# Waterfarm Mods & Tips



## caddyluck (Oct 12, 2008)

Hello all you stoners and growers at RIU! Like the title says this is to help Waterfarmers. All these Mods and Tips can easily be found online but in different places. This thread is to compile all known Mods and Tips, as well as new ones from you, the growers. Feel free to share your experiences and knowledge. I would like particularly for someone to post pics of a recirculating/chiller system, It would be extremly helpful and would probably earn some Rep 


*Mod*
*We all know about drilling holes for better root growth and drainage.*

*Factory holes...*






*After Drilling more and bigger holes....*






*Sorry for the blurrrr, but you get the point.....*







Adding an airstone is also a common Mod. Here i installed an airhose below where the bottom of the growing chamber sits and above the water level. You can see in pen where each line is marked. I have had no problems with air flow and installed 4" airstones. Disk airstones are whats most recommended.









*Adding shut-off valves should be a top priority, especially between the res and controller unit. When you go to pour water in the res to mix nutes, the water will just fill the controller unit.Pretty lame. Having a shut-off valve between the two allows you to mix the nutes and adjust ph if nessasary before releasing the solution the the controller unit. I also installed shut-off valves from the controller unit to the buckets, and on each individual bucket. It makes for ALOT easier maintence.*












*Tips*

*Salt build-up is common and more than likely will happen. Taking preventive maintence is key. Remove the rings and rinse with hot water once a week, you'll be glad you did.*








*I have twice in the past 5 weeks came across this problem. There would be no water coming from the drip ring, this was due to some kind of build-up on the air hose at the bottom of the bucket. It is a pain in the ass to try to remove the pumping column with a huge plant in the way but it has to be done. Once the column was removed the problem was identified, some kind of build-up in the air hose. If anyone has any experience combating this problem I would love to hear it.*

*PUMPING COLUMN*







*Gunky buid-up in airhose....*






*Good to go after rinsing with hot water.....*







*Well I hope this helps someone, feel free to ask questions if you want. If anyone has pics of a recirculating/chiller set-up please post, I would be much appreciated!!*


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## d4twamp (Oct 13, 2008)

hey Caddy
to combat salt buildup in your system and medium try this


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## caddyluck (Oct 13, 2008)

whad up d4? thanks man, have you used this stuff before? seems like it's perfect for aero/drip systems.


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## d4twamp (Oct 13, 2008)

Yup, we ran it in a ebb n flow setup from day one to harvest...One plant came out early to give some room to the remaining clones.. the 1st one harvested didn't even get flushed out, but still tasted great no left over nutes was tasted or noticed..it burned to gray ash didn't charcoal up... then flushed the remaining ones with clearex for a week didn't notice much of a difference in the two, so maybe the stuff does what it say's BTW the whole House and Garden nutrient line was used for that grow as per H&G's feeding schedule...

later, D


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## caddyluck (Oct 13, 2008)

is the stuff super concentrated? how much per gallon us the recommended amount? thanks man


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## d4twamp (Oct 13, 2008)

caddyluck said:


> is the stuff super concentrated? how much per gallon us the recommended amount? thanks man



Per gallon on the drip clean is 0.4 ml's, a little goes along way

D


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## caddyluck (Oct 13, 2008)

nice, thanks again !!!


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## d4twamp (Oct 13, 2008)

Caddy, if you do go w/ the drip clean make sure you don't introduce it into your feeding schedule while the plants are already growing, it will release all the built up salts in the plant, and whats locked into the medium, making the soil or what ever your growing in toxic to your plants root systems...

It's better used from the beginning of the grow as preventative maintenance 

D


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## caddyluck (Oct 13, 2008)

cool. I am using General Hydroponics Flora series, think it's cool to use with that?


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## d4twamp (Oct 13, 2008)

Probably Ok to use..Just check the ph and ppms of the nute for a while to make sure it stays stable as I don't have experience w/ GH products I can't say for sure...

D


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## d4twamp (Oct 13, 2008)

Every one I know that use the W/F buckets have a problem w/ the PH and PPM's of the nutes staying stable, this can be fixed by using 3/4" ebb & flow outlets and 3/4" tubing to daisy chain each W/F to a reservoir recirculating it 24/7, this modification has been the one they have been most pleased with the results... just my $.02...
later, D


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## caddyluck (Oct 13, 2008)

I hav'nt had any problem with ph or ppm, I only have 3 waterfarms hooked up though. Hopefully someone will post pics of a recirculating system.


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## d4twamp (Oct 13, 2008)

I'm in the process of getting things together to build a recirc. DWC w/ 10 gallon grow cells... I'm talkin tree pots I've seen people use 20 gallon buckets and grow 4 plants that produced 12 L-bo's

Here are some pix of his op


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## d4twamp (Oct 13, 2008)

those are clones by the way


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## caddyluck (Oct 13, 2008)

fuck!!! nice, those things are beautiful


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## d4twamp (Oct 14, 2008)

I didn't grow these I got the pix from a grower on another site

D


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## KirklandsFinest08 (Oct 14, 2008)

i have w/f and if the nutes goes down then they need more ? do you want to keep putting more in until its stable ? i started out with 250 ppm and now its at 110 . The plants are about 2 weeks old. I added nutes about 4 days ago.


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## caddyluck (Oct 14, 2008)

This was advice I got from NewGrowth-- NewGrowth's Marijuana Growing Profile, A good way to see if your plants are utilizing the nutes is to monitor your PPM level ever day or so. 
Here are some general rules:
1.Water level drops PPM goes up: Drop your nutrient strength in relationship to the PPM rise. 
2. Water level drops PPM stays the same: You may be able to fine tune you nutrient strength, if growth is vigorous leave it alone.
3. Water level drops PPM drops: Raise you nutrient strength in relationship too PPM drop.
Like I said these are only general rules always monitor your plants growth and look for tell tale signs of nutrient burn like deep green fan leaves and yellow leaf tips. Nutrient deficient plats will usually yellow from the bottom up. Keep a journal,this will help you fine tune, waste less nutrients and improve your grow next time around.


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## KirklandsFinest08 (Oct 14, 2008)

Alright thats awesome!!! Thanks...ok what about leafs twisting????


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## d4twamp (Oct 14, 2008)

KIRKLAND, could be unstable genetics what strain...

D


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## KirklandsFinest08 (Oct 14, 2008)

Alaskan Ice


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## d4twamp (Oct 14, 2008)

never heard of that is it a cross between Alaskan thunderfuck and Ice


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## KirklandsFinest08 (Oct 14, 2008)

The Alaskan Ice is one of the strongest cannabis plants ever bred. It is a cross of original Green House White Widow and Pure Haze. This variation represents a very famous strain, with a new kick. The plants have a structure that is slightly stretchier than the White Widow, with a typical pine-tree shape. The internode is quite stable and averages 12-15 centimetres. The strain has all the well known characteristics of the White Widow, with a much higher THC content and a very sativa-like effect, energising and very trippy. CBD level is also very high at over 1%, giving it a complete physical effect that follows the first burst of high. Flowering time on this strain is 9 weeks, just one week longer than the original White Widow. The Alaskan Ice is suitable for indoor, outdoor and greenhouse. The plant is quite resistant to botrytis and to pests. In indoor hydro systems the production can reach 700-800 grams per square meter. Outdoor expect production up to 800 grams per plant with fully developed specimens (up to 2,5 meters high and very branchy). The Alaskan Ice can be fed quite a bit, with an EC level up to 2.2 in hydro systems (regular flush required). The taste of the Alaskan Ice is spicy and hazy, with a very well balanced bouquet in between the White Widow and the Haze flavours.
Genetics: White Widow, Haze
Effects: One of the highest measured THC. Devastating, fast, cerebral.
Flowering indoor: 9 weeks for full production and resin.
Flowering outdoor: Ready between mid and end October (Europe).
THC: 21.49%
CBD: 1.05%
CBG: 1.78%


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## d4twamp (Oct 15, 2008)

21 1/2% THC DAMN...KIrkland that Alaskan Ice sounds like some strait fire bruddah...

Are both the WW and PH from GHS or did you breed it yourself...I've never heard of this strain before, do you have any pics I can drool over... up untill this point I've only been able to grow bagseed, Hopefully one day I can grow a strain that is that good....

D


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## DND (Oct 17, 2008)

d4twamp said:


> I'm in the process of getting things together to build a recirc. DWC w/ 10 gallon grow cells... I'm talkin tree pots I've seen people use 20 gallon buckets and grow 4 plants that produced 12 L-bo's
> 
> Here are some pix of his op


Got a link?


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## d4twamp (Oct 17, 2008)

DND said:


> Got a link?


DND the link you speak of, it's from another forum on another site the thread is named GIANT BUBBLERS...

I'm removing the link as I've heard something about being banned

it isn't a GH w/f but just a huge diy version...sorry for posting the link as I didn't know it was a no no...



later D


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## caddyluck (Oct 17, 2008)

That's enough of that. D, be careful posting links to other forums, you might get banned.
Let's keep this thread for Waterfarmers.


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## nfhu88 (Oct 21, 2008)

sup guys heres one of mine in a waterfarm flowering for 32 days (this was about a week ago)


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## nfhu88 (Oct 21, 2008)

*I have twice in the past 5 weeks came across this problem. There would be no water coming from the drip ring, this was due to some kind of build-up on the air hose at the bottom of the bucket. It is a pain in the ass to try to remove the pumping column with a huge plant in the way but it has to be done. Once the column was removed the problem was identified, some kind of build-up in the air hose. If anyone has any experience combating this problem I would love to hear it.*

hey man nice pics you have there. i just had the same problem not too long ago. i started using kool bloom and the air tube was getting clogged.man it was such a pain in the ass to get that tube out and clean it. so on my second unit i pulled the upper res up and had my girlfriend hold it while i push the tube down and clean it that way hahah. anyways let me know if u have any pointers, tthanks


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## caddyluck (Oct 21, 2008)

It is a pain!! i really don't know how to prevent that, if you ever find out let me know


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## d4twamp (Oct 22, 2008)

NFHU88,
Here is a product I've used in past hydro grows it stops any salt build up in your system you can read about it here:House and Garden Van De Zwaan the House & Garden line is one of the best nutrients on the market imho...

hope this helps

D


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## caddyluck (Oct 23, 2008)

I've never even heard of those nutes. how long have you been using them? did you use the complete line?


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## d4twamp (Oct 23, 2008)

Caddy,

It's imported from Holland...and yes used the whole line in Ebb n Flow the Aqua Flakes is meant for recirculating systems...the line is expensive but concentrated, a lil goes a long way...when I set up my 10 gallon recirculating bucket system, it's what I'm using... Van de Zwann has a complete hydro, coco, and soil line of A and B -2 part base nutrients...And the Roots Excelurator is some great stuff for preventing root rot and all around root health...I think it rivals or tops a lot of other nutrients on the market, but that just my opinion, and I don't have alot of experience w/ other nutes, so my opinion might not mean crap to the next guy...I do know that the same strain grown with the House & Garden(Van de Zwann) performed, looked, smelled, and smoked better than that same strain growing with Canna products, but to each there own...

hope this helps Caddy

D


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## nfhu88 (Oct 23, 2008)

d4twamp said:


> NFHU88,
> Here is a product I've used in past hydro grows it stops any salt build up in your system you can read about it here:House and Garden Van De Zwaan the House & Garden line is one of the best nutrients on the market imho...
> 
> hope this helps
> ...


hey d4,

thanks for the info. its made in holland huh> must be made for pot growing. very nice, i will look into it. by the way Dexter is bad ass!


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## d4twamp (Oct 23, 2008)

yes gotta love


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## caddyluck (Nov 6, 2008)

Well after looking at the roots at harvest, I noticed that the pumping column is pretty much suckin from the bottom of the bucket. This would explaing the gunk clogging the airline. Raising the column would mean having the drip ring higher, I like it low because it splashes everywhere. 
I'm going to do a Scrog grow soon and won't be able to remove the growing chamber, so I'm thinking of cutting 1-2 inches off the pumping column. I would be able to keep the pumping column away from the bottom of the bucket while lowering the ring a little.








