Deep Water Culture from stealth hydro

[baldalicious]

Anybody used SH Hydroponics, Inc. > Deep Water Culture Grow Ready Kit

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has used one of these. From reading the info on Stealth Hydro's website, this thing is the bomb, or so they say. The customer reviews also rave about it but one would hardly expect them to put anything negative on their site so it would be really interesting to hear from those who have tried it and get an objective opinion.

It would be interesting to read how the grow room was set up, the amount of nutes used, any problems encountered, and most importantly the yield. They claim that if only three of the six stations are used, larger, even up to 4-5 feet, plants can be grown. I'm not sure I believe that. But if I can get a lb or so yield in 2.5-3 months, that would be awesome.

I'm also looking at this, the deep water culture three bucket system SH Hydroponics, Inc. > The Three Bucketeers

These 5 gallon DWC buckets can definitely grow big but I can't really afford all the lights, filters, fans etc for a grow room that big so I'm looking to go a little smaller scale at first and upgrade later. If I can get a few grows in using the Deep Water Culture rig and then upgrade my grow room with a little profit $, then I can continue using the Deep Water Culture and a clone starter/early veg system.

I know I can probably build all this stuff myself and save some money but I'm new at this and don't have any time or much interest in a trial and error process. I would rather pay some extra $ and buy a ready to go system where the kinks have been worked out.

Thoughts and feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ROBBIE313]

well i run bubbeponics starter system under a 400 w hps ,i wouldn't grow any other way ...now if your going for weight i would say get at least two of them an buy a extra air stone &pump for each tank ..as far as nutrients go ...sh nutes aren't all that great ,,there great for veg an they will work for flower but i wouls say just buy the buckets without accessories except the drain plug..buy that then go to dchydro.com you can pick up gallons of gh (general hydroponics)nutrients for 20 bucks a gallon ie GROW-MICRO-BLOOM ,,htgsupply.com will have a 400 watt hps for about 135 shipped to your door well hoped this helped ,if anything it will save you money for sure

 

[Lt Shiny Sides]

These systems work great, but it's much cheaper for you to build your own. All the materails can be bought and pet stores, hardware stores, etc. I built my own 6-plant system and ended up with 3 females. I recently harvested 2 that were about 42" tall and the big girl that's left is just about 5'. The only problem I've had is that when the plants get more than 2' tall, there is no stability, and they be tied up.

 

[MostlyCrazy]

While it is true that you can fit 6 plants in the system, 6 full grown females would be tough if vegged to 1' or so.

This system is designed as a starter system that would allow you to plant 6 regular (non-feminized) seeds in the system, cull the 3 males that you usually get as a result of the usual 50-50 spit you get on males/females and grow out the females.

Personally, I plant 2-4 known females and grow them out to about 14-16" and they finish up being 34-36". I'm on my 7th grow. I have two of the 6 port systems and just bought a 4 port DWC system for more growth room. My particular strain likes to spread out with side branching and I can fill a 3x4' area with two plants and expect to get about 6-7oz per res.

 

[Doctor Who]

While it is true that you can fit 6 plants in the system, 6 full grown females would be tough if vegged to 1' or so.

This system is designed as a starter system that would allow you to plant 6 regular (non-feminized) seeds in the system, cull the 3 males that you usually get as a result of the usual 50-50 spit you get on males/females and grow out the females.

Personally, I plant 2-4 known females and grow them out to about 14-16" and they finish up being 34-36". I'm on my 7th grow. I have two of the 6 port systems and just bought a 4 port DWC system for more growth room. My particular strain likes to spread out with side branching and I can fill a 3x4' area with two plants and expect to get about 6-7oz per res.

MC is this the new forum designed for our forum?

 

[FryingPanFlyer]

This is funny, you ask about Stealth Hydro and you get the Deep Water Culture! I found the system first, then I found the Deep Water Culture. I listened and followed their advice and if anything my plants are too big! At least for my space. There's no way I should have done 6 clones in that small an area, but live and learn.

These guys know of which they speak, I listened and learned, you'll do yourself good to listen as I did.

I just posted most of my on-going grow, check it out (in my sig) if you want to see how these systems can progress.

