Help with simple hydropoinics

can some one point out some how to thread? I know im interested in a simple bucket and air stone. And Im interested in reading about useing seeds...started in rockwool?

What confuses me is the fact that a seed in rockwool will start off so small I dont get how people start that in a bucket????

Has had experiance with foxfarm soil.

The bucket method is routinely called "deep water culture" or dwc.
That should help you use Google effectively to learn the basics. Also googling "cannabis hydroponic" should give you a running start.

You don't actually start the seedling in a bucket. Rock wool is one available starting medium. i prefer one called Oasis.
Once germinated, many put the starter cube into a net pot containing a soilless medium. I like Hydroton. At this point one can either bring the seedling up to bucket size with an ebb&flow system. I've also seen it done where the seedling in medium in the net pot is installed into a bucket, then a top-feed drip line keeps the medium moist. This however is more suited to recirculating dwc which is a more complex setup than the traditional bucket grow.

I will try to answer any questions that are not too general. Be prepared for some "I don't know"s however ... I am not super experienced. Yet...

cheers 'neer

Thank you. I watched a you tube video and its the net pot i was missing.

I grow DWC in 5 gallon buckets, also start my seeds in rockwool. I soak the rockwool seed cubes for 24 hours, rinse them good. I use a tuperware container with about 1/4" of water in it, place the seed about 3/8" into the starter cube, put cube in container, put the lid on and set it somewhere warm 85 degrees F, be sure to pop the lid a couple times a day to let it breathe. once it sprouts i move it into the hydroton in the net pot. Run your water level in the bucket with in an inch of the net pot, this will insure the hydroton and seed cube stay wet and plenty of o2

what do you guys think about coarse vermiculite in place of hydroton? I ask becuase i have a shit load of it and little cash.

Also do i need one of those bpm meter? can i go without to start?

http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-Bubble-Boy-Single-Shot-DWC.asp

Hydroton is only thing I have or will use. You can get away with not using ppm meter, will need ph tester for sure, i just use the test drops. If you don't use ppm, your best bet would be to change the water weekly and just add back ph adjusted water during the week, only ad nutes when you do the weekly change.

Thanks for your help, Im still a wee bit confused becuase the other guy is talking about ebb and flow or drip to start a seedling. Im thinking you fill the bucket so it comes up to 1 inch up the net pot, then fill with hydroton a little then put the cube then fill rest of the way up, should water be touching the cube?

mjizzle said:

Thanks for your help, Im still a wee bit confused becuase the other guy is talking about ebb and flow or drip to start a seedling. Im thinking you fill the bucket so it comes up to 1 inch up the net pot, then fill with hydroton a little then put the cube then fill rest of the way up, should water be touching the cube?

Click to expand...

You have the idea. just only need the water about 1" from the net, the airstone will produce millions of air bubbles that will rush to the surface and pop, making water splash up onto the net pot. this will keep it plenty wet, you can hand water once a day if you like, but i doubt its needed.

mjizzle said:

Thanks for your help, Im still a wee bit confused becuase the other guy is talking about ebb and flow or drip to start a seedling. Im thinking you fill the bucket so it comes up to 1 inch up the net pot, then fill with hydroton a little then put the cube then fill rest of the way up, should water be touching the cube?

Click to expand...

Other guy here
The water should stay below the bottom of the net pot.
As for vermiculite ... unless it's hella coarse it'll go through your net pot, and it is prone to crushing. Hydroton is wonderful imo. I feel for your cash crunch ... but I hope you're not so tapped that you won't buy nutrients etc.! This is sort of a cash-hungry hobby imo. Pay now ... or pay later, unless you're wicked good at making stuff cheaply.
cheers 'neer

cheap nutes, general hydro flora micro and flora bloom, use lucas formula, really hard to mess up.

Yes you can use coarse vermiculite but be prepared to keep it restrained within the net pot because of the floating,also it isnt a real good medium as it holds alot of water, but it can be used,if cash is low you can use 3/8 gravel,its one size up from pea gravel & available at any home depot.

ak.fortyseven said:

cheap nutes, general hydro flora micro and flora bloom, use lucas formula, really hard to mess up.

Click to expand...

Haha to the "other guy" I have the exact cheap nutes your talking about all 3 un open. So it should stay 1 inch below the net not 1 inch up into it? And haha to the verm going through the net pot i didnt think of that lol I got like 15 LB bag i had for mushrooms now i no longer do that and need to sell that bag some how. maybe ebay.

And I wont be that cheap i will buy a black bucket even though i was think of useing a clear white one i already have. I have air pump, air stone, So i guess i need bucket, netpot and the smallest bag of hydroton i can get (which i know im gonna have to buy a dam bigger bag then i need.) oh and i got ph paper access to good water ph up and down. PPM will have to wait. I know its a good investment. Ill just burn through the nutes i got every week.

Thanks pan head il check into that too.

1" below the net