Here is a look at the 4" Air disk in the bucket....








Making a Res/Controller is pretty simple. I used 1/2'' Tubing & fittings, and 3/8 inch rubber grommets. Use aquarium safe sealant. I bought a General Hydroponics float valve for $15. These are 18 gallon buckets, but a 10 gallon would be perfect for 1-2 buckets.


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## d4twamp (Nov 6, 2008)

caddyluck said:


> Well after looking at the roots at harvest, I noticed that the pumping column is pretty much suckin from the bottom of the bucket. This would explaing the gunk clogging the airline. Raising the column would mean having the drip ring higher, I like it low because it splashes everywhere.
> I'm going to do a Scrog grow soon and won't be able to remove the growing chamber, so I'm thinking of cutting 1-2 inches off the pumping column. I would be able to keep the pumping column away from the bottom of the bucket while lowering the ring a little.
> 
> 
> ...


Nice diy job bro...Imho those W/F pots need more drainage, I'd drill a lot more holes in the bottom and around the sides of the bucket the plant and hydroton are in...Or even better take out the top bucket completely and replace it with a Net pot 5 gal bucket lid, but that's just my $0.02

keep up the good work


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## caddyluck (Nov 7, 2008)

Drainage is fine, if I drill holes on the sides then the roots will grow out of those holes and that would be a bitch.


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## caddyluck (Dec 1, 2008)

Well, I just changed the res and drained the buckets for the first time using the platform I threw together. Let me tell ya it was worth it, it saved me time and my knees. so simple and easy.....


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## nfhu88 (Dec 2, 2008)

nice caddy!! smart man you are. Do have any ideas on two 13' x 10' rooms and one 3' x 6.5' room. i plan on a starting a little larger set up this time


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## caddyluck (Dec 2, 2008)

Damn, I wish I had that much space! I will eventually get a bigger place and try to harvest every month.

I want to go with 4 res/controllers with 3 buckets each. The 3 buckets would be at each 'station' for 1 month. 2 stations in veg and 2 in flowering. Having the same strain in all 3 buckets would work best, you could maximize the strains PPM accordingly.
I'm medical and am allowed 12 plant, 6 of which can be flowering.
Having plants that veg for 2 months will produce a hell of alot more as well. You could even throw a single Waterfarm with a sativa under the lights 


check out Subtle Hustlehttps://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/124830-got-my-8-pack-waterfarm.html







caddyluck said:


> Well, I just changed the res and drained the buckets for the first time using the platform I threw together. Let me tell ya it was worth it, it saved me time and my knees. so simple and easy.....


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## caddyluck (Dec 3, 2008)

Well, I had to scap plans for a Scrog grow, I was going to install this recirculating kit for it. It's exactly what I need.

here's the linkhttp://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/instructions/WF_Upgrade_instructions.pdf


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## d4twamp (Dec 4, 2008)

caddyluck said:


> Drainage is fine, if I drill holes on the sides then the roots will grow out of those holes and that would be a bitch.


Isn't that what the idea is, to have the roots grow out of the top bucket and into the oxygen rich nutrient solution in the lower bucket...if not I've got myself thinking completely ass backwards....everyone I know that uses those W/F buckets, feel that something isn't right with the way they are designed, and after making modifications they work the way the company advertises... Not tryin to stir up shit just tryin to help...I know peeps who have grown in these for years, that felt they had to make some changes to make it work right... the only thing left from a lot of their original W/F packs are the drip rings and columns....IMHO I wouldn't pay the money for those W/F's when you could build a system that will outperform it for less money. but that's just my $.02....

D


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## caddyluck (Dec 4, 2008)

d4twamp said:


> Isn't that what the idea is, to have the roots grow out of the top bucket and into the oxygen rich nutrient solution in the lower bucket...if not I,ve got myself thinking completely ass backwards....
> 
> D


 
lol well, the idea is to have the roots grow out the *bottom *of the grow chamber and into nute solution. The holes that come with it are too small and not enough of them. Drilling bigger and more holes allows for better drainage and root growth. Roots growing out the top is not good. I have to pull the growing chamber out the bucket once in a while and if there were roots coming out the sides of the grow chamber it would just damage the roots, so only having holes on the bottom is best. Ya dig?


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## d4twamp (Dec 4, 2008)

caddyluck said:


> Well, I had to scap plans for a Scrog grow, I was going to install this recirculating kit for it. It's exactly what I need.
> 
> here's the linkhttp://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/instructions/WF_Upgrade_instructions.pdf



See what I mean, after buying the W/F's you gotta spend more $ just to get it to do what General Hydro say's it does...Even the guy's at the Hydro store now it's a ripoff but they aren't gonna tell their customers that...


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## d4twamp (Dec 4, 2008)

caddyluck said:


> lol well, the idea is to have the roots grow out the *bottom *of the grow chamber and into nute solution. The holes that come with it are too small and not enough of them. Drilling bigger and more holes allows for better drainage and root growth. Roots growing out the top is not good. I have to pull the growing chamber out the bucket once in a while and if there were roots coming out the sides of the grow chamber it would just damage the roots, so only having holes on the bottom is best. Ya dig?


Sorry I would have to agree to disagree...And when I say the roots should grow out of the top bucket and into the bottom one I wasn't saying out of the top of the bucket it self... that's absurd..


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## Eharmony420 (Dec 4, 2008)

why not isntall the kit? you never mentioned that.


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## caddyluck (Dec 4, 2008)

d4twamp said:


> See what I mean, after buying the W/F's you gotta spend more $ just to get it to do what General Hydro say's it does...Even the guy's at the Hydro store now it's a ripoff but they aren't gonna tell their customers that...


 
ha ha man D you make me laugh! You don't NEED the kit to make the waterfarms work! 


"I know peeps who have grown in these for years, that felt they had to make some changes to make it work right'"


*Well, must not be that bad then huh? And that's kinda the point of this thread, making changes to make it work.  *

"And when I say the roots should grow out of the top bucket and into the bottom one I wasn't saying out of the top of the bucket it self... that's absurd.. "

????????????????????????????????


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## caddyluck (Dec 4, 2008)

Eharmony420 said:


> why not isntall the kit? you never mentioned that.


 

Sup Eh420, I had a change in plans and am going to grow at this location 2 more months. I had to start flowering my clones right away. I'm not hurting for it, obviously, my grows are great without it. But I'll just wait for now


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## Knally (Dec 4, 2008)

I veg in a dwc, but use the W/F for flowering. My root ball floats in the bottom bucket of the W/F of nutrient, oxygen rich water. I cut a 3 inch hole in the center of the top bucket to feed the root ball down through and transplant the entire 3 inch net pot from the dwc to the W/F.

I also run an airhose through the hole for the airstones. My girls love it. I have a 5 and a half foot White Widow that's 2 and a half weeks into flowering and a bush of a Blueberry same age. I use the W/F as a stand-alone with no controller or reservoir since I can only flower 2 to 3 at a time.

With their rootballs in the nutrient water my girls drink a gallon+ of water every 2 to 3 days. So that means I have to top-off in between and change them out entirely in less than a week.


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## oldgrayhair (Dec 4, 2008)

GReat pics and system set-ups guy, looks fantastic! What the hell is that green SCROG device shown on a pic on the first page? I need it! 

Anyhow, here's my contributions to this great thread.

Here are my 3 White Widow clones in my DIY 5gal Waterfarm, Day 31 of flower:






Here is another set of 4 - WW clones getting their start in flower, these are in my original GH Power Grower Eco system:






And here was last harvest of 4 Biggie Small clones in the same Power Grower Eco:






I simply love these set-ups. Started with 1, running 4 now, and getting another 4 built over the holidays.

I feed simple Lucas formula with RO water, I don't have any real tips other than if you have never tried one of these WF's you owe it to yourself to buy or build one and give it a go.

Enjoy and keep the pics and tips coming.

Peace - OGH


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## caddyluck (Dec 4, 2008)

It's a "grow through" screen I got from Lowes for like $3. Here's a better look..


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## caddyluck (Dec 4, 2008)

Knally said:


> I veg in a dwc, but use the W/F for flowering. My root ball floats in the bottom bucket of the W/F of nutrient, oxygen rich water. I cut a 3 inch hole in the center of the top bucket to feed the root ball down through and transplant the entire 3 inch net pot from the dwc to the W/F.
> 
> I also run an airhose through the hole for the airstones. My girls love it. I have a 5 and a half foot White Widow that's 2 and a half weeks into flowering and a bush of a Blueberry same age. I use the W/F as a stand-alone with no controller or reservoir since I can only flower 2 to 3 at a time.
> 
> With their rootballs in the nutrient water my girls drink a gallon+ of water every 2 to 3 days. So that means I have to top-off in between and change them out entirely in less than a week.


 



I gotta say, I love it! Great idea, I've transferred from DWC to Waterfarms before too. They did'nt miss a beat. It's good to know it can be done. GREAT ROOT PORN!!!!!!!!!! Thanx for sharing man!


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## caddyluck (Dec 4, 2008)

oldgrayhair said:


> GReat pics and system set-ups guy, looks fantastic! What the hell is that green SCROG device shown on a pic on the first page? I need it!
> 
> Anyhow, here's my contributions to this great thread.
> 
> ...


 


Man, you got some great looking plants! nice set-up too


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## oldgrayhair (Dec 6, 2008)

Thanks man! Forgot to mention one trick I like to do for prepping the clones for the WF. I make small "hempy" cups from 16oz. beer cups...same design as the larger hempy buckets. So, they get rooted in rockwool cubees, then into the pure perlite hempy cups for a couple weeks while the roots explode. Then into the WF and works like a chamr everytime!

Peace - OGH


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## oldgrayhair (Dec 6, 2008)

Thanks again Caddyluck for turning me onto those Lowes Grow Through thingys....they are SEXY! 







So much better than tomato cages!

Peace - OGH


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## shea (Dec 6, 2008)

would it be possible to grow two plants in one wf bucket? 

also, i didnt hear about drillin more larger holes until recently and my plant is ready to flower... do you think that it will be ok with the holes given or should i try to alter it now. (the roots are just starting to poke through... i see 3)


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## oldgrayhair (Dec 6, 2008)

Hey Shea, I've never grown just 1 plant in a waterfarm. My larger budding plants above are 3 White Widows, and the clones are 3 per bucket as well. I may drop down to 2 per bucket next year as these training screens will make up the diff.

I would mess with trying to drill holes in flowering, just let this one ride out as best it can, then improve the bucket for the next round. Will be cool as you'll be able to see the difference first hand.

Peace - OGH


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## shea (Dec 6, 2008)

thanks for the wisdom oldgrayhair


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## Eharmony420 (Dec 6, 2008)

my freaking god, you just save me like 100 dollars. Well maybe a 100. Lol, but a lot. hehe.
I can now put all my mother plants in the one waterfarm I have. I use a 3x3 botanicare to veg and flower. This makes my day. I only want 2 mothers. A northern lights and a Cheese.


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## oldgrayhair (Dec 7, 2008)

Eharmony420 said:


> my freaking god, you just save me like 100 dollars. Well maybe a 100. Lol, but a lot. hehe.
> I can now put all my mother plants in the one waterfarm I have. I use a 3x3 botanicare to veg and flower. This makes my day. I only want 2 mothers. A northern lights and a Cheese.


Wait wait!  I would advise against having different moms, or any multiple plants that aren't clones of the same mom in the same bucket. 

It's the same with waterfarms as with soil in this respect. Clones from the same mom usually do fantastic together in the same containers/buckets, etc. Different strains generally do not do as well as one plant will generally take over and hinder the other plant. And with moms, you don't want any added stress as you'll be cloning and want your mom happy and stress free.

Now, I would think down the road, once you have your moms, clones, system happy...you could always try to then condense your moms together and see how they fare. Thats how we progress and learn new things. Have back-ups safe and sound in case something goes wrong though 

 - OGH


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## Cabane (Dec 17, 2008)

Here is a mod I've done to get the riser tube out for maintenence. 1" pvc sleeve. Cut collars from a coupler. They fit tight enough you realy don't need to glue them.


