How easy is DWC/bubbleponics

Ok guys,

I've seen you grow dank buds with the bubbleponics.

I need to know what issues you've seen using this method, other than res temps.

Do you germ in rockwool or peat pellets in directly in your system like me, or use another method? Any seedling issues, nute burn issues, or is it as easy as 1,2,3.

I add nutes after about a week after my seeds pop or when the plant is about 2 inches, at 1/4 strength, keep my ph between 5.3 and 6.0, my ppms no higher than about 1800, depending on the strain.

But it really can't be this easy can it?

If you've seen other issues, let's talk about it and help our grows really be easy!

hey whats up...i just started my dwc and i love it but it is more work and you will need a ph kit and a ppm meter or you will not know your levels and with this type of setup you have to know them or the plant will have problems but its not as hard as you would think just do some reading on it and youll be fine

can you use the dwc system from start to end or is it not suggested?

normajean123 said:

can you use the dwc system from start to end or is it not suggested?

Click to expand...

Start to end. It would be really hard to change setups midway through. In dwc once the roots start hanging out of the netpots into the solution, the roots themselves are pretty well tangled onto the netpot. Getting the plant out would be extremely hard if not impossible without killing it. When I harvest I really gotta do some serious cutting and yanking to get the left over stump out of the netpot. lol

for the OP:

1. I germ in rockwool.
2. Seedling issues, not really any, just make sure you bury the rockwool deep enough in your medium so that it stays moist. Drying out RW is probably one of the most common causes of seedling death.
3. Yes you can get nute burn in DWC. But flushing and refilling your res is easy.
4. 1800 PPM seems really high but if the strain you are growing can take it that is fine. I neevr go above 1500 and even then I get some burn sometimes.

Proper res maintenance will help you avoid potential nightmares. This means water temps around 68f, 1wt air pump per gallon of res, no light reaching the water, and NO organic material in the res what so ever. Deviate from this and you strongly invite root disease.

Thanks for the replies.

I have seen in my experience that this type of grow is more forgiving than soil in the sense that if you screw up you can fix it pretty quickly and easily. And because you have to pay more attention you catch problems a bit earlier, let alone the fact that plants grow much faster, making the turn around quicker, sometimes almost too quick.

sguardians2 said:

Thanks for the replies.

I have seen in my experience that this type of grow is more forgiving than soil in the sense that if you screw up you can fix it pretty quickly and easily. And because you have to pay more attention you catch problems a bit earlier, let alone the fact that plants grow much faster, making the turn around quicker, sometimes almost too quick.

Click to expand...

If you think the DWC/Bubbletronics is more forgiving than soil, you are mistaken.

If you screw up, your whole crop may be lost.

If you are not a grower yet, I would suggest you start out in dirt.

Just my $ 0.02

I really want to give this a try in the future and switch over from soil so I can experience both.. Do you guys know of any good links you could post up that would help me get started? I just want to research it now, I'm in the middle of a soil grow but would like to avoid buying another bag if possible

golddog said:

If you think the DWC/Bubbletronics is more forgiving than soil, you are mistaken.

If you screw up, your whole crop may be lost.

If you are not a grower yet, I would suggest you start out in dirt.

Just my $ 0.02

Click to expand...

Have you ever actually grown hydro? Doesn't sound like it. Aside from pouring too much bleach or H202 in your reservoir at one time there are not that many things you can do that can't be easily fixed in hydro.

Banditt said:

Have you ever actually grown hydro? Doesn't sound like it. Aside from pouring too much bleach or H202 in your reservoir at one time there are not that many things you can do that can't be easily fixed in hydro.

Click to expand...

I have a couple of set-ups right now. But I don't use them much anymore, especially in the summer.

I live in California and unless your grow with DWC is in a temperature controlled room i.e. Air Conditioned it is very difficult to maintain proper res temps.

Have you ever had the Brown Slime ? Do you know what Physan20 is used for?

Good Luck on your grow

I've grown in both, when you get nute lock in soil it is no joke and not a quick fix, if you've ever had to flush your soil grow and had to watch your plants wilt because of the needed flush, and hoped and prayed that they recover, you know what I'm talking about.

The same situation in a bubbleponics set-up is much simpler, just drain the res, refill and start from scratch, too easy, and the plants don't react nearly as much as flushing in soil.

sguardians2 said:

I've grown in both, when you get nute lock in soil it is no joke and not a quick fix, if you've ever had to flush your soil grow and had to watch your plants wilt because of the needed flush, and hoped and prayed that they recover, you know what I'm talking about.

