Easy Hydro

If you've been wanting to get into hydroponics, but the trouble and expense makes it seem more trouble than it's worth, which is sometimes the case, then you might want to try my economy setup. I have no complaints about my grows. As you can see, my 12 inch tall Super Skunk plants are flowered to the hilt and it's some really decent smoke when cured.

The pictures show three of my mothers that are now out to flower. There's six Super Skunk plants that are around a foot tall and already heavily flowered. In the box are my mother plants on the right, including a Raw Diesel, my favorite smoke at the time, that's struggling to survive. I let a light fall on it and it toasted overnight. I'm hoping that it will survive. There's another mother plant that seems to be flowering even though it is not automatic and even though it's never seen darkness. The other system in the box is six white widows, which will be my next grow. Hot air is pulled to the attic and passes through a box where I keep my ozone generator. No odors at all make it to the attic.

As for hydro, I kept it super simple and it works as good as any I've seen. I use 17 gallon rubbermaid tubs with small water pumps in each tub. A common air pump delivers air to stones in each tub. I put 5 gallons of ph balanced water in each tub and let them run for an hour or so before I add a sixth gallon of water. The sixth gallon has a mixture of nutrients in it: 5 teaspoons of General Hydroponics Maxibloom, 2 teaspoons of Maxigrow, and one teaspoon of Koolbloom. The water has to be changed weekly. I use General Hydroponics drops to test the ph and ph down to adjust it. I have never needed ph up. A fan, lights, and ventilation is all that's needed to make the system grow.

I use 400 watt HPS and Ceramic Metal Halide for my flowering and a ufo led light for my mother plants. You can grow under anything from cfl up to top-of-the-line led lights with varying degrees of success. My first grow was with cfls and I can tell you that the 400 watts are a huge improvement. I've only had the ufo for a few days, so I can't really tell you how well it will work.

That's about it. That and keeping the room clean.

I know that I could easily squeeze out a lot more buds from my grow room, but I just grow for myself so there's no need to maximize production.

One more thing, I zip tie my plumbing to the reservoir lid so that when I pick one up, the pump and air stone come up with the roots. That makes it much easier to change the water and it's a way to make sure that each of your plants are getting a spray of water. Finally, my water pumps are on 15 minute timers, 15 on and 15 off, which keeps the water from becoming warm.

Happy growing.

Hey nice thread! Thanks for the info, great idea with timing the water pumps, never thought of them warming up the water. I don't have that problem yet since I'm in Michigan and it's still pretty cold. Anyway, I was thinking about getting one of those ozone generators, what kind do you have and does it work well?

I have the OZN-1 Ozone Generator, it's about 125 dollars. The ozone generator can deodorize a warehouse full of marijuana so it's a bit overpowered for my grow, but I like it like that. Nothing could kill odor better.

i have a ozone generator its for 1000 cubic feet, do you run your ozone generator 24/7? and i was told runing it coulda be dangerous... just trying get a idea befor i start using it i sleep near it so just wondering

The rubbermaids are gonna cause you some grief. Heat and light issues. Save yerself some trouble and check into the igloos. Any size igloo.

It will change yer life.

I'm with ya on cleanliness but pic #4 freaks me a lil.

Putting heat sources into the res is a bad idea. ie, pumps.

But keep doing what yer doing, it's working for you.


bb57

any suggestons on what could possibly replace having t ouse rockwool and hydroton? tossup between jiffy pucks, or lining th outide of my net cop with like panty hose or somethingand filling up th cup with perilite... my only cncern isif the roots will be strong enough to grow through the hose or not... whaddaya think?

Ditch that dirtyassed rock wool and never let me see you use it again.

Soak and clean yer hydrotron and use only it it's good stuff and last for a long time.

For the clones use the lil' hockey pucks then transfer into hydrotron.

it werks


bb57

Quick question im doing a setup similar to this and I was wondering do you run your air pumps 15/15 or your water pumps im trying to figure out a good time setup for my air pump thanks

sweet.. so now i ko all i need is hydroton... thanks homie...

j edwards said:

Quick question im doing a setup similar to this and I was wondering do you run your air pumps 15/15 or your water pumps im trying to figure out a good time setup for my air pump thanks

Click to expand...

how long should the pumps run?
anyone got any other numbers other than 15/15 for dwc?

Air pump runs 24/7.