Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

sojolove1 said:
I am interested in setting up grow in my closet at my condo. But I live in a busy city area with high rate for kkilowatt of electricity in the range of 9.8 to 11.25 per klw. I know that for the veg period I need 24/7 light and im guessing that my light bill will go up the roof? Should i consider a portable generator?

Oh and my total watt of light usage would be around 600-700 watts.
Click to expand...

1st, welcome to 420 bro. I hope you hang around.

2nd, the portable generator is a bad idea, in my humble opinion.
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

sojolove1 said:
I am interested in setting up grow in my closet at my condo. But I live in a busy city area with high rate for kkilowatt of electricity in the range of 9.8 to 11.25 per klw. I know that for the veg period I need 24/7 light and im guessing that my light bill will go up the roof? Should i consider a portable generator?

Oh and my total watt of light usage would be around 600-700 watts.
Click to expand...

Generators can be dangerous. You can do 18/6 instead of 24/0. If you can get clones you can go straight to 12/12
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

sojolove1 said:
I am interested in setting up grow in my closet at my condo. But I live in a busy city area with high rate for kkilowatt of electricity in the range of 9.8 to 11.25 per klw. I know that for the veg period I need 24/7 light and im guessing that my light bill will go up the roof? Should i consider a portable generator?

Oh and my total watt of light usage would be around 600-700 watts.
Click to expand...

No.... Use CFL lighting or LED's. They use much less electricity. A portable generator will cost alot in fuel and you will loose alot of your stealthness.
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

alien8 said:
Did he say what lights he was using?
Click to expand...

Thank you for your replies :)
I will be using CFLs and pretty much follow Roseman's tutorial. It is my first grow and im excited but i wanted to plan everything out so i don't get too many surprises to deal with later on.

Also it seems that my city water has chloramine and i am thinking i need a dechlorinator as Roseman suggested? Is it a must?:tokin:
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

If you use CFL's you won't see a real diff in your electric bill.

If that is the same as chlorine then just leave the water sit over night or longer and it dissipates.
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

@sojolove1
a closet with cfl's wont cost much to run.

its when you have HID's and then need a big AC and rez chiller that makes the bills sky rocket.

Do you have and use an electric clothes dryer in the apt? if so stop using it and hang dry your wet clothes.
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

A watt is a watt whether CFL, HID, LED, Fan, ect. The power company doesn't care what you are using, just how many kWh you are using.

Here is an explanation to help you figure out your own usage...
I found the formula... this assumes $0.12 per KW hour price.
(If you pay a different amount change the formula below)

Explanation: Watts used by device x hours used over the course of a month = total watt hours
Example: 400 watts x 24 hours a day x 30.5 days a month = 292,800 Wh

Explanation: Now you have to convert Wh (watt hours) to kWh (kilowatt hours). Wh / 1000 = kWh
Example: 292,800 Wh / 1000 Wh = 293 kWh

Explanation: Now take you kWH and multiply it by the price you pay your electric provider
Example: 293 kWh x 12¢/kWh = $35.16 a mo. or $422 a yr.

When you buy electricity they charge you by the kilowatt-hour (kWh). When you use 1000 watts for 1 hour, that's a kilowatt-hour.
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

SnowBender said:
@sojolove1
a closet with cfl's wont cost much to run.

its when you have HID's and then need a big AC and rez chiller that makes the bills sky rocket.

Do you have and use an electric clothes dryer in the apt? if so stop using it and hang dry your wet clothes.
Click to expand...

Yes I actually do hang dry my clothes on my balcony and not use my dryer. So i guess i should not stress it too much since i am using cfls and its under 1000 watts.

thanks everyone :)
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

Hey all-
First I want to thank Roseman for the Deep Water Culture tutorial. I was planning to do a hydro system for my first indoor grow and decided to go the bubble route after much research.

I have a couple of questions-
1. I have a Berkey water purifier that claims to leave the beneficial minerals in the water while removing pathogens, bacteria and heavy metals. I plan to do some testing to make sure it's PH stable (since the natural buffers should remain in the water if the filter maker is telling the truth). Berkey filters are not reverse osmosis - they work like a limestone rock mass where smaller and smaller openings filter things out. I also plan to use a rez chiller I'm building myself - my concerns are that -
- has anyone used a Berkey before to filter irrigation water?
- since the roots hang down into the rez, will the temperature of the water become an issue?

2. I've read having roots in the rez is a bad thing since slime results. Does the oxygenation of the water via the bubbler solve this problem?
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

Where did you get your pump and irrigation hub kit? My hydroponics shop doesn't carry anything similar...Thanks
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

ganjaballz said:
Hey all-
First I want to thank Roseman for the Deep Water Culture tutorial. I was planning to do a hydro system for my first indoor grow and decided to go the bubble route after much research.

