New to DWC/Bubbleponics - 4x4

[Douglas.Curtis]

Thanks for the info! Will the 45L/min version be overkill and change pH?

found here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221725797918?var=520569500214

Let's do the math I usually go by wattage, about 3watts per 10 gallons(38 liters). I've successfully used 4 active aqua, 3 watt pumps for 45 gallons (170 liters) of nutrient solution. They're 7.8 liters/m each, so 31.2 liters/minute.

I would go with the 45l/min, with a hose splitter for a stone under each plant. Should it turn out to be too much air (not likely), you can always take one stone and put it in a small bucket without a plant. Just remember to keep water in it throughout the grow.

Please let us know if the 45l/min raises the pH of a 170 liter solution, it's information I haven't run across yet. Thanks!

Douglas

 

[Feisty1UR]

Let's do the math I usually go by wattage, about 3watts per 10 gallons(38 liters). I've successfully used 4 active aqua, 3 watt pumps for 45 gallons (170 liters) of nutrient solution. They're 7.8 liters/m each, so 31.2 liters/minute.

I would go with the 45l/min, with a hose splitter for a stone under each plant. Should it turn out to be too much air (not likely), you can always take one stone and put it in a small bucket without a plant. Just remember to keep water in it throughout the grow.

Please let us know if the 45l/min raises the pH of a 170 liter solution, it's information I haven't run across yet. Thanks!

Douglas

Yep, the exact one I've bought. Thanks for the help, and I'll let you know how it turns out

 

[rkymtnman]

higher dissolved oxygen levels are created, when airstones are used vs. open lines.

and waterfalls create way more DO than airstones. i dumped all my airstones for waterfalls years ago.

and they keep the nutrients circulating better as well.

 

[rkymtnman]

Yep, the exact one I've bought. Thanks for the help, and I'll let you know how it turns out

you going sterile or bennies for your res? you plan on somehow using a chiller in your setup?

 

[Feisty1UR]

you going sterile or bennies for your res? you plan on somehow using a chiller in your setup?

What does bennies mean? Is sterile when you change and clean weekly with peroxide? I was thinking of wrapping the reservoirs in foil to reflect the heat away...? Someone mentioned ice bottles but it sounds like a pain to maintain.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

What does bennies mean? Is sterile when you change and clean weekly with peroxide? I was thinking of wrapping the reservoirs in foil to reflect the heat away...? Someone mentioned ice bottles but it sounds like a pain to maintain.

bennies means beneficial microbes/fungi/whatnot
Sterile is when you use something to keep anything from growing in the reservoir.

I personally don't use either method. I use r/o water, pharmaceutical grade nutrients, dwc (one tub per light/strain) and don't dump my res until right before harvest. The res is clean, usually with a thin film of algae you can feel. Very healthy.

Ice bottles suck. If you're unable to maintain 68F, I would look into a roots-out hydro system. Flood and drain, drip through a medium, anything that lets the roots dry out. You'll want 75F root temps at that point, for proper evaporative cooling and uptake.

 

[rkymtnman]

What does bennies mean? Is sterile when you change and clean weekly with peroxide? I was thinking of wrapping the reservoirs in foil to reflect the heat away...? Someone mentioned ice bottles but it sounds like a pain to maintain.

ice bottles suck.. did that for a few days and that was enough for me.

i prefer sterile by using HTH pool shock (chlorine). dutchmaster zone is what i used to use. it's fairly cheap too.

 

[Budley Doright]

bennies means beneficial microbes/fungi/whatnot
Sterile is when you use something to keep anything from growing in the reservoir.

I personally don't use either method. I use r/o water, pharmaceutical grade nutrients, dwc (one tub per light/strain) and don't dump my res until right before harvest. The res is clean, usually with a thin film of algae you can feel. Very healthy.

Ice bottles suck. If you're unable to maintain 68F, I would look into a roots-out hydro system. Flood and drain, drip through a medium, anything that lets the roots dry out. You'll want 75F root temps at that point, for proper evaporative cooling and uptake.

F&D requires cooling as well if you want to get the most out of your plants, I thought it didn't matter as well but trust me it does lol. And yup if your planning on frozen bottles good luck with that lol. What are pharmaceutical grade nutrients? Don't think I've seen any so just curious.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Pharmaceutical Grade: 99.9% free of contaminants. GH, AN and a few others are pharmaceutical grade.

I remember my F&D tables doing better when the temps were above 68F, the evaporative cooling effect made a nice zone in the pebbles between floods. Below 70F, there's not much evaporation going on.

 

[Budley Doright]

Pharmaceutical Grade: 99.9% free of contaminants. GH, AN and a few others are pharmaceutical grade.

I remember my F&D tables doing better when the temps were above 68F, the evaporative cooling effect made a nice zone in the pebbles between floods. Below 70F, there's not much evaporation going on.

Actually I'm guessing that my ideal of F&D is probably wrong in that I don't use tables but covered trays and net pots so not much evaporative cooling, I could see that with RW cubes and flood tables. I need to get my terminology down, I built my systems so not sure what they are lol. And I've never seen anything about the pharmaceutical rating of GH and honestly haven't seen much about AN other than its really pricey here lol. Are these actually certified? I'll have to do some reading I guess .