Noob Question about water farm

Hello. I've got a few questions on which I don't understand about the waterfarm.
1. What is the blue pipe for sticking on the side of the bucket? Is it to drain the res or check the water level?
2. I understand that you need to keep the res level below the roots so you don't damage the roots, but what happens if your roots are long? Is there a minimum level of water to have in your res? I was thinking about a 5g bucket.
3. I don't know much about rockwool, but is it a must for waterfarm and do you just leave it in the rockwool for the rest of it's life just above the clay pebbels?
4. I don't understand the airstones aswell. Do they go into a pipe?
5. Is DWC and waterfarm the same thing?

Sorry but i'm a noob to this type of thing but it's very intresting.
(that's not my waterfarm in the pic btw, used it from Dayzt journal.)

1. What is the blue pipe for sticking on the side of the bucket? Is it to drain the res or check the water level?
To show you where the water level is.
2. I understand that you need to keep the res level below the roots so you don't damage the roots, but what happens if your roots are long? Is there a minimum level of water to have in your res? I was thinking about a 5g bucket.
In DWC there is an airpump/airstone at the bottom of the bucket, aerating the water so the roots can breathe. It's not a problem in DWC, but not sure about whatever the hell water farm is..
3. I don't know much about rockwool, but is it a must for waterfarm and do you just leave it in the rockwool for the rest of it's life just above the clay pebbels?
Hydroton is used to anchor the plants and let the roots grow through, as well as it's water/nute properties. You leave it be. Don't over water that shit either.
4. I don't understand the airstones aswell. Do they go into a pipe?
Airstones go at the bottom of your rez.
5. Is DWC and waterfarm the same thing?
Do you have an airpump going to an airstone that sits in there? If so, then yes. That's one small ass container.. check out my tutorial in this section or in my signature.

Hey man to answer some of your questions:
1. That is used to check the water level in the bucket.
2. You always want to have water in the bucket, in the beginning you want your water level about an inch or so below the net pots so that the water is splashed on the bottom of the clay pellets. Once you have roots that go into the water you should allow about 3 inches or so below the net pot, the roots will later submerge into the reservoir but will be supplied oxygen by your air stone.
3. The rockwool is a matter of choice (there are alternatives as well such as rapid rooters), some use it to start seeds, some use it to hold clones, it's not necessary unless your running seeds though because it just acts as a medium to hold the seed and also hold essential water in early development.
4. Your air pump pushes oxygen through the air stone to keep oxygen at the root level. Think about an aquarium, same principle, the bubbles in the water are adding oxygen.
5. Waterfarm is a version of DWC, with more research you will see there are many takes on hydroponics, DWC is the simple form of just a bucket of water and an air stone.
Hope this helps, good luck and happy growing.
KnB

nattybongo said:

1. What is the blue pipe for sticking on the side of the bucket? Is it to drain the res or check the water level?

Click to expand...

** Both. The tube is flexible, and may be tugged out of the loop that holds it upright to allow draining via the tube, if you wish.

nattybongo said:

2. I understand that you need to keep the res level below the roots so you don't damage the roots, but what happens if your roots are long? Is there a minimum level of water to have in your res? I was thinking about a 5g bucket.
...
4. I don't understand the airstones aswell. Do they go into a pipe?
5. Is DWC and waterfarm the same thing?

Click to expand...

The Waterfarm, as it comes out of the box, is a drip system powered by air bubbles. Air is pumped down a small tube that is contained within a larger tube which sits into the water. As the air bubbles rise up inside the larger tube they push water up with them, which drips through small holes in the drip ring and down onto the clay pebbles.

As it comes out of the box the top part of the system has a few small drainage holes that let the drip water drain back into the reservoir at the bottom. If you don't modify the original design, you'll get a few roots growing down into the reservoir but not many. In this mode, water level is maintained below root level, and the clay pebbles are watered by the drips alone.

Many modify the original Waterfarm to convert it into a DWC system, by drilling lots of extra drainage holes in the top section and adding an airstone to the reservoir. When the roots reach the bottom of the clay pebbles they grow through the extra holes and down into the water below. If you do this you need to make sure the water is very well oxygenated so that the roots won't rot. This is what the airstone is for - you connect an air tube to it and it sits below the water making lots of tiny air bubbles which allow plenty of oxygen to dissolve in the water.

Some people disconnect the air tube from the drip system once the roots reach the water and connect it to the airstone instead. If you do this, the Waterfarm switches from being a drip system to a DWC system. Others connect a second air tube to the airstone and leaves both the drips and the airstone running throughout the grow - a kind of DWC/drip hybrid system. If you do this you will probably need a better air pump than the one that ships with the waterfarm.

If you do not modify the original Waterfarm in any way it is purely a drip system - it does not come with an airstone and is not suitable for DWC. Modification to DWC is desirable because it allows a much larger root mass and more efficient nutrient delivery to the plant, which allows larger plants to be grown than is possible with no modification, and faster.

General Hydroponics also make a larger version of the Waterfarm called the Aquafarm. With it's larger reservoir it does not need to be refilled as often once the plant gets big, or alternatively you could grow upto four plants in it. It's also possible to link several waterfarms together in different ways to get various combinations of multi-bucket drip system and RDWC (Recirculating Deep Water Culture) system attributes. Google 'Waterfarm modification' and you'll find all kinds of info on different ways the Waterfarm can be used. I hope this helps.

Hey people, thanks very much for the replys. Has helped out alot. Still gotta do alot fo research before I buy anything, but thanks again! ^__^