The same situation in a bubbleponics set-up is much simpler, just drain the res, refill and start from scratch, too easy, and the plants don't react nearly as much as flushing in soil.

Click to expand...

I see.. Taking Notes!

golddog said:

I have a couple of set-ups right now. But I don't use them much anymore, especially in the summer.

I live in California and unless your grow with DWC is in a temperature controlled room i.e. Air Conditioned it is very difficult to maintain proper res temps.

Have you ever had the Brown Slime ? Do you know what Physan20 is used for?

Good Luck on your grow

Click to expand...

There are additives that will help you maintain a sterile rez even when temps are above the desired range. Dutch master Zone is a pretty good one. That and a healthy amount of oxygen being provided from your airstones and you'll be fine. I've gotten the "brown slime" before and it can be dealt with. You might not eliminate it completely but you can significantly reduce it's effects and keep it at bay without too much trouble.

sguardians2 said:

I've grown in both, when you get nute lock in soil it is no joke and not a quick fix, if you've ever had to flush your soil grow and had to watch your plants wilt because of the needed flush, and hoped and prayed that they recover, you know what I'm talking about.

The same situation in a bubbleponics set-up is much simpler, just drain the res, refill and start from scratch, too easy, and the plants don't react nearly as much as flushing in soil.

Click to expand...

For sure, nute lock, ph problems etc. All much easier to fix in DWC.

golddog said:

I have a couple of set-ups right now. But I don't use them much anymore, especially in the summer.

I live in California and unless your grow with DWC is in a temperature controlled room i.e. Air Conditioned it is very difficult to maintain proper res temps.

Have you ever had the Brown Slime ? Do you know what Physan20 is used for?

Good Luck on your grow

Click to expand...

After studying for several months and reading from this site I went with the 5 gallon water coolers they sale at Lowe's or Home Depot. I finished my grow room last nigh and it looks very nice I didnt cut any corners and spent some good change. I couldnt afford a aquarium chiller so I had to use the coolers ( 5 of them ) I live in the desert where temps reach 112 degrees this months so I ran AC duct through the wall o keep my room cool, plus the 1000W MH/HPS has a air cooled hood.

Ok, I started this thread for folks that have experience in DWC/bubbleponics, or are interested in trying it out.

No dirt please, soil growers have their own sections in the forum, and if you do both, you are more than welcome here, but I'm only interested in information about DWC/bubbleponics, ok.

Thanks for posting.

I love DWC just had my first harvest . Its not difficult at all and as for brown slime or whatever i use Hygrozime to keep it from ever coming also H202 in my rez.

I have a 10 Gal Rez with 4 Air stones. I went from Clone my first run and i have 3 girls in Veg waiting to be flipped(Clones from Clones) i just have to set up my grow tent i just bought and then i will be trying from seed for the first time. Check out my journal if you'd like

BeaverHuntr said:

After studying for several months and reading from this site I went with the 5 gallon water coolers they sale at Lowe's or Home Depot. I finished my grow room last nigh and it looks very nice I didnt cut any corners and spent some good change. I couldnt afford a aquarium chiller so I had to use the coolers ( 5 of them ) I live in the desert where temps reach 112 degrees this months so I ran AC duct through the wall o keep my room cool, plus the 1000W MH/HPS has a air cooled hood.

Click to expand...

The cooler is a great idea, BoomerBloomer57 has some excellent tips on this method, as soon as I get done with my current grow I'll be switching to coolers, especially the Igloo with the drian that you can hook up a hose and shut-off valves to.

Hey guys, I am not busting anyones balls, and I will stop following this thread.

Check out this link on icmag : https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=55259

If you are going to do DWC, you want to read thru this thread....

Good Luck

golddog said:

Hey guys, I am not busting anyones balls, and I will stop following this thread.

Check out this link on icmag : https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=55259

If you are going to do DWC, you want to read thru this thread....

Good Luck

Click to expand...

Good looking out. But I noticed that those guys are not using a DWC/bubbleponics system in their grows, they are using ebb and flow set-ups, which are very different as their res, is separate from the system and it is set on a timer to flood the plants then flow out back to the nute res. I'm not very well informed about that system but it works a lot different than DWC/bubbleponics, where the plants are grown on top of the reservior.

I'll keep reading the thread through to see if anyone with a DWC/bubbleponics system has experienced the same issues. I also would caution against using any organics in your system as they can wreak havoc.

Anyone out there seen this problem with DWC/bubbleponics?