# Planning a new hydro setup



## Surfer Joe (Jan 14, 2014)

I was really impressed by the heavy growth seen in hydro growing, but servicing even a couple of buckets has been a fair amount of work .
I was wondering about future plans and came up with this design and would appreciate any comments.
The idea is having a pump from a large rez into some buckets at their base and an overflow tube out of the bucket at the desired height and back to the rez by gravity. (see diagram)

A couple of concerns I have in this design is where to put air in.
Should I aerate the main rez or put an airstone in each bucket?
Could I put in a venturi tube at the inlet of each bucket to create aeration without an airstone?

Also, how do you clean such a large main rez or the buckets during a grow?
Do you leave the buckets alone and just clean the rez?
Do you just flush the rez and plumbing system to clean it?
I would prefer to design a rez that is easier to service than the one in my diagram. Maybe one that is a tall cylinder that can sit beside  rather than below, but I  was not sure how to plumb such a setup.


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## lindseyj (Feb 18, 2014)

Growing marijuana hydroponically simply means that growing plants in an inert, sterile medium instead of soil. Mix water with nutrient solution to get the best result. It is the entire atmosphere that needs to be controlled within the hydroponic environment to produce perfect crops.


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## robertr (Feb 18, 2014)

I would put an air stone in each bucket with a strong air pump to run all buckets or several pumps. You could just extend the hoses you already have and put the buckets on the floor to keep you res. seperate. You could do the ventury tube thing to , more air the better.


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## WeedHopper (Feb 18, 2014)

Thats kinda like a Recirculating DWC right? I mean it runs constantly,correct? If so you will deff need lots of bubbles are your roots are gonna be in trouble because they are constantly under water.


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## Hushpuppy (Feb 18, 2014)

On my setup, I used 18gal totes and had a hole cut in the lid of each tote so that 1 plant could set down into the tote. This would work similar to DWC but I had 4 off these totes in a 4x4 tent with 1" hose connecting each tote together as low as I could drill and mount them(I used 1" pipe couplings that my hose slipped onto and the couplings were glued in place) into the sides of the totes. These were set on a platform that raised them about 6-8" off outside floor. The hoses connected the 4 totes together in a U shape.

I had a larger 30gal tote that set beside the tent as my main rez. I had one hose that went from one tote to the rez, and then another hose connected the other side of the rez to the tote  on the other end of the U within the tent. This closed the U to a D shape with the rez being on the straight side. This setup gave me about 30-40gallons of water for 4 plants. I put 2 pumps into this system, one in the rez pushing water into the first tote in the tent and then a second pump in the 3rd tote that pushed water through the 4th tote, back into the rez. This didn't create a massive movement of water but was enough to keep the water stirred and the solution mixed and evenly oxygenated. 

I oxygenated the water with 2 air pumps (in the event that one failed) by having a couple air stones in the rez and a couple air stones in the 3rd tote. This system was very easy to maintain as I did all of my addition and adjustments into the outside rez so that I wasn't constantly having to lift plants. I would do my initial set-up with my solution and then adjust the pH every 3-4 days as it drifted from one end of the spectrum to the other. I would top up my water with nuted solution as needed then change the water completely every 2-3 weeks. I did do a flush once  while in flower at the end of the 3rd week to clean out the buildup of chems and salts.

Fflushing was easy as I would connect a pump to a drain hose and just pump all of the water out of the rez as it drained back into it from the other totes. I would then fill it with 30gal ffresh water and run system ffor 24 hours then drain and ffill back with new nuted solution. After each run I would drain the totes and disconnect the hoses, then pull the totes out and wash them out with a mild scrubbie and plain water. dry them and reconnect, and set new plants in place. Refill with new nute solution and go again.

I did have a pump that connected to watering lines that top-fed my plants as I prefer to grow in coco and like to top-feed. My plants did quite well in this setup. They never showed any deficiencies and rarely yellowed off much toward the harvest, and generally yielded 16-20oz dry from the 4x4 tent  

I hope this helps


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## WeedHopper (Feb 18, 2014)

Nice Hush,,Got a Blue print?


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## Growdude (Feb 18, 2014)

WeedHopper said:
			
		

> Thats kinda like a Recirculating DWC right? I mean it runs constantly,correct? If so you will deff need lots of bubbles are your roots are gonna be in trouble because they are constantly under water.


 
It looks like ebb n flo, just put the pump on a timer for 3-4 times a day for 30 min.
No airstones are needed in flood and drain as air is brought down into the roots when the buckets drain back to the rez.


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## WeedHopper (Feb 19, 2014)

Sorry,,I musta missed where he said it was turned on 3 or 4 times a day.


