List of hydro noob mistakes:
- Thread starter frogster
- Start date
. Doin' pretty good since then.
lowerarchy
Active Member
- Make sure the overflow on your flood table is at least the capacity of your inlet . If the overflow is too small you may as well not have it at all.
- If it looks wrong, it is wrong, regardless of what you've read. I still do this all the time. Getting better though. Hydro just isn't intuitive for me.
- Keep the electrical off the floor. Sounds basic but so does everything once you know it. And if the wire runs below anything that ever has water in it, put a dip in the run of wire (a distinct low spot in the middle) so should a bad thing happen it drips onto the floor off the insulation instead of running along the wire into your box.
- When it floods all over the floor, what are you going to do? Murphy's law is very applicable in our hobby.
- Murphy's law especially applies to pumps when you go away for the weekend.
- Rubbermaid containers are tough but they're not that tough. Double up!
- When you're setting up for the first time in a new place always consider how much of a pain it'd be to fix or change anything, then choose the way that will be easier to fuck with tomorrow even if it's harder to build today.
- Make a workspace you can actually work in. A bit cramped now becomes unworkable tomorrow.
- The guys at the hydro store aren't real mentors but they're real salesmen.
Essentially, most of my mistakes were about water being where it shouldn't and spending too much money. So damn.
- If it looks wrong, it is wrong, regardless of what you've read. I still do this all the time. Getting better though. Hydro just isn't intuitive for me.
- Keep the electrical off the floor. Sounds basic but so does everything once you know it. And if the wire runs below anything that ever has water in it, put a dip in the run of wire (a distinct low spot in the middle) so should a bad thing happen it drips onto the floor off the insulation instead of running along the wire into your box.
- When it floods all over the floor, what are you going to do? Murphy's law is very applicable in our hobby.
- Murphy's law especially applies to pumps when you go away for the weekend.
- Rubbermaid containers are tough but they're not that tough. Double up!
- When you're setting up for the first time in a new place always consider how much of a pain it'd be to fix or change anything, then choose the way that will be easier to fuck with tomorrow even if it's harder to build today.
- Make a workspace you can actually work in. A bit cramped now becomes unworkable tomorrow.
- The guys at the hydro store aren't real mentors but they're real salesmen.
Essentially, most of my mistakes were about water being where it shouldn't and spending too much money. So damn.
BeaverHuntr
Well-Known Member
True that about the hydro store sales guy... I feel like I know more than them at this point!
MightyZeppelin
Well-Known Member
Things I've learned...
1. A cool res (~65deg) is vital to healthy plants!
2. Give your plants a balanced diet of light, Oxygen (roots),Carbon Dioxide/fresh air (foliage), and lastly nutrients (Lucas 0-8-16).
3. Putting anything more than #1 and #2 into your res, and your as asking for trouble.
Peace
1. A cool res (~65deg) is vital to healthy plants!
2. Give your plants a balanced diet of light, Oxygen (roots),Carbon Dioxide/fresh air (foliage), and lastly nutrients (Lucas 0-8-16).
3. Putting anything more than #1 and #2 into your res, and your as asking for trouble.
Peace
Kaptain Kron
Well-Known Member
hahha lucas formula isnt the do all formula for hydro although i prefer it over everything else. That being said its not tru as ^^ says that your asking for trouble using diff nuts, you can use whatever you want just make sure not to use too much that is the main principle of the lucas formula. KISS, also PH the SHIT out of the water you are rinsing your hydroton with it will ph itself to whatever what u run through it and it takes a long time for that ph to drop if you run high ph water through it. Run 5.5 phe'd water through your hydroton til the water comes out clear and then do it for another 20 minutes or so and your good and flushed. Yes you will get some clay in your water whenever hydroton rubs on each other they drop dust.
BeaverHuntr
Well-Known Member
I disagree, respectfully of course. A lot of growers dont use the Lucas recipe and still have success. I use a number of GH's nutes dont encounter any problems.
Kaptain Kron
Well-Known Member
yeah h202 with organics does NOT work lol hahaha thats a good one dirt free. Be careful guys and take things way slow with hydro you cant mess up like you can with soil. For example i just burnt the hell out of a seedling because i spilled some high N nutrients on it that were supposed to go to a dif plant i flushed the shit out of it two days later when i saw it turning super sick brown on me and i saved it cause it was in soil. Had that been on my hydro table oh man it would have been DONE bro DONE. Low PPM to start with good PH and slowly build up how much nuts you giving it and you will be fine.
MightyZeppelin
Well-Known Member
Let me rephrase that...
Putting anything other than cool water and a balanced diet including (insert your favorite nute line here) into your res and your asking for trouble.
And yes, additives are a joke IMHO
Peace
Kaptain Kron
Well-Known Member
Ahhhh yes better said sir, in general i find additives to be a joke but there are a few that i do use on occasion. Usually its just a base nutrient unless i see or feel like my plant has a def in N P or K then i add something for it but RARELY is that ever neccesary usually only with heavy feeding strains.
Let me rephrase that...
Putting anything other than cool water and a balanced diet including (insert your favorite nute line here) into your res and your asking for trouble.
And yes, additives are a joke IMHO
Peace
CoralGrower
Well-Known Member
600w > 400w - You'll see during the flowering
Sunleaves Rocks > Hydroton - No six week rinsing required before using them.
The plants will tell you a lot more than a feeding chart.
Sunleaves Rocks > Hydroton - No six week rinsing required before using them.
The plants will tell you a lot more than a feeding chart.
andrewcovetsall
Active Member
Starting a scrog in dwc and not sexing the plants. 12 plants under a 4x4 screen and in 2 rez and 6 were males....
frogster
Active Member
Ouch Andrew,, thats a tough one... Not all nutes additives are hype,, Matter of fact some nutes without the additives will cause deficiencies,,, The products are engineered that way, to "make" you buy additives.. very few nutes out there are all in one,,, including the ones that claim to be all in one..
andrewcovetsall
Active Member
ive never used additives, i use sensi two part. wait, is b-52 and sensizym count? i feel they are base minerals as the one is a slew of b vits and sensi maintains your rez and rootballs.
