Anybody Interested in Sharing

[orangesunshine]

of course---that makes sense---thanks Jaam

THG---thanks---that was what i was looking for---peeps with the experience giving their opinion on the pro's and con's of hydro/aero---what works best for them and why

rooms are built around tray sizes on hand---makes sense to use them---in past they caught overflow watering soil---they must have covers with cup sizes for hydro

 

[AlkaloidContent]

Sorry I guess I should have titled my picture Ebb and Flow. lol.

 

[orangesunshine]

alkaloid---no doubt---you gave me some good answers---and plenty to contemplate---thank you for your diagram---i really am not trying to re invent the wheel---just trying to pick the brains of those i consider to be at the top of their game and weigh the pro's and con's of their answers to make my decision to go soilless or not---so what are those covers with holes for baskets called that fit into the trays

 

[jbyrd]

My first intro to hydro was a 12 bucket DIY recirculating bubble bucket system. So easy to maintain and build. 5gal buckets, plenty of root room, big fat yummy buds. Just another thing to think about and search around on.

 

[orangesunshine]

jbyrd---that's kinda what i am looking at doing now---how's this sound

5 gal buckets

lids, baskets. clay pellets, holes on the bottom, ring feeder on the top

tray

a lid with holes for the buckets
1/2" slope for drainage back to the rezzy

rezzy 75 gal

many airstones, pump to the ring feeders on each plant

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

jbyrd---that's kinda what i am looking at doing now---how's this sound

5 gal buckets

lids, baskets. clay pellets, holes on the bottom, ring feeder on the top

tray

a lid with holes for the buckets
1/2" slope for drainage back to the rezzy

rezzy 75 gal

many airstones, pump to the ring feeders on each plant

I would forget the ring feeders on the top. You do not need them and they can be a PITA. You are going to need a pump--just recirc the nute solution through the buckets back to the res. I think there is a recent DIY on this.

 

[AlkaloidContent]

alkaloid---no doubt---you gave me some good answers---and plenty to contemplate---thank you for your diagram---i really am not trying to re invent the wheel---just trying to pick the brains of those i consider to be at the top of their game and weigh the pro's and con's of their answers to make my decision to go soilless or not---so what are those covers with holes for baskets called that fit into the trays

Oh no I just dont know exactly where you stand on the whole soil less grow technique. Just want to give as much info as possible. Thats all. I mean nothing but the best and wish you the best of luck...remember...we're watching.

 

[nouvellechef]

jbyrd---that's kinda what i am looking at doing now---how's this sound

5 gal buckets

lids, baskets. clay pellets, holes on the bottom, ring feeder on the top

tray

a lid with holes for the buckets
1/2" slope for drainage back to the rezzy

rezzy 75 gal

many airstones, pump to the ring feeders on each plant

Or just buy the 12 site ebb for $379. Or if you want less, larger plants. Get the Ebb monster for a bit more. I don't show pics of my ebb much, but I will of you want. I only use in winter months.

 

[Hushpuppy]

I do a hydro variant. I have never grown in soil so I can't say which is better or easier, but I can say that I love growing in hydro. However they can be a bit work intensive and a lot of responsibility, like gettin a new really great dog that yu have to spend a lot of time with to prevent it from having problems. The thing about it though is that I love tending to my grow and my partner and I are in it every day for a couple of hours, just enjoying it ...Here is a picture of my latest setup. We have tried several things (including the 5gal buckets which worked well) but this setup is (for us so far) the best, easiest method to control, work, switch out clones, cleanup, and maintain. We use coco coir over 2" layer of hydroton in 1gal nursery containers with lots of 1/4" holes drilled in the bottoms. These are set (2 per) into 10gal rubbermaid totes, through holes that I cut in the lids to allow the containers to fit tightly only about 2/3 of the container so that there is about 4" of space beneath the containers to the bottom of the tote. each tote has a 3/4" hole drilled into the side about 1" off the bottom so that there is always some water standing in the bottom of the tote. a fitting with a hose runs from each tote to the REZ which sits under a suspended floor (or low table). Our room is 3.5'x3.5' and we have 3 of these totes with 2 plants each. there is a water pump that pushes our water/nute solution up a 1/2" pipe between the totes to a "rain bird" dispersion head where 1/4" lines run out to each container to top feed continuously. we have a large air stone in the 12gal REZ that aerates the water. If yu look at the pic yu can see the front tote in the growroom with the hoses going down to the bottom of the picture where the REZ is seen beneath the raised floor. We are able to access the REZ to dump, flush, clean and re-add new solution. This is a continuous running system and we keep nuted and ph'd water solution in it continuously, only draining every couple weeks to flush out salts and start over with fresh solution. In this pic the plants are about 6week clones. We have 2 more growrooms that have different setups but as soon as we make the next harvest, we are going to this setup for all rooms. Convenient, easier, less mess, more efficient water and nute use with less humidity from evaporation.

