Surf Zombies Hydroton Drip Bucket System-2010 Grow Journal

[castaway]

Hey everyone,

I am looking forward to keeping all you guys posted on my new project. I really hope with the help of the 420 community this will be a fruit full season. Well here is my system, and I will keep you guys posted with photo's. OK

2 1000 watts
2 4x4 flood tubs
2 45 gal reservoir's (for new system I use 15 gal per res)
9 Hindu Skunk Cuts 6 Purp Ku cuts and 5 Silver haze
20- 4 gallon buckets of hydroton
Co2 1.5 cfm every 15 min on 15 off per light cycle
(just have regulator and timer w tank)

Using
- Botanicare Pure Blend Pro grow
- Botanicare Liquid Karma
- Botanicare Silica Blast
- Dutch Master Zone Root Conditioner
- GrowMore Sea Kelp extract Cold water pressed
Running everything a little lighter than directions- 800-900 ppm for now
I need to inoculate the res with something like a Great White product, help brake down those organics in Botanicare. Any suggestions??
Right now I just put half them in the buckets under the 400 watt until I have buckets for the other 10. First time running a drip. Im just running spaghetti line off of a 5/8 tube from my pump in the res.
The babies in rockwool blocks got covered with hydroton and I pointed the hose right at the block. It drains fast and I fear I may need a sprayer to get all the hydroton in the bucket wet.??? So I have the drip lines on every 4-5 hours for 3 min. I will watch them and see what they need maybe more waterings when the 1000s go on. Here are the pics from my setup today.

Look for new posts soon. And Please feel free to give any feed back I need all the help I can get. Thanks -Surf Zombie

 

[SnowBender]

Nice!

Whats the reason for having them so low in the buckets? it looks like there's a lot more room for roots.

 

[Propa Gator]

Nice, neat, simple and effective. Good set-up except: Why any organics?
I want to grow a few 'trees' in similar buckets, with constant drip + hydroton.
I think that water may move around from a point source.
Check for wet around the bucket, an inch down. Use T fittings to 'spread the wealth' if not.

I don't see much overhead clearance; starting flower cycle soon?
+ rep for luck

 

[castaway]

Well I have 4 gal of hydroton in the 5 gal buckets. Honestly I was tired of cleaning hydroton so I stopped at 4 gal. Last round I filled the entire flood tub full of pebbles. Took 88 gallons of pebbles for 2 tubs. Nightmare to clean! So this time I was trying to cut down on medium and my res size hence the drippers instead of full floods.

 

[castaway]

Ya Gator I have the 400 hanging down from the 1000 so I have enough clearance. But I will be scrogging and doing a lot of bending and tying.

 

[castaway]

Hey guys,

Finally got all the drippers set up both lights running. I plugged my Co2 regulator in to check it and no luck. The solenoid wont pop when I plug it in. Bummed wasnt planning on buying anymore equipment. I thought I would use less hydroton filling the buckets, but I still used 85 gal or hydroton. 20 plants. I really hate cleaning that shit! But I keep justifying it some how. I hate throwing away rockwool so wastefull, and I always compost my used dirt but I have mixed results with dirt. Had my best grows on the hydro. Plus you can always reuse the hydroton. Heres some picks of the girls.

 

[Propa Gator]

When you wash new hydroton, you get ugly but harmless red dust.

Lotta buckets

 

[castaway]

Hey guys I need some help with this regulator. I went to plug it in and the solenoid is not popping. No noise from the reg. at all. Here are some pics of the unit Im using. Can I fix this? Or do I have to scrap it and fork up another $150 bucks?

Linding is the brand name. Thanks again.

 

[castaway]

Hey everyone,

Im about nine days in veg under the 2 1000 watts. Im running 2 tubs 1 is a Sativa dominant bed mostly Hindu Skunk and a few Silver Haze girls. The other is mostly indica Purp Kush and a Bubble Gum. 2 seperate 15 gal reservoir The Sativa's are looking good at 1150ppm. The Indica's are looking sad at 900. Especially one Purp girl in particular.
Drippers run 3 min 4x per light cycle.
Room temp 75-78
Humidity 48%

I just foliar sprayed 2 nights ago with 1tsp grow 1tsp Liquid Karma and 1 tbls ful mag to 1 gal water. Not sure but if the Kush liked it? The Sativas were happy.
-Check the pics guys-
---I need your input guys anything helps. Do they look deficient? Should I raise ppm? Should I change my foliar? Thanks

Purp K

Hindu Skunk

 

[Propa Gator]

You may have water deprivation stress going on, that stuff looks dry.
Plants in hydroton are happy with 24/7 constant drip. Ever seen a Waterfarm in action?
Look closely for bugs with a magnifier

 

[Tmac12]

 

[castaway]

Good call Gator! I bumped up the watering to 10- 3 min drips per 18 hours. I might even go more. Im checkin for bugs. I found a few fungus gnats, even with the mesquito dunks in the res. But I will spray with neem once the girls perk up a bit. I hate gnats, they are so tough to eradicate.

 

[420]

Is this grow still alive?

If so, please update us with some pictures and info.

How about posting a 420 Smoke Report?

If you need any help with posting photos, please read the photo gallery tutorial:
Photo Gallery Guide - How to Resize, Upload & Post Photos

I am moving this to abandoned journals until we get updates.

Thanks and hope all is well in your world!

Love and respect from all of us here at 420 Magazine!