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## Eharmony420 (Dec 17, 2008)

oldgrayhair said:


> Wait wait!  I would advise against having different moms, or any multiple plants that aren't clones of the same mom in the same bucket.
> 
> It's the same with waterfarms as with soil in this respect. Clones from the same mom usually do fantastic together in the same containers/buckets, etc. Different strains generally do not do as well as one plant will generally take over and hinder the other plant. And with moms, you don't want any added stress as you'll be cloning and want your mom happy and stress free.
> 
> ...


 
Are you just trying to get outa trouble just in case lol, or is this from expereince? I want small mons as I just need 2-3 cuts off a plant. It looks like I will hav enough room for at least two if I put them in diferent corners of the pots. I have a hydroponics book on cd that shows how you can fit multi plants in the waterfarm, just does not show it with weed, but doesnt say you cant.


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## caddyluck (Dec 22, 2008)

Cabane said:


> Here is a mod I've done to get the riser tube out for maintenence. 1" pvc sleeve. Cut collars from a coupler. They fit tight enough you realy don't need to glue them.


 


Great mod!! makes removing the riser tube a breeze I bet!! Thanks for sharing! +REP


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## CapnBud (Dec 24, 2008)

yeah i run the modified waterfarm with ss ak47

1" 1/4 pvc return to res
1056 ghp water pump 
feed thru 1/4" stock black tubing
vertical 1000w lighting
ionic nutes with dutchmaster silica
ph now normal at 5.9
ppm with hannah meter 300 veg 500-700 for flowering


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## Eharmony420 (Dec 24, 2008)

capnbud whats your feed schedule look like right now? I am curious about using 4 in cubed in a drip system. ty.


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## n8wi (Dec 24, 2008)

I just transplanted a 6 week old female from soil into a modded out waterfarm! just wondering if leaving it on slow 24 hour drip is too much even in hydroton!?


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## Knally (Dec 25, 2008)

I run my WF drip ring all of the time; no timer. I have more plant problems when the drip is timed versus on all of the time.


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## Cabane (Dec 25, 2008)

Another mod on my single farm setup. I ran the airhose for air stone down the level tube. i replaced the elbow with a T. I put a valve for draining off the T. I use a section of brass tubing to connect the air hose. This allows removal of tube without major disassembly. My W/F bucket sets up off the ground on a frame. It is high enough to set a jug under it to catch the refuse.


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## CapnBud (Dec 26, 2008)

Eharmony420 said:


> capnbud whats your feed schedule look like right now? I am curious about using 4 in cubed in a drip system. ty.


 
i veg for three weeks. each week gets a res change.
during the week i top off the res with ph'd water.

i leave my feed pump running 24/7
dont need the drip ring once roots emerge from the bottom of the bucket


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## oldgrayhair (Dec 27, 2008)

Eharmony420 said:


> Are you just trying to get outa trouble just in case lol, or is this from expereince? I want small mons as I just need 2-3 cuts off a plant. It looks like I will hav enough room for at least two if I put them in diferent corners of the pots. I have a hydroponics book on cd that shows how you can fit multi plants in the waterfarm, just does not show it with weed, but doesnt say you cant.



Ya know, I may need to re-tract my statement as the experience I have in that area was all with soil. Funny how once you go hydro you forget all about the dirt days 

I do multiple clones in buckets as my standard method. I don't actually keep moms as I always take clones from clones during the first couple weeks when they are stretching. 

Now that I've thought more about this, I say go for it with 2 diff moms per bucket. Should be fine even if one out grows the other, still be plenty of growth for clones.

I'll try it relatively soon with a White Widow and an Alaskan Ice mom and see what happens!

Peace - OGH


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## oldgrayhair (Dec 27, 2008)

What a difference 21 days can make!

Here's the bucket scrog White Widow pic from back on page 6 on Dec 6th:







And here is the same system today Dec 27th...happy girls!







I'll get a top down once I re-up on my batteries...died as I took that shot!

PEace - OGH


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## caddyluck (Dec 27, 2008)

hell yeah!! great job


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## rezo (Dec 27, 2008)

i added a 48" flexible air diffuser in each bucket and it provided alot more bubbles than the discs. ive got 4 individual setups and have been considering getting a reservoir is it worth it and what are the benifits


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## JonnyBtreed (Dec 27, 2008)

Wow man! lookin nice.


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## oldgrayhair (Dec 27, 2008)

rezo said:


> i added a 48" flexible air diffuser in each bucket and it provided alot more bubbles than the discs. ive got 4 individual setups and have been considering getting a reservoir is it worth it and what are the benifits


I prefer the individual buckets myself as I have them in all different stages for perpetual. This allows me to tweak nute levels easily.

If all your's are in the same stage of growth, then I would think a res would help the slight PITA of topping off individual buckets.

PEace - OGH

OH! Caddyluck and johnnyBtreed - Thanks! I'll get more pics up soon!


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## TOKEMASTERFLEX (Dec 27, 2008)

d4twamp said:


> I'm in the process of getting things together to build a recirc. DWC w/ 10 gallon grow cells... I'm talkin tree pots I've seen people use 20 gallon buckets and grow 4 plants that produced 12 L-bo's
> 
> Here are some pix of his op


 

WHAT site you get this from...this setup has me very interested....i do the same thing but in 5 gallon buckets.....but i noticed the tube coming out the bottom and the elbow that gows to the ground so i was just curious..


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## caddyluck (Jan 2, 2009)

Cabane said:


> Another mod on my single farm setup. I ran the airhose for air stone down the level tube. i replaced the elbow with a T. I put a valve for draining off the T. I use a section of brass tubing to connect the air hose. This allows removal of tube without major disassembly. My W/F bucket sets up off the ground on a frame. It is high enough to set a jug under it to catch the refuse.


 


Genius


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## notpatient (Jan 6, 2009)

Cabane said:


> Another mod on my single farm setup. I ran the airhose for air stone down the level tube. i replaced the elbow with a T. I put a valve for draining off the T. I use a section of brass tubing to connect the air hose. This allows removal of tube without major disassembly. My W/F bucket sets up off the ground on a frame. It is high enough to set a jug under it to catch the refuse.


 I hate to admit it but Im an idiot in your first pic how did you get that 1/4 tube to bend at the 45 angle thought to do it years ago and failed with a smile on my face


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## oldgrayhair (Jan 7, 2009)

notpatient said:


> I hate to admit it but Im an idiot in your first pic how did you get that 1/4 tube to bend at the 45 angle thought to do it years ago and failed with a smile on my face


He used a T connector there where the bend is. Probably a barbed T, fed the airline through, then connected the two blue tubes. 

Peace - OGH


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## Cabane (Jan 7, 2009)

I just fished it through. grabbed it with needle nose pliers. The air tubing is thick enough it does not kink.


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## hippiepudz024 (Jan 7, 2009)

instead of drilling holes into the sides of the waterfarm to insert the tube for the airstone, Just stick the skinny tube that comes from the air unit and stick it down the blue water level inicator tube all the way down to the bottom and put the air stone on down, It works very good
THIS IS A GREAT WHITE SHARK AT 3 WEEKS FLOWERING


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## Cabane (Jan 9, 2009)

exactly what I did


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## caddyluck (Jan 9, 2009)

great idea if you have just one waterfarm


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## joesnow (Jan 21, 2009)

*all these modifications are the shit..... i was a lil worry about the w/f because of all the issues when *
*you first get the system but now i am pumped up about this and ready to be ganja man of 09.*
*i *


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## joesnow (Jan 21, 2009)

hey guys i got a question. Can you start from germinating in the water farm or not enough water reaches the center 
of the buckets. that be great if you can, let me know. thanks


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## caddyluck (Jan 21, 2009)

from what I know, you need to put the germinated seed in a small rockwool cube or rapid rooter plug first. I've never heard of it being done, but someone might have tried it before......


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## CaStoner (Jan 21, 2009)

caddyluck said:


> Hopefully someone will post pics of a recirculating system.


 
Hey all you waterfarm fans thought I post some pic's of my waterfarm system.

Courtesy of WFF. I use his setup except I used a 1/15hp chiller.






















Some of the mods to keep up with the flow, flow opening been drilled out 2 to 3 times.





Down to 2 buckets because of some bogus seeds I bought and grew inferior plants.
been removed.





Nirvana PPP.


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## rezo (Jan 21, 2009)

how often do you guys run your drip rings ? i saw a couple posts about running the pumps all the time.


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## jpennin5 (Jan 26, 2009)

Does anybody know the exact outer diameter size of the drip ring on the waterfarm? I was wanting to use a more flexible tubing instead of the hard plastic tubing provided, but can't find a good fit. 7/16" has been the closest I've found, but it's still a bit too small.


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## nfhu88 (Jan 29, 2009)

jpennin5 said:


> Does anybody know the exact outer diameter size of the drip ring on the waterfarm? I was wanting to use a more flexible tubing instead of the hard plastic tubing provided, but can't find a good fit. 7/16" has been the closest I've found, but it's still a bit too small.


hey it might be metric haha.


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## daydreamer419 (Feb 9, 2009)

This is great stuff! I just set up my waterfarm as it comes. I did get the circulation upgrade, but it is not as great as I thought. So more upgrades to come on it. I wish I'd have found some of this earlier, but either way I appreciate all the info and advise.


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## SciensWiz (Feb 18, 2009)

what air pump would be best for upgrading the waterfarm 8 pack to a circulating system?


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## daydreamer419 (Feb 18, 2009)

SciensWiz said:


> what air pump would be best for upgrading the waterfarm 8 pack to a circulating system?


I actually bought the upgrade kit. I was not pleased with the air pump that came with it. It is really noisy and low power. So I use it for one of my airstones. I use a whisper 30-60. You could go bigger. I have though about it. I have a slight uneven floor. You would never notice, but it does make a small difference. So I say at least 30-60.


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## SciensWiz (Feb 18, 2009)

i have one that i bought that didnt come with the kit that im using, the eco air 1 plus...it seems to be about the same as the one youre talking about but my pumping column is just spitting out a little bit of water at a time...it might not be the pump it might be that i didnt set up the pumping column correctly...if anyone has any ideas on what im did wrong or if thats just how it opperates let me know plz.


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## Knally (Feb 18, 2009)

SciensWiz said:


> i have one that i bought that didnt come with the kit that im using, the eco air 1 plus...it seems to be about the same as the one youre talking about but my pumping column is just spitting out a little bit of water at a time...it might not be the pump it might be that i didnt set up the pumping column correctly...if anyone has any ideas on what im did wrong or if thats just how it opperates let me know plz.


Troubleshoot these things:

1. Loose connection where the small air tube connects to the drip ring column at the bottom "Y";

2. Clog from nutrient salt buildup where the small air tube connects ot the drip ring column at the bottom "Y";

3. Add more air pressure;

4. Nutrient salt buildup clogging the drip ring outlets.


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## caddyluck (Feb 19, 2009)

it takes a little while to get the circulating kit from GH to start running water consistantly, it spits it out for a while then runs smooth. I know mine was working great when the controller had a lot of hydroton sediment in there the next day(usually found in the buckets)


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## SciensWiz (Feb 22, 2009)

yea its running alot smoother now...i actually put the T connector thats usually for the drip ring on there and it actually made it better..its pumping water out pretty good instead of just spittin it out


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## TheEnd (Feb 24, 2009)

Hey all i just got 2 wf's and am currently trying to get my room and equipment ready for thursday when i will be pickin up spawns. I was lookin for some advice ahead of time to help my growing go smoothly. How many spawns per wf? any modding to equipment? and just some experienced advice of tips. Thanks alot -Joey


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## SciensWiz (Feb 24, 2009)

read this whole thread carefully and you will be thoroughly informed on how you should mod your waterfarms...in my opinion they should always be moded to get the most out of them....im running my first waterfarm right now and this forum helped me out more than anything


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## daydreamer419 (Feb 25, 2009)

SciensWiz said:


> yea its running alot smoother now...i actually put the T connector thats usually for the drip ring on there and it actually made it better..its pumping water out pretty good instead of just spittin it out


Interesting..... I'm trying to gather what you did with the T connector. Gotta a pic, or can you explain further? Mine still spitting and gurgling. It does circulate, but a smoother solution would be great! I'm from 8 wf down to 4 due to being a bonehead and using soil nutes  Either way, I'm trying to ensure my 4 remaining plants will be healthy. Thanks for the info!!


