower soup temps mean more oxygen if thats what your talking about.... the lower the better... but at some point if the soup temps are too low condensation forms and thats just a mess... most shoot for 63-68 degrees... but 72 is very respectable... anything over 78 can cause problems(playing it safe) and tables are fun.... I would consider some roots organics in smart pots in a ebb and flow tray... easy, fun... and you can just move your plants all over if you have too... ill look for some pictures later... off to a motorcycle meetup
So cant you make a DWC with like a rubbermaid tub and lid? All you do is just lava rocks or something of the sort and some cups/pots,water, and an air pump?
http://forum.grasscity.com/do-yourself/121335-lets-build-bubble-bucket-*step-step*.html before you go any further you should read this thread from start to finish... yes i know how long it is, I promise all your questions are answered in this thread if you feel frisky just do this http://forum.grasscity.com/do-yourself/600352-budslingers-recirculating-bubble-buckets.html
I apprecaite the links, the bubble bucket was what started this intrest. It just seems like such a pain to do buckets on a large scale, no? My grow shop has a bubbler bucket for like 60 with the pump, nutes, everything, I was going to give that a go with one of my mothers and see how that went. I was more curious about how those huge trays work that they have at the grow shop? Like when he breifly explained to me that they just flood up and then drain back, all I could think about was all my plants floating around like little boats in rockwool lol
if its just hydroton it will float, you have to lower the water level to keep it from happening... thus why i suggested roots organics in smart pots... but you jumped back to hydroton... i'd get you some pics but i need to get to sleep... sorry man... ill try to spell things out a little better tomorrow
Xsvthoughts: Sorry, but I think the guy at your hydro store is full of shit. I've been growing in two ten gallon DWC bubble tubs this year that I copied from Stealth Hydro's video on their web site. I've gone from seedlings that I started in my Aerogardens to harvest under T-5 lights with no problems what so ever. My guess is that he wants to get you into something more complicated and a lot more expensive. My tubs cost me $57 each to make and I have no complaints. You might want to shop at a different hydro store and see what they say. I deal with Discount Hydroponics at Riverside, California and out of a choice of five local stores they're the most knowledgeable, they have the best inventory and they're honest. That's what's kept me as a customer. It never hurts to shop around. Hank
Dont get me wrong, I dont believe 100% of what he says, if I did I wouldnt have made this thread. Only reason I go there is because 99% of the time he is cheaper than anywhere online, doesnt charge tax, and has it instock.
Xsvthoughts: then I would shop for reliable information else where and go to him knowing what you want and stick to buying only what you came in for. Hank
I cant help you with the Trays, but I just went Hydro and built my 4 bucket RDWC, and LOVE IT! I am still kinda getting the hang of it, but I do all water changes and everything in the Controller bucket only. So instead of dealing with all 4 buckets, I just monitor 1. So far, the biggest plants I have ever grown and surprisingly easy to set up and maintain.
look into those square fence posts u can cut holes in those and use a water pump to flood it and u can cut them as long as needed should be a tutorial in the diy section
XVSthoughts: do your homework first before you part with your cash. There's a lot of information available on line and in books to guide you. Read Cervantes, Rosenthal and SeeMoreBuds to see what they did first. Look at the grow videos on you tube. Talk to your friends and see what they're doing that you think you can handle, but do your homework first. I know I'm repeating my self but I've seen a lot of guys get in way over their heads and end up with frustration and failure. You can set up a bubble bucket DWC and grow successfully from seed propagation to harvest under low cost CFL's. There are faster, more productive ways to go, but for beginners it's usually pretty forgiving. That's what was recommended to me by the guys at Discount Hydro in Riverside to get started and it's been great for the last few years. Hydro's tough if you don't know what you're doing. The simplest and most forgiving way to grow is just good old dirt. I hope this helps. Good luck. Hank