How Do I Use Individual Pots w/ Hydrotron In A Flood Table?

[THConnoisseur]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

lovethestuff, my flood table is the black plastic one, if i put as much water as possible into it id say i could get the water level 4 inches from the top of the grooves that the pots will sit on. BUT, what do you mean they sell pots for my table? never seen table specific pots, id be very interested! thanks again dude

McBudz, thanks for the post! as said above tho, 4 inches would be the max water level that i could get in my table so i dont know how i could use 1.5 or 2 gal pots... Width isnt a problem tho since i will only be running 9 plants on the first run through, so any idea if they sell pots that are like 8x8 or 10x10 but only about 6-8 inches tall? that could work right? what do you suggest i do?? THANKS!!!

 

[THConnoisseur]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

oh shit i think i found something, 7.5" x 7.5" x 8.75" sqaure grow pots!! Square Pot - 7.5" x 7.5" x 8.75 (white) | i did the conversion (not too bad at math hah) and thats just OVER 2 gallons of grow space!! and definitely low enough to get the water up to the plug at the start of veg... does this sound like what i should go with guys??

 

[THConnoisseur]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

now im finding pots that are 8.5 x 8.5 x 7.5 and all types of shit lol i never realized they made so many different dimensions, are these the type of pots you were referring to lovesthestuff??

 

[TheAnswer1776]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

lovethestuff, i also clone in plugs so good news! but i was assuming id have to transport the plug into a fat rockwool cube then put it in the table cuz the plug itself doesnt hold water so well and neither does hydrotron; im glad to hear by just flooding maybe an extra 2 or 3 times a day compared to the rockwool setup my girls will be fine. THANKS!

also, to LabRat and lovethestuff, regarding the algae, if i only have 9 plants in the setup there will be quite a bit of my flood table exposed to light for a while until my girls grow wider and more dense, possibly for up to a month to get to this point, will this be ok? or will algae grow without a doubt? i thought of something that i believe would work... i could cut a piece of panda film to cover the whole table and just cut out holes in the plastic the size of the pots! this would allow me to move each pot to a different "slot" in the plastic whenever i need. do you think i should just do this for sure from the start or algae wont be an issue? AND, are 6x6x7 pots really big enough for plants to veg for up to a month before flower?? the roots arnt busting out the drain holes in the pot?

THANKS AGAIN DUDES!

Definitely want to keep it covered at all times. Light is the enemy and will cause algea to form. I use foam board from the arts & crafts store, for netcup covers. You could get a large piece of that and cut it out for a makeshift lid. It is durable and I coated mine in chrome ductape for reflective purposes. Just smoke a doob and walk around the hardware or arts & crafts store and this usually happens!! The square pots are the way to go if you need to move plants around and they are ebb & flow specific. Oh yeah, welcome to 420 brother!!

 

[TheAnswer1776]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

lovethestuff, my flood table is the black plastic one, if i put as much water as possible into it id say i could get the water level 4 inches from the top of the grooves that the pots will sit on. BUT, what do you mean they sell pots for my table? never seen table specific pots, id be very interested! thanks again dude

McBudz, thanks for the post! as said above tho, 4 inches would be the max water level that i could get in my table so i dont know how i could use 1.5 or 2 gal pots... Width isnt a problem tho since i will only be running 9 plants on the first run through, so any idea if they sell pots that are like 8x8 or 10x10 but only about 6-8 inches tall? that could work right? what do you suggest i do?? THANKS!!!

To answer your question about submerging the grow plug, no you do not need to come up that high. Four inches would be more than sufficient. They sell those pots in many different dimensions, just google ebb & flow square pots.

 

[THConnoisseur]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

Theanswer, killer info dude! thanks for the support, and i couldnt agree more with the "smoke a doob and walk around a hardware/art store for ideas" lol i believe all of my growroom creations have occurred this way... the foam board pieces are actually pretty fuckin ingenious man, i was planning on cutting out a 4x4 piece of panda film with nine 8"x8" squares cut out (assuming i use 8.5"x8.5" pots) for plant sites and velcroing it all the way around the edge of my table so it doesnt sag or anything... this would allow me to block light, be reflective (white side up!), and still i can move plants as needed. also, im pretty sure that i DO NOT have to cover the hydrotron in the top of the pots as it will never get wet?? is this true or should i do some foam board cutouts for the tops of each pot as well? THANKS AGAIN!!