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## SciensWiz (Feb 25, 2009)

daydreamer419 said:


> Interesting..... I'm trying to gather what you did with the T connector. Gotta a pic, or can you explain further? Mine still spitting and gurgling. It does circulate, but a smoother solution would be great! I'm from 8 wf down to 4 due to being a bonehead and using soil nutes  Either way, I'm trying to ensure my 4 remaining plants will be healthy. Thanks for the info!!


Yea it seemed like it took a couple days to start running properly...i guess it took time to even out through all the individual reservoirs

here are some pics that might help..my water level is a little low im topping off right after this post...you want the water level to be right under that T connector cuzz i think it makes it easier for the pump to push water up a shorter distance...


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## daydreamer419 (Feb 25, 2009)

SciensWiz said:


> Yea it seemed like it took a couple days to start running properly...i guess it took time to even out through all the individual reservoirs
> 
> here are some pics that might help..my water level is a little low im topping off right after this post...you want the water level to be right under that T connector cuzz i think it makes it easier for the pump to push water up a shorter distance...


I see... Very cool! Thanks man! Is that the Control Wizard Tri monitor there? I have the same one. My PH electrode went bad in it. It wasn't very old at all. I called them up and they will replace it as long as I ship it. 6 month warranty on the probe. Just fyi. I like the set up! Does the reflecting material on the wf help with temp, as well as reflect light back up? I used shiny insulation around my buckets. Notice a slight difference from that. Still would like to get things cooler. I thought about covering the blue hoses in the room. Best of luck on your grow!


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## SciensWiz (Feb 26, 2009)

daydreamer419 said:


> I see... Very cool! Thanks man! Is that the Control Wizard Tri monitor there? I have the same one. My PH electrode went bad in it. It wasn't very old at all. I called them up and they will replace it as long as I ship it. 6 month warranty on the probe. Just fyi. I like the set up! Does the reflecting material on the wf help with temp, as well as reflect light back up? I used shiny insulation around my buckets. Notice a slight difference from that. Still would like to get things cooler. I thought about covering the blue hoses in the room. Best of luck on your grow!


Yea i it helps alot with getting those lower leaves alot more light...i dont think it does much to lower temps...this is my first grow ever and im really happy with the way things are going at the moment..i cant tell you how much these forums have helped me its a priceless endless wealth of first hand knowledge...so did you get your system recirculating better? did u try my little technique? im probably not the first to do it but i thought maybe it would improve things a bit..


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## OregonRed (Apr 4, 2009)

I have the Recirculating.It's a pumping column control by air with a elbow attached to one of the inlet in the control container.I wood post a pic cant get my printer to work sorry.


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## OregonRed (Apr 4, 2009)

I wood take the T off the top.You want it to good flow.That look like it wood stop it a little.Mine flow really good.But I have to switch to black tubing blue lets in to much light and let Green Algae grow.Or it's my 2 1000w digital ballasts.


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## headbandrocker (Apr 5, 2009)

great thread,just got 16 w/f units and the texas res
i have a 11 x 14 space and wanted to see what spaceing would do best yield wise
i will throw 3clones in per w/f aswell in a few of them,i have 6k+ of lights and a/c hoods and great ventilation to use
how would you run this system for max yields?
sog or tree style?thks


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## caddyluck (Apr 5, 2009)

*trees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*


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## SciensWiz (Apr 5, 2009)

It depends on what strain your growing to...if they are mostly sativa make sure you have about a foot of space around each bucket


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## Knally (Apr 5, 2009)

SciensWiz said:


> It depends on what strain your growing to...if they are mostly sativa make sure you have about a foot of space around each bucket


That's the problem that I have; trees where the tops and canopy are great and the lower side is just popcorn size nugs. I need a bigger flower area to spread them.

This time I harvested the colas and top canopy after flushing, Now I am going back with flowering nutes and flower for a couple of weeks more. My yield will increase immensely compared to if I harvested when the tops were ready.

The short of it is that you can grow some very"big ass" girls in the Hydrofarm.


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## SciensWiz (Apr 5, 2009)

yes you can...this is my first time i didnt realize how much a moded waterfarm can increase plant size...this is how i have mine setup


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## Knally (Apr 6, 2009)

To grow bigger plants plus provide enough support, I veg in a diy tote in 3-inch net pots until the heighth I want and with a large rootball.

Then with a hole saw cut a hole in the center of the upper bucket to carefully feed the rootball down through so that the roots are going to be bathing in the nutrient water again. I transplant fairly deep in the upper bucket so that the rootball plugs the hole to keep the hydroton from all falling through.

Earlier in this thread I have pictures of this modification. The plant in my noncut upper bucket is pathetic compared to the ones with their rootballs in the bottom bucket res.

Add air stones plus the other modifications on this thread and you can grow large bushes/small trees with the Waterfarm.


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## headbandrocker (Apr 7, 2009)

I did a side by side dwc bucket and aeroponic rig and wholy shit!
The dwc produced lots of roots but 
The center plant in the aero setup grew like 6x larger 
I found a 1/2" shrub sprinkler that fits perfectly in the drip ring hole in the inner bucket,is an aerobucket possible? Aerofarm! I replaced all hoses in w/f with the 1/2" black rainbird from hd,and used the ts that go outside the tube.
Tomorow i will set them up,any tips on spacing?


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## Knally (Apr 7, 2009)

headbandrocker said:


> Tomorow i will set them up,any tips on spacing?


Ideally, I would like to have enough room to have 2 to 2 and a half feet between mine. I have only half a foot now so I lose a lot of light penetration without adding side lighting.


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## headbandrocker (Apr 7, 2009)

2 feet it is,is it better to run wfs with vertical lights or hoods?


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## SciensWiz (Apr 8, 2009)

parabolic hoods reflect the most usable light...they are the ones that have the light hanging vertical...but if you have to worry about controling heat and vertical space then you will for sure need a horizontal hood that can have a fan connected to it that blows hot air off the bulb


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## MrGreenTsi420 (Apr 13, 2009)

this is great thread!! i am going to be here alot!! ahhah and great info! everyone! and great pics! how long did you have to veg to get them that big? suci am going to do all this mods! the funny thing is i was thinking of doing all of this execpt for the reserculation kit that looks bad ass! and i was going to the the air stone! in the bucket! thats what i am talking about! someone already did it and posting success thanks again and it all looks good! going to post pics when i am done with my set up!


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## SciensWiz (Apr 15, 2009)

dude im telling you youre going to have to make it recirculate...its really easy to do..if you dont upgrade it you will have PH issues every single day, i did atleast...were u asking about my plants?


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## headbandrocker (Apr 16, 2009)

so is the rec kit just a pump?


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## d4twamp (Apr 16, 2009)

I agree with Sciens wiz, if you don't get it to recirc. then each farm or grow cell will be different PH's and ppm's....I'd daisy chain each bucket w/ 3/4 in. tubing, to a central res....

I diy'd a RDWC w/ 10 gal. buckets, a res, and a controller bucket....
Each bucket and the res has airstones, the res has valves that I can close, and the controller bucket pumps the water from the grow buckets back to the res, for ph or ppm checks... 
then I open the valves and gravity fills the buckets back up, and the recirculation begins again...I also use drip rings, I've found that I can grow bigger plants quicker and keep them happier in bloom w/ the drip rings....I have seen this done w/ 2 to 20 gallon grow cells, so Jump in and get yer feet wet, the water's fine...


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## SciensWiz (Apr 17, 2009)

d4twamp said:


> I agree with Sciens wiz, if you don't get it to recirc. then each farm or grow cell will be different PH's and ppm's....I'd daisy chain each bucket w/ 3/4 in. tubing, to a central res....
> 
> I diy'd a RDWC w/ 10 gal. buckets, a res, and a controller bucket....
> Each bucket and the res has airstones, the res has valves that I can close, and the controller bucket pumps the water from the grow buckets back to the res, for ph or ppm checks...
> then I open the valves and gravity fills the buckets back up, and the recirculation begins again...I also use drip rings, I've found that I can grow bigger plants quicker and keep them happier in bloom w/ the drip rings....I have seen this done w/ 2 to 20 gallon grow cells, so Jump in and get yer feet wet, the water's fine...


yea you have to get the kit if you want to use the waterfarm..otherwise its not worth it when you could just get a good ebb and flow...

Hey D4 what kind of pump are you using to return to the control unit? Ive got the regular old recirculating setup with a 30-60 gal air pump im using..its not pumping hardly any water out of it anymore though and im thinking maybe its because there is so much root mass in my buckets? Any opinions would be much appreciated.


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## MrGreenTsi420 (Apr 17, 2009)

sounds like you got the right idea! also just see what works try half of each or try one eash harvest well good luck and also make sure u add the AIRSTONES on the bottom of the buckets! i am going to do it and its going to be real nice!! but this work great also~! that texas controller is real nice!!


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## Luv2Gro (Apr 18, 2009)

*I have twice in the past 5 weeks came across this problem. There would be no water coming from the drip ring, this was due to some kind of build-up on the air hose at the bottom of the bucket. It is a pain in the ass to try to remove the pumping column with a huge plant in the way but it has to be done. Once the column was removed the problem was identified, some kind of build-up in the air hose. If anyone has any experience combating this problem I would love to hear it*

+rep man, i would twice if i could... i was about to go get a new air pump b/c i was convinced the air pump was already shot after 2 mos... i just went in my room scraped out the shit with a safety pin put back together and was up and running in less than 10 min... tyvm..


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## Knally (Apr 18, 2009)

Luv2Gro said:


> *I have twice in the past 5 weeks came across this problem. There would be no water coming from the drip ring, this was due to some kind of build-up on the air hose at the bottom of the bucket. It is a pain in the ass to try to remove the pumping column with a huge plant in the way but it has to be done. Once the column was removed the problem was identified, some kind of build-up in the air hose. If anyone has any experience combating this problem I would love to hear it*
> 
> +rep man, i would twice if i could... i was about to go get a new air pump b/c i was convinced the air pump was already shot after 2 mos... i just went in my room scraped out the shit with a safety pin put back together and was up and running in less than 10 min... tyvm..


Same as you so far; take out the pumping column and air line, clean it up from clogs and put it back.


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## SciensWiz (Apr 18, 2009)

Im not talking about the pumping columns in my waterfarm buckets...im talking about the pumping column in my control rez that recirculates the water..its not pumping hardly anything, so my system isnt really recirculating..im wondering if its because the roots in all the buckets are so thick it wont allow for the recirculating pump to pull water from all of them into the control rez?


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## JonnyBtreed (Apr 21, 2009)

If your lines keep getting clogged I would suggest running clearex or florakleen through the system every couple weeks. Its great stuff. Keeps all the lines from getting clogged and leaches all the salt buildup out of the hydroton which helps keep you safe from nutritional lockouts or toxicity halfway through flowering. Cheap too.


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## SciensWiz (Apr 21, 2009)

my pumping column isnt clogged and neither is the air hose that pushes the water up...the funny thing is when i take the pumping column out and reconnect it..it immediatley starts pumping water very well and then by the end of the day its not pumping hardly anything anymore...i think somewhere in the back buckets all the root mass might be keeping the water from pumping through correctly..i have a 30-60 air pump..should i try something stronger?


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## skeeterleg (Apr 22, 2009)

Hey Headbandrocker

I was curious about the dwc and aero comparison you did: 

"I did a side by side dwc bucket and aeroponic rig and wholy shit!
The dwc produced lots of roots but 
The center plant in the aero setup grew like 6x larger" 

Was the dwc a waterfarm? Aero is when the roots are spayed on a timer right??? I am trying to decide which growing method to use when I expand my op.


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## skeeterleg (Apr 22, 2009)

I have been thinking of a way to make it easier to monitor, change and control the nutrients in multiple wf&#8217;s. How to completely exchange the nutes constantly? 

