Hey guys, I've never attempted a hydro grow but am looking into it. As far as I can tell the biggest risk is a pump failure or leak (assuming all your levels are ok). Power outages could be prevented with a UPS. So is a mechanical pump failure a common thing, are there certain brands of pumps to keep in mind or stay away from? TIA!
Hydro Risks?
- Thread starter TenTex
- Start date
SweetestCheeba
Well-Known Member
Im a soil grower but since ive been on here ive never heard of pumps failing, i hear that the biggest pain is balancing the ph
Bayou bud
Active Member
It depends on the hydro set up. Ebb n flow you can go a few days if the pump breaks or the timer goes. I make sure to see my grow everyday. Aeroponics or NFT busting could kill your plant in as little as 10 minutes if my memory serves me correctly. Depends on the set-up style, the size of plants, the placements of roots etc. But the biggest pains in my opinion definitely fall to pH adjustment (but that becomes somewhat predictable after awhile) and flushing the system. Not matter what you grow you gotta flush cannabis, corn, watermelons, anything.
Tee Five
Active Member
Id say res changes. I mean that's really where the work is ( I haul buckets; some peeps have a valve/pump set up) .
I have two reservoirs. So im changing the water from one of them all the time. After a couple of years; it becomes the "work" portion of growing ( totally worth it of course). My point is that like any farmer, you'll have some labour. hauling buckets, cleaning everything all the time, constant squatting and lifting. So make sure you're up to the physical aspect...because it's a constant (just not everyday).
Harvest related duties are probably going to be your biggest work days. That's usually a full day work.
I have two reservoirs. So im changing the water from one of them all the time. After a couple of years; it becomes the "work" portion of growing ( totally worth it of course). My point is that like any farmer, you'll have some labour. hauling buckets, cleaning everything all the time, constant squatting and lifting. So make sure you're up to the physical aspect...because it's a constant (just not everyday).
Harvest related duties are probably going to be your biggest work days. That's usually a full day work.
Warlock1369
Well-Known Member
I have pumps on hand. Mainly from other projects but it's nice to have extra of all electric parts pumps lights and Ballest. I would say aging around finding a setup and what nutes to use is the pain. Ph is easy once you settle on a nute. The hardest thing is flooding the damn room. I've left my RO on over night and walked in to a pool a few times over the years.
nitro harley
Well-Known Member
I use two different kinds of pumps....only problems I have had, is when I forget to turn them off...I only use them for changeing nute res...The ECO264 seams to work pretty good...I have two of those and they run 24/7 in my clone buckets...it's been a year and a half...so far so good...
I used GH 3part nutes the first time...the PH would go up some for a day or two and then it would hold pretty good...It was pretty simple....I have had a root rot issue that I think was by useing some left over nutes that were in my shop thru the summer,and I contaminated my plants with it...IMO
There is a risk...but it's been more good than bad for me...good luck on your decision...
It looks to me that there are several people on this DWC forum that have nice results...and lots of good info...
The Midnight Gardener
New Member
What follows is a cut and paste, it's called the useless formula. Works great for hydro and soil and takes into account ph drift. This formula uses the Gh 3 part series nutes.
OK, I figured I would post this here, since some folks are asking about the GH 3 part.
This is my feed schedule -
Here is the nutrient regimen I use and how I control PH with little or no ph up or down...
So OK - feeding schedule week by week. This is the GH weekly feeding program, slightly tweaked. I will only call out the volume of each part per gallon of water in the following manner: grow, micro, bloom, ppm range. Example - 5-2.5-2.5-400/800 would mean 5 ml grow, 2.5 ml micro, 2.5 ml bloom and a ppm of 400-880. Remember it's per gallon. You Euro's can easily convert to liters. 4 liters is just a little bit over 1 gallon. It should also be noted that I use the hardwater micro due to my tapwater. I suggest using the hardwater micro in place of the regular micro if your tap water is over 200 ppm total or you have over 70 ppm Ca. RO water users should use the regular micro.