 

[TheAnswer1776]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

also, im pretty sure that i DO NOT have to cover the hydrotron in the top of the pots as it will never get wet?? is this true or should i do some foam board cutouts for the tops of each pot as well? THANKS AGAIN!!

I have seen both work succesfully. Usually there is enough hydroton to block the light coming through the top. I know in DWC you always cover the hydroton, but you usually don't have nearly as much. My brother runs a single chamber ebb&flow(big tote filled with hydroton) and he doesnt cover and has never had a problem. However it certainly can't hurt!!

 

[McBudz]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

How about running "tetra algae control" in your res and not worry about cut outs? This is what I use.

 

[THConnoisseur]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

ok sounds good, shit i guess i could just use those 8.5" squares im already cutt out of the panda film and just cover it to be safe, i always buy into the "better safe than sorry" options no matter what the costs, tho in this case free! sweet dude, +rep for extending a helpin hand to the hydro noob

 

[OldMedUser]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

I have seen both work succesfully. Usually there is enough hydroton to block the light coming through the top. I know in DWC you always cover the hydroton, but you usually don't have nearly as much. My brother runs a single chamber ebb&flow(big tote filled with hydroton) and he doesnt cover and has never had a problem. However it certainly can't hurt!!

Not to be nit-picking but I have never covered the hydroton in any of my DWC grows. IMO it's unnecessary and the impeded air flow can lead to problems like stem/root rot if other environmental variables contribute to unfavorable conditions.



For starting seedlings or clones in DWC a great little tip is to go down to the local dollar store and get some of those electric burner liners for the stove. 4 for a buck. Put one under each plant and get total light utilization. Just cut it off if the canopy gets too big to lift it off. Use them over and over. Once you have some canopy the light won't affect the tub or pot anyway. They also make great little shrouds for CFLs.

Hope that helped.

 

[THConnoisseur]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

ok right on, well then i wont cover them lol thats why i joined this site! tryin to iron out all details so when i stick the plants in the table all i have to figure out is the nutes/res shit (for the most part)... which you can look forward to me asking a shit load about in a month or so lol thanks LabRat

 

[TheAnswer1776]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

Not to be nit-picking but I have never covered the hydroton in any of my DWC grows. IMO it's unnecessary and the impeded air flow can lead to problems like stem/root rot if other environmental variables contribute to unfavorable conditions.

Yeah it seems to be a 50/50 consenses, to cover or not to cover!! Like said my brother never covers and has never had an algea problem. On a different note I have seen alot of new growers not cover and have alot of algea problems. I guess it really depends on all the variables(water quality, nutes, etc..). I always just do it just in case, but that's DWC!

I Think he was orginally talking about covering the gaps inbetween the square pots though, am I right THC?
That you definitely want to keep covered!

 

[OldMedUser]

Re: HOW DO I USE INDIVIDUAL POTS w/ HYDROTRON IN A FLOOD TABLE?

Yeah it seems to be a 50/50 consenses, to cover or not to cover!! Like said my brother never covers and has never had an algea problem. On a different note I have seen alot of new growers not cover and have alot of algea problems. I guess it really depends on all the variables(water quality, nutes, etc..). I always just do it just in case, but that's DWC!

I Think he was orginally talking about covering the gaps inbetween the square pots though, am I right THC?
That you definitely want to keep covered!

Any place that can let light hit nutes there's going to be algae. When I put clones or seedlings in my tubs the soil portion gets buried under the hydroton and the top couple of inches remain bone dry. As I don't use feeder lines only the bottom half of the pots get wet and are not exposed to light. Covering the gaps between four inch pots is definitely a must. The only time I had any algae was when the soil plug was exposed at the top of the hydroton and a quick spritz of peroxide fixed that. Once the canopy got a little thicker no more algae.

C'ya

 

[THConnoisseur]

yea my original concern was if id have to cover all of the exposed areas of the flood table to prevent algae, then out of that concern arose another question which was should i not only cover the flood table, but ALSO cover the top of each individual pot? i clone in plugs, not rw or soil, then ill transfer them to the flood table in the 2gal pots i found online (8.5x8.5x7.5 super sweet!) and cover with hydrotron. like you LabRat, my water level will only come 1/2 way up the pots, so should i just put a good 1.5-2 inches of hydrotron on top of the plug and call it a day? thanks again guys

 

[OldMedUser]

As long as you have an inch or so of rocks over top of the rockwool cube or root plug light shouldn't be a problem. If you felt like covering the pots I would use something that breathes like a double layer of paper towel or something like felt. I see many tub grows like mine where the top of the tub is covered in dict tape or tin foil. I never put any covering on mine without a problem. If I lift the lid to check inside it's light in there but the light that penetrates has to go through the plastic lid first and doesn't have enough energy to promote algae growth IMO. Even when the plants are small and the light hits the plastic directly I've not had algae growth or root problems. Could be the constant use of peroxide that prevents all that, I'm not sure.

