Need help deciding which system to go with.*pics inside*

So Right now I have 5 plants and they are all in rockwool cubes. 1 month old. They are in 4 inchers then on top of big hugo cubes. Right now all I do is water the cubes every couple days and they are doing just fine. I am thinking that if I experiment and set one up on a drip system or an ebb and grow system that it will explode in growth compared to just hand watering he cubes once every 3 days.

here are the plants and the cubes

So I need input and ideas of any kind of hydroponic system I could make and put 1 or make different systems and put 1 in each system.

I have never grown in cubes like this and I am thinking I am not taking advantage of how the cubes work by the watering them once every 3 days. I feel they would do much better being flooded a couple times a day or put on a drip system or even in some kind of bubble system. I have no clue what I can do now that they are in the cubes. so please help me come up with some ideas.

i was so happy on the day i tossed all rockwool and hydroton in the trash.

I would go with drip system next run. But use 6" cubes and use a root mat. A rain bird spliter from the hardwhere store and a 200 GPH pump set at 3 waterings when lights on would do good.

You can even fill the rest of the open area with perlite giving the roots more area to go. And perlite is cheep.

Warlock1369 said:

I would go with drip system next run. But use 6" cubes and use a root mat. A rain bird spliter from the hardwhere store and a 200 GPH pump set at 3 waterings when lights on would do good.

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So are you talkin an ebb and grow? Recirculating with a res?

superstoner1 said:

i was so happy on the day i tossed all rockwool and hydroton in the trash.

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Why....Rockwool has one of the best germination rates as a growing medium, and hydroton is a lot less messy than other alternatives

jpeg666 said:

So are you talkin an ebb and grow? Recirculating with a res?

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In a way yes. You will need a res but with a drip system it can be small. Pump runs the drip lines over you cubes then collects in the mat. Over flow drains back to res. No need to flood the system sence you are feeding the cubes. But it gives roots places to grow and stay out of the light. Almost like a drip/nft style.

jpeg666 said:

Why....Rockwool has one of the best germination rates as a growing medium, and hydroton is a lot less messy than other alternatives

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it may but there is better, easier, and cheaper. its called no media. it cost me less than 13¢ per plant for pots and collars, and just toss em and use new. no washing, no ph issues, no stepping on hydroton.

superstoner1 said:

it may but there is better, easier, and cheaper. its called no media. it cost me less than 13¢ per plant for pots and collars, and just toss em and use new. no washing, no ph issues, no stepping on hydroton.

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You said you tossed it. Maybe I just can't see it but what did you change to?

Warlock1369 said:

I would go with drip system next run. But use 6" cubes and use a root mat. A rain bird spliter from the hardwhere store and a 200 GPH pump set at 3 waterings when lights on would do good.

Click to expand...

Warlock1369 said:

In a way yes. You will need a res but with a drip system it can be small. Pump runs the drip lines over you cubes then collects in the mat. Over flow drains back to res. No need to flood the system sence you are feeding the cubes. But it gives roots places to grow and stay out of the light. Almost like a drip/nft style.

Click to expand...

Alright well I have 2 pumps sitting around that need to be used so will this work for dripping and feeding one plant?

160GPH Also what kind of dripper do I put on the end? How many gph 1, 2, 4, .5?

I went out and bought a timer too for the pump


I don't know how long I would need to leave the pump running per feeding and stuff that's why I need some help if you are willing to help me figure it out

It will work. Like I said use a rain bird splitter from any hardwhere store. Run from that use 1 or 2 drippers per plant. Run it 30 min after lights on and 30 min befor lights out. Also have one in the middle. 15 to 30 min each feed.

So I should shoot for running aprox a gallon of water through the cubes each feed?

Yes. But there is more to it then my timing. After you have it set up each system is different so you will need to deside if more water is needed or less. I can only go off basic.

Yea I understand. That really helps me out though as a little starting point. I had no idea what was too much and what was too little so starting off shooting for a gallon per feeding is a great starting point for me then I can adjust it from there. Thanks a lot

Hey warlock, or anyone, can you help me put together a list of what I need to get real quick? I am going to set up a drip system for 1 of the plants today and see how it does on it.

I need to figure out what I need to make this

Well you have most of all you need. Need a manifold, drip lines, and a few different size drip heads. All found at any hardwhere store. And rig up a way to drain back to your res.

http://www.hydroponics.net/i/131725 I just bought one of these. $175 and you don't have to worry about getting all the materials.

But he has a pump already. His setup now will work but needs a drain. But just needs a manifold. So using what he has. $20 bucks later he has the drip setup he wants.

Yea I am not going to spend 175 on a system when I can spend 10 and use stuff that is just sittign around not being used

It's around 20. Hose and drip spikes with heads are needed. But still way cheeper.