Deep water culture only thread
- Thread starter TOKEMASTERFLEX
- Start date
Hobbes
Well-Known Member
I'm running 1 Blueberry (50") and 1 Strawberry Cough (42") clone in 2 x 5 gallon buckets DWC with a 3500 cc fish tank air pump on the BB and 2 on the SC. I've also got 3 BB and 3 SC clones (36" - 48") in an areo setup that has the roots reaching into the 6 gallon res, it's like a DWC with the sprinklers putting a bit of oxygen in the water.
I have 2 questions: How much air do we need per gallon of water, and should we lower the water level in the DWC container so some root are in the air?
The roots don't dry out when the water level is low, the bursting air bubbles keep them moist. Do you folks keep your buckets full to the top or leave a few inches air?
I know that "the more air the better" but what is the minimum we need per gallon of water and what would you guys recomend?
My 3500 cc aquarium pump apparently puts out 3.5 litres of air per minute, but I dont' know if 11 of them would compare to one of these:
Specifications:
+ 38 Litre/minute
+ 3/8" fittings
+ 5 outlets
+ 20W
+ 120V
+ 3 PSI (maximum pressure)
http://www.bustan.ca/product_detail.asp?menuID=3&SID=104&PID=617
How many 5 gallon buckets would one of these do well?
What is the recomended air pump?
What options are there to air stones? Has anyone made a grid out of pvc, drilled small holes for bubbles? I've tried the air curtains and found them frustrating.
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I have 2 questions: How much air do we need per gallon of water, and should we lower the water level in the DWC container so some root are in the air?
The roots don't dry out when the water level is low, the bursting air bubbles keep them moist. Do you folks keep your buckets full to the top or leave a few inches air?
I know that "the more air the better" but what is the minimum we need per gallon of water and what would you guys recomend?
My 3500 cc aquarium pump apparently puts out 3.5 litres of air per minute, but I dont' know if 11 of them would compare to one of these:
Specifications:
+ 38 Litre/minute
+ 3/8" fittings
+ 5 outlets
+ 20W
+ 120V
+ 3 PSI (maximum pressure)
http://www.bustan.ca/product_detail.asp?menuID=3&SID=104&PID=617
How many 5 gallon buckets would one of these do well?
What is the recomended air pump?
What options are there to air stones? Has anyone made a grid out of pvc, drilled small holes for bubbles? I've tried the air curtains and found them frustrating.
.
.
Hobbes
Well-Known Member
Someone mentioned Fox Farm nutes - I was using General Hydroponics for the first 4 weeks of flowering and switched to Fox Farm granular nutes for hydro. With the GH the ph level fluxuated widely, after 3 days the FF nute solution has only changed 0.3. It's my first time using FF granular nutes by themselves in hydro so I don't know if this is normal.
I can contribute one thing that might help some people: I took a tomato cage and bent the 3 legs into a flat circle, then duct taped them to the top of a bucket lid. I use neoprene collars and 2" - 3" baskets, no hydroton - the tomato cage keeps the taller plants straight and I can lift the lid and plant out of my garden easily to change water or work on the setup. I use string or long twist ties to center the stem in the cage, then everything is much easier.
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I can contribute one thing that might help some people: I took a tomato cage and bent the 3 legs into a flat circle, then duct taped them to the top of a bucket lid. I use neoprene collars and 2" - 3" baskets, no hydroton - the tomato cage keeps the taller plants straight and I can lift the lid and plant out of my garden easily to change water or work on the setup. I use string or long twist ties to center the stem in the cage, then everything is much easier.
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n00604173
Well-Known Member
subscribed. getting ready to build a dwc with an 18 gallon rubbermaid for 5 plants. not sure whether aero or drip hydro yet. can anyone tell me how many gallons/hour i would need for a pump for drip hydro vs. aero? i figured it would be more for the aero since it's going to be spraying and less for the drip, but i was just curious if anyone had actual numbers before i order a pump that's too strong or too weak .thanks!
Hobbes
Well-Known Member
Hi strange name person.
I've never done drip, but for aero you calculate the sum of the flows for each sprinkler in the system and make an adjustment for the height the water has to be lifted to reach the sprinklers. More or less.
