drip hydro setup - advice plz

Originally Posted by dbo24242

so its time to setup a hydro grow, and I need some help from the riu crew.

this setup is going to be a 9 plant setup in 4'x4' space with a 400w lighting system.

first thing to figure out is budget, for setting up the hydro and everything I won't have more than $400.

so for water quality control I'll need a ppm/ph pen (~$100) and ph up/ph down and nutes (~$40) looking at $260 left for the setup.

nuts and bolts I'm thinking drippers so 9 drippers and poly tubing and an air pump + 90 deg and straight elbows (~$80) leaves me at $180.

now is the hard part because it becomes ridiculous to fill 5 gal hydro buckets with hydroton or perlite or sosmething, so I think I will settle for 6" net pots (9 of them) and hydroton. at first I wanted to do coco coir but it seems like it would not remain seated in the net pots with a drip system, maybe I'm wrong. I could though use regular pots and coco coir, but hydroton seems easy. So, net pots and hydroton ($50)

now with $130 to buy reservoirs / containers I am stumped as to how to fit it all together. my draft idea uses a 4'x4' hydro flood table and 5gal buckets with drippers, but this seems like kind of a bunky idea.

any input would be great.

I have had very good luck with drip. I will post a few pictures of my drip setup. Mine is cheap.

I use 27 gallon superbox totes and they are the strongest and best tote made and PERFECT for a drip setup. I buy mine for 17$ each at Lowes. The top of the superbox tote is already flat and inset, all you need to do is drill some holes in it. They sell these at lowes.

THey sell strongbox totes at Home Depot that are the same thing. Otherwise you can order them from the manufacturer.



I drill one hole to put my 1/2 inch T fitting in. I have a hole on the corner for the pump cord and the airhose to go through.

I put drill holes on the top for the water to drip back into the tote.

This is the hardware list per tote.

4 feet 1/2 inch tubing x 2 - 4$
1/2 inch T fitting x 2 - 2$
Cheap hydroponic water pump x 2 - 13$ each
Drip lines with drip stake 95 cents each at hydro store. - 9$
Dual airpump with stones - 15$
2 Superbox totes - 17$ each

looks like about 80$ for everything - CHEAP!!

Here are some pictures of my drip tote. Very very simple, cheap, efficient and I get stunning results. The picture with the two larger pots, I expect to get about 3/4 lbs just from that tote. I have four total with two plants each in my flowering room.

The little ones are in my vegging room. I have five northern lights cuttings under a 175 watt halide street light I got for about 60$.

Hope this helps!!

What I found that works well is those flower boxes they sell at home depot. I fill those up with hydroton instead of a whole tray.

Ive just started on my first hydro grow, and im using a drip setup too, with the bottom pots recirculating back to the res. I spent a fair bit more than your budget though. But now that i've built it and understand how it works, I know I could do it a hell of a lot cheaper. You can check it out here (My super skunk Hydro grow journal), Im having a few problems here and there that you might be able to learn from (or maybe help me with) but overall its going ok.

Setup a grow journal when you start and I'll follow your progress

Originally Posted by kootabuds

Ive just started on my first hydro grow, and im using a drip setup too, with the bottom pots recirculating back to the res. I spent a fair bit more than your budget though. But now that i've built it and understand how it works, I know I could do it a hell of a lot cheaper. You can check it out here (My super skunk Hydro grow journal), Im having a few problems here and there that you might be able to learn from (or maybe help me with) but overall its going ok.

Setup a grow journal when you start and I'll follow your progress

Your first hydro grow should be approached as a learning experience. I approached mine with the mindset that I just wanted to survive it and learn. I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, once you have the basics down, it can be quite cheap, with a little imagination.

Good Luck!

Green thumb I like the super box idea, that looks way better quality than a rubbermaid. Since I wouldn't buy a rubbermaid anyways, I don't feel like buying one for hydro is justified hahaha they look crappy.

I just need to go to the hardware stores and look around until I find something I like.

At first I wanted to use a 4'x4' hydro tray so I could stick it in a tent but not that I think that through it would be so hard to work with that sort of setup unless I had a lot of space.

I'm going to swing by lowe's and home depot, possibly today, and see what I can gather up... I like seeing the diff setups u guys got, kootas is pretty nice with the drop rings and the recirculating bottom buckets.

Greenthumb - those pots look really small

using a planter tray wouldn't be such a bad idea if I get femmed seeds I could fill one up with hydroton and cook 5 plants in a small space, plus they have centralized drain holes so its just a matter of getting it situated securely above the res and setting up drippers above each plant, two planters (which I already have) could do 10 plants super easily in my closet.

Thanks for the inputs, I'm gonna get seeds together this weekend I'll start a grow journal after I get my 400w light in the mail and get everything started.

anyone know a good anti-bacterial for the res? I don't want to change my water out too often so I think just some sort of additive would be awesome. That and I'll try to pick up microbial equipment as much as possible. Definitely microbial res if I can.

Originally Posted by dbo24242

Green thumb I like the super box idea, that looks way better quality than a rubbermaid. Since I wouldn't buy a rubbermaid anyways, I don't feel like buying one for hydro is justified hahaha they look crappy.

I just need to go to the hardware stores and look around until I find something I like.

At first I wanted to use a 4'x4' hydro tray so I could stick it in a tent but not that I think that through it would be so hard to work with that sort of setup unless I had a lot of space.

I'm going to swing by lowe's and home depot, possibly today, and see what I can gather up... I like seeing the diff setups u guys got, kootas is pretty nice with the drop rings and the recirculating bottom buckets.

Greenthumb - those pots look really small

using a planter tray wouldn't be such a bad idea if I get femmed seeds I could fill one up with hydroton and cook 5 plants in a small space, plus they have centralized drain holes so its just a matter of getting it situated securely above the res and setting up drippers above each plant, two planters (which I already have) could do 10 plants super easily in my closet.

Thanks for the inputs, I'm gonna get seeds together this weekend I'll start a grow journal after I get my 400w light in the mail and get everything started.

In my veg tray I have them in 2 inch pots for now, in about a week I will transplant them into 8 inch pots and grow them out for another week and a half then start flowering them.

If you decide to use totes, make sure they have really strong solid lids. Flimsy, wobbly lids are disastrous once the plants get big. The good thing about using totes to grow in is they are a self contained unit so you don't need a separate reservoir.

If you think a bit and use a little imagination you can come up with something that works well.

Originally Posted by dbo24242

anyone know a good anti-bacterial for the res? I don't want to change my water out too often so I think just some sort of additive would be awesome. That and I'll try to pick up microbial equipment as much as possible. Definitely microbial res if I can.

Is there a hydroponic shop near where you live? Hydro shops sell 35% hydrogen peroxide which you can add when you top off your reservoir to keep your solution sterile.

Keeping your reservoir light-proof will keep bacteria from growing in your solution.

Keeping your reservoir water cold will also slow bacterial growth.