Hydro for dummies?

AndrewDeeKing

Active Member
If your in a hot area or a chiller is a no go i would pass on dwc, and go with ebb&flow tables!
theres no easyer system to run and you can grow alot more on a table connected to one res!
than you can a complex dwc setup

Nope I live on the East coast. Cool here. But it's indoors so it really don't matter :p
complex dwc system? huh? doesnt get any more simple than dwc.

WOW THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP BRO! -.-
 

hellraizer30

Rebel From The North
complex dwc system? huh? doesnt get any more simple than dwc.
Complex meaning multible 5gal buckets! Each bucket = a plant and also = its own res!
unless you go UC with one common res or plumb them to a common res theres a bit of
custom fab work :)

there both simple systems but a table you can just fill with plants :) all ran off one res!
eitherway hope all works out andrew and keep it green m8
 

nitro harley

Well-Known Member
Hi...I think I've got soil down pretty good but to be honest...hydro seems to produce more and better bud in general but is labor intensive. I'm willing to sacrifice some time and enerhy as long as I get some killa buds :)

How would I begin? Any good info out there easy to read?

Hey andrew.....

I run a 6 bucket system with one large 60 gal barrell for a res... I only have to change water once a week.....It's pretty simple set up......I put my barrell on a self up off the floor about 14" so gravity will keep my control bucket at the level I set it at.......No pumps needed......I use 2 air pumps one for the air stones and one for the drip rings.....I will post some pic's of my set up.........nitro..
 

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BigBuddahCheese

New Member
Hi...I think I've got soil down pretty good but to be honest...hydro seems to produce more and better bud in general but is labor intensive. I'm willing to sacrifice some time and enerhy as long as I get some killa buds :)

How would I begin? Any good info out there easy to read?

Hey andrew.....

I run a 6 bucket system with one large 60 gal barrell for a res... I only have to change water once a week.....It's pretty simple set up......I put my barrell on a self up off the floor about 14" so gravity will keep my control bucket at the level I set it at.......No pumps needed......I use 2 air pumps one for the air stones and one for the drip rings.....I will post some pic's of my set up.........nitro..
Nitro.. I never noticed your filters on the floor.. maybe because most your pics sport your huge ass plants lol. Anway I have mine up near the ceiling I wonder if it is moe efficent scrubbing high or low like you? Any ideas? Maybe you put them there because of the tent. Just asking.

Andrew.. getting "killer" buds and putting hard work effort and learning is what you need to obtain them. That is correct sir, you will not have one without the other, even though many think it comes naturally and wonder why they can't grow for the life of them.
 

nitro harley

Well-Known Member
Nitro.. I never noticed your filters on the floor.. maybe because most your pics sport your huge ass plants lol. Anway I have mine up near the ceiling I wonder if it is moe efficent scrubbing high or low like you? Any ideas? Maybe you put them there because of the tent. Just asking.

Andrew.. getting "killer" buds and putting hard work effort and learning is what you need to obtain them. That is correct sir, you will not have one without the other, even though many think it comes naturally and wonder why they can't grow for the life of them.
Hey BBC.....

I scrub high and low.....I use three fans pulling air out of the tent....two 6 inch cooling the lights and one ten inch....I have two fans pulling air across the tent at the bottom ....and one fan pulling from the top.....the fan at the top does not have a filter, this fan keeps the bug count down...if the bug gets to close to the intake which is up by the lights it gets sucked out through the fan.....It is like magic.......nitro..
 

mountainboy

Well-Known Member
if you want something real simple to start with,check out the hempy bucket. Its passive hydro no pumps or moving parts. Just like soil you can hand water,but hydro because you are growing in an inert medium.You can gain hydro skills by having to employ the use of basic tools like ec/tds/ppm meter and ph meters to mix your nute solutions,but still feel comfortable using a soil like medium(100% perilite or perilite 3parts to 1part vermiculite) there are different mediums to choose from but most use the a fore mentioned ones for there ease.
This would get you going,without having you get over whelmed with choosing an active system requiring timers,pumps,etc.
 

waterdawg

Well-Known Member
I just started a hydro grow and when you say labor intensive I would have to dissagree as it has been a breeze compared to the pails of dirt I had before. I spent half the night crawling around under the plants watering and lifting pots to see if they needed water. Fluffing up the dirt, spilling the dirt, sweeping up the dirt..... well u get the picture lol. Now I go out and stick meter in res. and every 2 weeks change the res. all just great and growth is unbelievable. And there are lots of good reads as well as great help from people on this and other sites. Mountain was one of the guys who helped a great deal BTW.
 

fatbob35

Member
I just started a hydro grow and when you say labor intensive I would have to dissagree as it has been a breeze compared to the pails of dirt I had before. I spent half the night crawling around under the plants watering and lifting pots to see if they needed water. Fluffing up the dirt, spilling the dirt, sweeping up the dirt..... well u get the picture lol. Now I go out and stick meter in res. and every 2 weeks change the res. all just great and growth is unbelievable. And there are lots of good reads as well as great help from people on this and other sites. Mountain was one of the guys who helped a great deal BTW.

so every two week you dont bother with any of the pots with flowers in and roots , you just changed the res every two weeks , thats it ..., and top up the water tank to the res , and keep food and ph right ...?
 
Hydro doesn't really require much labor I got two 6 spot rubber maids with one $5 pump in each on along with one bubblestone for each. 4 weeks in all plants are a foot tall flowering healthy as can be. My setup cost 20 bucks. Lol. Also you don't have to do anything but watch then grow and clean you reservoir every week or 2. Hydro grows itself with no effort. I'll never waste my time with dirt again.
 

kryptoniteglo

Well-Known Member
I think the perception of whether Hydro is labor intensive of not depends on what you're dealing with. My set up is in my living room. In the morning I make myself some coffee and spend about 3-5 minutes tending to the plants. That includes checking the ppms and ph, inspecting for problems and lsting a little. And saying nice things to the girls. I put in other 3-5 minutes 12 hours later.

The ppm meter has cut down on the labor a lot, actually. Before I was mixing nutes almost every time I looked at the plants depending on how much they were drinking. Now I only have to add the nutes once a day or every other day.

This seems pretty easy to me! If I were growing in soil I'd probably still check twice a day to look for problems.
 

disk1able

Member
I've just set up my growroom/tent using 4 larger dwc bubblers, its only been 4 days so far though so I havent tested this setup yet. This is also my first grow so im pretty much counting on making mistakes along the way.. But I decided on this setup anyway because of its simplicity and I dont have to carry big bags of dirt.

I just bought a container for clones and seedlings that ill use as a bubbler once I can take clones and start up the veg tent.
 
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