How To: DWC

Fergman

Member
1. Depending how often you change out the bottle, it is possible to bring the temp down to the 40s but thats too cold. Aim for the 60s.
2. Throwing a frozen bottle of water inside the bucket would shock the roots. At least that is what I think.

That my opinion on the subject. Void can clarify if I'm incorrect.
 

VoidObject

DWC/Bubbleponics Mod

  • Questions:
    1- too low of a water temperature.. 40s and 50s directly in, 60s externally chilling (but raises humidity)
    2- roots dont like 40 degree water
    3- yeah im using a mini ac now and my water temps are groovy with no side affects, the air pump sits directly on it so you get a lil extra straight into the water​




 
Where do I fill the water to? Bottom of the basket? Covering the roots? All the way to the top? About to start my first DWC and need some guidance. Thanks.
 

VoidObject

DWC/Bubbleponics Mod
Where do I fill the water to? Bottom of the basket? Covering the roots? All the way to the top? About to start my first DWC and need some guidance. Thanks.
I start my water level at an inch - an inch and a half below the rockwool, so that ends up being in my netpot. From there I lower it to encourage root growth and eventually raise it back up to the bottom of the net pot
 

dopeyG

Well-Known Member
What's up guys (and gals..) First, thanks for stopping by. Second, if this is your first grow, you may want to try something a little less complex. While being beginner friendly, I don't recommend this to anyone who has yet to experience passive hydroponics (or at least some form of growing.) Third, and most controversial, the uncontested majority of professionals that I have talked to (which has been a lot..) have all told me DWC and organics don't mix well, and I suggest you heed these words as it took me months to figure out.

Most of my start was wasted with inferior products and plain lack of, so it is important that you understand this tutorial will cover only setting up and some unique maintenance of this passive hydro method. I expect at least basic hydroponic knowledge when it comes to ph, nutrients, and possible non DWC specific hydro issues.

This is a single-reservoir per plant tutorial. There are many pre-fabricated systems that do multiple plants per rez.. and that's not recommended. For multiple reasons.. mostly root competition.

Video version: [video=youtube;TzdpGQcOLMA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzdpGQcOLMA[/video]

Next, what you'll need:

1. (At least) One 3.5 or 5gal bucket, and one extra (for reservoir changes since we aren't doing RDWC or UCDWC.)


2. Net pot lids for the bucket(s). I use 6" but it really should be dependent on plant size.


3. Airpump, airstones, and of course ph strips (or even better a ph meter.) Air pressure check valves are nice as well. Also tubing!


Other minuscule things you should already have (basic hydro gear): Rockwool, hydroton, ph up&down, hydro nutrients.. I'm only trying to teach you the basics of a deep water culture, not how to grow hydroponically.

The Setup

Here's how I put things altogether (The VO Grow):

1. Wash the inside of the buckets and net pot lid (hot water and scrubbing at least, I also do h2o2 treatments{NOT WITH ORGANICS/BENEFICIALS!!}).. After that put a little hole in the bucket as pictured above so you can run the air hose through. I prefer two holes so that I know where I want the water level.. more on that further down.

2. Hook up tubing to airstones and the airpump. I prefer using two airstones per rez. You can get by with one and no splitter.


3. You can now fill the water level up to half an inch to an inch below the rockwool (where I put my second hole.) This is at first when you're working with seedlings/clones. Water will be spraying up from the airstones anyway.


4. Get your net pot setup with the hydroton in the bottom and around the rockwool. Leave room to fill over the top with about half an inch of hydroton later when the stem gets bigger. Then set it on your bucket and you're finished! Read on for maintenance.


Maintenance
Remember to: Fill up that water level every day! (You won't need to for the first couple months because they won't barely drink any, also dependent on your rez size.)

Keep that ph in the 5.5-6.1 range!

Change your rezes' nutes/water and wash at least once a month, twice is nice; I do it weekly.

Try, try hard.. to keep your rez temps around 60-70. Use frozen water bottles if you have to.
You can do it this way:
NOT RECOMMENDED

I prefer you do it this way:


Now I do things this way with a mini ac unit (with airpump directly on the unit):


As far as replacing goes, you may need new airstones/air pumps but you can reuse buckets and airlines (because they never go bad/out and can be cleaned,) but other than that basic hydro nutes/mediums will obviously need replacing.

Other stickies are recommended reads.

Use the tea (if you're organic): Heisenberg's Magical Tea

Check this out for more basic DWC info:
https://www.rollitup.org/dwc-bubbleponics/473122-dwc-information-thread-beginners-who.html
It's very possible more coming later. Open to suggestions, answering questions, and trolling trolls! So don't be afraid to comment!


