DIY DWC Deep Water Culture. First Hydro Grow.

[WeedyMcWeedWeed]

ok heres my set up. and please any info would be nice.

18gal Roughneck Tote
up to 55gal air pump
15gal heater
4" bubble disk (possibly another one? or another airstone any ways)
general hydroponics pH up and down.
10L hydroton
4 5" net pots
250w MH, probably a hortilux bulb. haven't bought it yet either.
as for nutes, im gonna buy either Foxfarm hydro, or if i can find DutchMasters.
the hydro store near me carries a lot of FF products, but i haven't seen FFGB hydro. so idk. and i haven't looked into a lot of hydro nutes yet. mostly just soil stuff so far.


now heres my question

1. do i need a drip line or sprayers with Deep Water Culture?
2. i know for the FF you need the hydro GB. but can you use the other nutes Big bloom/tiger bloom/open sesame/beastie bloomz/cha ching?
3. whats the proper temp. for the water?
4. whats the proper ppm to start out with around 200ppm?

any other tips or info would be well appreciated.

 

[number1]

i think with Deep Water Culture you fill the tote up to the bottom of the net pot ond let the bubbles hit the net so you get a slash?? i havent done hydro but i think im right lol....

 

[tgadfgadgf]

I would go with the Dutch Masters over the Fox Farm nutrients for Hydro. Fox Farms is great for soil but I've seen people use DM's more than the fox farms in the hydro. People have had great success using Dm.

 

[Stretchtastic]

sounds like a good dwc setup, but i would get more bubble disks the more oxygen for the roots the better. I used two 5 or 6" bubble disks in one five gallon bucket it made the water churn like the backside of a dam and kept the solution mixed. Also, whats the room and how many plants. Are they going to be in the same res? Oh yeah i would also get a ph and ppm wand. PH problems SUCK. I've heard those horilux bulbs are good. But i still wouldn't overlook flouros for veg (no offence to all the HID vegers) IMO the low heat and higher blue color spectrum are great on the flouros and plus u can make up for the lower lumen output with a closer light distance. But again that would all depend on # of plants and how tall they are.
done i think.

 

[WeedyMcWeedWeed]

i think with Deep Water Culture you fill the tote up to the bottom of the net pot ond let the bubbles hit the net so you get a slash?? i havent done hydro but i think im right lol....

yeah thats what i thought also, and have seen multiple times. so its how im gonna do it. thanks

I would go with the Dutch Masters over the Fox Farm nutrients for Hydro. Fox Farms is great for soil but I've seen people use DM's more than the fox farms in the hydro. People have had great success using Dm.

the grow shop near me is supposed to carry DM as the DM website shows, however the shops website and store does not have them. and they have all kinds of FF products, but they never seem to have hydro FFGB either. so i guess FloraNova or Age Old it is, ill just buy what seems best for the best price when i go.

sounds like a good dwc setup, but i would get more bubble disks the more oxygen for the roots the better. I used two 5 or 6" bubble disks in one five gallon bucket it made the water churn like the backside of a dam and kept the solution mixed. Also, whats the room and how many plants. Are they going to be in the same res? Oh yeah i would also get a ph and ppm wand. PH problems SUCK. I've heard those horilux bulbs are good. But i still wouldn't overlook flouros for veg (no offence to all the HID vegers) IMO the low heat and higher blue color spectrum are great on the flouros and plus u can make up for the lower lumen output with a closer light distance. But again that would all depend on # of plants and how tall they are.
done i think.

yeah. i might veg under fluros but you cant beat the deal on the light so idk yet. and also i have a pH test kit, and pH up and down. either way with that, i intend on buying an HPS light soon.

 

[Ms.Fox]

Just out of curiosity, what will you be using the heater for?

1. Dripline is good
2. If you decide to use FF, GB is sufficient for veging. You can use Big Bloom if you choose during veg, too. Here's their chart for hydro https://www.foxfarmfertilizer.com/hydrofeed.pdf
3. Water needs to be cool between 65-75F.
4. I'm honestly not sure about the ppm... Sorry.

 

[WeedyMcWeedWeed]

Just out of curiosity, what will you be using the heater for?

1. Dripline is good
2. If you decide to use FF, GB is sufficient for veging. You can use Big Bloom if you choose during veg, too. Here's their chart for hydro https://www.foxfarmfertilizer.com/hydrofeed.pdf
3. Water needs to be cool between 65-75F.
4. I'm honestly not sure about the ppm... Sorry.

a drip line is good for Deep Water Culture?

and the FF GB i need the hydro kind right? the only shop near me carries everything FF but i have yet been able to find the hydro kind.

and i dont know where the idea for the heater came from. my gf listing stuff off we needed. guess we both thought the water would be too cold, but after a few days in a 80 degrees closet itll probably be good. ive also heard of people freezing a water bottle and putting that into their reservoir to lower temps, wouldnt this not be smart if the roots are right there too??

and thats ok about the ppm. ill figure it out. thanks for your input too.

 

[Ms.Fox]

Oh, I see what you're saying. You have line going straight into the net, right? You'd probably want a sprayer for that.

