is it worth the switch from soil to hydro

purplelicious

purplelicious

Well-Known Member
Coco is a fail substrate. Most companies harvest it from the ocean, it is full of salts and then they try to wash it. I found one company that had inland coir not harvested from the ocean. The medium has a memory and likes to be salty if you ask me, that is not science just my observation from growing with it. Also if you do a ppm test on coco before you use it you will be surprised. Isn't it supposed to be inert? Just take a few cups of coco and mix it with water then strain it off through a coffee filter and test the water for ppms. It's always really high like over 500. So that's my opinion on coco. I used rockwool for 15 years then switched between soil to coco and now very recently I'm in a true hydro setup with only hydroton.
 
banks dank

banks dank

Active Member
im done getting my hands dirty in soil, DWC for life!
purplelicious said:
Coco is a fail substrate. Most companies harvest it from the ocean, it is full of salts and then they try to wash it. I found one company that had inland coir not harvested from the ocean. The medium has a memory and likes to be salty if you ask me, that is not science just my observation from growing with it. Also if you do a ppm test on coco before you use it you will be surprised. Isn't it supposed to be inert? Just take a few cups of coco and mix it with water then strain it off through a coffee filter and test the water for ppms. It's always really high like over 500. So that's my opinion on coco. I used rockwool for 15 years then switched between soil to coco and now very recently I'm in a true hydro setup with only hydroton.
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Hey man, if you like hydroton for being truely inert, check out growstones. its like hydroton but slightly better... I dunno just food for thought, i think u will like it.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
BigEasy1 said:
You leave then 10 days without anything being checked? Not the PH or the water temps/levels?
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Coco DTW on a timer = autopilot.

Mix up your nutes in the reservoir, pH to taste, then let 'er rip.

You might have a little trouble with growth management after such a hiatus, so in your shoes I'd stay away from bare bulbs.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
banks dank said:
im done getting my hands dirty in soil, DWC for life!


Hey man, if you like hydroton for being truely inert, check out growstones. its like hydroton but slightly better... I dunno just food for thought, i think u will like it.
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Seen them, never felt the need to make any changes. The other thing I like about inert rocks is 'rinse and repeat' indefinite reusability. I hate contributing shit to landfills, that's one of several gripes I have with rockwool and coco.
 
banks dank

banks dank

Active Member
ttystikk said:
Seen them, never felt the need to make any changes. The other thing I like about inert rocks is 'rinse and repeat' indefinite reusability. I hate contributing shit to landfills, that's one of several gripes I have with rockwool and coco.
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Growstones are actually made from recycled glass, so you would be helping elimate this problem! And yea they are also reusable just like hydroton,.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
banks dank said:
Growstones are actually made from recycled glass, so you would be helping elimate this problem! And yea they are also reusable just like hydroton,.
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All of this is true. They're also very expensive by comparison to hydroton, and don't work any better- not that they work more poorly, either.
 
banks dank

banks dank

Active Member
You know whats even better?

Saying fuck hydroton and fuck growstones.

In a DWC you really dont even need that shit anyway.

There you go. no pollution, no waste, no nothing.
Just water, bubbles, and bud, the way DWC was meant to be.

K.I.S.S.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
banks dank said:
You know whats even better?

Saying fuck hydroton and fuck growstones.

In a DWC you really dont even need that shit anyway.

There you go. no pollution, no waste, no nothing.
Just water, bubbles, and bud, the way DWC was meant to be.

K.I.S.S.
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The plant needs something to hold onto, otherwise it just falls over and sinks into the swamp...
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Sativied said:
Opposed to popular misconception hydro requires less management than soil, is way more forgiving, results in faster veg rates, higher yields, better taste, a cleaner product, and overall superior bud, and does so more efficiently. So yeah, it's worth it.
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Agreed. One piece of advice I'd throw out there; do not skimp when it comes to buying your water quality measurement instruments.