What about ppm/ec???
 

iHarbinger

Member
Eh...I would never have standing/uncovered water in a grow room. Way too easy to spread mold with increased humidity. As for keeping the reservoirs and nutrient solution at an acceptable temperature for the roots, environmental control is key. Constant air exchange in the grow room, air conditioning, and venting the grow light are all ways to keep hot air from being trapped in the grow room. And for a quick way to drop temperature by 5-10 degrees, frozen ice packs should work just fine. :leaf:
 
Great post!
Just started to root some clones, I'm keeping them out of the pots for now cause the rockwool was getting too soaked and leaves were starting to drop...
 

CallMeDro

Member
I'm a noob to growing & have a couple questions on DWC. I've read a few books on growing & spent over a month on the forum daily. I've been around only hydro growing hence my name. Here's my setup I am about to purchase:

3x3 Grow Tent
2 Master Kush Plants
5 Gallon Bubbleponics SCROG
2x600w
Veg for 5-6w & Flower for 8w
Trying to get ~2.5 pounds

1. After I place the seedlings in the hydroton, how do they get the water & nuts? The roots aren't long enough & there's a layer of the hydroton in the bottom of the pot lid.

2. After they are long enough to touch the water. Do they just float in the water for the grow? Doesn't seem right to me & I'm sure I'm missing something. Like in flowering are they always in the water?

3. I also want to know more specifically about where the holes are to go in the buckets & the water levels are different points in the grow.


Those were my 3 main ones. I'm a visual learner also. Sorry if these are simple answers or I'm looking at it wrong.
 

VoidObject

DWC/Bubbleponics Mod
You have to top feed (aka water the cubes) until you get roots down into the wet hydroton area

Dont put your cubes in water, make sure theyre an inch or two above, the bubbles will moisten the hydroton and promote downward root growth while you top feed the first week or so
 

RemeberMe

Active Member
What should be added, and I'm surprised it isn't consider mandatory when plants are small, is you need to cover the black bucket tops with cardboard. This helps immensely to keep the water temperature down, blocks light so the rockwool doesn't get moldy, and the brown cardboard doesn't reflect back up which can easily fry tender young plants. Just make a 12" (1 foot) square with a small 2" hole in the middle with a slit so you can take it off when the plants get larger, and put that over the black bucket cage top. Just leaving the cardboard square saves you a lot of cutting and doesn't matter anyway because the gap between the buckets is square anyway.

DSCF5294.jpg
 

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RemeberMe

Active Member
I'm a noob to growing & have a couple questions on DWC. I've read a few books on growing & spent over a month on the forum daily. I've been around only hydro growing hence my name. Here's my setup I am about to purchase:

3x3 Grow Tent
2 Master Kush Plants
5 Gallon Bubbleponics SCROG
2x600w
Veg for 5-6w & Flower for 8w
Trying to get ~2.5 pounds

1. After I place the seedlings in the hydroton, how do they get the water & nuts? The roots aren't long enough & there's a layer of the hydroton in the bottom of the pot lid.

2. After they are long enough to touch the water. Do they just float in the water for the grow? Doesn't seem right to me & I'm sure I'm missing something. Like in flowering are they always in the water?

3. I also want to know more specifically about where the holes are to go in the buckets & the water levels are different points in the grow.


Those were my 3 main ones. I'm a visual learner also. Sorry if these are simple answers or I'm looking at it wrong.
When they are super young I usually just get small buckets from the dollar store, it's easier to keep the water at the right level with those, then move them to the big buckets once they grow enough roots. You don't want the rockwool in water, it will suffocate the roots. Just water the rockwool till they grow roots into the water. The water can be in the hydrotron (sp?) that's underneath but not in the rockwool. I also go with the shorter 3 gal buckets for spaces like that tent where they can't get very tall. No sense in wasting nutes on such big buckets as well.

Obviously just starting out you'll just want one light. Also, put cardboard covers over the tops of the buckets (I described that earlier) to keep heat down in the buckets and other reasons.

Holes in the buckets? I just have a V cut on the lip edge under the tops to let the air line through.
 

VoidObject

DWC/Bubbleponics Mod
When they are super young I usually just get small buckets from the dollar store, it's easier to keep the water at the right level with those, then move them to the big buckets once they grow enough roots. You don't want the rockwool in water, it will suffocate the roots. Just water the rockwool till they grow roots into the water. The water can be in the hydrotron (sp?) that's underneath but not in the rockwool. I also go with the shorter 3 gal buckets for spaces like that tent where they can't get very tall. No sense in wasting nutes on such big buckets as well.

