# making the switch... which system?



## dctodave (Oct 1, 2011)

hey guys,

i just completed my 3rd soil grow and now looking to move up into hydro. 

which system would you guys recommend? im looking to run 6-10 plants/pots.

i have two 600watt light systems..

links would be great! thanks in advance guys!


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## pcduck (Oct 1, 2011)

DWC with separate buckets.


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## Lemon Jack (Oct 1, 2011)

:yeahthat:


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## dctodave (Oct 1, 2011)

can you guys recommend a model thats on the cheaper side?


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## pcduck (Oct 1, 2011)

Our DIY section has a few on DWC that are easily made and very affordable.

Basically a black bucket and a lid with a net pot. After that an air stone and air pump and whatever you want to use as a medium, ex. hydroton

Save money and diy it and use the money yousave on a nice pH meter and ppm meter


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## akhockey (Oct 1, 2011)

pcduck said:
			
		

> Our DIY section has a few on DWC that are easily made and very affordable.
> 
> Basically a black bucket and a lid with a net pot. After that an air stone and air pump and whatever you want to use as a medium, ex. hydroton
> 
> Save money and diy it and use the money yousave on a nice pH meter and ppm meter


:yeahthat: couldnt have said it better myself. DWC is super easy and user friendly.


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## docfishwrinkle (Oct 4, 2011)

10 buckets would be alot for someone w/ ailments to empty/fill. if you made it a recirc then much more manageable. one res but then multistrains could be harder maintain.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Oct 13, 2011)

A small pump can deal with res/bucket changouts.  Another problem with recirc systems is that all the buckets also have to be at the same level.  I like to maintain an even canopy and raise and lower my buckets as needed.


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## Budsterman (Oct 13, 2011)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> A small pump can deal with res/bucket changouts.  Another problem with recirc systems is that all the buckets also have to be at the same level.  I like to maintain an even canopy and raise and lower my buckets as needed.


 
:yeahthat: 

Seperate buckets is great. All you need is to get yourself a nice strong pump to pump your buckets empty.

Good Luck to you!!!!


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## The Hemp Goddess (Oct 14, 2011)

Actually, it doesn't even need to be a big or strong pump.  A strong pump can damage the roots if you are not careful when emptying the buckets.


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## Hushpuppy (Oct 15, 2011)

In the gro-lab we use a wet/dry shop vac to suck out the water from the resevoirs. Works really good


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## stevetberry (Oct 15, 2011)

If you have a sink within 50 feet or so you can get a kit at most fish places that will suck the water out of the resevoir and send it down the sink.  They say that you should not do this with a septic system.  If you use it to refill the system do not use the on and off valve that comes with the kit as you will make a mess when it flies off from the pressure.  It works best if you have two people.  JMO.


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## zardoz (Jan 13, 2012)

I've grown many many gardens in DWC, most of the systems have been my own hybrid designs. I've had some awesome success ... that being said.. I've made the switch to growing in coco in a "hempy bucket" system. This is a "run to waste" system. I gotta tell ya.. I have NEVER enjoyed such success as this in any DWC system.

   zardoz


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## NugSack (Jan 20, 2012)

When and why would you empty the buckets? Can't you just top them off?


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jan 20, 2012)

NugSack said:
			
		

> When and why would you empty the buckets? Can't you just top them off?



Plants do not uptake nutrients evenly.  What is left in the bucket before you top up could be low in some nutrients and high in others.  When you just top up, this problem keeps getting worse.  I also like to change out to clean buckets when changing the nute solution.  This is a great time to examine the plants for general overall health.


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## NugSack (Jan 21, 2012)

Thank you Ms. Godess, you seem to know your stuff and I respect your opinion. Thanks again.


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## zem (Jan 23, 2012)

flood and drain is more foolproof IMO if you gona go with DWC i really suggest that you make leak-free drain holes. i can't imagine the fuss of emptying buckets without drain holes. i even make big sized holes to empty and refill very quickly. low maintenance is key IMO


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 1, 2012)

Zem, why do you consider flood and drain more "foolproof"?

I guess we all have our priorities.  Low maintenance is not my priority.  Having a system that runs to my satisfaction is.  Part of the reason that I am not doing flood and drain is that I run a perpetual harvest with different strains that grow differently and have different nutrient needs.  Changing out the different reservoirs is not that bad.  Unless you are running a DWC recirc system, IMO drain holes are just another place for a leak to happen.


