DWC and Nutriants question

So I have decided on a simple DWC for my first grow. I am just going to use single 5 gallon buckets. Once I get a couple grows under my belt I will def. be stepping it up to a RDWC system with 4-6 pots. Anyways I have done alot of research on this simple system, and most tutorials leave out one main thing. How often do I add nutes to the system? I plan on changing water out every week, so do i just add nutes for the week each time I change it out, or do you have to add nutes on a daily basis depending on PH and EC and all that? I think I have every other basis covered and I am sure this is a dumb question, but I just want to make sure I have this down before I begin to ensure a successful grow my first time around.

Oh and another note, I plan on combining DWC and areoponics in a way. I want my actual water level to be like mid bucket, and i want to add several sprayers inside the bucket as well as an airstone. Does this sound doable, or should I just stick to one system or the other and not mix the two?

I hate being a noob and only asking questions on here, but one day I will know enough to be able to contribute in stead of only consume! thanks!

I misspelled nutrients in the title, lmao I am retarded

awesome thanks. So once I add my nutes, just monitor the PPM and adjust as needed from there? I wasnt sure if people made small adjustments every day with nutes, or just mainly at water changes and top offs. Yeah I think for my first few grows it will be just a simple DWC, from there I may take a couple clones and start experimenting but just for my own research, not trying to re-invent the wheel.

I once thought hydro was WAY to complicated to even try, but after doing more and more research I think It may even be simpler than growing in dirt. Atleast I will have more control over the whole process. still about 5 months out from my first real grow and I cant wait!

Here is what I do for mine, I check the ppm everyday and note if it is the same (good plant is up taking both water and nutes pretty equally), higher (plant is taking up more water then nutes *overfeeding*) or lower (plant is eating more nutes then water *under feeding*). I like to see the ppm dropping slightly, that makes me know that my plant is eating as much as it can and wanting more. I usually add water that day and then adjust the ppm the next if it continues to drop, if it steadies out I just add water etc.. you get the idea. It's really common sense and doing the work.

Now PPM and PH readings are critical for DWC or any hydro. If you don't have good meters or any meters STOP now and go buy some or go back to dirt. Don't bother with liquid PH tester crap, you can get a decent combo meter ph/ppm for about 50-75 bucks or so. I have Blue Labs combo meter (bit pricey 300) but worth every penny as they are spot on and hardly ever need calibration.

Most people who grow cry "oh I can't do this or grow shit etc" you know it's not rocket science just mainly common sense, but it seems to be a trait many lack.

They all want just medicine to appear after cracking a seed, and not doing the work, learning along the way, and enjoying your new hobby that has great rewards. I tell many people, that if I didn't get medicine from these plants I would probably still grow. I find it so @)!(*&@ fascinating how they grow, react, and change along the way when I give them life and keep them alive. I have learned so much that I would have done it all over again even if I didn't get medicine at the end.

There are as many ways to do it as there are growers. I'm one of a not so small minority who don't change water. I keep adding water to maintain a constant level, and I keep adding nutes. I used to do it on a weekly schedule, now I split the week's "diet" into two parts 3-4 days apart. I siphon buckets mostly dry once at about 6 weeks into flower, then start heavy nutes again. I have an EC meter but never use it. I grow the same strain over and over the same way and if I was over the top on nutes I would see it immediately.

I think you are starting out the right way with the simple buckets, and encourage you to perfect "that," and you won't want to dabble with anything else.

Awesome info guys, thanks. I was really intimidated by hydro, but really like I said after really looking into it I find it easier to do, just working out the small details now. I know It wont go perfect, but just trying to get my system down now before I start. I think the main reason I am choosing hydro over soil is the complete control over the process.

Bigbuddah, thanks for that info on stinkbud, reading the entire post now. Pretty sweet system.

Your majesty, (King): they're all giving you good advice but let's try to simplify it a little. Check and adjust your pH daily, you can't get around that. Change your nutes every week to ten days, and I found a relatively easy way to do that. If you have an extra bucket with an extra pump and air stones in your reservoir it makes changing and mixing your nutes a whole lot easier. I'm an old man with a bad back and I can't hoist five gallon water bottles as easily as I did when I was younger.

Having the extra bucket with a pump and air stones handy, minus the lid, fill the extra bucket with good water and turn on the pump to circulate it. Then you can start adding your nutes. I use Technaflora's "Recipe for Success," and there's always four to six components to mix and in a very specific order. Shaking a five gallon jug is more than I can do anymore so with the pump on I add each component part of the formula and give it about a minute to circulate each one for me.

Last, I turn off the pump and check and adjust the pH. If it needs pH down, which it usually does, I add it the same way. Turn on the pump, add the pH down, give it a couple of minutes to circulate then turn it off and recheck it. Now all you have to do is plug in the air lines to your aquarium air pump, take the lid with your net basket and plant off of the first bucket and put it on the one you just mixed. You can recycle the old nutes into your outside garden, wash the first bucket, pump and air stones and you're done.

Ppm's usually end up being 1,000 to 1,200 but it's a minor issue since I change my nutes regularly. During the week as the water level drops I add only pH balanced water.I hope that helped. HSA

Hi everyone im a complete noob at this its my first attemp to cultivate this amazing plant indoors . specially cause this all started wit me being super baked and having access to craigslist like siriously u can find everything in that site. i saw a grow tent that was kinda of a kit already it consisted of the cool tube wit a 600w hid ballast and it came wit a pretty nice exhaust fan comercial grade and it works like a charm also came wit a carbon filter and some ducking . not a perfect kit but a decent start got it for 500 bucks next morning went to my local hydro store and i purchased the dwc ecogrower from general hydroponics for 200 bucks came wit the pump for the spider dwc system and intro of nutrients . bought a pc fan 4 " for my intake fan currently running fresh air from the outside into the tent my temp is around 76 and 77.5 and the only problem ive had yet is humidity levels being pretty low and my plants started to show heat stress . got a humidifier but dint seem to work so i placed a couple of buckets of water inside and it raised to mid 40% of humidity . my res temp is around mid 70s . running a 18/6 light cycle and a 24/7 constant feed of nutrients . its my first grow and i would really like some comments and ideas that might help out in my grow any help would be grately apreciated !!!
the pictures are from my current system and the plants are 11 days old .