Veg -
week 1 5-2.5-2.5-400/600
week 2 10-5-3- 600/800
week 3 12-6-3 800/1000 (continue week 3 formula if additional veg time is required.)
Bloom
week 1 6-6-10- 800/1200
week 2 3-7-12 - 1000/1400
week 3 3-8-14 - 1000/1400
week 4 3-8-16 - 1000/1400
week 5 (discussed in detail below*)
week 6 0-7-20 - 1000/1400
week 7 0-6-20 (see bleow**)
* During week 5 if not using a booster like Superbud, Bushmaster Kabloom etc. run 2.5-7-18. I use MOAB (Mother of All Blooms) or BushMaster at 50% of recommended strength, and use 1.25-3.5-9 for the fert base.
**If running an 8 week strain you should only run the ferts during week 7 for a maximum of 3-4 days. This gives you 10 days for flushing. I should note that if I use ferts for a few days in week 7, I take the lants over the 8 week mark. Personally I flush for a min of 14 days. But 10 is bare minimum imo/ime.
The ppms work out almost exactly. I tend to lean toward the lower side of the range, unless I have a really heavy feeder that I know can handle it.
At every ressy change out I add in 5 drops per gallon of 35% food grade H2O2. During flush use ph adjusted water at 5.5-6.0
I will add epsom salt at week 1 of bloom if the plants are heavy feeders AND I see signs of an Mg def. Otherwise I won't use it. The only time I have ever had Mg def is during transition. The GH 3 part is a little low on Mg, but the PBP and Canna nutes are way lower.
Now- how to control your PH...
There are a couple factors that cause your PH to drift. The most common is running the nute solution too strong or too weak. If it's too strong, your PH drops. If it's too weak the PH rises. You have to find the balance point. If you find that the formula above is say, a little strong, and say you have a 20 gallon ressy, mix the nutes for 18 gallons. If it's a little weak, mix it for 22 gallons. You follow?
The other common mistake is mixing your nutrient solution and trying to adjust the PH right away. You have to allow time for the ph buffers in the nutrient solution to do their job. Mix the nutes up, and bubble or circulate for 12 hours before even looking at your PH. You will find the PH to be almost right on target.
I use little or no ph adjusters. (Except during flush). I use tap water, with a starting PPM of 300-400 and a starting PH of 7.4-9.0 (Thats crazy you say! The water is too hard, you will never get stable PH and you will have too much Ca, causing a lockout of Mg!) Bollocks I say.
Every week, on Friday I drain the ressy and fill with plain water. I let that run overnight giving the plants a little flush. This also allows the chlorine and ammonia to evap. On Saturday morning, I mix the nutes into the ressy. I DO NOT adjust ph at this time. Let that run as is overnight. On Sunday morning, I check ph and adjust if needed. Usually don't have to.
Doing things this way has saved me from constant PH drifts, and using about 150 ml of ph down every ressy change, and a little here and there throughout the week to keep it in the desired range. Now, the most I ever have to use is about 30 ml.if any at all. (I have a 35 gallon ressy btw) My Ph stays at a constant 5.5-5.8.
If you are still having PH issues using the above method, an alternative is to PH adjust the plain water to 5.5 BEFORE you add nutes.
OK, I figured I would post this here, since some folks are asking about the GH 3 part.
This is my feed schedule -
Here is the nutrient regimen I use and how I control PH with little or no ph up or down...
So OK - feeding schedule week by week. This is the GH weekly feeding program, slightly tweaked. I will only call out the volume of each part per gallon of water in the following manner: grow, micro, bloom, ppm range. Example - 5-2.5-2.5-400/800 would mean 5 ml grow, 2.5 ml micro, 2.5 ml bloom and a ppm of 400-880. Remember it's per gallon. You Euro's can easily convert to liters. 4 liters is just a little bit over 1 gallon. It should also be noted that I use the hardwater micro due to my tapwater. I suggest using the hardwater micro in place of the regular micro if your tap water is over 200 ppm total or you have over 70 ppm Ca. RO water users should use the regular micro.