I have a couple of questions-
1. I have a Berkey water purifier that claims to leave the beneficial minerals in the water while removing pathogens, bacteria and heavy metals. I plan to do some testing to make sure it's PH stable (since the natural buffers should remain in the water if the filter maker is telling the truth). Berkey filters are not reverse osmosis - they work like a limestone rock mass where smaller and smaller openings filter things out. I also plan to use a rez chiller I'm building myself - my concerns are that -
- has anyone used a Berkey before to filter irrigation water?
- since the roots hang down into the rez, will the temperature of the water become an issue?

2. I've read having roots in the rez is a bad thing since slime results. Does the oxygenation of the water via the bubbler solve this problem?
Click to expand...

Welcome to 420, bro, glad you're here.

If you will look at this:

Deep Water Culture Tutorial, SH Kit & DIY

Preface, This is NOT a Grow-Journal. It is a step by step HOW - TO, or a TUTORIAL. I hope to share a very detailed tutorial here, with many pics, on growing a pound of dried, closely manicured indica buds in a closet. I will use a store bought hydroponic KIT and also use a DIY 5 gallon bucket...
www.420magazine.com

It is very comprehensive, everything is in it, every question you can ask is answered there.

I have not used that filter. I use my plain well water. I see many opinions, mandy arguements and debates about water quality and I won't get in the debate. I've seen hundreds of grows with city water, well water, rain water and unfiltered water, along with RO water, bottled water, distilled water.
My answer is WHATEVER.

Roots in the water is the basics of Hydroponics, DWC and especially Deep Water Culture. For many years, it was thought and believed that Hydroponics required flowing, moving water. (Hanging Gardens of Babylon was the first)
Then we learned it ws Oxegenated water that was required and water that is not flowing or moving is OK if there is added oxygen. (via airstones, or air diffusers) The slime is due to pythium, commonly called root rot, and 99% of the time, we get it when the water is too warm. (over 70 or 71 degrees)
You can prevent root rot with adequate airstones, water lower than 70 degrees or added cehmicals like peroxide or additives made for hydro growing, with enzymes, like SM-90 or Hydrozyme, or Hygrozyme.

Look:

Temps and Humidity In Deep Water Culture

Temperatures, Humidity The temperature is the hardest factor to take control of to me. When confined to a small space, ballasts and HID lights can push temperatures sky-high in no time flat. That is why I use CFLS, to avoid venting heat. This is especially true during hot summer months when...
www.420magazine.com
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

Magnificient said:
Where did you get your pump and irrigation hub kit? My hydroponics shop doesn't carry anything similar...Thanks
Click to expand...

StealthHydro.com (Deep Water Culture get a 10% discount there)

amazon.com

Rain Bird Landscape Dripline System 2.0 GPH Manifold #MANIF2-1PK
Available at Bizrate.com, Amazon.com, and Home Depot for $4.99 to $5.99


Look here:

Deep Water Culture Tutorial, SH Kit & DIY

Preface, This is NOT a Grow-Journal. It is a step by step HOW - TO, or a TUTORIAL. I hope to share a very detailed tutorial here, with many pics, on growing a pound of dried, closely manicured indica buds in a closet. I will use a store bought hydroponic KIT and also use a DIY 5 gallon bucket...
www.420magazine.com



DiG Six Outlet Irrigation Manifold DiG Six Outlet Irrigation Manifold
Price: $12.99 at Lowes

The brand name is MISTER LANDSCAPER. It is in the DRIP IRRIGATION section (even says "drip irrigation" on the package), the technical name for it is PVC SPRINKLER ADAPTER (that is on the package too), the item# is 191779, and the model# is MLA-RA9, and the cost is $10.73. My local Lowes had about 9-10 of them in stock.
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

sojolove1 said:
Should i consider a portable generator?
Click to expand...

We live in an area that gets severe storms and power outages that sometimes last for several days.

The plants wouldn't like being in the dark that long.

So we have a small (3500KW) generator that kicks in when the power goes off.

It doesn't power the whole house, just the grow operation, household lights, TV, computers, and certain wall plugs.

But, to use a generator as the primary source of power for a grow operation is not an efficient use of energy, is labor intensive, and is very costly, not to mention noisy and polluting.
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

ptg701 said:
We live in an area that gets severe storms and power outages that sometimes last for several days.

The plants wouldn't like being in the dark that long.

So we have a small (3500KW) generator that kicks in when the power goes off.

It doesn't power the whole house, just the grow operation, household lights, TV, computers, and certain wall plugs.

But, to use a generator as the primary source of power for a grow operation is not an efficient use of energy, is labor intensive, and is very costly, not to mention noisy and polluting.
Click to expand...

I hear ya, I understand, I agree and I am not argueing the point, BUT

if you was growing outdoors, there would be dark cloudy days and rainy days of entirely NO sun and of course, there would be night times too.
 
Re: Stealth Hydroponics Deep Water Culture Growing Q & A

ganjaballz said:
Is there a rough, per-plant figure to use for the number of gallons to make the reservoir?
Click to expand...

Not any I have seen in 4 years on these forums, and in 14 grow books.

I've had 6 large plants in 6 gallons of water and three large plants in 3 and half gallons of water, and the roots filled the reservoir entirely. Ample oxygen in the water and proper pH is the key.
 

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