As long as the top inch or so stays dry algae won't be able to start. Same with soil grows. I always stood my pots in a pan and added water by flooding the pan and letting the soil wick it up. Once you're used to what your plants need in the way of water the top of the soil stays dry and fungus gnats have no place to breed too.

C'ya.

 

[THConnoisseur]

right on LabRat, thats cool youve bottom fed with soil. ive never done it but its gotta be so much easier to mix a huge res and just dump it in a flood tray than to individually water each one, shit thats half the reason im going to hydro! should be easier to maintain once its up and running and i get the hang of it... i will start without covering the hydrotron in the pots, but ill definitely cover the open areas of the flood table. i dont expect the water level to be more than 1/2 way up the pot so i feel algae/fungus on the hydrotron wont happen.

also, whats the deal wit h2o2 and hydro?? i know it has to oxygenate the whole system and most likely kills/cleans out pathogens and other "unwanted" things than can accumulate in the system, but is it something that is used through the entire grow as a preventative measure? or just used when you run into algae/disease problems? let me know!

thanks again!

 

[Caber1]

A picture is worth ...
what you see below is an 8" round basic pot that I drilled holes in. I filled it past the first set of holes up to second row of holes with hydroton. Then I took a six inch rockwool cube and cut it into three pieces. Take one piece and cut to fit pot. (cut off corners of piece.) I take rooted seedling generally in cococoir starter pellets.(better luck than with rockwool) I set this on rockwool piece and fill around and up to top with hydroton.

Then I place in hydroton filled (1 to 2 in.) tray. The tray is about 5 inches deep. This does not included depth of draining grooves. I flood ONCE a day.I have my drain tube set up so that the water comes up to just at, or a little over the top holes. I let it fill for 5 min and then turn off the pump. It takes about 5 min to drain. 10 Min. cycle.
I use a 600 w MH and while I see the occasional instance of algae it has never been a problem.

This is the third crop and the sweet smell of success is a constant reminder of how simple it can be.

 

[Caber1]

As an add on you can see that my 2x table has no covering.

Algae I believe is not prevalent in my table for two reasons I believe.

1)because I only flood once a day

2)because with 6 pots the canopy soon blocks all light or most of it from getting to the rocks and allowing the algae to grow

 

[OldMedUser]

right on LabRat, thats cool youve bottom fed with soil. ive never done it but its gotta be so much easier to mix a huge res and just dump it in a flood tray than to individually water each one, shit thats half the reason im going to hydro! should be easier to maintain once its up and running and i get the hang of it... i will start without covering the hydrotron in the pots, but ill definitely cover the open areas of the flood table. i dont expect the water level to be more than 1/2 way up the pot so i feel algae/fungus on the hydrotron wont happen.

also, whats the deal wit h2o2 and hydro?? i know it has to oxygenate the whole system and most likely kills/cleans out pathogens and other "unwanted" things than can accumulate in the system, but is it something that is used through the entire grow as a preventative measure? or just used when you run into algae/disease problems? let me know!

thanks again!

I dose them with H2O2 throughout the grow. Once a week I add 0.5ml/L of the total rez/tub volume. It supposedly is gone within 3 days, likely faster than that. Ideally a steady drip would be the best then the O2 levels wouldn't bounce around so much but it's easier to give them a shot every week. A smaller dose every third day may be better and that's what I've been doing the last couple of weeks.

I believe it's a good preventative measure and plan to always use it in hydro.

 

[THConnoisseur]

Caber1, thanks for your pics and input! i wasnt going to be filling the table with any amount of hydrotron tho, i just want my square pots to go directly on the flood table by themselves... UNLESS, there is some benefit to it?? the pots i will use are 2gal and only have holes in the bottom so im assuming for a crop that will about veg 3wks (4wks at MOST) i shouldnt have an issue with roots growing out the bottom of the pot? isnt that why you put extra hydrotron in the table anyway? so if the roots come out they have more medium to grab onto? shit now thats a new question i have!! lol what happens if the roots grow out the bottom of my pots? will they be fine just laying in the grooves of the floodtable? THANKS!!

and LabRat, thanks for the specifics man. ill definitely need to pick up a bottle before i get started!