# My custom-designed, bad-to-the-bone hydro system.



## Puff- The Magic Dragon (Dec 31, 2007)

I thought about patenting this system and trying to make money by selling them- a la Hydro-Farm and their outrageously priced systems. However, I decided that I would like to share it with the community.  

Everything I did, I did by myself. Meaning that where I live I didn't have any type of resources like people in CA and OR and WA (and others) have with the local grow shops. I never did have a "green thumb", so my plant-growing skills were basically non-existent. I was using inexpensive chemical nutes and tap water. I believe this system, utilized by a "master grower", will produce better results that any other type of hydro system, hands-down, no question. My results were simply amazing. I have some pictures that I am going to share, but I can't find the bulk of the pictures. I had hundreds of macro shots and all kinds of stuff. In case you are wondering, I got busted here in VA and now I'm moving to CA and getting back into the game, so to speak.

I used to post on OG several years ago, so some people may remember my stunning results, probably not though; I wasn't a prolific poster.

Essentially, this system combines Bubble Buckets (DWC) and Ebb & Flow (with a little aeroponics thrown in for good measure). If you already have a DWC system, you can convert to this system by simply adding another water line and a pump and timer.

Here are the main parts-

&#8226;	A reservoir, mine was 50 gallons for 8 buckets and it was perfect.
&#8226;	Control bucket, this is how the water height is controlled in the grow buckets.
&#8226;	Grow buckets, I used 8. You can use as many as you want, but the reservoir, air pump, water pump and water lines all need to be sized accordingly. 
&#8226;	Water pump
&#8226;	Water lines, I used ½&#8221; ID non-kink black water line. It was expensive, but worth every penny.
&#8226;	Air pump
&#8226;	Air stones. I aerated everything. If it had nutrient solution, it had an air stone (or 2 or 3)

Here&#8217;s general idea behind the operation-

Basically, it&#8217;s just like DWC, except that every hour the water pump comes on for 15 minutes. During this time, here&#8217;s what happens- the nutes are pumped from the buckets via the drain line and pumped up to the reservoir, as the nute level in the buckets starts to drop the control bucket starts to drain into the grow buckets, this in turn opens the float valve to the reservoir and the nutes start flowing back into the control and eventually to the grow buckets. In order for this to work correctly, the water pump has to be able to pump faster than the flow going back into the buckets via the supply line. In my system it took 15 minutes to fully drain, then they would fill for about another 20 minutes, they would have about 25 minutes when the bucket was full, then the cycle starts again. 

I tried several different configurations when I initially came up with the idea and this was the best, but if you choose to try this system, feel free to experiment away!
The benefits to growing this way should be obvious. My roots were always white and healthy, the plants were simply stunning. 

I also came up with a way of rooting clones using a smaller version of this and utilizing a blast of oxygenated solution. I call it &#8220;Bubble Tubes&#8221;.

Anyway, here&#8217;s a few pics. I&#8217;ll be happy to answer any questions.


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## King Bud (Dec 31, 2007)

> nutes are pumped up from the buckets (via the drain line) into reservoir..
> 
> as the nute level in the buckets starts to drop, the control bucket starts to drain into the grow buckets..
> 
> this in turn opens the float valve to the reservoir, and the nutes start flowing back into the control and eventually to the grow buckets



This is the key line, that no matter how many times I read, I can't seem to visualize.. 

Is the float valve in the control bucket? 
The control bucket has no plants, and is at the same height as the grow buckets?
The only media is in the net pots (growbuckets are empty)?

Thanks for sharing  GL playing


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## Puff- The Magic Dragon (Dec 31, 2007)

King Bud said:
			
		

> This is the key line, that no matter how many times I read, I can't seem to visualize..
> 
> Is the float valve in the control bucket?
> The control bucket has no plants, and is at the same height as the grow buckets?
> ...



Yes, the float valve is in the control bucket. I knew I was poorly-wording that sentence as I was writing it, sorry. 

The control bucket sits directly below the reservoir and is gravity fed via a standard float valve. 

Yes, you are thinking correctly- the control bucket sit's at the same level as the grow buckets. At full bloom the plants were transpiring about 10-12 gallons per day (total, not each). The control bucket keeps the water level constant. 

Yes, the only media was Hydroton and rockwool starter cubes in 6 inch net pots. The buckets weren't empty for long! They VERY quickly filled with beautiful snow white roots!:hubba: Of course, there was an air stone in every bucket.


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## Sticky_Budz (Dec 31, 2007)

Looks great Awsome job wish i could go hydro did it cost you alot? Nice buds


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## DLtoker (Dec 31, 2007)

I nice setup indeed.  DWC and it's variations are so stupidly simple and works like a charm every time.  :aok:


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## Puff- The Magic Dragon (Dec 31, 2007)

Sticky_Budz said:
			
		

> Looks great Awsome job wish i could go hydro did it cost you alot? Nice buds



Including the lights (custom-built 1000w air-cooled HPS x2) it was somewhere between $1200-$1500 I think. I never really sat down and figured out the cost.