This is what I have come up with:
1. Use one res / no control needed.
2. Pump the water directly in a continuous supply loop from the res to the drip rings (or a top feed) with a return for the excess water to drain back to res. 
3. The water drains into the bottom of the wf and then gravity flows back to the res. Two options here: 
a. You could drain from the bottom which would exchange the water in each wf more thoroughly and may help wash out residue on the bottom. Control the water level with a valve. The flow from the feed would have to be the same as the drain. This would be done with the valves. If your water pump goes out here you are fucked!
b. Or just install the drain at the level you want the water in the wf as an overflow with no valve required. This would have more or a tendency to have build up in the bottom of the wf. If your water pump goes out here your good!
4. Install a valve at each drip ring supply to control flow through the drip rings. 
5. Install a valve for each return line from the wf to control water level in wf for root bathing. No valve for side drain set at fill height. 
6. Have an air stone in each wf and the res. 

My thoughts were that this would constantly re circulate the water in each wf keeping things mixed up and oxygenated. To check change or adjust nutes/ph just turn off the pump and let all the water drain back to the res. This way the nutes/ph is easier to control and adjust and be consistent in all the wf&#8217;s. Once you get your nutes done turn the pump on and your done. 

If you want to grow different strains that require different nutes then this idea would not be ideal. But if you grow one strain or strains that like the same nutes it would easy to manage. They key is to have a strong enough water pump and to control the drip ring flow and the return flow in order to keep the water level in the wf at the desired level for the roots. 

What do you guys think??? Has anyone tried this?


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## headbandrocker (Apr 24, 2009)

skeeterleg said:


> Hey Headbandrocker
> 
> I was curious about the dwc and aero comparison you did:
> 
> ...


Hi to awnser your ?
The dwc was a homemade 2gal bucket with net pot and single airstone,the aeroponics is running 24/7, i am playing around with an aeroponic bucket idea as the biggest problem with aero is the roots grow together and are hard to move,the bucket would eliminate this.
I do all my vegging in a easycloner 12o and my clones have bark on the stems at 3 weeks,the aero for some reason {even in veryclose quarters} produces crazy amounts of side branches/spears/tops etc.And 26+ inches of roots~ The U shapped pic is a cool dwc design that is very cheap and i heard it works well

cool links:
http://www.alternative-innovation.com/free-how-to-build-hydroponic-waterfarm-system-plan.html

http://www.alternative-innovation.com/free-hydroponic-system-plans.html


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## skeeterleg (Apr 24, 2009)

Thanks bro!


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## Hulk Nugs (May 3, 2009)

Sick thread man i am really glad i found it, just started doing a search for all waterfarm threads. I have two my self and i am looking to harvest what i have so i can do some mods my self got alot of great tips and ideas. Just have to make a Waterfarm subform in the Hyrdro room like the DWC and the AERO has .... have fun growing i know i am


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## Merlin85 (Jun 10, 2009)

What kind of watering drip schedule do you have your plants on..this is my first grow and I have my plants set at 8 times a day for 15 minutes each..does this sound about right? Little to little..little too much..what do you think?


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## Merlin85 (Jun 10, 2009)

What kind of watering drip schedule do you have your WF set on? This is my first grow and I have mine set one 8 times a day, 15 minutes each. They seem to be doing alright, but does this sound like a to little, or even to much..what do you guys have yours set at?


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## Hulk Nugs (Jun 10, 2009)

i leave mine on never shuts off untill the end of the grow


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## Merlin85 (Jun 10, 2009)

Hulk Nugs said:


> i leave mine on never shuts off untill the end of the grow


 
Really?? So is that the norm then? I thought that mine was going to get too much water leaving it on 24/7. Is this the way everyone runs it?


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## jollytime (Jun 10, 2009)

I run mine 24 hours from clone to flower then cut down.By then the roots are in the pods and they use a little less water


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## benthead (Jun 14, 2009)

i run mine 15 on 2hr off durjng light periods. 15 on 4 hr off during dark


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## MickFoster (Jun 15, 2009)

I run mine 24/7 until the roots grow into the bottom rez - then I eliminate the drip ring and put an airstone in the rez for the rest of the grow.


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## Knally (Jun 15, 2009)

MickFoster said:


> I run mine 24/7 until the roots grow into the bottom rez - then I eliminate the drip ring and put an airstone in the rez for the rest of the grow.


Cut a hole in the center of the top bucket and feed your rootball down through into the reservoir with an airstone. Your net pot should sit tight in the hole to keep your hydroton, silica rocks, etc. from falling through. You'll get very good results.

I run my drip nonstop, but my girls get fed from inside the bottom reservoir with their roots filling up the bottom container.

Good luck.


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## usagiakui (Jun 20, 2009)

Hey everyone, I just joined and would love to know how to give +rep points.... 

Anyway, I just got back from my local hydroponics store and purchased a Waterfarm "complete kit"!(the one that comes with the hardware, air pump, hose, Hydroton clay pebbles and all three 8 oz nutrient bottles... Yeah, im excited). 


*Pics coming soon* 

I picked up these items to go along with it:

NGW Mylar roll 25ft
GH pH control kit
Hydrion Papers pH test roll dispenser
60-120 gallon dual port air pump (used for $6!!!)
4" disc air stone
NGW Ecolplus small round airstone
10' of 1/4" plastic tubing

*Pics coming soon*

Now, what I already have setup right now is:

45"L x 22"W x 60"H of grow space (portion of closet)

Since this is my first time, I germinated 8 old seeds from some great "sinsemilla" (sometimes you'll find one or two in a large quantity... if you're experienced with final products and consuming mass amounts of the final products like I am you'll know that you will come across a seed in a dank BAG every once in a blue moon. anyway sry im high lol) batches that i've been throughout the past couple of years or so.. . I also get them from buddies, too. Always Dank shit. 
Ok so they're good seeds.  
As soon as they were geminated, I planted them into 8 5" black nursery pots. I believe they're all about 2.5L each.

*Pics coming soon*

They sprouted and grew into beautiful babies really quickly and as of now they stand at a WHOPPING 
4". Ha. But hey they grew to that size in a matter of 12 days or so. They love this organic soil, I tell ya!


*Soil*
BIOCANNA BIO Terra Plus (BIOCANNA :: The Bio Solution for growth and bloom ::)
Amendments - very little perlite

*Nutrients*
As of now, excluding the nutes that come with the WF kit, I have BIOCANNA BioVega.
I actually included a 1/4 strength dosage of this in my irragation water for the first time today! (We'll see how they do, i'll keep you posted.)

*Pics coming soon*

*Lights* 
Hydrofarm System Comp Fluorescent 125W Daylight [FLCO125D]
(heres the direct hydrofarm link just in case you arent directly familiar with it: Hydrofarm - Hydrofarm FLCO125D System Comp Fluorescent 125W Day)

8 26w daylight 6100k CFL


For now, since I am using CFL's, i'm not really getting any heat issues at plant level whatsoever.. they love this light. I have the light 2-5 inches from the plants at all times, and I have the 26w twistys on dual sockets that I have mounted onto the Hydrofarm reflector itself so they are adjustable on two different joints it makes sense when you see it (man my camera has water damage )

I also have a Hydrofarm Sunburst 250W HPS/MH Convertible [SBC250]
(Hydrofarm - Hydrofarm SBC250 Sunburst 250W HPS/MH Convertible)
just laying around waiting for flowering time. I know that with this model of reflector I have the capability of coverting to a MH during vegg, but i'd rather not deal with the heat issues for now considering the fact that it gets hotter than hell out here during the summer time (in the SW), of course. SOOooOO, throwing that all aside..

I have the temp at a constant 76F / RH 40-55% at plant level during the day...

At night, the temps drop to as low as 66F / RH 40%.

Plants like it, but im going hydro, yo..

I'm going to cull out the weakset links little by little over the course of this week. I will buy a camera before I decide to cull any at all and ask for opinions and suggestions based upon pics and whatnot. After that, I will rinse off soil and transplant to my WF that will already have pH'ed water running in it.....
airstones and all.... 

WELL, ACTUALLY I was wondering about that. I have heard different things about having the airstone in play during the early stages of vegg growth.. "Early stages" in this case would be classified as: before the roots directly come into contact with Res. water. 
Now what's better, running the 4" disc airstone and all from the get-go OR running only the drip ring while the roots haven't reached the res... or does it even matter.
My guess would be it does really matter as in life or death for the plants, lols, but I would think more aeration and oxygen in the res water at any given point of growth is good. Especially considering that fact that when I was at the actual "hydro store" itself they had a display WF going with the same 4" disc airstone mod I got. He lifted the growing reservoir and all I saw was this whirlwind of bubbles in the solution. It actually increases "visible" circulation in reservoir ROOT MASS, too. 
But hey, i'm just guessing. 
Another thing about the number of plants per Waterfarm... How many plants do YOU reccomended for a ScrOG setup on on Waterfarm?

I wanna know how many I should cull out, or just pick ONE favorite.


I have been reading this forum amongst others for months and months on end. I carefully decided to pick out the forum I wanted to register for. (I dont want to be on every damn forum for parnoia sakes) I chose THIS forum because all of the "high rep, high contributing" peeps don't seem to be assholes and I enjoy that.  So i'm hOping I can get some decent input and suggestions down the road. 

I will keep you updated. I WILL BE POSTING STEP BY STEP PICS ASAP ( camera got wet, buying a new one sometime very very soon... maybe tommorow if i get the chance 
*BUT* my memory card is drying out and by tomorrow I will have uploaded the pics I have already taken. Hence, "*Pics coming soon*")

So yeah, once again.... REP POINTS: HOW DO YOU GIVE EM?

Great thread by the way.. I'm glad I found it.
Thanks for reading! Hope I didn't bore you! 
time to fill in my profile info..


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## usagiakui (Jun 21, 2009)

Didn't mean to attempt to "hi-jack" ur shiat.. 

Check it out Caddyluck: https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/205727-waterfarm-closet-grow-first-grow-cfls-250w-hps.html

Link is in my sig too. See you there!


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## mutzilla (Jul 1, 2009)

I accidently planted my clones a little low in the bucket and the drip rings spit up on the leaves, whoops. i guess you just have to plant them high or have the drip rings right at the hydroton level. I also don't feel like the recirculating kit really recirculates all that well. I am having trouble also with the tubes kinking on the outside, the big blue ones. think I just have to start over being a little more carefull.


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## headbandrocker (Jul 5, 2009)

I hooked my w/fs up to my multibucket e&f system after noticing some premature browning of hairsat week 3 ,so well see how she does


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## DarkMark911 (Jul 28, 2009)

do leave the water pump running all the time?


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## MickFoster (Jul 28, 2009)

mutzilla said:


> I accidently planted my clones a little low in the bucket and the drip rings spit up on the leaves, whoops. i guess you just have to plant them high or have the drip rings right at the hydroton level. I also don't feel like the recirculating kit really recirculates all that well. I am having trouble also with the tubes kinking on the outside, the big blue ones. think I just have to start over being a little more carefull.


You definitely have to keep the drip rings on the hydroton or it will splash. If you have the upgrade circulating kit for the waterfarms and it's hooked up properly - I assure you that it is working. It may not seem to be doing much but it is keeping the ppm and ph in all the buckets the same. Try cutting your blue tubes shorter to avoid kinking.



DarkMark911 said:


> do leave the water pump running all the time?


Waterfarms don't use water pumps - they use air pumps. If that's what you mean - then yes leave them on all the time. I however eliminate the drip rings altogether once the roots grow into the bottom chamber and add an airstone in each bucket - similar to dwc.


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## li0n (Sep 19, 2009)

when i plant a seedling, how will the rockwool get wet if it was in the middle of the drip ring? how will the the drip reach it?


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## flipsidesw (Sep 19, 2009)

I had better luck using more established clones and planting them about 2'' beneath the hydroton.. I had to hand water for the first week so.. Once they get going i ran the drip 24 hours a day...


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## deliott (Sep 20, 2009)

I've got the 8 pack kit + circulating kit and set it all up with regular water as a test run.

One of the things I noticed right away, is that the water pumps + tubes going into the ring only make somewhat sporadic water splashes into each container. It took a long time before all the buckets had water coming out of the rings, and some of the rings would only drip a couple drops every few seconds.