A Bluelab combo meter is an apparently steep $200-300, but it will pay for itself over and over and over...
 
banks dank

banks dank

Active Member
ttystikk said:
The plant needs something to hold onto, otherwise it just falls over and sinks into the swamp...
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Cant say ive had a plant fall into a swamp yet...You think a net pot full of hydroton is supporting 3 or 4 month old DWC plants? u honestly think that the plant is being held upright because of the substrate? Dang hydroton is some strong stuff...

The plant will anchor itself into the netpot. you will be fine.
 
Tone5500

Tone5500

Well-Known Member
ttystikk said:
Agreed. One piece of advice I'd throw out there; do not skimp when it comes to buying your water quality measurement instruments.

A Bluelab combo meter is an apparently steep $200-300, but it will pay for itself over and over and over...
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j
I have a 20$ ppm meter that reads off only 10 ppm from the high end quality meters I use at work and I'm not talking a hydro shop I'm talking a Chlor alkali plant and it has lasted over two years just had to replace battery once now the ph pen is anthor thing because cheap own require to be buffered in daily
 
purplelicious

purplelicious

Well-Known Member
ttystikk said:
Agreed. One piece of advice I'd throw out there; do not skimp when it comes to buying your water quality measurement instruments.

A Bluelab combo meter is an apparently steep $200-300, but it will pay for itself over and over and over...
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If you spend that kind of money just get one of these for a couple hundred more ... https://www.bluelab.com/products/ph-controller and they make one that has a data log sent to your computer here http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QV8532K/ref=s9_simh_gw_p86_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-3&pf_rd_r=1P1ETB4FFBHWFDKX2SF3&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1970566842&pf_rd_i=desktop and the bigger units that costs like $1500 are probably worth every penny https://www.bluelab.com/products/type/controllers/dosetronic-controller
 
T

TWS

Well-Known Member
purplelicious said:
If you spend that kind of money just get one of these for a couple hundred more ... https://www.bluelab.com/products/ph-controller and they make one that has a data log sent to your computer here http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QV8532K/ref=s9_simh_gw_p86_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-3&pf_rd_r=1P1ETB4FFBHWFDKX2SF3&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1970566842&pf_rd_i=desktop and the bigger units that costs like $1500 are probably worth every penny https://www.bluelab.com/products/type/controllers/dosetronic-controller
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do you need one for each rez ?
 
REALSTYLES

REALSTYLES

Well-Known Member
Why hasn't anyone mentioned rock wool with a recirculation drip system or hand feed? I've done DWC and UCDWC which is great but you need a water chiller to combat bacteria water temps should be at 68-70F and you won't get root slime. Here's a pic of my current grow hand feeding in rock wool. The plants got too big before I could set up my drip system.

SAM_0208.JPG SAM_0209.JPG SAM_0203.JPG SAM_0206 Zoomed.jpg

Also growing under LED's. This is day 41 of flower. I have 21 and 29 days left for harvest some of the strains have to go longer.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
banks dank said:
Cant say ive had a plant fall into a swamp yet...You think a net pot full of hydroton is supporting 3 or 4 month old DWC plants? u honestly think that the plant is being held upright because of the substrate? Dang hydroton is some strong stuff...

The plant will anchor itself into the netpot. you will be fine.
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I've been doing this for years now.
 
purplelicious

purplelicious

Well-Known Member
REALSTYLES said:
Why hasn't anyone mentioned rock wool with a recirculation drip system or hand feed? I've done DWC and UCDWC which is great but you need a water chiller to combat bacteria water temps should be at 68-70F and you won't get root slime. Here's a pic of my current grow hand feeding in rock wool. The plants got too big before I could set up my drip system.

View attachment 3346447 View attachment 3346448 View attachment 3346449 View attachment 3346450

Also growing under LED's. This is day 41 of flower.. I have 21 and 29 days left for harvest some of the strains have to go longer.
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I hand watered or used drip feed on rockwool for a very long time, like over 15 years. I just explained why Water Farm from General Hydroponics is the best, and you confirm what I have been saying. The system I use has only air pumps. No water ever comes in contact with a mechanical pump. There s no heat involved. My water temp will be the same as my room temp. I have closed room and A/C so I can run my room at 68F all day and the plants love it.
 
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