Obviously just starting out you'll just want one light. Also, put cardboard covers over the tops of the buckets (I described that earlier) to keep heat down in the buckets and other reasons.

Holes in the buckets? I just have a V cut on the lip edge under the tops to let the air line through.
Hydroton*

I usually leave my rockwool visible during sproutling stage because I'm top feeding, the water level is just high enough to wet the hydroton beneath it so the roots grow down once they can.

After it grows a bit I cover up the rockwool with hydroton, cutting out the light and thus making more room for rootage.
 

CallMeDro

Member
When they are super young I usually just get small buckets from the dollar store, it's easier to keep the water at the right level with those, then move them to the big buckets once they grow enough roots. You don't want the rockwool in water, it will suffocate the roots. Just water the rockwool till they grow roots into the water. The water can be in the hydrotron (sp?) that's underneath but not in the rockwool. I also go with the shorter 3 gal buckets for spaces like that tent where they can't get very tall. No sense in wasting nutes on such big buckets as well.

Obviously just starting out you'll just want one light. Also, put cardboard covers over the tops of the buckets (I described that earlier) to keep heat down in the buckets and other reasons.

Holes in the buckets? I just have a V cut on the lip edge under the tops to let the air line through.
So there is no water raising or lowering multiple times a day? I don't get those systems still. & let's say they're flowering, do the roots just stay submerged in water 24/7 up to the bottom of the net pod & the bucket water is changed on a scheduled basis?
 

BenFranklin

Well-Known Member
@VoidObject, I personally like where you placed the hole for the air-line, putting it on the side gives less chance for detrimental light to leak in to the reservoir. Putting it in the top allows for the light to shine directly in any hole exposing the reservoir, which may cause root slime, which will kill small plants if left unchecked long enough(which usually isn't that long).

@CallMeDro, I am no scientist so this explanation may not be perfect, if you'Ve ever kept a fish tank you might know about something called "dissolved oxygen"?

With an air stone providing massive oxygen content to the roots, it allows them to keep strong and fresh. (Like fish in a fishtank).
Some folks will run their buckets on a full bucket of nutrients (within an inch to the bottom of the net pot )and let the plants suck it all up then "reset" the nutes and water.
This is done for convenience otherwise you will be screwing with the nutes and water on a daily basis. Cause once the plants take off it's frickin amazing how much they can take in..... (An entire 5 gallon bucket, in under 48 hours, is not uncommon, and is more normal than not.) So, really, it's still ebb and flow just on a larger scale per plant over a much longer period of time. Ebb and flow is dependent on a larger surface area and flow of the water to provide oxygen to the plant roots, whereas bubbling provides oxygen directly.

Also, if you use a strong enough air pump, at the very top of the water line , you will see little water bubbles jumping up, those little water bubbles believe it or not, will provide quite a lot of water to the hydroton, hydroton is really cool stuff for being able to hold both water and much valuable oxygen. Hydroton will actually act as a "self-wicking" material. So at first when the roots aren't so big they will feed off of the rocks, one the roots get big, you can run half buckets of water and nutes and allow the roots to sit right in the water, with the air stone.

What some folks will do, is bring the water level right up to the bottom of the net pot with the bottom of the net pot being 1/2 to 3/4's of an inch being underwater, throw in half of your pre-rinsed, pre-soaked hydroton(with half of a 1/2 gallon net pot), throw in some seeds(if you have enough to spare), lightly cover with rinsed hydroton(pre-soaking allows for their to be enough moisture in the rock to help germinate the seed), placing a wet doubled up paper towel with the light on, will help keep moisture in the germination zone, while also using the warmth of the lamp to help germinate the seed. Keep an eye on things for a couple days, make sure that the new little germinated plant is able to move the rock out of the way so it can sprout upwards. If not, you will have to help it.

The above method works, relatively ok, if you don't have rockwool cubes at your disposal.

Some folks have taken this even further and set up only a misting chamber, so that the roots are sprayed with solution every few times an hour.

I hope my 2cents helps, more importantly, I hope it's an accurate un-expert explanation. (I keep coming back every hour or so as I think of things that I feel are important and edit, which is why this has become quite lengthy), LOL!
 
Hey man I need some serious help i keep killing seedlings i only have one left that is looking good. how do you prep the rock wool to get them started right. some of them start looking good and then wilt into nothing. I cant tell if they are getting to much moister or not enough. Any advice ?
 
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