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## zem (Feb 5, 2012)

THG heyas!  i think flood and drain is easier for a beginner to succeed in especially with small-sized pebbles because they retain water for very long and it is less reliant on electric and pumps, and it can handle higher temps better because of evaporation in the rootzone. i know what you mean about priorities, when i ran perpetual SOG, i also grew in DWC, but it obviously needed more maintenance and accuracy to succeed, but when it did it was great. as for the drainhole, i can do really good ones, and they never leak, if they do, it would probably need a bit of tightening of the screw or worst case, a change of the rubber. i can easily place something to catch the leaking water for a few days until my next res change, i never had a fuss in maintaining a leak, and if you really want to make a drain that never leaks, you can easily do so. there is some great material for waterproofing, glues that actually weld plastics together, if you are paranoid about a leak, you can use them. i have the type of hose which is used in laundry washing machines, their joints are welded this way, expensive but very effective, i just raise the flexible hose above water level and secure it, when i need to empty, it takes maybe 1 minute for 200L res, i always take a look at the roots as i flush, then refill, all in few mins, no carrying of heavy buckets, no back breaking... it's only the way i do my work


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 5, 2012)

I am a plumber.  I can tell you that nothing is 100% leak proof.  Solvent weld glues are product specific--ie--ABS glue will not weld PVC.  Also, do you know the biggest cause of floods in homes?  Failed washing machine hoses.  However, the main reason that I do not have a flood and drain is not fear of leaks, it is because I have plants that are different sizes and they need to be at different levels to maintain an even canopy.  With a flood and drain or any system that has a separate res, you are going to need to keep all the containers at the same height and try to maintain even growth.  I simply raise and lower my buckets to maintain an even canopy.

I'm still confused--I still fail to see how flood and drain is easier. I have found that the plants can survive without the air pump for a day or so in DWC.  How is the flood and drain is less reliant on pumps and electricity?  Don't you need to flood the tray several times a day?  What medium (small sized pebbles) are you talking about that retain water for a long time?  How long?


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## zem (Feb 22, 2012)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> I am a plumber.  I can tell you that nothing is 100% leak proof.  Solvent weld glues are product specific--ie--ABS glue will not weld PVC.  Also, do you know the biggest cause of floods in homes?  Failed washing machine hoses.  However, the main reason that I do not have a flood and drain is not fear of leaks, it is because I have plants that are different sizes and they need to be at different levels to maintain an even canopy.  With a flood and drain or any system that has a separate res, you are going to need to keep all the containers at the same height and try to maintain even growth.  I simply raise and lower my buckets to maintain an even canopy.
> 
> I'm still confused--I still fail to see how flood and drain is easier. I have found that the plants can survive without the air pump for a day or so in DWC.  How is the flood and drain is less reliant on pumps and electricity?  Don't you need to flood the tray several times a day?  What medium (small sized pebbles) are you talking about that retain water for a long time?  How long?


small grow rocks can hold plants alive without wilting for a week easy. I do flood trays i flood a single tray and not several buckets each with hose, because it will become a jungle of hoses.
 I understand what you say about washing machines flooding homes, but really, washing machines dump water heavily, can you imagine a grow room res flooding a home the same way? if you never tried it because you are worried from a leak, I strongly advise you to do, stop carrying buckets around your room, it is bad for the back, seriously. we had this argument about the leak before, I have been growing for like 8 years, and I never seen a leak that caused any real damage, and it gets fixed so easily and with the right material it never ever happened again. you may convince me that dwc is easier than flood/drain but you will never convince me to make grow trays without drain holes! really, make some holes in bottom of your trays, use quality hose and drain with big size like 1.5", maintain it after every harvest, and skip your back the heavy loads


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## OGKushman (Feb 22, 2012)

pcduck said:
			
		

> DWC with separate buckets.


This man is correct!


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## getnasty (Feb 29, 2012)

If I were to run 4 dwc buckets in my 4x2.5x7.5 space, what could I expect an average yield, strain pending, to be under a 400w hps?  

-nasty


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## The Hemp Goddess (Mar 1, 2012)

getnasty said:
			
		

> If I were to run 4 dwc buckets in my 4x2.5x7.5 space, what could I expect an average yield, strain pending, to be under a 400w hps?
> 
> -nasty



Really too many variables to even hazard a guess...you could get 8 or more ozs or you could get an oz...


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## zem (Mar 1, 2012)

getnasty said:
			
		

> If I were to run 4 dwc buckets in my 4x2.5x7.5 space, what could I expect an average yield, strain pending, to be under a 400w hps?
> 
> -nasty


depends on how well you do it and on your strain. whenever I flower under 400, I expect more than 200 grams every time, but I've been doing this for some time now


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