New to hydro.

as far as the nutrients go, you need to take the amount of water in your resevoir and match that with the directions on the label. You need to get a digital meter for ppm, and make sure that you don't over fertelize. I start off at 600 ppm for the first week and add 100 ppm per week after that. I drain my tank every week, and start fresh, then adjust the fert level to stick in the ppm requirement I just described above. I think you need to cap it off around 1300 ppm though, but don't tale my word for it, check around.

With hydro you need to keep the ph between 6 and 6.5. That is important too. You also want to add Hydrogen peroxide every other day.

I like to prune alot, but that is something you are gonna have to read up on and make up your own mind. I prune because it makes my plant bushy. If you also top the plant you will have two large buds grow at the top instead of one. Read Dier Wolf's thread on pruning. I did not LST, but I pruned aggressively and now I have like 18 bud sites last time I counted 3 weeks ago, ready to bloom into buds when I go 12/12. This method works for me because I am patient, and don't mind the extra time adds to vegging.

Main thing is to read anything and everything, it is a very rewarding hobby, and I hope you enjoy, and experiment, and find out what works for you.

Have fun.

 

I use rockwool, and I am pretty happy with how it works. I have never used rocks, or any other growing media. I use trays and not buckets. I am very happy with my results, and I like hydro because it keeps me involved in my grow, you have to check it everyday, that is also one of the other reasons I think I prune, because I am very involved in my plants life, due to my daily visits.

For buckets I have seen expanded clay pellets used mostly. The reason I lock rock wool is because it retains some of the nutrient so that when I am not watering my plant there is still water nd nutrient present.

I am not sure what you mean by Gallon? Ones? Are you talking about the size of the nutrient bottles? It depends on the nutrient. I have gallon sized nutrient concentrates that form the basis of my solution, and then I have little bottles of fertilizer concentrate that I got from my store. I use different ones every week, and I am not sure if it is because it helps to have variance, or if it was just a way for the grow store to get me to buy all this stuff, but I am happy with the results, and I will keep on growing this way. I see that some of the stuff that I use is for the beginning stages of my baby plant, and then i think there is different demands on the plants nutrients for different stages. Use your head, and get involved in reading once, you sprout that little baby you are gonna be so interested in how it grows that you will start reading more and more. Don't be lazy and read as much as you can and post as many questions as you have. People can be very helpful on this board when they are not arguing for who is the best pot farmer in the universe.

 

i bought 32oz bottles of the GH nutes at the end of my first grow with one plant, the Micro is half gone, the Bloom over half and the Gro under half gone. also dont forget a good pH/tds tester, thats real important to keep those dialed in. sounds like ya got a phat 400w for some phat buds, best of luck man

 

buy the biggest bottles you can. not only will you save money in the long run, but you'll always have plenty in case your water/roots go south on you and you need to do a lot of ressy changes.

 

bro.. I have an inquiry to make.. are you going to be around all the time? or gone for anywhere from 4-6 hours? CAuse I, like anti hippy use flood tables.. And I've used buckets.. and bro.. let me tell you.. one of the main factors that I went tables is that if your gone and the power goes out.. those rockwool cubes can keep your plants alive all day.. with a root system inside a bucket of water and no power.. you have a big drowned plant... and when you get home and run to turn the pump on .. to late.. nothing you do can save it .. it's drowned.. not dehydrated mind you.. drowned.. I would seriously consider buying a 2x4 table to go under that 400.. but it's your grow..

 

I was wondering if a hydro grower chooses to use hydroton, if the rocks have to be cleaned in hydrogen peroxide before exposing them to the roots.

I did notice that there was residue on the hydroton so i clleaned with water really good, but i read places that its a MUST to sterilized them, are they that dirty and contaminated ?!

 

i just wash of my hydroton until i dont get any more red-rock run-off... for lack of a better term just plain water, though.

 

I rinse them off like Red's does, but then I give 'em a five minute soak in bleech and water diluted 1:9 and then rinse them out real well again.

 

How deep is the average flood table, I just trying to find a good container that I could use as one or make one myself, I have a 2 and half foot by 50cm space so I want something that will fill that area, any suggestions on how to make a water proof flood table ? PVC lined box perhaps ?

sorry to hijack the thread but I have one or town more question if you don't mind

what size would you normally let your plants grow in a flood table setup, what is the minimum pot size you would use, I should have about 4 foot clearance from the table.
i've read ebo and flow are susceptible to power outage would it be usefully to use self water pots(you know the ones that hold a small res of water in the bottom) which could help my plants survive if power went out and the table didn't flood in time, or would this cause other problems

 

Amazing thanks guys, thats exactly what i thought i had to do, stupid hydro stores trying to make money of noobs! .. no way i was payin 20$ for a liter of h202