Veg -
week 1 5-2.5-2.5-400/600
week 2 10-5-3- 600/800
week 3 12-6-3 800/1000 (continue week 3 formula if additional veg time is required.)
Bloom
week 1 6-6-10- 800/1200
week 2 3-7-12 - 1000/1400
week 3 3-8-14 - 1000/1400
week 4 3-8-16 - 1000/1400
week 5 (discussed in detail below*)
week 6 0-7-20 - 1000/1400
week 7 0-6-20 (see bleow**)
* During week 5 if not using a booster like Superbud, Bushmaster Kabloom etc. run 2.5-7-18. I use MOAB (Mother of All Blooms) or BushMaster at 50% of recommended strength, and use 1.25-3.5-9 for the fert base.
**If running an 8 week strain you should only run the ferts during week 7 for a maximum of 3-4 days. This gives you 10 days for flushing. I should note that if I use ferts for a few days in week 7, I take the lants over the 8 week mark. Personally I flush for a min of 14 days. But 10 is bare minimum imo/ime.
The ppms work out almost exactly. I tend to lean toward the lower side of the range, unless I have a really heavy feeder that I know can handle it.
At every ressy change out I add in 5 drops per gallon of 35% food grade H2O2. During flush use ph adjusted water at 5.5-6.0
I will add epsom salt at week 1 of bloom if the plants are heavy feeders AND I see signs of an Mg def. Otherwise I won't use it. The only time I have ever had Mg def is during transition. The GH 3 part is a little low on Mg, but the PBP and Canna nutes are way lower.
Now- how to control your PH...
There are a couple factors that cause your PH to drift. The most common is running the nute solution too strong or too weak. If it's too strong, your PH drops. If it's too weak the PH rises. You have to find the balance point. If you find that the formula above is say, a little strong, and say you have a 20 gallon ressy, mix the nutes for 18 gallons. If it's a little weak, mix it for 22 gallons. You follow?
The other common mistake is mixing your nutrient solution and trying to adjust the PH right away. You have to allow time for the ph buffers in the nutrient solution to do their job. Mix the nutes up, and bubble or circulate for 12 hours before even looking at your PH. You will find the PH to be almost right on target.
I use little or no ph adjusters. (Except during flush). I use tap water, with a starting PPM of 300-400 and a starting PH of 7.4-9.0 (Thats crazy you say! The water is too hard, you will never get stable PH and you will have too much Ca, causing a lockout of Mg!) Bollocks I say.
Every week, on Friday I drain the ressy and fill with plain water. I let that run overnight giving the plants a little flush. This also allows the chlorine and ammonia to evap. On Saturday morning, I mix the nutes into the ressy. I DO NOT adjust ph at this time. Let that run as is overnight. On Sunday morning, I check ph and adjust if needed. Usually don't have to.
Doing things this way has saved me from constant PH drifts, and using about 150 ml of ph down every ressy change, and a little here and there throughout the week to keep it in the desired range. Now, the most I ever have to use is about 30 ml.if any at all. (I have a 35 gallon ressy btw) My Ph stays at a constant 5.5-5.8.
If you are still having PH issues using the above method, an alternative is to PH adjust the plain water to 5.5 BEFORE you add nutes.
RavenMochi
Well-Known Member
Sure about that? I'm damn sure not in mexico, and my tap is at 8.0 Ph...
BeaverHuntr
Well-Known Member
Okay this comment is false. I'm a hydro guy and you do know synthetic nutes are acidic, that means they lower your PH automatically.
djblowens
New Member
I use floranova with 50 ppm tap water with 6.0 ph all I have to do is add nutes stir dump in res ph 5.8-6.0 what's the problem good hydro nutes should be buffered and not drift very far at all like I said people with ph problems 1 either have really bad water or your nutes are not good . I have used foxfarm in hydro and that stuff drifts way off I have used nova and flora with perfect ph I will soon try house of garden
BeaverHuntr
Well-Known Member
I will tell you first hand that House and Garden Cocos will take your PH down to 3.8 and you will have to use a lot of PH up after every res change( I'm using it). Yeah dude synthetic nutes always take the PH down the reason you had different luck with FloraNova is because I think it's supposed to be half synthetic/ half organic or some shit like that.
