Critique my homemade DWC system!

PotPower

PotPower

Active Member
Good ting i live near the city I got like 5 extra large bags of it! lol
I think having more crevices for roots to go will give you a better upper root system which helps your plant stay standing.
I am pretty sure when your plant gets big, which it will in dwc, it will fall over easily.
I am using the hydrofarm bucket system converted to a recirculating DWC system from the existing parts.
I am also using the drip rings so I have a drip + RDWC system. my roots became a block in the bucket !
 
lakew00d

lakew00d

Well-Known Member
PotPower said:
Good ting i live near the city I got like 5 extra large bags of it! lol
I think having more crevices for roots to go will give you a better upper root system which helps your plant stay standing.
I am pretty sure when your plant gets big, which it will in dwc, it will fall over easily.
I am using the hydrofarm bucket system converted to a recirculating DWC system from the existing parts.
I am also using the drip rings so I have a drip + RDWC system. my roots became a block in the bucket !
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Damn, I wanna see your set up (:
 
S

snocat

Active Member
here are a few tips I have learned,I started like you in buckets with home made net pots etc. ok as far as the river rock I have been useing it for 3 1/2 years now it does work mine is a bit smaller than yours dont waste money on hydroton,if you have a soldering gun you can attach a razor blade to it to cut the slits in your net pot and the bucket lids,put a 90 deg barbed fitting on the bucket with a piece of tubeing as a level gauge/drain. very very important you must keep the nute solution between 60 to 70 deg with 65 being average otherwise your going to have problems,lots of bubbles cool nutes and balanced ph and you will grow good plants,if your a do it yorselfer like me you will most likely build a few set ups before your happy with what you got I did and now I use large coolers co2 and some screen and still modifying all the time,oh and dont forget a good ph meter and a ppm meter there must have items I have only scratched the surface here as you will learn but stick with it and good luck to you man
 
ak.fortyseven

ak.fortyseven

Well-Known Member
snocat said:
here are a few tips I have learned,I started like you in buckets with home made net pots etc. ok as far as the river rock I have been useing it for 3 1/2 years now it does work mine is a bit smaller than yours dont waste money on hydroton,if you have a soldering gun you can attach a razor blade to it to cut the slits in your net pot and the bucket lids,put a 90 deg barbed fitting on the bucket with a piece of tubeing as a level gauge/drain. very very important you must keep the nute solution between 60 to 70 deg with 65 being average otherwise your going to have problems,lots of bubbles cool nutes and balanced ph and you will grow good plants,if your a do it yorselfer like me you will most likely build a few set ups before your happy with what you got I did and now I use large coolers co2 and some screen and still modifying all the time,oh and dont forget a good ph meter and a ppm meter there must have items I have only scratched the surface here as you will learn but stick with it and good luck to you man
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Bullshit! You can be happy with what you got, no problem, but strive to be better. And type better!
 
lakew00d

lakew00d

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the tips Snocat. If anything the pH and PPM meters are all I need and I should be good to go.
Im buying hydroton next week off ebay
20 dollars for a 10L bag and in later weeks ill get the PPM and pH meters.
Ive always wanted a pH meter in the first place :P

I did drill some more holes into my pots "net pots"

And I have some Rockwool on the way, only 7 dollars for 25 - 1"x1" sweet price I think.

If you guys haven't check my current soil grow out in my sig. im adding an update here soon.
 
lakew00d

lakew00d

Well-Known Member
faller200 said:
Do you have an Agway near by? The one near me sells hydroton
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I dont have that near ): I do have a hydrostore but honestly its not worth the drive. its about 90 minutes, the lady is kind of grumpy.
So Ill settle with shipping(:
 
Frito Bandito420

Frito Bandito420

Active Member
looks good. I have my first dwc. and make sure your resi temps stay within 60-70. trust me. I think I'm gonna have to start over :(
 
BigFatFatty

BigFatFatty

Active Member
Yea res temp is a major issue the warmer the more the nutes and bacteria and whatever else is in that bitch starts growing and shit gets slimy.. Root rot fucks em up quick fast and in a hurry... Good luck man!
 
lakew00d

lakew00d

Well-Known Member
Cant i just buy 2 tank heaters for the winter? it gets cold here. whats the best way to keep in from going over 70?
 
K

kushnotbush

Well-Known Member
I read your post and I'm sure you will find ways to improver your setup over time yourself, I recommend not to use the river rocks for this type of growing though. My reasoning is that some of those rocks contain elements that can be released into your root zone due to the acidic environment, not to say that it can't be done but as a newer grower you want to knock out all the variables of what could go wrong. Again I am not saying it won't work, just might throw your PH off sometimes and that get's frustrating. Just my opinion though and otherwise your in business. Good luck and happy growing.
KnB
Oh and for the warmer months look into Zone or H2O2 they both work great in sterile reservoirs in my experience.
 
lakew00d

lakew00d

Well-Known Member
kushnotbush said:
I read your post and I'm sure you will find ways to improver your setup over time yourself, I recommend not to use the river rocks for this type of growing though. My reasoning is that some of those rocks contain elements that can be released into your root zone due to the acidic environment, not to say that it can't be done but as a newer grower you want to knock out all the variables of what could go wrong. Again I am not saying it won't work, just might throw your PH off sometimes and that get's frustrating. Just my opinion though and otherwise your in business. Good luck and happy growing.
KnB
Oh and for the warmer months look into Zone or H2O2 they both work great in sterile reservoirs in my experience.
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Thanks man! Yea I am planning on buying hydroton next week or so.
Ands I was thinking about using H2O2, I have tons and tons of it lol :P
 
boodadood

boodadood

Active Member
i know a guy who grows dwc using river pebbles just like that and he gets good results...he actually grows the best tasting bud out of all my grow buddies...ive used hydroton and suretogrow cubes but i hear the ultimate medium for hydro are marbles....see if you can find a big bag of those locally
 
mastiffkush

mastiffkush

Well-Known Member
boodadood said:
i know a guy who grows dwc using river pebbles just like that and he gets good results...he actually grows the best tasting bud out of all my grow buddies...ive used hydroton and suretogrow cubes but i hear the ultimate medium for hydro are marbles....see if you can find a big bag of those locally
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I have never heard of marbles, that sounds interesting but expensive...you would obviously have to use black ones because of light. What about the roots having a hard time digging through the heavier mediums?
 
panhead

panhead

Well-Known Member
Whats the reasoning so many people are saying he must use hydroton ? Please give your reasons,just saying somebody "must" have something,without explaining offers no learning.

Here it is,you do not have to use hydroton,infact i hate the shit,its filthy,junks the rez,pumps,roots & water up,holds salts creating severe ph flucuations.

You can use rocks but not river rocks,you want to use 3/8 gravel which is about the size of a grape,river rock is golf ball size & leaves too much air space inbetween stones,letting light & air dry roots out.

The only advantage hydroton has over gravel or marbles is that it retains moisture longer,meaning less flood times.

Ive tried them all,hydroton,hydrorock,marbles,gravel,perlite,flytocel,coco,vermiculite,i no longer use any of them,i grow flood & drain using a natutal sponge as the medium in the net pot,clean as hell with no ph issues from salt build up either.

Its simple,put the rockwool cube or rapid rooter in the net pot then wedge chunks of sponge around the cube keeping it locked in place.

So as you see there are lots of ways to set up your hydro grow & by no means os hydrton needed.
 
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