So if you have a 5 site system with 2 x 10 gallon per hour micro jets per site you would need a pump that put out 100 gallons per hour, plus you would have to add some capacity for the height difference between your pump and your micro jets. I do not know the formula for height. One jet per plant will probably be fine since the roots will be setting in the res for a saver.
If you're going for aero get the 360 degree Easy Clone replacement jets if possible, I'm not sure how many gallons per hour they are.
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I've never done drip, but for aero you calculate the sum of the flows for each sprinkler in the system and make an adjustment for the height the water has to be lifted to reach the sprinklers. More or less.
So if you have a 5 site system with 2 x 10 gallon per hour micro jets per site you would need a pump that put out 100 gallons per hour, plus you would have to add some capacity for the height difference between your pump and your micro jets. I do not know the formula for height. One jet per plant will probably be fine since the roots will be setting in the res for a saver.
If you're going for aero get the 360 degree Easy Clone replacement jets if possible, I'm not sure how many gallons per hour they are.
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captain canabiss
Active Member
Now this is a deviation from the main subject but it is certainly related and just another testimonial for DWC. I am known for my outdoor enjoyment and this story is very cool . One year in the end of August I found this great little spot on the way from one spot to another, I never noticed it before and quickly worked my way down into it.It was about 12' long and three feet wide after i cleared it out.The soil was all sand and small pebbles as it was in a river bed. Ten feet to the west the river was running. Here the water was running 6" under the surface. a week later a put some starters in to see what would happen.This was almost SEPT by end of OCT they were 6-7' feet tall, no soil just running water under the surface and pebbles and sand to hold the roots.The river had alot of nutrients from decay and livestock up river and I foliar fed. POINT BEING this was basically DWC , thrunning water was great supply of oxygen and nutes . I always name my spots,I called this place Shit your Plants, 'cuz I damn near shit my pants when i saw the growth the first time back.
captkody
Active Member
the 2" is on the cloner. there is a 3"grow unit. found out that cup size is not the limitation it's the tub size.got that info from the local hydro shop. still waiting for units to arive in the mail.once i get those i can get my cabinets.pictures to follow once everything is put together. i plan on using cfl floodlights.they put out more light then my 150 hps(metered it)
Hobbes
Well-Known Member
Here's a great tutorial on DWC and RDWC.
http://www.abergreen.co.uk/page.html?id=19&pos=v&chapter=1
RDWC (Re-circulating Deep Water Culture) is basically using a water pump in the res to pressurize a sprayer at the top of the bucket, which sprays the water on the roots/wall/lid, breaking up the water and aeriating the res.
A few reasons a person might use RDWC over DWC are: more roots in air and a moist root zone; nutrients are mixed better.
A small water pump and sprayer ran me about $20, the 3500 cc air pump and 2 air stones cost me around $50 - not sure how this would compare to a high pressure air pump feeding several buckets vs a water pump per bucket.
The Rainforrest and the Aquamist (I have one) are basically RDWCs. I replaced the central sprinkler with a pvc grid and micro jets, works much better.
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http://www.abergreen.co.uk/page.html?id=19&pos=v&chapter=1
RDWC (Re-circulating Deep Water Culture) is basically using a water pump in the res to pressurize a sprayer at the top of the bucket, which sprays the water on the roots/wall/lid, breaking up the water and aeriating the res.
A few reasons a person might use RDWC over DWC are: more roots in air and a moist root zone; nutrients are mixed better.
A small water pump and sprayer ran me about $20, the 3500 cc air pump and 2 air stones cost me around $50 - not sure how this would compare to a high pressure air pump feeding several buckets vs a water pump per bucket.
The Rainforrest and the Aquamist (I have one) are basically RDWCs. I replaced the central sprinkler with a pvc grid and micro jets, works much better.
.
.
captain canabiss
Active Member
look into using Elanors VF-11 it is a non toxic liguid that is designed with all the ph needs in mind and is great for soil or hydro or?????,and foliar feeding as well. Elanor is a woman that lives in Santa Cruz and answers the phone when you call for large orders that you cant get in the store. I found it in the late '80's in Longs Drugs of all places. There are two kinds:
Elanors -VF11 lawn food 35=85-55
Elanors - VF11 blossoming food 15-85-55
I was mixing the 35-85-55 with Mir Acid 30-10-10
coming up with approx 65-95-65 after mixing I diluted down and sprayed foliar as well and the girls went nuts. The plants were from Canadian Poly Ploid Seeds that I was lucky enouigh to trade a handful of vicodins for a film container about half full of these marbles.Check my Canadian Poly Ploid thread to learn more about this very healthy yet unstable at times straim,when ou feel like it that is.