 

[MostlyCrazy]

I don't think so Doctor. I was just answering a new question I found in the new posts.

 

[Tyrone Hamilton]

It worked well for me on my first grow, but they really need to stress keeping the res temp under 70 degrees and adding h2o2 - the 35% stuff diluted would be preferable, but I had to use the 3% drugstore brand.

It's easy to build your own. You don't even really need the pump if you follow LabRat's method.

 

[Doctor Who]

MC, Oh! on another note I was asked by Topher89 for some help after responding to his question, and I would love to help him but he had somethings going on with his nutes and something about adding in epsom salt ato the mix??? an some other additives, I PM'ed him he needed to talk to MostlyCrazy or Roseman as I not that experienced to tackle that problem, epsom salt????? AG?? Tab form nutes??

That's why I am sticking with GH flora nova I have had no problems what so ever! well just the one's I caused, and I am about to start using the rippen mix formula this round of res change I'll check first! but 4 week in 12/12 is what's called for, hay with your and Rosemans help and the Deep Water Culture help I needed only a little luck to hit the G spot the first time out, I may have to trip myself up and make mistakes to learn more, Lol.

 

[MostlyCrazy]

I tried epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) before I got the cal-mag ( about 5 grows ago - how time flies) because my problem at the time looked like a mag dfienciency to me. I too had questions about dosing and was told about 1/2tsp per gallon or 3 tsp per res. Problem was when it reacted to my hard water it left a gunk in the bottom of my res that I felt very uncomfortable with so I went looking for a better solution and found cal-mag. I think the balance was off. Too much mag causes a cal defieciency which causes an iron deficiency and hence the formula they use in cal-mag. Believe me early on I tried a bunch of home remidies like lemon juice for ph down and the epsom salt. I found it best to leave it to the guys who make nutes.

 

[baldalicious]

It seems from posts here and elsewhere that this thing really works as long as one uses better nutes than SH's line and better lights. I've also been reading No Mercy's threads about 12/12 lighting from seeds to harvest which also sounds pretty cool. It occurs to me that Deep Water Culture and 12/12 lighting are made for each other but so far, I haven't been able to find anyone who's tried the 12/12 thing with hydro. Every 12/12 grow journal I've seen has been done in soil.

But think about it: You've got six wells closely packed in an eight gallon reservoir under cfls which is what seems to work best for germ/seedling/veg development. So why not start with a 12 hour light and 12 hour dark right away? According to what I've seen on the No Mercy thread, plants grown this way are pretty much all bud with minimal lateral branching which would seem to fit really well with the Deep Water Culture layout.

So you start with six seeds (feminized, ideally) under cfls and stay with that until they start to flower then switch to an HID light during flowering phase. Seems like a pretty good way to get maximum and rapid production from a minimum of space. I just wish someone had already tried it. It sounds really intriguing.

 

[MostlyCrazy]

Problem with your variation of sog is that the yield with be about 1/2 to 3/4 oz per plant max. That mean from one Deep Water Culture system you could get 3-5 oz. If you let 3 plants veg for 5-6 weeks and then go to 12/12 you can get 6-8 oz easy.

I heard the analogy of getting a young girl pregnant vs. grown woman. I'd say let them grow to vegatative maturity, they get bigger and can hold more and bigger bud.

 

[Topher89]

MC, Oh! on another note I was asked by Topher89 for some help after responding to his question, and I would love to help him but he had somethings going on with his nutes and something about adding in epsom salt ato the mix??? an some other additives, I PM'ed him he needed to talk to MostlyCrazy or Roseman as I not that experienced to tackle that problem, epsom salt????? AG?? Tab form nutes??

That's why I am sticking with GH flora nova I have had no problems what so ever! well just the one's I caused, and I am about to start using the rippen mix formula this round of res change I'll check first! but 4 week in 12/12 is what's called for, hay with your and Rosemans help and the Deep Water Culture help I needed only a little luck to hit the G spot the first time out, I may have to trip myself up and make mistakes to learn more, Lol.

Hey WHO! Thanks for relaying for me!!!