Its not a steady stream of water coming out of each hole. some of the rings drip more than others, I'm not really sure that this is working the way it should.

You'd think that each hole of the drip rings would be dripping water constantly when its turned on, not a few drips here and there every few seconds.


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## deliott (Sep 20, 2009)

And also thats a really good question, how does the drip ring make the center rockwool cube wet, or any of the clay pellets NOT directly underneath the ring wet, since theres only a few drops of water randomly every few seconds.


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## Cabane (Nov 3, 2009)

Mod to the mod for single WF setup. Reference post 69. I seperated the drain from the sight glass. The single unit took too long to drain because of the air tube obstruction. I run pump all the time. Cut mylar to cover ring and errant splash.


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## smokey420bandit (Dec 25, 2009)

high, i'm a first time indoor "dro" grower.
i just bought one.. have some questions?
do i leave my pump on 24/7? i have been doing 12/12 with the lights?
good, not good?
i haven't shut the pump off yet. its been 2 weeks. its looking pretty good so far. 
any helpful tips?


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## smokey420bandit (Dec 25, 2009)

oh and i've been using nestle pure life purified mineral water. its been through reverse osmosis. is that the right water.

i heard to collect rain water??


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## CaStoner (Dec 28, 2009)

Those with waterfarms I recommend getting a chiller if you get root rot it's all for NOT! I run my drippers 1/2 hr on 1/2 hr off was on 24hr but showed signs of overwatering plus I wanted to add some drying time for the top roots.

My current grow, Started with 3 plants per bucket 24 total 8 males, 16 females.
Just starting 4th week of flowering.


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## LuciferX (Dec 28, 2009)

SciensWiz said:


> yea you have to get the kit if you want to use the waterfarm..otherwise its not worth it when you could just get a good ebb and flow...
> 
> Hey D4 what kind of pump are you using to return to the control unit? Ive got the regular old recirculating setup with a 30-60 gal air pump im using..its not pumping hardly any water out of it anymore though and im thinking maybe its because there is so much root mass in my buckets? Any opinions would be much appreciated.


 I upgraded my recirc pump to one that put out 10x more air and it got my system going a lot better when there was a large root mass, might want to upgrade that air pump.


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## JYogi (Mar 19, 2010)

Come on guys, lets keep this thread going with tips and tricks.

I was considering ordering the waterfarm 8 with the recirc kit.
Upgrading that air pump right away to a much stronger one (how strong should I go?).

Drilling larger holes in the bottom of the bucket (how big do you guys go?)

Also I thought I would get a pump to run a airstone in the bottom of each bucket through
the entire grow (any suggestion on pump power for 8 airstones at the bottom of the buckets). The airstone wont hurt anything in the early stages (may not help as the roots are still too high)
but when the roots reach it, it will be ready and waiting! I also want a airstone in the main bucket to keep the nutrients
and all well mixed.

Still trying to decide a proper water schedule, seems what you hear is all over, I hear 15 on per hour, 15 on every 4 hrs,
15 per hr during light or 24 straight. 

I was thinking of keeping my reservoir and controller outside of my tent to keep it out of the intense heat.

Any help or advice?

Any suggestions on nutrient selection? I want something nice and clean as I do not want think buildup in
the lines (I hear BC products are much thicker for example).

Are any of you running hydrogen peroxide in this set up?

Also what are your thoughts on CO2? I am running a 4X8 tent (will have 3 going a mth apart).
I already have 2 tanks that are about 5 ft tall and also have plenty of the knee high ones.
I would have to buy a controller but that is not too much in the big scheme of things.

I really kicked back and forth between this system and the EuroGrower.......
I am thinking this is getting the edge on the Euro grower as I rather a ring, it allows more water
spread than a drib tube alone. I can keep the reservoir outside of the tent and I can also use airstones
at the bottom.


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## Hulk Nugs (Apr 22, 2010)

Not sure if this is a stupid question or not but here it goes.

Why is there a Res and a Control, couldnt there just be a big Control?

Also not really understanding how the water gets moved around to each Farm with just a air pump in the Control. 

Trying to find some close up pics of the controls insides workings, was hoping for a video but GH's videos are outdated.


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## soulstripper (Apr 25, 2010)

I got my 8 babies growin in my table for 2 weeks now. I got my waterfarm yesterday, and putting it together. the shut off valves are a great Idea! Its half set up now, and will finish it off when my current crop comes out.. woo hoo.. Sounds like a good system


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## soulstripper (Apr 25, 2010)

When you drain it. Your draining from the controller unit, does it draw all the water from the 8 units, or do you have to empty each one seperately?


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## ianb (Apr 25, 2010)

deliott said:


> And also thats a really good question, how does the drip ring make the center rockwool cube wet, or any of the clay pellets NOT directly underneath the ring wet, since theres only a few drops of water randomly every few seconds.


lets see this answered, Having trouble seeing how my new clones will get their rockwool wet.


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## soulstripper (May 2, 2010)

ianb said:


> lets see this answered, Having trouble seeing how my new clones will get their rockwool wet.


Wet 4 inch rockwell cubes and put your clone (hopefully in a rockwool plug) in the center whole on the 4 inch cube. Push it down, make sure its conected good, and now when you put it under the rings it will get a kines o' nutrient.


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## noob4life (May 11, 2010)

Hulk Nugs said:


> Also not really understanding how the water gets moved around to each Farm with just a air pump in the Control.
> 
> Trying to find some close up pics of the controls insides workings, was hoping for a video but GH's videos are outdated.


The Water farm uses what it calls the "Circulating pump Column" which is the long tube part of the drip system. There are two hoses in the "Pump Column" that are joined BELOW THE WATER. This connection BELOW the water insures that there is always water in the tube that runs to the drip ring. Now hooking up an air pump to the other tube pushes air into the drip ring tube that happens to already have water in it and viola! it pumps water to the top using an air compressor.

Somebody else mentioned how long to run the air pump or how long to water a day. I am no expert... in fact im a noob4life, but I believe GH tells you to leave it run with your lights. This might be a good practice but what sounds like happens to a lot of people is that the Waterfarms when off siphon water back through the air tubes flooding your room. In which case you either need to keep your air pump very high up or run it 24/7 so that it doesn't have time to siphon air back.

just my $.04 (twice the advice)


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## dangrus303 (May 17, 2010)

just wondering w/ the waterfarm 8 pk how often do i need to drain the res (if i have upgrade kit)???? please and thanks

d


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## dangrus303 (May 17, 2010)

im gunna have a million questions for this post so bare w/ me.... TOTAL NEWB! I appreciate all the advice and knowledge that this site offers!!!!!

d


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## RandyR (May 18, 2010)

what size air pump would one use for just a single wf setup???? iam wondering this cause mine starts good but after about 3 or 4 min it seems to stop pumping! it also makes a diff noise like water not making it up to the tee and falling back down?? anyone had problems like this??
ps this is a brand new kit and its the first test run i ran it all nite only to find that it had stoped pumping. i tried to fix it by taking out the drip ring setup and reseting it back in but it only starts good for only 3 min wtf


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## CapnBud (May 19, 2010)

dangrus303 said:


> just wondering w/ the waterfarm 8 pk how often do i need to drain the res (if i have upgrade kit)???? please and thanks
> 
> d


 i would suggest changing the res every 7 days...understand there will be residual left in the buckets themselves


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## dangrus303 (May 20, 2010)

hey capn... Have you heard of the site hydofanatics.com? They claim i can get a waterfarm 8pk for 339.00 I have emailed them 3 times w/ no response yet... what do you think? Thanks so much for any input!!!


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## CapnBud (May 22, 2010)

dangrus303 said:


> hey capn... Have you heard of the site hydofanatics.com? They claim i can get a waterfarm 8pk for 339.00 I have emailed them 3 times w/ no response yet... what do you think? Thanks so much for any input!!!


never heard of them. but let my experience from past failures help u.

make ur own modified wafterfarm.
garb the inner bucket from online for about 5 each.
then follow this grow design but apply it to our waterfarm theory
20 gal buckets yes!
i.e.....get a huge 50+ gal garbage bin, tap out your plumbing holes. (feed lines 1/4" and return pipe 2")
follow shaggytodopes idea for a lid its great! light pattern is essential! expect great yeilds


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## Gnarley (Jun 29, 2010)

OK, love the thread found it just in time just got the water farm 8 pk(Ebay 200.00 still should have just made it myself but...) well i got 9, four on each side with a 9th on the end that acts like a T(my own idea I like to call the niner set-up). i have a 100gph inline pump in cold water bucket in center of pick. this pump draws from controller and releases in to 9th bucket. (9th bucket is better if it is 4 inches higher than other buckets,also pump has to be on timer still working out kinks) three weeks till i crop my plants in dirt and move this hydro setup in to its new home. My 9'longx6'widex8'tall grow tent w/3 inter linked air cooled 600 watt mh/hps.i will post more pic when final setup occurs. i would like to hear everyone's thoughts and ideas thx


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## Gnarley (Jun 29, 2010)

top view of niner and controller bucketscontroller and res will be out side of tent in final setup.res will have shut off and will only be allowed to top off controler once a day. i plan to use connoisseur on this grow along with some other advanced juices.Has anyone seen or used ph perfect? prolly wont start this grow till more like end of August. so all info i can get is as always appreciated, thx


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## dr green dre (Jun 29, 2010)

d4twamp said:


> I'm in the process of getting things together to build a recirc. DWC w/ 10 gallon grow cells... I'm talkin tree pots I've seen people use 20 gallon buckets and grow 4 plants that produced 12 L-bo's
> 
> Here are some pix of his op



thats looks huge..i like ur idea ,very intresting done some thing similar my self..check pics.. how much u get off the big one?


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## Hulk Nugs (Jun 29, 2010)

looking good d3twamp

I was thiking somthing like this just using the waterfarms and making somthing like the currentcultersetup (<--web link) witch you kinda did.

Looking forward to the updates pics, post up a link if you start a journal!!


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## Gnarley (Jul 1, 2010)

dr green dre said:


> thats looks huge..i like ur idea ,very intresting done some thing similar my self..check pics.. how much u get off the big one?


what do you mean how much off the big one???? after playing with it for a few days, using water color to see how it would flow i think ill have it run for 3min once every hour. the gravity takes about another 10 to level the water out and dump back in to controller. ill prolly start a journal on this project in a few weeks


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## dr green dre (Jul 2, 2010)

d4twamp said:


> I'm in the process of getting things together to build a recirc. DWC w/ 10 gallon grow cells... I'm talkin tree pots I've seen people use 20 gallon buckets and grow 4 plants that produced 12 L-bo's
> 
> Here are some pix of his op


I was talking about tha 4 pic,the huge plant!! 



Gnarley said:


> what do you mean how much off the big one???? after playing with it for a few days, using water color to see how it would flow i think ill have it run for 3min once every hour. the gravity takes about another 10 to level the water out and dump back in to controller. ill prolly start a journal on this project in a few weeks


then i read further down and i see its not his grow.. 
you grow drip/bubbler before? what times would use for drip?
thnx


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## Gnarley (Jul 7, 2010)

I run my dripper 18ON/6OFF


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## li0n (Sep 5, 2010)

*Does anyone use the "Dry pH DOWN" to adjust the ph in waterfarms?*

I heard good stuff about this dry ph down & up.. its from General Hydroponics..
I think i'm going to try it soon.. but if anyone ever used it with waterfarms please tell me how effective it was? i had a few problems keeping my ph stable with the liquid ph down..


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## li0n (Sep 5, 2010)

ping!.....


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## SoFloFlame (Sep 25, 2010)

li0n said:


> *Does anyone use the "Dry pH DOWN" to adjust the ph in waterfarms?*
> 
> I heard good stuff about this dry ph down & up.. its from General Hydroponics..
> I think i'm going to try it soon.. but if anyone ever used it with waterfarms please tell me how effective it was? i had a few problems keeping my ph stable with the liquid ph down..


What exactly do you mean? Are you talking about the bottles you can buy to adjust it? Or a powder?