TahoeOGRLWC
Member
Most nutes are balanced for PH. I have pretty shitty water and after adding my nutes to my 5 gallon mix it sets it up and level! Pretty crazy. This doesn't mean it will work this way for you....
Dennis Rodman
Active Member
set up valves on your pump to drain your res.
I'd say the biggest risk is leaks.
I've never had a pump fail on me.
If you use a system with no medium (aero or dwc/ebb n flow with no hydroton) then your plants are more susceptible to dying. If your roots are in hydroton, they can last longer without water since hydroton retains water.
whatever you do, try to keep cooler water temps and prevent light from shining on your water. cover your reservoir/flood tables/etc. Algae will grow if there's light on your water and that causes pH swings. Also, keep additives down to a minimum. Just use a base nutrient and maybe a PK booster. Foxfarm is very pH stable. Heath robinson uses ionic, which is a 1part that he claims is stable, too.
I'd say the biggest risk is leaks.
I've never had a pump fail on me.
If you use a system with no medium (aero or dwc/ebb n flow with no hydroton) then your plants are more susceptible to dying. If your roots are in hydroton, they can last longer without water since hydroton retains water.
whatever you do, try to keep cooler water temps and prevent light from shining on your water. cover your reservoir/flood tables/etc. Algae will grow if there's light on your water and that causes pH swings. Also, keep additives down to a minimum. Just use a base nutrient and maybe a PK booster. Foxfarm is very pH stable. Heath robinson uses ionic, which is a 1part that he claims is stable, too.
drgreentm
Well-Known Member
dennis rodman has some great points, i run a cap ebb and grow and i keep my control bucket and res outside the grow room to keep light out and water temps quite low (this helps greatly), also i recently had my control bucket screw up on me and the fill float switch was not triggering the fill pump on so my ladies where getting no water, it was 2 days before i noticed from the plants drooping so i just grabbed my 1 gal pitcher and watered them all by hand until i got it sorted a week later the water would just collect at the control bucket and put it back in the res to reuse it was easy and i saved all 20 ladies.
Different types of hydro have different risks. For example ebb and flo is more tolerant of pump failure than NFT. I am very much a newbie and this is my first grow so I really can't give you much help except to say I did purchase a backup pump just in case the one I'm using went out at an inconvenient time. Luckily pumps are relatively cheap. OH and look at this http://www.zircon.com/products/more_leak_alert.html I'm going to get one.
Beagle
Well-Known Member
DWC can go bad when the air pump looses power and the roots are deprived of O2. Aero goes bad when the water pump looses power and the roots dry out. Depending on the grow medium in ebb & flow, you can be fine for a few days of lost power.
PH was more of an issue for me when I was using rockwol cubes. If the water soaked in the cubes is at a PH other than 5.8, it will offset the water in your res. Say the water in the cubes is at 6.2, you would need to set the res ph to something around 5.4, run the system and recheck. It's a game that gets old fast. I now use Hydroton(a one time investment)and those issues disappeared...set it and forget it! I've also been using the Floranova series from the beginning, so I can't comment on PH issues related to different nutes.
My biggest issue with Hydro is cleaning the roots out of hydroton for reuse...which has become alot easier with the oven method.
PH was more of an issue for me when I was using rockwol cubes. If the water soaked in the cubes is at a PH other than 5.8, it will offset the water in your res. Say the water in the cubes is at 6.2, you would need to set the res ph to something around 5.4, run the system and recheck. It's a game that gets old fast. I now use Hydroton(a one time investment)and those issues disappeared...set it and forget it! I've also been using the Floranova series from the beginning, so I can't comment on PH issues related to different nutes.
My biggest issue with Hydro is cleaning the roots out of hydroton for reuse...which has become alot easier with the oven method.