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## robertr (Feb 19, 2014)

That is a under current system where the water is forced into the buckets from the bottom and overflows out the top back to res. The buckets always have water in them. Air stone in each bucket.


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## Hushpuppy (Feb 19, 2014)

No an under-current is where the water is forced through each bucket or tote to form a river of sorts that travels from one container to the next in a constant circle, going from the rez to the planters and back again. Mine is very near to being a UC except that I don't use as large off connecting pipes and my water isn't forced through as fast. Mine is just kept going enough to keep it mixed thoroughly. A UC requires a little trickier set up and a strong pump.

WH; I had a blue-print but I have misplaced it. I will see if I can find it or draw it out for you


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## Hushpuppy (Feb 19, 2014)

Hey WH, here is the link to it. I actually used 1" hose and fittings which gave me good flow, but 2" would work even better. I connected a smaller hose(about 8" long) to my submersible pump and slid it into the connecting hose so that the pump would pull water from one tote and push it into the other tote. It worked quite well.
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=208474&d=1378662580


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## robertr (Feb 19, 2014)

Sorry Hushpuppy , I meant the OP had an undercurrent design pictured.


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## Growdude (Feb 19, 2014)

Hushpuppy said:
			
		

> No an under-current is where the water is forced through each bucket or tote to form a river of sorts that travels from one container to the next in a constant circle, going from the rez to the planters and back again. Mine is very near to being a UC except that I don't use as large off connecting pipes and my water isn't forced through as fast. Mine is just kept going enough to keep it mixed thoroughly. A UC requires a little trickier set up and a strong pump.


 
Yea its not UC. But I think the OP could run this as a ebb n flo.

Without enough flow thru the pots your not going to keep enough air to the roots no matter how many air stones you use.

Any restriction on the return lines will cause the pot to overflow, maybe not a problem if over a rez like in the picture.


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## Surfer Joe (Feb 19, 2014)

Growdude said:
			
		

> Yea its not UC. But I think the OP could run this as a ebb n flo.
> 
> Without enough flow thru the pots your not going to keep enough air to the roots no matter how many air stones you use.
> 
> Any restriction on the return lines will cause the pot to overflow, maybe not a problem if over a rez like in the picture.


I think that my design has a problem in that if the pump stops, the buckets would drain dry via gravity.

I am very curious about a hydro setup where I could use a big rez to feed a control bucket via gravity. 
The control bucket (say 20L) uses a float valve to control the liquid height.

Two or more 20L grow buckets with mesh pots and individual airstones would connect to the control bucket via pipes, all on the same level so that they adopted the same liquid height as the control bucket.

One in-line pump would be fitted after the last grow bucket and connect to the top of the big rez. It would continually pull liquid from the control bucket through each grow bucket and then dump it back into the top of the big rez.
The grow buckets would be in the tent and the control bucket and big rez would be outside the tent.

Do you think that this would work? 
Would there be enough fresh liquid getting to each bucket or would there be stagnant pockets in some part of the grow buckets that did not get exchanged with fresh liquid as it circulated?
Would it matter how the connecting hoses are placed? All along the bottom of the buckets or along the top waterlines? Or maybe flowing in at the top and exiting at the bottom of each bucket?

What sort of hydro system would that be called? Is it even a good idea?


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## WeedHopper (Feb 19, 2014)

Hushpuppy said:
			
		

> Hey WH, here is the link to it. I actually used 1" hose and fittings which gave me good flow, but 2" would work even better. I connected a smaller hose(about 8" long) to my submersible pump and slid it into the connecting hose so that the pump would pull water from one tote and push it into the other tote. It worked quite well.
> http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=208474&d=1378662580




Thanks Hush,,i have it saved.


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## trillions of atoms (Feb 19, 2014)

Crap on all the readings..


You want easy?  EBB AND FLOW!


I can lay a full schedule to the t that's EASY if interested.  2 tubs some cheap plumbing n pump n easy mix nutes.


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## WeedHopper (Feb 20, 2014)

Is Ebb and flow,,same as Flood and drain?


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## Growdude (Feb 20, 2014)

Surfer Joe said:
			
		

> I think that my design has a problem in that if the pump stops, the buckets would drain dry via gravity.


 
That's exactly what you want SJ. 

 You want the bucket to completely drain, this draws air in from the top, generally Hydroton is used as the medium. just set the timer for like 30 min on every 4 hours or so, TOA can help there.

 And yes WH, ebb and flo is flood and drain.


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## trillions of atoms (Feb 21, 2014)

I set my flood and drain once a day for 15 minutes...bump it up to 2x per day at a few weeks then 4 times/day in flowering.

its sooooooooo easy I have had my nute solution in veg for a month and just switched to flower two weeks ago same solution. I have only topped off w freshwater twice!

