NEED HELP WITH DIY HYDROPONIC DESIGN FOR 4/6PLANTS IN A 2X4 GORILLA TENT?

Greetings RIU,
like the title suggests 'I'm in the process of designing a hydroponic system that will accommodate up to 6 medium sized plants in a 2x4x6 grow tent.
I've played around with the idea of hemp buckets,NFT system & micro drip systems but' the same problem arise each thought process I musterd up! RUNOFF!!!!
I have to grow in a very confined space so a 2X4 grow tent is the upper limit of my growing erea however' this doesn't stop me from growing monsters' just now I have to do a lot of training.
I hate having to lift my plants to remove the trays because there isn't any room to move plants once there in a scrogg or have grown so big that removing them is totally out of the quslestion?
So' what would be the best design for a 2X4 tent with no removing runoff trays but still getting the beniffits of a active hydroponic system?

I was toying with the idea of maybe building a big bubble box in the biggest low profile water container&lid I could, and then use net pots, simple I know but it's the sound of the air stones 24/7 that puts me off?
I think maybe construct a small low profile frame raised slightly at one end to hold a rectangular drip tray/runoff tray with the plants on top then find a shallow enough tub to fit under the tray with a runoff valve atached to the tray?
Hight is a issue too? Construction anything with a rez being used is going to add hight to your build from what I klcan tell? Any ideas or examples of your own grow ideas on this subject would be great? Thanks guys

Auto pots might be good for your situation.
They are hydro but only just. Just a pot with coco and some clay pebbles on the bottom 2 inch. They work with a valve and feed from a tray which allows more water in once the tray dries out. Its a total non mechanical set up, zero noise. You have a res but it sits outside the tent slightly higher than the pot. You just add more nutrients to the res when needed.
Not sure if that suits your style but its a no noise system. All other hydro systems that I can think of will be noisy to a degree, air pumps, water pumps, waterfalls all make noise and most will add height to your grow which you don't want.

I ended up going back to hand watering a long while back. Having an automated system meant I didn't pay enough attention to the plants and didn't go in there enough, now I prefer to keep a close eye on them and get up close and personal.

coreywebster said:

Auto pots might be good for your situation.
They are hydro but only just. Just a pot with coco and some clay pebbles on the bottom 2 inch. They work with a valve and feed from a tray which allows more water in once the tray dries out. Its a total non mechanical set up, zero noise. You have a res but it sits outside the tent slightly higher than the pot. You just add more nutrients to the res when needed.
Not sure if that suits your style but its a no noise system. All other hydro systems that I can think of will be noisy to a degree, air pumps, water pumps, waterfalls all make noise and most will add height to your grow which you don't want.

I ended up going back to hand watering a long while back. Having an automated system meant I didn't pay enough attention to the plants and didn't go in there enough, now I prefer to keep a close eye on them and get up close and personal.

Click to expand...

Yea I do Di's look into those but for some reason and I don't know why ' I don't like them?? I think your right in , that are only just a hydro system.
I think I might get creative and build a drip to waste system, it's the only way I can get the hydro style of growing but' with minimAl noise from pumps and airlines?
The droppers will only run for a minute or so a couple times per day so if I can designed and fingers all the parts I need I think this will solve my problem? I also looked into these...
The first one is a combo of bubbles and drippers, it's 110cm long , 45cm tall and 55cm wide, but no information how many plants you can grow in each of the two top tanks?
The second system is a flow grow system that can hold 2 big plants will a ebb&flow + a dripper system also? Very cheap and would fit perfectly in a 2x4x6 tent, I could buy 2 systems of the flow grow and do 4 plants 2 in each tank. Do you know anything about these? There on ebay but I haven't seen anyone growing with them?

The first one looks to be similar to a Wilma system, which can be used as a constant drip feed or timed. I used to have a Wilma but it took a lot of space up. These look smaller. Cant offer much info except hydroton as a medium does work very well at creating fast growing plants and amazing root mass.
It does say you would need an air stone and air pump as well as the water pump so there's going to be some noise but shouldn't be too bad since your not forcing large amounts of water great distances. Its one of those noises you can get used to.

I think both those will work very well. The top one should hold about the same as the bottom plant wise in each half. So it comes down to if you want two res or one. One might be more stable as far as PH rising. But if you decide to grow multiple strains then you are stuck feeding them all the same strength if you only have one res.
Look pretty low profile too.

do a search for DIY Mini Me F & D or Hail Hydro lots of ideas

buy some 4inch pvc, cut it to fit ur tent, put 3 inch holes in top to fit net pots as many plants as u want.. all u need a tote for a rez, a water pump, 4 inch pvc and a couple 4 inch pvc 90's and end covers... very simple to build,,easy to clean, and cheap

I'm actually considering making a rdwc with 4 10 litre buckets 35litre rez Running in sequence? I think i understand how it all will work..
First connect 4 buckets with pvc pipes on both sides , last bucket in the sequence connected to the rez then in sequence connect all 4 buckets 'with the bucket closet to the rez connected to make the link, I think it's called undercurrent method?
Anyhow it seems simple enough and would only need 1/2 pvc pipe for 4 10 litre buckets? A 320l/h pump, hailia v10 air inlet with 5x 6" airstones? Also 5cm net pots

Do you think I'm close with this idea or do I need to change a few things? Maybe a stronger water pump? If so do you recommend one for my setup?