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## li0n (Sep 26, 2010)

its in powder form.. not liquid like the one in the pic


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## SoFloFlame (Sep 27, 2010)

li0n said:


> its in powder form.. not liquid like the one in the pic



Any reason in particular that you like the power over the liquid? Does it do anything different or special that the liquid doesn't?


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## li0n (Sep 27, 2010)

thats actually what i was trying to find out.. i dont know if it is better than the liquid... i was just asking if anyone has ever used it ... to give us a little info about it.. i just started using it now but i have a feeling it is less stable than the liquid form given the same conditions of res.... just hoping 4 a little feedbck from guys who have tried it..


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## SoFloFlame (Sep 27, 2010)

The only issue i could think that the powder would have is dissolving time.


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## sativahigh (Sep 28, 2010)

Hey guys, I was just wondering, what is the best way to check PH and PPM using a waterfarm or power grower? The top container is a bit heavy filled with hydroton and it seems like a bad idea once the roots reach the water in the res. How do you guys do it? Is it safe to lift it while the roots are hanging down? Also, doesnt light harm the roots? Or does it not matter if its just for a short period amount of time. Thanks!


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## li0n (Sep 28, 2010)

sativahigh said:


> Hey guys, I was just wondering, what is the best way to check PH and PPM using a waterfarm or power grower? The top container is a bit heavy filled with hydroton and it seems like a bad idea once the roots reach the water in the res. How do you guys do it? Is it safe to lift it while the roots are hanging down? Also, doesnt light harm the roots? Or does it not matter if its just for a short period amount of time. Thanks!


its ok to expose the roots for a short period of time.. there is another way if ur using a single unit.. use the blue water level tube to drain a little water just to test, by rotating it downwards.. but i suggest draining the whole tube to get water from inside the resevior instead of testing the water that has been in the tube for a while.... another way which is probably the best is if you have a T or elbow fitting with a valve connected to the bottom so u can easily drain the water out ...


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## SoFloFlame (Sep 28, 2010)

li0n said:


> its ok to expose the roots for a short period of time.. there is another way if ur using a single unit.. use the blue water level tube to drain a little water just to test, by rotating it downwards.. but i suggest draining the whole tube to get water from inside the resevior instead of testing the water that has been in the tube for a while.... another way which is probably the best is if you have a T or elbow fitting with a valve connected to the bottom so u can easily drain the water out ...



Thats actually a really good idea man!
Thanks for the info


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## sativahigh (Sep 28, 2010)

li0n said:


> its ok to expose the roots for a short period of time.. there is another way if ur using a single unit.. use the blue water level tube to drain a little water just to test, by rotating it downwards.. but i suggest draining the whole tube to get water from inside the resevior instead of testing the water that has been in the tube for a while.... another way which is probably the best is if you have a T or elbow fitting with a valve connected to the bottom so u can easily drain the water out ...



cool. thanks. Ill have to check to see how easy it would be to connect a T fitting. So when you fill the res, do you use a funnel and pour it down the blue tube? Or do you just pour it on top of the hydroton and let it drip down to the res?

Also, how long do I have to wait before I check the PPM after adding nutes? No I have to wait a while to let it all mix in? I used to just stir it with a spatula but wont be able to without taking the top bucket off.


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## sativahigh (Sep 30, 2010)

sativahigh said:


> cool. thanks. Ill have to check to see how easy it would be to connect a T fitting. So when you fill the res, do you use a funnel and pour it down the blue tube? Or do you just pour it on top of the hydroton and let it drip down to the res?
> 
> Also, how long do I have to wait before I check the PPM after adding nutes? No I have to wait a while to let it all mix in? I used to just stir it with a spatula but wont be able to without taking the top bucket off.


Can anyone offer any tips??


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## upthearsenal (Sep 30, 2010)

i take off the top bucket and set up on the side/corner on the botton bucket, there's a nice fit. i mix everything very well then check ppm, i then check pH and make adjustments. your plant will drink a lot of water, so use that blue thing on the side a gauge as to when you need to top off. always keep the res level about two inches from the top bucket. if the water level drops and you don't top off the ppm will shoot up.


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## mountaingirl2 (Oct 29, 2010)

I've been growin aero for the last year and just started 4 individual water farms with no common res. I've added an extra airstone to each res but my water temps are getting to high 70's and even the low 80's when lights are on. I added ice packs in the morning. So question. What temps are you guys finding acceptable with the buckets that don't cause pathogens. Does the air pumping water allow for higher temps? Any tips on lowering temps other than insulating the buckets??


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## mountaingirl2 (Nov 1, 2010)

I just transplanted a plant from veg into a waterfarm and the next day it was wilting. The root system is in the water and there is an extra airstone in there. ph5.8-6.2 ppm's 1150, hps600 light, co2. Any ideas?


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## PITTSBURGHFAN (Mar 7, 2013)

Knally said:


> Same as you so far; take out the pumping column and air line, clean it up from clogs and put it back.


 vinegar makes it easy


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## PITTSBURGHFAN (Mar 7, 2013)

mountaingirl2 said:


> I've been growin aero for the last year and just started 4 individual water farms with no common res. I've added an extra airstone to each res but my water temps are getting to high 70's and even the low 80's when lights are on. I added ice packs in the morning. So question. What temps are you guys finding acceptable with the buckets that don't cause pathogens. Does the air pumping water allow for higher temps? Any tips on lowering temps other than insulating the buckets??


dude they call it weed for a reason it will survive in heat just not constant and above 90 but my plants outside in tx gets 100 degrees and they are fine


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## mountaingirl2 (Mar 8, 2013)

There is a very small aquarium chiller that you can drill through the side of the waterfarm that is powerful enough to chill one bucket. They are about $65. I have some hooked up to a common res and then can attach a chiller to that. Water temps are pretty important. I try to keep below a 75degree threshhold.


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## Tdubb (Mar 18, 2013)

I have 10 waterfarms setup with the recirculating kit, controller and res. The recirculating time is way too slow with just one air pump forcing air down the tube creating suction in the controller bucket. Can anyone recommend a specific air pump that would work? My thought if that the air power was too powerful it could actually reduce the flow of water. 

Anyways, i hooked up a small Durapump to the return line that is normally hookedup to the pumping column with the air pump in the controller bucket. The waterflow was way too fast and the control bucket filled up faster then it could drain back out to the other buckets. So i tried again and this time put a 1/2 inch shut off valve in-line but even with it barley open it was filling the controller too fast. Does anybody have a solution for either option as i am looking to increase the speed it recirculates.


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## mountaingirl2 (Mar 19, 2013)

I have a rio 800 pump hooked up to my 8 bucket system. I had to crank it down very low so it would reduce flow but it does the job better than the pumping column. I had to experiment with the opening of the pump a bit but now I have about 4 inches higher water in the first bucket than the last and the circulation is pretty good. Cheers


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## Tdubb (Mar 19, 2013)

mountaingirl2 said:


> I have a rio 800 pump hooked up to my 8 bucket system. I had to crank it down very low so it would reduce flow but it does the job better than the pumping column. I had to experiment with the opening of the pump a bit but now I have about 4 inches higher water in the first bucket than the last and the circulation is pretty good. Cheers


Yeah that's the problem i was having. I guess that's just the nature of having skinny 1/2 drain tubing. So you are running the pump submersible hookedup to the return line in the bottom of the bucket and just removed that little pumping column? I'll give it another shot and tinker around with it some more i guess. The disparity between how fast the the controller would fill and drain was making me a little uncomfortable. I didn't wanna have a massive overflow issue in there. The air column does work but its just pathetically slow! If i hadn't already set it up i would have increased the size of the drain lines.


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## mytwhyt (Mar 19, 2013)

This is what you need to do to increase the recirculating speed of the water. Remove the pumping column setup that goes in the reservoir. You need to install in its place a 1-1/4" stand pipe that ends above the surface of the water in the reservoir. Much like the one in this picture.. This reservoir set up is for a one plant grow.. 
With a standing 1-1/4" water column you can drop in 3 WF pumping columns.. 3 times faster. .Also they are removable by simply lifting the pumping columns out for cleaning. Thats not possible with the WF system.. The one shown is 3/4" thin wall PVC, with 1 pumping column.. Its not shown, but the top of the stand pipe needs some stabilizing support. I'll dig up a pic of what I mean..


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## Tdubb (Mar 21, 2013)

mytwhyt said:


> This is what you need to do to increase the recirculating speed of the water. Remove the pumping column setup that goes in the reservoir. You need to install in its place a 1-1/4" stand pipe that ends above the surface of the water in the reservoir. Much like the one in this picture.. This reservoir set up is for a one plant grow..
> With a standing 1-1/4" water column you can drop in 3 WF pumping columns.. 3 times faster. .Also they are removable by simply lifting the pumping columns out for cleaning. Thats not possible with the WF system.. The one shown is 3/4" thin wall PVC, with 1 pumping column.. Its not shown, but the top of the stand pipe needs some stabilizing support. I'll dig up a pic of what I mean..


Ah clever! Seems pretty simple but unless i'm missing something when you shove multiple pumping columns down the larger pipe you added they are not exactly sealed in down there? It still works though?


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## mytwhyt (Mar 21, 2013)

The pumping columns only need to be dropped into the 1-1/4" water column to work.. Of course they each need air. It's that simple. The water in the column is from the last container in line. It refills as fast as it's pumped out..


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## Tdubb (Mar 27, 2013)

mytwhyt said:


> The pumping columns only need to be dropped into the 1-1/4" water column to work.. Of course they each need air. It's that simple. The water in the column is from the last container in line. It refills as fast as it's pumped out..


Cool, i just bought 2 more pumping columns on ebay. I experimented with various pumps i have, but even dialed all the way down the control bucket would still fill faster then it would drain back out to the 1st bucket. This skinny 1/2 inch tubing doesn't allow the water to circulate fast enough so I hope with a few more pumping columns it should help but not be overkill.

Also, i hookedup a 1/10th hp chiller in line between the control bucket. The problem again is that the water in the control bucket is real cool (66 F), but the system circulates so darn slow, by the time the water makes it's loop and gets to my last bucket in the series, the water in that bucket is 10-15 degrees hotter. The cool water can't be dispersed quick enough by the pull of the single pumping column. And with a pump hookedup pulling water into the res from the last bucket in series, the control bucket fills faster then it can flow back out to the 1st bucket!!

Is anybody else out there successfully running an inline chiller with an 8 pack? The only thing the chiller is cooling right now is the control bucket!! The way i have mine hookedup right now is the usual way with a submersible pump in the res matched to the chiller, which is pumping out to the chiller, then it is being luffed back into the control bucket, and then dispersed like a waterfall with a 3/4th inch T. The problem is the cool water can't get to the buckets fast enough to keep bucket temps down under the 2 1000's i have going. Anybody have any solution besides gutting the whole damn thing and modding it with either 3/4th or 1 inch tubing? (this isn't something i can't do now because I'm already in veg.


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## mytwhyt (Mar 28, 2013)

The problem I had when using a stand along WF was with the hydroton. The small pcs. that fall into the bottom of the bucket. Some stay in suspension near the bottom, and when draining they plug and slow the flow of the water, almost stopping it. An air stone would almost guarantee a clog.. With the stand alone WF you just blow into the drain tube and it clears.
I'm planing a 3 bucket grow in modified WFs and I'm using the filters that are used in bubbler's to prevent clogs. The the filter needs to be trimmed to fit tight in a 5/8" long pc of 1/2" ID blue vinyl hose. That short pc of hose goes on the part of the 1/2" barbed connector that sticks through, past the grommet ontheinside.....



You'll need to make a change in the way you put on the three way fitting on pumping columns. Rotate the tee 90* and use a hole the brown tube went in.. Funny thing, the brown tube is slightly bigger, so you need a couple wraps of Teflon tape for a snug fit.. Don't push the pumping column past the side opening in the tee, that's where the water goes over the side of the stand pipe. I haven't made the stand pipe support yet , but it is a very necessary part of the set up. 

I can't seem to get the pics in the order I want..


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## mytwhyt (Mar 28, 2013)

This post will be edited in w/pics later.


