New to hydroponics

[gwhunran]

Outside soil to inside soil to hydro is the natural progression. My first hydro was ebb and flow. I got a cheap setup since I was not sure if I would like it. Bulk head leaks and failing pumps guarantied I would hate it. Had to spend more money.

Tried cocoa coir drain to waste. Healthy plants in almost half the time of soil. vary little equipment. but you have to keep up on the watering regiment, every 2 days+/-. Had to spend more time.

Switched everything to DWC 4 years ago . DIY you just need tote (2-3 gal per foot of plant height), net pot, nutes, air pump, air stone, hydro tone, PPM, Ph meters. Separate res per plant makes it easier to monitor and quarantine each plant. Only maintenance is change the nute/water once a month. Grows faster and healthier than the drain to waste. Cheap setup and I can leave town for two weeks without worrying bought it.

Heck, I change my res every week, unless they're little and the water is cold.

 

[gwhunran]

Heck, I change my res every week, unless they're little and the water is cold.

I check the ph daily, it's always within range and I add water daily when the plants are bigger and drinking more.

 

[Sativa1970]

I check the ph daily, it's always within range and I add water daily when the plants are bigger and drinking more.

Monitoring PH and PPM is key in hydro. It is your early warning system to catch an imbalance before it is a problem. I test mine every couple days just to make sure all is well. Should have clarified I am in perpetual grow so I know when and how the res is going to shift from previous generations. That's why I can just let it run unmonitored if need be.

The other problem I had was the cheap pump was working too hard and heated the water. I don't think it lasted a year before it burnt out. Point is. don't buy a dirt cheap RDWC. It is just asking for aggravation.

How many gallons are in your system for 6 plants? 4 foot tall? Just curious how it compares to other "mediums" since I never got mine to work consistently.

In my setup; A 5 gallon bucket holds 4 gallons and gets overloaded at 2 foot of veg. so I transfer at 20 inches. I flower to 5 foot tall 3.5 foot wide in a 30 gallon tote holding 20 gallons and everything stays vary stable. That is for each plant.

 

[gwhunran]

Monitoring PH and PPM is key in hydro. It is your early warning system to catch an imbalance before it is a problem. I test mine every couple days just to make sure all is well. Should have clarified I am in perpetual grow so I know when and how the res is going to shift from previous generations. That's why I can just let it run unmonitored if need be.

The other problem I had was the cheap pump was working too hard and heated the water. I don't think it lasted a year before it burnt out. Point is. don't buy a dirt cheap RDWC. It is just asking for aggravation.

How many gallons are in your system for 6 plants? 4 foot tall? Just curious how it compares to other "mediums" since I never got mine to work consistently.

In my setup; A 5 gallon bucket holds 4 gallons and gets overloaded at 2 foot of veg. so I transfer at 20 inches. I flower to 5 foot tall 3.5 foot wide in a 30 gallon tote holding 20 gallons and everything stays vary stable. That is for each plant.

I use 20 gal totes doubled, I use the lowest flow pump I can get because I use mechanical timers that are on for a minimum of 15 minutes and at that rate it still fills up my tray and runs into the overflow for about half the 15 minutes. The only medium I use, is however many clay pebbles it takes to fill up a 6" net pot, the roots are just loose in the tray. The white pvc tray cover keeps the roots in the dark. They start getting thirsty fast so I check to make sure the pump is working every day. I usually don't run six but have. I changed the top to four holes but haven't ran it that way yet. I am also looking forward to running plants from veg to finish without having to move them. All my grows before I vegged under 400wMH and moved the plants to the flower room, 600w hps. I will be using a HLG600R LED in each room now, so I can run two at once start to finish!

 

[Get2BirdsStonedAtOnce]

Outside soil to inside soil to hydro is the natural progression. My first hydro was ebb and flow. I got a cheap setup since I was not sure if I would like it. Bulk head leaks and failing pumps guarantied I would hate it. Had to spend more money.

Tried cocoa coir drain to waste. Healthy plants in almost half the time of soil. vary little equipment. but you have to keep up on the watering regiment, every 2 days+/-. Had to spend more time.

Switched everything to DWC 4 years ago . DIY you just need tote (2-3 gal per foot of plant height), net pot, nutes, air pump, air stone, hydro tone, PPM, Ph meters. Separate res per plant makes it easier to monitor and quarantine each plant. Only maintenance is change the nute/water once a month. Grows faster and healthier than the drain to waste. Cheap setup and I can leave town for two weeks without worrying bought it.

Thank for the reply I think I will be buying a pre-fabricated set-up. I know that DIY is probably cheaper but since I have no experience with hydroponics I would feel safer

 

[TerriC]

Thank for the reply I think I will be buying a pre-fabricated set-up. I know that DIY is probably cheaper but since I have no experience with hydroponics I would feel safer

Each system has its pro's and con's. Every system can grow amazing crops, but not every system is for everybody.