 I usually drain n refill every two weeks but I have been testing to see how long it can go. Been 1.5 months! Rez is still clean!

Happy camper here. Set it and forget it so far this run...


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## Hushpuppy (Feb 21, 2014)

I have used my system for several years with excellent results and very little problems. I don't knock the ebb and flo as it appears to work just as well. I think its all what fits your personal circumstances and preferences. 

TOA; do you use buffered nutes? how often do you have to adjust your pH? Do you allow it to drift across the spectrum or do you maintain the 5.8 continuously?
That has been the biggest issue that I have had to deal with in my system, continually having to adjust the pH every 3-4 days. However, the nutes that I use are not buffered for pH so I expect it to drift, and my plants are always healthy from beginning to end. I had a buddy that tried to maintain the 5.8pH and had more trouble with deficiencies than I ever had.


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## WeedHopper (Feb 21, 2014)

My Nutes Drifted in my DWCs and my Girls did very well. I gave up trying to keep it at 5.8 all the time. Way to big of a pain. I think when I start growing again Im gonna give F&D a try.


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## Surfer Joe (Feb 22, 2014)

Thanks. 
My next grow will have to be in soil because the bucket temps will get too high in the garage during the summer.
I am going to try airpots and then give hydro another go next winter.
But in my space, I will never have enough room for anything more than a single bubble bucket at a time.


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## trillions of atoms (Feb 22, 2014)

Running gh 2 part w some roots accelerant this run...no phing...havent even checked!

Usually im anal about ph but I have been watching plants and have been fine.  I did accidently flood the tray all day once ( I run high ppm)  and did notice a SLIGHT nute overload w a couple sagging leaves ( hanging off the main vein)  
I topped off w 2 gals of ro water and flooded as usual the day after.


Im actually really suprised how well they look after little care.

I use micro and bloom.  Hit w koolbloom liquid 2 weeks flower n bump it up...month in I start w a lil kb powder, then knock it up from there.


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## CasualGrower (Mar 7, 2014)

only thing I see, why fill from the bottom of the  buckets.....  to get solution up to drain level you are gonna need a heck of a pump to pressure up  4 buckets.......  Just fill from the top and oversize your drain lines to avoid overfilling.  Make sure you keep a good eye on root growth to keep them from plugging the drain lines.  But that would be for a Circulating DWC....  IF DWC...  put a stone in  each bucket....  If this  a Flood/Drain system a few times a day.... the design  will work, You will have to adjust pump size and drains to tune the system.....


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## The Hemp Goddess (Mar 9, 2014)

Weedhopper, I am very unhappy with my flood and drain.  My DWC plants are going much better.

I never try and keep my pH steady.  I start low and let it slowly climb to about 6.0.  By then they are ready for a res change.


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## WeedHopper (Mar 10, 2014)

I just like messen with stuff THG. F&D is one idea. He he


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## The Hemp Goddess (Mar 10, 2014)

I like messing with stuff, too.  Lots of people swear by F & D.  I figure I am doing something wrong, but haven't a clue what.....


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## trillions of atoms (Mar 11, 2014)

I would bet goddess that your over or under watering....

if you have been running dwc a while...your intune with it.


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## bagabones (Jun 30, 2014)

Surfer Joe said:


> I was really impressed by the heavy growth seen in hydro growing, but servicing even a couple of buckets has been a fair amount of work .
> I was wondering about future plans and came up with this design and would appreciate any comments.
> The idea is having a pump from a large rez into some buckets at their base and an overflow tube out of the bucket at the desired height and back to the rez by gravity. (see diagram)
> 
> ...


 
 this is only my opinion;

 I have grown a few different hydro styles... personally this looks like a ebb n grow but with the res under the plants which is less efficient than the ebb n grow

 if I was going to go with this style system I would go with drip lines that top feed and let it drain back from the bottom into the res

 you will have less root disease issues and could potentially use a smaller rez (not that smaller is better)

im personally not a huge fan of the flood and drain methods.. I have found root disease is more probable


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## Donalogical (May 11, 2015)

Interesting comment bagabones- I've found this to be the case as well. However, I'm looking to fix this issue in my personal setup now.


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## Gooch (Aug 15, 2015)

I am new to hydroponics and growing cannabis in general, I have 2 types of hydro systems one is a 6pot single unit, the other is an ebb and grow. I read each post in here, and thank you all for the great insights, especially the difference in timer settings with the ebb and grow during growth and flower, and also about the root disease info from baga I suspect that may have something to do with over watering possibly, especially if once a day for 15 minutes seems to work for one. From what i understand the way to get the oxygen in the ebb and grow is when it is drained and in the open air, am i mistaken? and wouldnt having it constantly submerged  cause it to rot?


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