 

[orangesunshine]

looks like ebb & grow and/or a drip will work best for the location---the plan is to DIY and use as much of the existing equipment from the soil show---5 gal homeboy depot buckets already on hand---plan on picking up the lids---cutting holes in them for the clay pellets and baskets---what size baskets should i be getting---drip makes sense as the rezzy is only 55 gal and will not suffice to flood the number of buckets---unless i run with 2 separate control units to flood 1/2 drain and then flood the second 1/2 of the garden---still trying to fine tune with advice from you all that are doing it---am i gonna get slime cause the buckets are not black---would like to be able to adjust the height of flooding at will---would you employ both drip and flood so feeding never stops instead of the 2 control units---

 

[Hushpuppy]

Me personally..I would go with drip, but that is because I have run drip for a long time and have had almost no problems with it. I used the HomeDepot buckets for a while myself, and they worked quite well. I went away from them as they take up a lot of space. If I were growing larger Sativas, and plenty of vertical space, I would stay with those. If yu go online to HTGSupply, Discount Hydro, or any of the hydro stores, yu can actually get 5-8" net pots that are made to fit on top of the 5gal buckets perfectly (a few bucks a piece).. I wouldn't use any smaller than a 5".

When I did my grow buckets, I drilled one hole in each bucket about 2" up from the bottom (this creates a small rez for the rootball to hang in) and connected 1/2" rubber hose (garden hose will work) and ran the hose back to the rez (which set below the level of the buckets so that gravity would drain it back). Then I used a submersible pump that pushed the water up to a (rainbird or other yard watering system) dispersion head, from there 1/4" lines run out to each bucket and pours openly into the plant medium (hydroton and/or coco coir). The real important thing with this system is to really aerate the water in the rez with a big airstone and air pump...I never had any trouble with slime on the roots from light, but if yer concerned, get some decent black spraypaint and spray the outsides of the buckets (the netpot lids are already black.

 

[orangesunshine]

thanks hushpuppy---kinda figured as much with painting the buckets black---i would just rather deal with that problem now if it is an issue cause i am sure i will have other problems to attend to---how would i be able to adjust the level of my flood at different stages of the life cycle---looking like i am forced to drip unless i get 2 control boxes

 

[Hushpuppy]

With the buckets yu wouldn't have to adjust the flood. Yu just run the water either constantly on a slow trickle or put the pump on a timer and run it for say 15 minutes every hour. The water would run through the medium and run out the bottom of the baskets into the buckets. eventually as the roots grow down into the bucket, the water will run down them and keep them wet all the time. Having the aeration going all the time will keep the roots plenty oxygenated so that they don't have to have a "drying period" like in flood or soil. Mine run constantly like they are swimming and I have no problems. being in the buckets maintains a high enough humidity that the roots never dry out even if they don't get water for short periods.

 

[orangesunshine]

so far this is what makes most sense to me---a constant flowing main line down the side with drips in each bucket---a second drain line for the bottom bucket to gravitate towards the control box and pumped back into the rezzy

 

[Hushpuppy]

There are several ways yu can do it. but what yer saying sounds right. Just make sure the hose hooks into something that will hold it over the medium in the net baskets. I actually got some flower labeling sticks that are flat white plastic sticks that can be written on and stuck into the soil with a plant for labeling (I drilled one hole in each one big enough for the waterline to fit in it) then stick it down into the medium to hold the hose in place.
If yu look at the pic, yu can see I have pots that are set into holes in a sheet of plywood that allows the bottoms of the pots to hang into a custom made rezevoir that sits beneath the plants. my pump sits in the rez with the main hose coming straight up through the plywood to the dispersion head.
there is an opening at the front of the board that allows access to the rez for refilling and cleaning. This is actually a variant on the 5gal bucket just with 6 plants in one bucket. I was trying to minimize evaporation but found the plastic totes work better than anything else so far...
There are multiple ways for pumpiong the water to the plants then returning it to the rez. It's just a matter of finding what works best for yer setup and what yu like. If yu look at the 2 pics that I posted, each is a cabinet that sits beside the other cabinet. Both are 3.5'x3.5'x5.5'h and both have raised floors that allow the rez to set beneath the plants. both have access doors that allow the rez to be removed for cleaning.
I actually have 3 rooms and each is set up a little different as we have been trying different methods to find the best one for us. The good thing about the buckets and totes is that they are able to be mobile and make cleanup easier. The only thing about the buckets for us was they take up a lot of room both vertically and horizontally.

 

[Hushpuppy]

I forgot to attach the pic that shows the watering head:doh:

 

[orangesunshine]

looks great hushpuppy---starting to get cold feet on this end---thinking about goin with what i know cause i do not have any room for a learning curve right now---still plenty of time to contemplate which way to grow while i pass you this---:48:

 

[Hushpuppy]

I don't fault yu..Go with what yu know for now and experiment later

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Why not start with just a couple of DWC buckets next to your soil grows if you are nervous? They can be stand alone units and you can "get your feet wet". You don't need to jump into the deep end of the pool when you are first starting to swim....

 

[orangesunshine]

THG---cloning bubbler is actually where my head is at---still keeping the door open for an easy transition at another time---thank you for your support