Dwc Buckets vs Dwc Tote(Bin)
- Thread starter Wand Via Stomps
- Start date
Dr Kynes
Well-Known Member
25 gallon roughneck tote with lid is $25 at target, those bastards hosed me. My buckets came from orchard supply, lid and bucket for $2 +tax
Wanda, reading about horticulture is rough on the noodle, try watching a couple of films, for example "I Grow Chronic" by Mr. Green. Dude is hilarious, and does things that seemed insane to me from my background in traditional farming, but it seems to work, and his advice hasn't steered me wrong yet. Even though Mr. Green appears to be baked though the entire film, he does a better job of demonstrating the methods and principles of hydroponics than Jorge Cervantes or Nico Escondido.
tip top toker
Well-Known Member
I just get my totes from the supermarket, regualr bedroom storage containers, £5-£10 a pop depending on size. Unless you buy online it is generally an accepted thing that you will be ripped off. Hell, i had to pay £10 for a short HDMI cable the other day because i was too impatient to buy it off ebay for £1
Southtexasman87
Active Member
One thing to watch out for is that u don't let any light in ur Rez to! It's very easy to get root slime that way! I would get the system running where u want it and test run for a couple days so u can see how ur temps run in ur area to see if they get to warm or not
Wand Via Stomps
Member
Tip top smoker- yea, i know thats a very important part if growing. Using ph kits, but some nutes balance it for you right? Do they work very well? I think using those would make it easier for me.
Southtexasman- yea i read about that, im gonna get a black or blue bucket with aluminum tape. I have heard that keeps temps down too.
Thanks guys. ; )
Southtexasman- yea i read about that, im gonna get a black or blue bucket with aluminum tape. I have heard that keeps temps down too.
Thanks guys. ; )
tip top toker
Well-Known Member
They balance it to a degree, but it is not simply an accepted thing. The quality of your water can have everything to do with altering PH. My tap water comes out at around 8.2 so i have no other option but to adust the ph prior to watering. Hydro needs a little more attention when it comes to PH than simple soil mixes.
Southtexasman87
Active Member
I had a blue tote 5 gal but I changed to a 1 gal bucket lil Easyer to manage
This is my first indoor hydro grow I have had a grow outside and I think it was Easyer to do but this is fun!! And yes make sure u Rez and room r around the right temps cuz I run about 10-15 deg higher then I should be and it seems kinda slow growing but good luck to yea fellow Texan!!
This is my first indoor hydro grow I have had a grow outside and I think it was Easyer to do but this is fun!! And yes make sure u Rez and room r around the right temps cuz I run about 10-15 deg higher then I should be and it seems kinda slow growing but good luck to yea fellow Texan!!
mike91sr
Well-Known Member
If surface area is so important because that's where DO is 'made', how come SWC with an extremely high surface area still needs aeration in the water to max out DO??...Because a high level of DO isn't just 'made', it has to be accessible to the water at ALL levels, not just the surface (ie airstones/waterfalls/any agitation with oxygen present). Besides, DO is only half the picture here. Oxygen that isn't dissolved in h2o(not DO) is just as good as oxygen that is(DO). ie aeroponics. Roots hang in oxygen, so they don't need any to be dissolved in the water they get. DO maxes out around 7-8ppm in normal conditions(average atmospheric pressure, temps), yet plants continue to benefit from more air. This is again because plants don't care if oxygen is dissolved in water or not, they just want as much oxygen as they can get, within reason of course. But find me somebody who said they had too much oxygen in their hydro setups.
WVS, I know you said you were burnt from reading, but a couple of of the better all-around sites I've found for info:
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=78POAWOmOLUC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=hydroponics&ots=pkn_Q9rtC9&sig=RzEO01rbSi8OHd5kUY7euBxKui0#v=onepage&q=hydroponics&f=false
http://www.usu.edu/cpl/research_hydroponics3.htm
Sorry, I just believe in getting info from verified sources, you find a lot of completely wrong information on these forums being passed as 'common sense' fact. Basic plant biology is really the best grow education you can start with. No, I dont include jorge in that category.
Also, I use DG nutes and don't adjust my ph if my ec is .4-.8. Anything above/below that and it falls slightly out of optimal range. My short experience with the GH 3-part was nothing but problems.
greensamurai420
Member
Here is an easy DWC set up for 2 plants. Heres what you'll need.