Frozen water bottles work great. As long as you have enough water in the reservoir I wouldn't worry about the roots. If you are worried, I would tie the bottle(s) to the side away from the roots.

 

[WeedyMcWeedWeed]

for sure with the bottle thing.. and from everything ive seen and read, Deep Water Culture uses the bubbles to splash up onto the net pot, i dont think i need drip lines, but thats why im asking the pros

 

[Ms.Fox]

Lol, I haven't ever done Deep Water Culture, but I was using this as a good reference SH Hydroponics, Inc. > Deep Water Culture™ Pro II - 24 Planter . If you look down on the page there is a pic with lines for nutes going directly into the net pots. There is also a list of items they use down towards the bottom. Hope this helps. ;-)

 

[WeedyMcWeedWeed]

Lol, I haven't ever done Deep Water Culture, but I was using this as a good reference SH Hydroponics, Inc. > Deep Water Culture Pro II - 24 Planter . If you look down on the page there is a pic with lines for nutes going directly into the net pots. There is also a list of items they use down towards the bottom. Hope this helps. ;-)

yeah. i think this is where i start to get confused a little. i built the DWC. which is basically the same thing with out the feeding tube... so idk. maybe ill look into it anywaysSH Hydroponics, Inc. > DWC basic kit

 

[OldMedUser]

yeah. i think this is where i start to get confused a little. i built the DWC. which is basically the same thing with out the feeding tube... so idk. maybe ill look into it anywaysSH Hydroponics, Inc. > DWC basic kit

That kit looks basically like what I've been using tho my air pump for two tubs cost as much as that whole kit. And you're not going to get much out of the 65 watt bulb that comes with it. Might be good for clones tho.

An extra 2" hole in the lid with a cover makes for a nice inspection port so you don't have to lift the lid for testing, nute changes etc. Don't get that Pro Drainage Kit. You don't want to have any holes below the upper water level. That way you can never have leaks. Use a siphon or drill pump to drain the tub.

Very simple. I'm running one with 12-3" pots with a 12" air stone and one with 4-4" pots and the other 12" stone.

No drip tubes, water pumps, leaky joints or plugged jets. Lots of bubbles like a jacuzzi to relax and nourish your babies delicate roots.

High performance, easy of use and low cost. What's not to like?

Search the forums here for tons of info on how to build and operate DWC tub grows. Just the ticket for the hobby grower.

 

[WeedyMcWeedWeed]

That kit looks basically like what I've been using tho my air pump for two tubs cost as much as that whole kit. And you're not going to get much out of the 65 watt bulb that comes with it. Might be good for clones tho.

An extra 2" hole in the lid with a cover makes for a nice inspection port so you don't have to lift the lid for testing, nute changes etc. Don't get that Pro Drainage Kit. You don't want to have any holes below the upper water level. That way you can never have leaks. Use a siphon or drill pump to drain the tub.

Very simple. I'm running one with 12-3" pots with a 12" air stone and one with 4-4" pots and the other 12" stone.

No drip tubes, water pumps, leaky joints or plugged jets. Lots of bubbles like a jacuzzi to relax and nourish your babies delicate roots.

High performance, easy of use and low cost. What's not to like?

Search the forums here for tons of info on how to build and operate DWC tub grows. Just the ticket for the hobby grower.

my thoughts exactly. how big of an air pump did you get? i would like to have two tubs also, and have a constant veg/flower cycle. what nutes do you use??

 

[OldMedUser]

my thoughts exactly. how big of an air pump did you get? i would like to have two tubs also, and have a constant veg/flower cycle. what nutes do you use??

I used to use the Elite dual outlet pumps but they constantly needed repair and the lady at the pet store turned me on, [that way too :0)], to a Maxima dual port. It's been running steady for six months with no problems.

The Elite pumps have this goofy little latex reed valve in there that goes out all the time. Especially if you step on the hose! lol I always buy repair kits but have cut a rubber glove to make my own valves when out and they work in a pinch.

Just buy a couple of tubs, rent a hole saw from the tool rental place to cut nice clean holes for you net pots. Tip: Run it in reverse as it tends to bite in too hard and can mess up your hole. I cut mine on a scrap piece of wood so I don't mess up the floor or leave the lid on the tub and cut there. I like the Rubbermaid Roughneck tubs myself in blue. Don't have to worry about light growing algae in there especially if you use hydro nutes with added hydrogen peroxide. Drill a small hole just under the handle of the tub to put your air hose thru. No holes below the water line = no leaks.

For nutes I've been using Advanced Nutrients 3-part with some Dr. Hornsby's BigBud during flowering. With 4" pots a 54L tub holds about 28L an inch below the bottom of the pots. I put in my 12" air stone, add my water, turn on the air pump, add the recommended amount of liquid rock, pH down to around 6 then add nutes to get about 300 ppm total. Final adjust of pH to around 5.6. Make sure it's stable and put the lid on. I prepare the net pots on a different lid as I start my clones in tiny dirt pots, put the rooted clone in a net pot surrounded with Hydroton and water it through to knock off any loose dirt then put the pots in my fresh tub. Have spare tubs so that when you want to change nutes you can prepare one with fresh nutes, lift the lid off the old tub and plunk it down on the fresh one. For flowering I usually move up to the bigger 84L size. Same lids just a deeper tub. I use a big syringe to suck up nutes to hand water the pots for a couple of days until the roots are hanging out the bottom of the pots. I use the same syringe to get samples for pH and TDS testing or to measure nutes and peroxide accurately.