Yah, I have stopped with the epsom salt, because it seems impossible to get the right amount in order to fix the problem. I now have the Technaflora nutrient line, which includes a product similar to Cal-mag! Hopefully everything works out now that I am using real nutrients and not trying to DIY the food I give my ladies.

 

[MostlyCrazy]

Good decision!

 

[PurpDaddY]

well i run bubbeponics starter system under a 400 w hps ,i wouldn't grow any other way ...now if your going for weight i would say get at least two of them an buy a extra air stone &pump for each tank ..as far as nutrients go ...sh nutes aren't all that great ,,there great for veg an they will work for flower but i wouls say just buy the buckets without accessories except the drain plug..buy that then go to dchydro.com you can pick up gallons of gh (general hydroponics)nutrients for 20 bucks a gallon ie GROW-MICRO-BLOOM ,,htgsupply.com will have a 400 watt hps for about 135 shipped to your door well hoped this helped ,if anything it will save you money for sure

I agree.....4 plants in the BP under 400 or 600w HID....Can't beat it with a stick!
Nah but thats what i use(would like a 600 but that puts out massive heat. A 400w with the right bulbs is great.

 

[baldalicious]

This from Cees thread about his 12/12 system:

"I put 24 under a 600 watt light ! Plants who did come out of a 9x9 cm pot
And believe it or not...I take 700 gram with a 600 watt per square meter !"

So, yeah, MostlyCrazy, you're right. He's planting 24 plants under a 600 watt and getting somewhere around 5.5 ozs. With only six, the yield is only going to be one quarter of that. Apparently, doing a 12/12 grow, you can harvest around 7 weeks instead of 2.5/3 months but still, the overall yield for an entire year would be less unless you can grow a whole lot of plants at a time. I guess if you wanna maximize space and squeeze a bunch of plants into it, then 12/12 might make sense. That many seed are gonna set you back a whole lotta $ too especially when you figure that roughly half of your seeds are gonna turn out male. Good point.

I've been looking through a bunch of threads about 12/12 here and in the No Mercy site. Pix of herb grown that way are pretty impressive, tho. 2.5 feet and all bud with very little leaf. Ya get enough of those growing close together and you are gonna get a pretty fat yield but with only six in a Deep Water Culture, not gonna be much.

 

[ol hippy]

Stealth Hydro system and following what Roseman and Crazy,and a few othjers will get you some nice harvests with few problems ! I'm about half way through my first grow with that system and it works and it's easy !

1st picbefore I had to yank out 4 males

2nd pic is acouple of wks later last female 3 wks into flower.I've also started 4 clones in another home made system...

 

[ol hippy]

Stealth Hydro system and following what Roseman and Crazy,and a few othjers will get you some nice harvests with few problems ! I'm about half way through my first grow with that system and it works and it's easy !

1st picbefore I had to yank out 4 males

2nd pic is acouple of wks later last female 3 wks into flower.I've also started 4 clones in another home made system...

www.420magazine.com/gallery/data/500/2nd_day_of_flowering_001.jpg thats pic#1 www.420magazine.com/gallery/data/500/no_room_001.jpg thats pic #2 1 is before I had to chop out 4 males, and the nextis 3 wks later last female flowering... sorry about the posting problem but I'll be damned if I can get these damn pics up right !!!!!

 

[JonnyBtreed]

thats pic#1

thats pic #2 1 is before I had to chop out 4 males, and the nextis 3 wks later last female flowering... sorry about the posting problem but I'll be damned if I can get these damn pics up right !!!!!

... there ya go, I know it's a bit different. You just forgot the https:// you must of just typed in over it and erased it.

 

[PurpDaddY]

Stealth Hydro system and following what Roseman and Crazy,and a few othjers will get you some nice harvests with few problems ! I'm about half way through my first grow with that system and it works and it's easy !

1st picbefore I had to yank out 4 males

2nd pic is acouple of wks later last female 3 wks into flower.I've also started 4 clones in another home made system...

Glad you making it through the first BP op man...its a great system that is foolproof(Basiclly) and can grow a PERFECT crop not re4ally knowing too much about growing!.If you can keep the correct temps,Ph,PPm,,,youll make it EVERYTRYTIME!..Lookin great bro.