DWC DIY question

[Baked Jesus]

Ok, so I'm planning my second grow and I'd love for it to be a DWC grow as my first grow with soil didn't go so well. (Mainly due to mould during curing)

I'm planning on building my own DWC buckets and I want to build one similar to the one in the image below. My question is, what is the blue tube for attached to the side of the bucket? This has been on my mind for awhile and I just can't figure it out or find anywhere on the net which describes its purpose.

Is it some kind of draining system? or a system for adding nutrients etc? and is it necessary for a DWC system?

Excuse my ignorance and any response would be appreciated.

 

[tom__420]

It indicates the water level in your bucket so you don't have to open the lid and see. I hope that helps

Tom

 

[Baked Jesus]

Damn. I was over-thinking it way too much. Thanks a lot, buddy. Great help.

 

[phreaq]

you don't need the blue tube (its a water level as Tom says), but I wish my DWC had one, it just makes it easier to see how much the girls are drinking.

 

[koolhand77]

Baked I am doing a dwc now. Alittle diffrent than what you want to do. but my next grow is going to be done just like that. I already bought my 3 2gallon buckets. I just need to get new air stones and I'm good to roll. stop by my grow i'll help ya out as I am 2 weeks into flower and my plant is 20" inches tall.

 

[Baked Jesus]

Baked I am doing a dwc now. Alittle diffrent than what you want to do. but my next grow is going to be done just like that. I already bought my 3 2gallon buckets. I just need to get new air stones and I'm good to roll. stop by my grow i'll help ya out as I am 2 weeks into flower and my plant is 20" inches tall.

Cheers, mate. That's appreciated.

Did you make your own first DWC setup?

If I could just slip another question in here. How is the maintenance on a DWC system? From my understanding the nutrients in the water, over time, evaporates, or gets absorbed by the roots. How do you go about adding fresh nutrients to the solution?

Also, how long can the plants survive in the DWC without drowning the roots if a power cut occurs?

 

[koolhand77]

Cheers, mate. That's appreciated.

Did you make your own first DWC setup?

If I could just slip another question in here. How is the maintenance on a DWC system? From my understanding the nutrients in the water, over time, evaporates, or gets absorbed by the roots. How do you go about adding fresh nutrients to the solution?

Also, how long can the plants survive in the DWC without drowning the roots if a power cut occurs?

The maint... is real easy I run my system like this. Yes I built my own I have a link on my first thread for the guy who inspired me to do DWC hydro it's a must read.
I have I think a 2 or 2.5 gallon tub. I fill it with 1.5 gallon of water. add my nutes. depends on how much nute I use depends on my ph. I have it down to 1 tsp to 1.5 gallon puts my ph at the 5.5 range. If I have to change the ph I do. I check the res everyday to check the roots to make sure no slime is building up caused by high heat or to cold and to see how much they are drinking. You want to keep your res at 68 to 70 degrees. no more no less. I mix up a solution of half strengh nutes in a seprate gallon that I add to the res if the water is low. I use 3/4 of a gallon messured out using quart jugs 3 quarts 3/4 of a gallon and then I use 3/8th nutes. I use all powder nutes except for my kool bloom which is coming in the mail. then I change the res every 4 to 6 days. I leave the plants out of the water in a seprate bucket for 5 to 10 min. Then back in the res. I had some major problems figuring all this out but I seem to have it down pretty good right now. I did alot of reading found out all my answers here on RIU. So any questions I will help you out. Right now I have been flowering for 2 weeks and my plants have exploded. I recomend running 24/7 lights till your plants are a there first set of lights and then drop back to 18/6 you will notice a big diffence in growth. Then depending on how much room you have veg till your ready to flower. I should of went to 12/12 earlier. I waited 30 days and my plant is at the top of my grow box 20" tall. Good luck Man stop by my grow the link is in my sig.

 

[koolhand77]

Not too sure about the power thing I don't think it would be good for more than 12hr you would definetly notice somthing with your roots. But, your roots are gonna grow right into the water anyway. The air bubbler supies air so I don't know good question.
hmmm