2-14 gal roughneck rubber maid totes. Dont get the cheap plastic ones the break very easily.
1 Dual output air pump.
1 submersable water pump
2 large air stones.
1 roll of black 1/4 tubing.
1 ft of 1 inch vinyl hose.
1 roll of 1/2 vinyl hose.
2 1 inch outlet nosel
1 1/2 outlet nosel
3 1 1/2 inch hose clamps
2 6 inch net pots
1 tube of silicone.
Drill with circle bit and regular bit for outlets nosels and air stone lines
1. each tote needs 2, 1 1/2'' holes drilled on the same long side of the tote. One about 2 inches from the bottom and another about an inch form the top. Do the same on the other tote. Use a smaller drill bit the make a hole and the top of each tote for the air tubing.
2. using the silicone to seal, attached the 1'' outlet nosels to the bottom of each tote.
3. On the tote you want your net pot to sit in connect the 1/2'' nosel on the top hole again using the cilcone to seal it. Let the totes dry over night before continuing
4. Cut the top of one of your lids to fit your two 6 inch net pots.
5. when the totes are dry connect them using the piece of 1'' hose and 2 hose clamps. (Gravity keeps the water level in both totes the same)
6. Place a large air stone in each tote with enough tubing to easily reach the air pump.
7. Place your submersible pump in your reservoir and use an appropriate length of 1/2 hose to connect the pump to the other tote via the 1/2 outlet nosel you installed in step 1
8. Fill your water up untill the bottom inch or so of your net pot in submerged.
Thats it! This system pumps solution into your grow tote then using gravity to re-cycle it back on the reservoir and keep the water levels the same.
2-14 gal roughneck rubber maid totes. Dont get the cheap plastic ones the break very easily.
1 Dual output air pump.
1 submersable water pump
2 large air stones.
1 roll of black 1/4 tubing.
1 ft of 1 inch vinyl hose.
1 roll of 1/2 vinyl hose.
2 1 inch outlet nosel
1 1/2 outlet nosel
3 1 1/2 inch hose clamps
2 6 inch net pots
1 tube of silicone.
Drill with circle bit and regular bit for outlets nosels and air stone lines
1. each tote needs 2, 1 1/2'' holes drilled on the same long side of the tote. One about 2 inches from the bottom and another about an inch form the top. Do the same on the other tote. Use a smaller drill bit the make a hole and the top of each tote for the air tubing.
2. using the silicone to seal, attached the 1'' outlet nosels to the bottom of each tote.
3. On the tote you want your net pot to sit in connect the 1/2'' nosel on the top hole again using the cilcone to seal it. Let the totes dry over night before continuing
4. Cut the top of one of your lids to fit your two 6 inch net pots.
5. when the totes are dry connect them using the piece of 1'' hose and 2 hose clamps. (Gravity keeps the water level in both totes the same)
6. Place a large air stone in each tote with enough tubing to easily reach the air pump.
7. Place your submersible pump in your reservoir and use an appropriate length of 1/2 hose to connect the pump to the other tote via the 1/2 outlet nosel you installed in step 1
8. Fill your water up untill the bottom inch or so of your net pot in submerged.
Thats it! This system pumps solution into your grow tote then using gravity to re-cycle it back on the reservoir and keep the water levels the same.
ihavealotofquestions
Active Member
Please don't run your airline through the lid of your bucket, it's a stupid as shit design flaw for many little systems I've seen. You might want to consider buying a spare bucket so you have something to put your plant in if the rez needs cleaning/ working on. Glad to hear you went the bubbleponics route..
The cheapest system I could think up only used Walmart lol. Figured a lot of people would have one near them.. price was like $9 dollars every 2 plant rez, plus a $10 airpump that Walmart also has. If you decide to go with the tote or the bucket, make sure light can't get through them! Like a solid BLACK bucket!! Or primer and flat black paint! Highly advised lol, my current plant has some funky stuff goin' on with the roots.. Good luck
The cheapest system I could think up only used Walmart lol. Figured a lot of people would have one near them.. price was like $9 dollars every 2 plant rez, plus a $10 airpump that Walmart also has. If you decide to go with the tote or the bucket, make sure light can't get through them! Like a solid BLACK bucket!! Or primer and flat black paint! Highly advised lol, my current plant has some funky stuff goin' on with the roots.. Good luck
missnu
Well-Known Member
Well you get a bucket and an air pump, some people utilize a water pump with sprayers, but for a simple DWC you need an airstone and some airstone tubing with an airpump...all these items are sold together in the fishtank section of most stores...then get some net pots, or a net pot, or whatever you want to try and go from there...
proriderr88
Member
I personally am an advocate of stand alone dwc. Its pretty simple and cheap. Plus it has an added benefit of being able to position your plants any way you want which in a closet grow can help your yield a ton.