Enough of this for now it's time for a beer run. If you search my old posts I've gone on about this method in greater detail many times. Usually after a beer run! :0)

 

[WeedyMcWeedWeed]

I used to use the Elite dual outlet pumps but they constantly needed repair and the lady at the pet store turned me on, [that way too :0)], to a Maxima dual port. It's been running steady for six months with no problems.

The Elite pumps have this goofy little latex reed valve in there that goes out all the time. Especially if you step on the hose! lol I always buy repair kits but have cut a rubber glove to make my own valves when out and they work in a pinch.

Just buy a couple of tubs, rent a hole saw from the tool rental place to cut nice clean holes for you net pots. Tip: Run it in reverse as it tends to bite in too hard and can mess up your hole. I cut mine on a scrap piece of wood so I don't mess up the floor or leave the lid on the tub and cut there. I like the Rubbermaid Roughneck tubs myself in blue. Don't have to worry about light growing algae in there especially if you use hydro nutes with added hydrogen peroxide. Drill a small hole just under the handle of the tub to put your air hose thru. No holes below the water line = no leaks.

For nutes I've been using Advanced Nutrients 3-part with some Dr. Hornsby's BigBud during flowering. With 4" pots a 54L tub holds about 28L an inch below the bottom of the pots. I put in my 12" air stone, add my water, turn on the air pump, add the recommended amount of liquid rock, pH down to around 6 then add nutes to get about 300 ppm total. Final adjust of pH to around 5.6. Make sure it's stable and put the lid on. I prepare the net pots on a different lid as I start my clones in tiny dirt pots, put the rooted clone in a net pot surrounded with Hydroton and water it through to knock off any loose dirt then put the pots in my fresh tub. Have spare tubs so that when you want to change nutes you can prepare one with fresh nutes, lift the lid off the old tub and plunk it down on the fresh one. For flowering I usually move up to the bigger 84L size. Same lids just a deeper tub. I use a big syringe to suck up nutes to hand water the pots for a couple of days until the roots are hanging out the bottom of the pots. I use the same syringe to get samples for pH and TDS testing or to measure nutes and peroxide accurately.

Enough of this for now it's time for a beer run. If you search my old posts I've gone on about this method in greater detail many times. Usually after a beer run! :0)

thanks alot man. i checked out your threads, not alot about DWCs, but ill look at your old posts soon. but yeah i just found a new grow shop. i bought FFGB hydro today. and i already have the rest of the FF nute line. the new shop, also has Dutch Masters coming soon. that will probably be the next grow. as i plan to have soil growing at the same time. well see what happens.

 

[WeedyMcWeedWeed]

Ms. Fox: this is straight out of my growers bible.

Labrat: i hear ya man, i plan on doing pretty much exactly what you are, thanks for the idea of the bigger tub for flowering. do you use distilled water?

ok, but heres what i dont get, in my bible it shows that cutaway of a DWC ^ no feed tube right. but in the description it says to have a drip tube. my guess is for when its to small to reach the water, but it doesnt say. and in the cutaway of the top feed, has the pump and feed tube, along with the airstone, so it basically contradicts itself. but idk, i plan on doing it with no feed tubes, and having a veg and a flower set up, with a spare tub for both probably.

 

[tgadfgadgf]

I have the same book. Is it on page 219? I have two dwc buckets just like the one in your growers book. I ddont recall it saying anything about a feeding or drip tube. What's the purpose of them?

 

[WeedyMcWeedWeed]

I have the same book. Is it on page 219? I have two dwc buckets just like the one in your growers book. I ddont recall it saying anything about a feeding or drip tube. What's the purpose of them?

nope page 287. its the medical marijuana growers guide written by jorge cerventas. but it says the drip tubes are to carry a steady nute solution to the roots, but by you filling it up all the way you really dont need it. i guess.

 

[tgadfgadgf]

Okay my bad. I have a different book I guess with the same diagram.

 

[OldMedUser]

Labrat: i hear ya man, i plan on doing pretty much exactly what you are, thanks for the idea of the bigger tub for flowering. do you use distilled water?

ok, but heres what i dont get, in my bible it shows that cutaway of a DWC ^ no feed tube right. but in the description it says to have a drip tube. my guess is for when its to small to reach the water, but it doesnt say. and in the cutaway of the top feed, has the pump and feed tube, along with the airstone, so it basically contradicts itself. but idk, i plan on doing it with no feed tubes, and having a veg and a flower set up, with a spare tub for both probably.

Yepper. I have a Polar Bear Water distiller or I buy RO water. They're about the same price after calculating the cost of electricity.