This was a progression...I started out in dirt, then tried a small hydro setup, then made a bigger setup, then I came up with the final design. I took me about 2 years from my first dirt grow to the final hydro design. 

My brother and I tried it with 100 buckets, but we ran into some problems that I'm not going to go into. Bottom line is that it's a somewhat complicated system, but once its dialed-in, I think it's the best in the world. Period. Given time, space and money I would do the 100 bucket system again. I know what was wrong with the other one and I'd love to give it another shot.


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## Puff- The Magic Dragon (Dec 31, 2007)

If you look at that picture with the mature plants- that is only 3 plants! Yes, I had 8 buckets, but I never did grow 8 plants. When I got busted I had 7 plants because I had started to clone by then and I had 7 plants because one died after I moved it.

Prior to that, it was all growing from seed. The big, dried cola that you see? That was as big a 2 liter bottle when it was growing. That dried cola was over 2 feet long!


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## 0b1kinsmokey (Jan 1, 2008)

very nice i am working on a setup quite similar. where are ur bypass valves? are u just testing ur water direct from the rez? wat kind of pump are u using, GPH?

i have something great u should know about that pretty much No one knows(hardware)..its wat has changed my life as far as commercializing different dwc variations and actually being successful at them.

mostly dwc related systems become less economic the bigger u go and much harder to maintain, the overhead can easily climb very high, but its to much of a great concept to let as im sure u know, hence why u made that! 

very good, i like it alot. im going to PM u with some info later, something that u will love and something im SURE u have been looking for for quite sometime, like most of us have 

btw i think i remember u from OG was ur name a little different? OG crash was a travesty =<


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## Puff- The Magic Dragon (Jan 1, 2008)

0b1kinsmokey said:
			
		

> where are ur bypass valves? are u just testing ur water direct from the rez? wat kind of pump are u using, GPH?



I'm not sure what you are asking. I did use a Y for draining and filling the system. I changed the nutes every 2 weeks. When I tested pH & PPM I tested directly from the res. One nice thing about this system is that the nutes are constantly being circulated, so there is no imbalance like you can get with a standard DWC system.  

I don't remember what size pump I had, but I think at was at least 250 gph. I spent probably $150 on the pump, if I remember correctly.


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## 0b1kinsmokey (Jan 3, 2008)

yea gotta love those big rez's, makes life much easier. great concept tho bro, looks like it worked out real nice. Great post!


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## JeSus (Jan 7, 2008)

Copyright that shizzle! Lol jokes, 

I have NO idea what DWC is, nor how to grow anyother way than soil.

I must investigate, but theres no topic for  'Hydro Dummies' that i can read


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## THCPezDispenser (Jan 7, 2008)

Puff- The Magic Dragon said:
			
		

> I thought about patenting this system and trying to make money by selling it- _a la_ Hydro-Farm and their outrageously priced systems. However, I decided that I would like to share it with the community.


 
Sweet!!  Open-source hydroponics!!   

Seriously though, nice setup.


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## Puff- The Magic Dragon (Jan 7, 2008)

0b1kinsmokey said:
			
		

> btw i think i remember u from OG was ur name a little different? OG crash was a travesty =<



No, my name was the same. 

OG didn't crash, well, at least a crash is not the reason it's no longer around. RC, the owner of Heaven's Stairway seeds and Overgrow.com got busted. I heard (you know how that goes...) that the DEA confiscated the OG servers- yes, on Canadian soil.


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## Ekoostik_Hookah (Jan 7, 2008)

nice dude, thats sweet. great info.
 PROPS TO YOU, AND GREEN MOJO


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## probablyfaded (Jan 7, 2008)

you got good ingenuity man. we need people like you here in cali. just go south...norcals got...whatever, go socal


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## Puff- The Magic Dragon (Jan 8, 2008)

probablyfaded said:
			
		

> you got good ingenuity man. we need people like you here in cali. just go south...norcals got...whatever, go socal



NorCal's got what? LOL! PM me if it would make you feel more comfortable.

I lived in Torrance for several years, was a Redondo Beach Pier rat when I was a kid about 157 years ago. I will initially be living in NorCal when I move, from there we will see what happens. I'm just looking forward to goin' back to Cali...


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## Firepower (Jan 8, 2008)

THCPezDispenser said:
			
		

> Sweet!! Open-source hydroponics!! .


 
now thats what im talking about!!   :aok:


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## gangalama (Jan 8, 2008)

I like the idea recirculating from each bucket back into the rez but does the suction ever pull roots along with it??


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## Puff- The Magic Dragon (Jan 8, 2008)

gangalama said:
			
		

> I like the idea recirculating from each bucket back into the rez but does the suction ever pull roots along with it??



Nope!


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