www.elanorsvf11.com THIS IS THE BUD JUICE WE WERE MEANT TO USE
Elanors -VF11 lawn food 35=85-55
Elanors - VF11 blossoming food 15-85-55
I was mixing the 35-85-55 with Mir Acid 30-10-10
coming up with approx 65-95-65 after mixing I diluted down and sprayed foliar as well and the girls went nuts. The plants were from Canadian Poly Ploid Seeds that I was lucky enouigh to trade a handful of vicodins for a film container about half full of these marbles.Check my Canadian Poly Ploid thread to learn more about this very healthy yet unstable at times straim,when ou feel like it that is.
www.elanorsvf11.com THIS IS THE BUD JUICE WE WERE MEANT TO USE
2cimdma
Well-Known Member
Alright Im starting a new DWC poppy grow and I have a DWC Violator Kush grow going as well. Ive had alot of questions about the poppies so I want to know if it would be alright with people if I keep you all up to date with the poppies as well as the weed. I just ask cause I know this website is geared towards the later. So I dont want to piss anyone off. But I figure people are interested and it is DWC. So just let me know what you all think. Yea or Nay on the poppie journal?
HarvestMaster
Active Member
question for all those using DWC, what does everyone room humidity level stay at in your room. I have had problems getting babies going in this system and trying to figure out if humidity is the factor. I am generally looking for humidity levels during your veg time. thanks
2cimdma
Well-Known Member
Alright here a the some pics. These are 4 days old. I'm starting with 12 rockwool grow plugs. I soak the RW with tap water and then let sit for a day to evap the chlorine. Then I drop on 4-5 seeds per plug. When I say drop them on I mean that. I put them on and then tap them with my finger. You dont even need to do that but its just something I have always done so its just a habit. I put the RW in 3" nets with hydroton surrounding the plugs and the nets I put in a tray. I then put some excess water on the bottom of the tray and then place a dome over it all to capture the humidity. Then put in a dark place. In 3 days or so they will germinate and the roots will mostly be on top of the RW but they will go down in a day or so. After about 5 days they will be 1" tall or better. Thats when I start giving them light on a 12/12 schedule. The pics are from 3 days and then the last is 5 days. These are Tazmanians. Taz's are very good yielders with potent M.
Poppies fall over throughout there life. These will start standing within a day or so and alot of time they will stand up right away.
Poppies fall over throughout there life. These will start standing within a day or so and alot of time they will stand up right away.
koolhand77
Well-Known Member
I will be starting a dwc setup 3, 2 gallon buckets with 4 inch pots. I started my last plants in stater soil then transplanted them to the hydroton 4" cups. I would like to use some rockwool I bought but the last time I tried to use the rock wool i think i put the seed to deep and the roots came back up through the hole. What would be the best fool proof way of doing this? I know to make sure the rockwool should not be getting drenched from the bubbles underneath the pots. how many times should i water the rockwool. Kinda noob questions but, untill I get it right then it's still new to me. How deep should I put the seed into the rockwool?
HarvestMaster
Active Member
how did this thread get turned into a opium growing rave
gamebird65
Well-Known Member
i'M HAVING A PROBLEM. this is second set of seedlings to get week stemed and limp. I can't seem to get right and i resemble that remark. i was using the led light for germination and tried to carry it in to vegging. maybe it was the fact i didnt have any cfl's or mh's or hps lights in addition? I now have an old chandelier that has 3 2700k cfl's in it in addition to the led. is it necessary to have both the 2700 and 6500 k cfl's at same time?
n8wi
Active Member
2cimdma,
how much did you harvest with your dwc poppies? I have always thought of doing this, although I was considering using a areogarden.
Has anyone had any luck growing a few different strains in one container? s.w.i.m. has a two bcseeds elephant buds and two galaxy god bud seeds in one 18 gal dwc.
how much did you harvest with your dwc poppies? I have always thought of doing this, although I was considering using a areogarden.
Has anyone had any luck growing a few different strains in one container? s.w.i.m. has a two bcseeds elephant buds and two galaxy god bud seeds in one 18 gal dwc.