You could probably pull off a really sick 2 plant stand alone vertical grow in a closet with 1 400 watt cooltube. I would guess with the right stuff you could pull off 1/2 a lb easy and within a year you could be pulling a 1lb easy from that closet with two plants.
5 gallon painters bucket( home depot 2$)
3" net pot bucket lids( grow store 3$)
air pump and stone(petco where I am at - 12$ for air pump stones and tubing..go with black tubing to beat algae build)
hydroton(10$ for a bag of it)
grow cubes(5$ - 20 grow cubes)
400 watt digi light from amazon(130$)
I run a 1200 watt vertical dwc stand alone in an 8x4 and due to heat issues I also picked up thin ir foam(grow store) for the outside of the buckets to keep the water temp down. If you have money try and get a ppm/temp meter. You will never run into problems of root rot or overnuting.. and I can tell you from experience if you want to grow the right way the first time don't skimp on the necessities.
ph metere - 65$
ppm/temp - 100-150$ - not a necessity but it makes life A TON easier
nutes - fox farms solubes/tiger bloom/grow big - 90$
ph up and down - 20$
hydrogen peroxide 3% or h202 concentrate that needs to be diluted - 10$
If you do it right for less then 600$ you could have one bad ass dwc closet grow. Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps and throw up a journal when your ready
You could probably pull off a really sick 2 plant stand alone vertical grow in a closet with 1 400 watt cooltube. I would guess with the right stuff you could pull off 1/2 a lb easy and within a year you could be pulling a 1lb easy from that closet with two plants.
5 gallon painters bucket( home depot 2$)
3" net pot bucket lids( grow store 3$)
air pump and stone(petco where I am at - 12$ for air pump stones and tubing..go with black tubing to beat algae build)
hydroton(10$ for a bag of it)
grow cubes(5$ - 20 grow cubes)
400 watt digi light from amazon(130$)
I run a 1200 watt vertical dwc stand alone in an 8x4 and due to heat issues I also picked up thin ir foam(grow store) for the outside of the buckets to keep the water temp down. If you have money try and get a ppm/temp meter. You will never run into problems of root rot or overnuting.. and I can tell you from experience if you want to grow the right way the first time don't skimp on the necessities.
ph metere - 65$
ppm/temp - 100-150$ - not a necessity but it makes life A TON easier
nutes - fox farms solubes/tiger bloom/grow big - 90$
ph up and down - 20$
hydrogen peroxide 3% or h202 concentrate that needs to be diluted - 10$
If you do it right for less then 600$ you could have one bad ass dwc closet grow. Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps and throw up a journal when your ready
BeaverHuntr
Well-Known Member
dbkick
Well-Known Member
you said it buddy, and of course everyone needs a cloner............
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BeaverHuntr
Well-Known Member
Oh I like...!
proriderr88
Member
petco air pumps are cheap as hell and work better then the air pumps from the actual grow stores.
Home depot painters buckets work perfectly for dwc buckets especially when covered in ir foam.
Every grower has their opinions and I tend to think it makes a kick ass grow.. stand alone dwc or undercurrent is the way to go imo.
Home depot painters buckets work perfectly for dwc buckets especially when covered in ir foam.
Every grower has their opinions and I tend to think it makes a kick ass grow.. stand alone dwc or undercurrent is the way to go imo.
Yow420
Member
being a first grow i'd use 5 gallon paint buckets.. that way if 1 plant has water issues.. disease. it won't ruin all the plants. then u can get practice with right air being pumped. right nutes per gallon ect. more buckets mean more test means more knowing how much of what to use when. save totes for when moer experience comes.. but this is from my readings. i'm on first attempt but i went with 5 gal buckets for that reason.