Well folks, as harvest Time aproch 'I'm moving ever so near to my next round of baby sitting the best behaved children in the world lol!!
My white widow is near complete ,she is finishing up her last 4days of only PK, a product simular to ghe ripen 'you only use it the last 10 days before the end of flowering? Then it's on to 4/5days of molasses before the final plain" tap water for 5/6days before the chop.
My 2 sour-D are different pheno's 'with one being almost apple shaped buds that are stocky and cover in resin' a little like west coast sour-D? Not that I've smoked west coast sour-D but' looks like it to me from pictures and videos I've seen?The second is the king in the tent! Massive buds at only day 38 ' with huge stacking coLas! I think she might even end up weighing over 150g dry?
Anyway a few pictures before I dive into my ideas for my new setup.. first few are white widow, second is the sour-d.

Whire widow sour-D


As you can see from the last picture the 1 on the left is a different structure and' also smells a lot more sour? Whilst the 1 on the right is shaped like a "torpedo and smells sweet like UK cheese?

THE SETUP PLAN

I've been growing in small tents/spaces for over 18 months now 'since starting in a 4x4 tent and' I have struggled with watering/feeds when using coco/perlite due to my plants being 4ft tall and sat in 3gal pots that require multiple feedings per day?
They get roughly 800ml 3x per day 550 [email protected] but' I've noticing the ph dropping from 6.0 to 5.3 in the runoff?? I think they need more frequent watering? I'm unable to water feed my plants 3/4 or eve 5 times a day like some growers do so I've had to come up with another way to setup my grows.
My goal's are, higher yield, less nutrients consumed/wasted, healthier plants come harvest time?

Space=2x4x6 gorilla tent
Ventilation=5" extraction connected to carbon filter & 5"cool tube
Lighting"600 dimmable ballast & mix of hps bulbs 400/600
Pots= 10 litre
Growing media= coco/perlite/hydroton 40/40/20
Growing method= diy recirculating top feed drip system pre-made with a 8 manifold & 2 l/h drip stakes
Runoff tray=110x55x15cm with a ebb&flow filter conceded to the rez below
Reservoir= 13gal low profile
Pumps/air pumps= maxi jet 1000 to deliver nutrient's & heilea v10 air pump for airation, 2x 6"ceramic airstones for the rez.
Plant numbers= 4/8 depending on survivors come Vegas I've training/sexing
Strains= 4x original amnesia, 2x sour-d, 2x exodus cheese (bagseed),
Feed plan=
Because I use tap water I have modified (h3ads coco formula) to acomidate my 190/210ppm tap water
Epsom salt= 1.2g per 2x gal
PK= 2ml per 2x gal
Micra=6ml per 2x gal
Bloom= 9ml per 2x gal
Gives me a total of 550 [email protected]
My plants seem OK on this feeding plan so i will stick with it?

This grow has 4 weeks left before I start building the next one so I will keep you all posted on developments/changes to the planning?
I will also do a picture tutorial once I start for anyone that wants to learn along with myself.
See you soon guys & any comments/criticism is always welcome and if I don't like what your saying ' I will still respect your opinions or views because I'm a GROWN UP!!

Any luck so far?

I am building a setup for 3x3 scrog.

Been using drip and I want ability to have run off.

I found a dog crate on side of road and the tray in bottom came home with me.

Might just work.

Curious what you came up with.

My drip system is cats ads but I need a good controller.

DWC in a 2ft by 4ft plastic box with a lid. Cut the lid at the about 1/3 down the length and then connect it with hinges. you can then put 2-4 net pot plants in the holes you make and you don't need to lift anything but the hinged section to check your system.

sleepless_canuck said:

Any luck so far?

I am building a setup for 3x3 scrog.

Been using drip and I want ability to have run off.

I found a dog crate on side of road and the tray in bottom came home with me.

Might just work.

Curious what you came up with.

My drip system is cats ads but I need a good controller.

Click to expand...

I found a pre made drip kit for 8 plants on ebay, 800l/h pump & 8x 2l/h dripper stakes=€35
For a support structure to hold the plants ubove the rez in place of a flood table ect:
I have a old kitchen unit I was throwing out that has adjustable legs on so I unscrewed the top releasing the bottom panel with the adjustable's and bobs your uncle. The unit measured 110cm by 50cm & can be adjusted as high as 9" or as low as 4".
For a runoff tray..
For a rez, I found a 50litre rectangle storage box that has a very strong lid and measures 80cm x 40cm x 30cm , perect!
Apart from a few other miscellaneous items that's my plan?
Mind you ' you could just buy a wilma 8 pot system like this one, it measures 1160mm x 590mm , 11 litre pots,
I think it will be tight but imagine this in a 2x4 tent with a 600 hps cool tube' 11'250 lumens sqf = 80 wsqf , all under a nice tidy scrog would be SICK!
I'm scared it won't be able to keep the water temp down? Might give it ago? Think you could pull 500g out of that system if done right?
If you had a 2x2 tent for a little cloner & a little space in there for "veging ' you could be pulling 16 ounces of BUD every 8/12weeks?? Not bad for only (12) sqf of growing space?

Today is 8 weeks flowering for the white widow and she is throwing new pistols on the top buds due to heat stress I think?
Anyway I've been giving her plain tap water 190ppm ph 6.1/6.2 for 7 days now and I plan on another 7 days
My 2 sour-d phenos are coming along nice on week 6

Pheno 2 ,THE BIG BOSS
These girls have around 5/6 weeks left so I can't imagine how big and dense those colas are going to be come week 10/11 lol