New to Hydro. Waterfarm question

Just received my GH WaterFarm in the mail and already have some seeds i got from the tude a month or so ago.

This is my first hydro grow and did a lot of reading through journals here and a few other sites and decided on getting the waterfarm.

My question is about the pump for the drip ring. Is there a schedule it needs to be run on? like when i start am i gonna have to put it on a timer, or do these run 24/7 as long as you keep you PH and Nutes in check, along with my tent environment(temp, humidity, airflow)?

Thanks in advanced for any help guys. Love being a part RIU and learning from everyone on the site. Glad i can start being more active now and start doing journals instead of just reading everyone else's all the time lol.

Anyone out there with a waterfarm that can help with my question?

send me a pic?? i wounder if you got the same one i got

im gona go to bed i never go to bed so early let me know soon ill help you with what i know..

Timing will depend on medium used.

Here is the link to the Waterfarm.
http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-WaterFarm-Single-Stand-Alone-Unit

and i plan to use hydroton for the medium.

tiddleurpooter said:

Here is the link to the Waterfarm.
http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-WaterFarm-Single-Stand-Alone-Unit

and i plan to use hydroton for the medium.

Click to expand...

ow no sorry im not familiar with those set ups im not shure but we got a lot of brain eee yacks in hear they'll help you imshure when ever they get logged on.. or mabe in a few minutes but i cant help you with that one i have the gh aroe.. sorry

still looking for help if anyone can answer.

Hi Tiddle,
I used a Waterfarm as my first foray into hydro. The factory instructions suggest just running the air pump 24/7. Many people do that. There are lots of modifications that people do with their Waterfarms and you should read the threads dedicated to that just to get some ideas.

Having said that, I hooked up a timer and ran my air pump with an Ebb and Flow type timer schedule. 4 or 5 30 minute floods during lights on.

When it runs continuously, you get more evaporation and splashing and more attention is required...far as res maintenance.
Hope that helps,
JD

Thanks John. I've read through alot of the mod threads and fav'd a couple so i can use some of them.

I may start out trying out the pump on a schedule. and switching to 24/7 if needed or if plants begins using alot more water/nutes during flower.
i plan on running an auto the first run with it, on 18/6 lighting, so may be once every 2 1/2 - 3 hours for 30 mins while lights on.

And no pump when lights out?

Tiddle,
Many hydro people don't water E&F or Waterfarm at night. I didn't, and never had wilting or any other problem. But some people throw in a single watering in the middle of lights off...just to err on the safe side. Your choice.

One mod that they all seem to do is to drill out the holes in the upper pot. Then roots grow down into the lower bucket. I do not like that mod, never did it and don't suggest it.

Another mod that's common is to cut down the pumping column by an inch so that the drip ring can be buried a bit in the hydroton. This results in less splashing and evaporation. Once I put mine on a timer...I didn't feel that was necessary. But if I run Waterfarms again, I may do that mod.

Good luck,
JD

I grow with a mod Waterfarm ( I added an extra air stone to res.) I now run 15 min on and 15 min off 24/7. The problem I have with running all the time (drip ring, I run air stone in res 24/7) is the trunk of plant gets soggy and that I have learned causes major problems. I also keep the bottom of plant clipped clean, and I now plant a little higher in the net basket. Hope that helps and good luck.

I've run these for several rounds before I went to the easier to clean dwc...... Run the pump24/7. There are several reasons for this, one is that it supplies more oxygen to the roots. There are others but, I think these are my own personal beliefs, that would spark a huge debate that I'm to stoned to subject myself to at the moment. =)

what I will do is fill the basket 2/3rds, throw in seeds.. Throw in a little hydroton... The seed germinates and grows a little taller, throw in more hydroton.... Keep doing this, until the hydroton is even with the drip rings which will reduce splashing all over the place... In other words make sure your ring runs lower than the top of the hydroton once the plant is tall and big enough.