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## mytwhyt (Mar 28, 2013)

To say this is a modified WF is stretching it a bit.. I'll only use the pumping column and hydroton.. Using an 5 gal igloo for a WF isn't the cheapest way to go, and this setup takes two. 25$ each at Chinamart. It adds about 4.5 gal to the 3.5 gal in the grow chamber for a total of 8, with about 5 gal available to the plant. The plan is to start with 65*f water and a frozen 2L water bottle in the reservoir, and then run for week, with frequent checks, and frozen water bottle changes.. I'll run it in my spare bathroom at 80*f room temp on a 12/12 heat cycle and we'll see what happens. I have high hopes.. 
Most of the through container parts and insulation come from Home Depot. I'll make a list...The rest of the parts, online, or a hydro store. I can't post a link, but, Greentree Hydroponics is the cheapest WF parts store. When you buy the complete WF pumping column, the grommet that comes with it fits the hole in igloo perfectly. Like it was made for it.. The only other fittings you need are two 1/2" straight barb connectors, and one.1/2" barb Tee and a plastic valve to plumb in a drain hose.. The Tee will go in line at the reservoir for the drain. The 90* 1/2" barb that comes with a complete column doesn't stick out of the igloo far enough to be used alone. The hole is somewhat recessed.
The screen support on this one is 1/2" PVC, 24"x30", and is for a friends 400 watt grow. A 30"x30" is about as large a screen as I would use. 
The orange column supports, and the shelf I couldn't resist making, are from the bottom of a HD 5-gal bucket.
The stand pipe needs the top support because if it were moved from side to side, that could cause a leak where it enters the reservoir.
The holes were drilled with a 3/4" hole saw. Measure up 2-1/2" up from the bottom on the outside. You can not drill the hole straight through. It needs to be at a slight upward angle,just a little. Put a ruler inside of the igloo and let it stick out and you can see the angle of the inside wall. Drilling at a slight angle will compensate so the washers will lie flat on the inside and outside..... 

What you see in the pics is a dry fitted complete single plant system for show and tell. I'll edit in a list of parts and assembly pics later. I only live 50 miles from the new hottest place on earth and have a real problem with reservoir temps...


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## mountaingirl2 (Mar 29, 2013)

I am having trouble also getting my pump that I hooked up to ciruculate properly. When I crank the orifice down so that it doesn't overfill the first bucket, the pump stops pumping. It must be getting clogged. So then I opened it up a bit and drilled a few holeds in the hose to let more water out and that didn't seem to work either. I went back to the pumping column again for the time being but my boyfriend is going to try some things so if he comes up with something I will let you know. Why do you want the water to pump so fast anyway? Are you having problems with Can't help with the chiller issue. I am going to use a chiller with mine but only have an 8 bucket system and 2-600 bulbs but don't need it yet. I have my res outside the room so it stays plenty cold right now.


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## mytwhyt (Mar 29, 2013)

The WF is designed to pump water from the last bucket into the reservoir.. Not from the reservoir to the buckets. A gravity leveling system, such as 8 WFs can't handle the increased water volume of a water pump, not without changing the 1/2" tubing to a much larger size.. I only use air pumps so I can't advise you on how to overcome your pumping problems.. You're designing a new system before you ever get the one you bought working... You started changing it, now you need to keep changing it till you get it to work.. Or go back to the pumping columns.. I don't understand the need for a water pump. I've ony tried to increase the recirculating speed of the water by adding two more water pumping columns..... Funny how changing one thing can fuck everything else up..


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## Dr.Amber Trichome (Mar 30, 2013)

howdy mytwhyt, i admire your focus and hard work creating your modified waterfarm. Its rather slick looking. I and i can tell your very crafty and a talented engineer. I never had a problem with hydroton going into the root bucket. Did you modifiy your extra drilled holes too big causing the hydroton to fall through them. I never had a pump clog problem thank good ness. 
I havent attempted connecting 2 waterfarms yet . 
Good luck with everything. and thanks for the heads up and suggestions. 
Peace
Amber


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## Don Gin and Ton (Mar 30, 2013)

Subbed to come back n read through. Good mods


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## Tdubb (Mar 30, 2013)

I can't speak for her but i was trying to increase the water flow because with my chiller the temp in the res is 65. Once the water travels all around in series through my 10 buckets it is 79 in the final bucket before coming back into the res. It doesn't circulate the water fast enough to keep temps consistent.


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## mytwhyt (Mar 30, 2013)

I must admit I did drill the holes a little larger than they should have been in my first farms... Now that I've switched to baskets I have the same problem. The solution was to pick out the largest pieces of hydroton and layer the bottom of the basket with them... Even the smallest pieces don't fall through the side openings.. Here's my last grow without an attached reservoir and no recirculating.. AK48 She's drinking a little more than a gal. a day. It's in 24"x42" screen. Camera angle doesn't do her justice. Day 58 12/12


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## mytwhyt (Mar 30, 2013)

Tdubb, You could change the system so buckets 1&10 are taking water from the reservoir and buckets 5&6 are plumbed to return the solution to the reservoir..You could make that return tube 3/4". With the extra pumping columns, and the same water not having to pass through all 10 buckets to get back to the reservoir should help keep the temp of the return water lower...


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## bambifoxi (Apr 1, 2013)

For the buildup i soak mine in h2o with peroxide 30min and it's mostly all gone


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## nameno (Apr 22, 2013)

I have not got over the mod Heath has on a w/f. Tree was the word.
I did not read every page here,but I saw some good looking mods.


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## Lemon king (Jul 9, 2013)

i need to make a lid for my aqua farm to turn it into dwc (hydroton is a waste imo)....any ideas
???


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## notpatient (Jul 15, 2013)

Lemon king said:


> i need to make a lid for my aqua farm to turn it into dwc (hydroton is a waste imo)....any ideas
> ???


they should have the lids at your local store If not google search 'ROPAK' thats the company that makes the buckets they will send you a sample pack out if you BS into thinking your buying some. I am a huge fan Of deepwater drip systems at the moment I have the 16xl from CCH20 and it top feeds 2x's a day ,Im diggin it !!


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## mytwhyt (Jul 15, 2013)

Lemon, if you don't like hydroton and want to do dwc, try one of the dwc threads.. This one's about waterfarms that use it... Your dislike for hydroton will have an echo there....


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## Tdubb (Jan 21, 2014)

mytwhyt said:


> Tdubb, You could change the system so buckets 1&10 are taking water from the reservoir and buckets 5&6 are plumbed to return the solution to the reservoir..You could make that return tube 3/4". With the extra pumping columns, and the same water not having to pass through all 10 buckets to get back to the reservoir should help keep the temp of the return water lower...


Super long delay for some follow up here, but as they say- better late then never. MYTWHYT, I really appreciate your tips about reworking the plumbing in addition to adding multiple pumping columns. Both proved to be good solutions for one 4 bucket Waterfarm setup, but nothing seemed to work for the 10 bucket setup. 2 additional waterfarms were added to a waterfarm 8 pack bringing the total up two ten, and are setup in two rows of five. I've only gone through one grow with this setup, and early on it became clear the single pumping column was not recirculating things at a fast enough rate. I have a chiller running in line pumping water out of the control bucket, into the chiller then the cooled water returns to the brain. The issue was the cool water recirculating so slowly had little impact on buckets 5-10. A temp could be 65 in the brain bucket and between 65-67 in 1-5, but shit got wild in the second row and water temps, PH and PPMs could be drastically different and effected the growth of those plants in row 2. I've grown before and I know that its a bit like cooking because its not a perfect science, but when nutrients being delivered to the plants are so different due to things not recirculating properly its gotta get fixed because it does effect yield. 

So just a little run down of how that turned out for me. Two of the ten plans ended up being hermies and one was an accidental auto flower seed the breeder must have mixed in, so i was reduced to 7 plants. The yield ended up being about 2 & 1/2 lbs which wasn't good but wasn't bad either for a run that literally seemed to have a problem at every turn. 

*Now* I'm in between harvests and before I even think about starting another crop I need to fix the setup. I was thinking of upgrading all the skimpy stock 1/2 inch tubing with 1 inch tube, and add a small pump in the res to really make this a recirculating system to keep the nutrient solution more consistent throughout. What I'm wondering is if anybody else has done this? I'm also wondering what type of fittings i should use for the upgraded pluming. The 1/2 fittings that pop in on each bucket that came stock with the setup were amazingly easy because they just pop in and no caulking is needed. Going up to 1 inch I gotta widen the existing prefabricated holes to make way for the 1 inch fitting. I know there are a million ways to do this and am no expert plumber so I'm looking for the easiest most painless way possible. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.


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## kushlatte (Oct 28, 2014)

I will be putting my babies under a V-scrog soon and have been getting in the practice of refilling the waterfarm through the top with the help of a funnel. My question is when it comes to using pH down, how do I get that into my solution effectively? Obviously I can't drop straight onto the hydroton (or can I?...doesn't seem right), should I just pour a few drops in a bowlful of pH'd water and then pour that in through the hydroton? Or should I drop it directly in the blue drain tube? I have done the blue tube once before and I didn't like that because it seems to effect only the water in the blue tube too long for my liking, giving me exaggerated low pH readings from my drain tube. Once the net is on these guys I wont be able to lift them up to access the rez, so I really need to figure this small, but annoying part out!


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## SeedHo (Oct 28, 2014)

kush try collecting a bigger sample thru the tube. the tube only holds a small amount.


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## kushlatte (Oct 28, 2014)

So you are saying, collect a large sample (like a cupful or bowlful) test it for pH and then add pH down to that bowl/cup and pour it back in through the hydroton?


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## SeedHo (Oct 28, 2014)

no....what you said is you didn`t like the sample that was in the tube..........twist the tube down ward, till you have water flowing and get your sample that way......i always toss samples.......seeing it was for testing i guess it wouldn`t hurt to pour it back in, i toss samples simply out of habit.


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## kushlatte (Oct 28, 2014)

I have no problem getting a good sample, my question is how to add pH down without lifting the top part of the farm? Pouring nute water or topping off is easy but what about when I just want to adjust the ph a little and the res is full? Do I just pour a small amount of ph down in a cup with some water and pour it down through the hydro ton?


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## SeedHo (Oct 28, 2014)

my bad........i don`t worry that much about the ph, ill leave that for someone else...........these things have such a small res, i just ph my add back. your only going have 2-3 days before you have to add back, and in flower they totally empty before you know it.


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## mytwhyt (Nov 16, 2017)

I'v not posted in this thread for about 3 years.... I. got a couple more mods to bring a regular WF to a unit that circulates it own dripring water from the chilled reservoir...
My first use of the standing water column did not have a pass through for the standing water column...
The biggest drawback with the mod was that you couldn't lift your girls skirt to check out her roots, and keep your hydroton balls in place at the same time... That problem was solved, out of pocket for about $3.50...
I found the solution here...... https://www.parts-express.com/speaker-cabinet-port-tube-1-1-8-id-x-6-1-2-l-flared--260-472, it needs to be shortened about 3/4-1".... The standing water column is a perfect fit inside this tapered cone..... Now the top bucket can be pulled out and the hydroton stays in the top bucket..
Since the water column is connected directly to the reservoir, it does not recirculate the grow chamber reservoir water, but lets the water be pumped by the dripring directly from the chilled reservoir..
The site window hole is now the return line to the chilled reservoir.. gravity returns the water to the chilled reservoir... Each dripring will circulate its own water at the rate of 5-6 gal an hour..
No glue or sealant is used to keep the cone in place...
Bought the drill at HD 7.00.. By drilling the exact hole size for ridges on the cone, it will snap in place like it was made for it....
I used the same hole location that GH put in the top bucket to drill the hole bigger... A round abs patch, smaller than the hole to be drilled was contact glued over the hole on the inside of the bucket... It wouldn't take the pressure when drilling the centering hole from the outside and peeled off.. So i inverted the bucket over a 4"x 4" x12" pc of wood to support the patch while drilling from the outside....
I think this'll be the last mod, probably the most needed.. forgot about this thread or would have done it sooner.... 
This next grow will be a 3 waterfarm setup with a 10 gal insulated reservoir, and a 1/0 hp chiller.
Will start a separate thread in about 3 weeks as soon as the flower room's free...


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