Questions, questions, questions - rdwc

Hello, my first post here and I have some questions about my first hydro setup (rdwc). My setup is based on PA Hydroponics fallponics, 4x 13g + 13g res. I've been reading a lot around here and it seems the concensus is that air pump/stones aren't necessary if you have good water circulation?

My next questions are about water, nutrients, Lucas formula etc. Am I understanding correctly that you can use just the MaxiBloom powder rather than the liquid micro and bloom? If so should I also use calmag? I take it you typically will be trying to lower pH? What is used for that? What is the consensus on using 35% h202? I bought the RD-106 RO + DI system from filters direct which I just got installed yesterday and a cheap pH and TDS meter from amazon. Is it recommended to get the storage solution for the pH meter?

For lighting I'm going diy led... I got a bunch of the Pacific Lighting Concepts strips, qb132's, drivers, t nutz extrusions for heatsinks/framework, dimmers and hopefully everything else I will need! For seeds I've got the S1 pack from mms and I also have the original 4x4 gorilla. So for my first run I'm planning to pick the best 4 and run with it until I can get a 4x8 or 5x10 for flowering... What is the preferred method of starting seeds for a hydro system? Not germination but afterwards for ease of moving to net pots? Is rockwool in trays OK to start or someone mentioned root rioters?

I've learned so much here already, this is such an amazing resource! I did search on these questions but either the setups were different, some old threads/info turned up or I just simply didn't understand. I really look forward to reading and learning more! Thanks for your time and stay safe!

Did I say something wrong or was it simply just tooo many questions?

I’m running 5x26 gallon totes with Lucas micro bloom, yes you can just use the maxi, no you don’t need airstones with waterfalls, DO, circulating comes from the “R”DWC . Not sure on LED, I don’t use. I would recommend rapid rooters or something over rock wool. I germinate then to the rooters, into the baskets. Check out my journal, I’m a week or 2 away from cutting a few. Post move fast so they often get overlooked.

Oxyrhina said:

just tooo many questions?

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This!

Root riots are easier to use than Rockwool for a lot of reasons.

The cheap Amazon ph pens are garbage. Throw it away and get a decent one. If your meters not on point you've got no chance.

The cheap ppm pens are sound though

No idea about building leds.

Yes you can get away without airstones but you'll get a better result if you use them.
More air means faster growth and better yields.
I grow nft which doesn't require airstones but my roots are in nothing but air. I wouldn't try it in Dwc.

And don't know about the nutes question as I've never used the dry stuff.
Generally the Lucas formula is pretty well accepted as being fairly spot on though.

J232 said:

I’m running 5x26 gallon totes with Lucas micro bloom, yes you can just use the maxi, no you don’t need airstones with waterfalls, DO, circulating comes from the “R”DWC . Not sure on LED, I don’t use. I would recommend rapid rooters or something over rock wool. I germinate then to the rooters, into the baskets. Check out my journal, I’m a week or 2 away from cutting a few. Post move fast so they often get overlooked.

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Thank you very much for the info and I will definitely check out your journal later this evening! You didn't mention using calmag so I assume you don't use it? Have you tried it and found it wasn't necessary? Ugh sorry I was about to blast off a bunch more questions, I'll check your journal later today as soon as I can to see what is or isn't answered there! Thanks again!

Keesje said:

This!

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Sorry brother! I've just dropped a load of cash since I had to start from scratch... I'm just about to get going with it and more than anything, I'm just anxious wanting to make sure I have everything and all bases covered. Plus I have a host of mental disorders playing into it and recently lost my local connect which had really gone down the tube anyway. So I just really want it to go right...

EvilScotsm@n said:

Root riots are easier to use than Rockwool for a lot of reasons.

The cheap Amazon ph pens are garbage. Throw it away and get a decent one. If your meters not on point you've got no chance.

The cheap ppm pens are sound though

No idea about building leds.

Yes you can get away without airstones but you'll get a better result if you use them.
More air means faster growth and better yields.
I grow nft which doesn't require airstones but my roots are in nothing but air. I wouldn't try it in Dwc.

And don't know about the nutes question as I've never used the dry stuff.
Generally the Lucas formula is pretty well accepted as being fairly spot on though.

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Hey man I truly appreciate all your info and the time you took to give it, Thank you!
I'm about to look up root rioters and the rapid rooters that J232 mentioned and get 1 picked up. Great to hear the cheap ppm meters are decent. I did get pH drops as a backup but will be investing in an Apera or Blue Labs asap.

About airstones/pump. What I was reading here is with waterfalls like I have, you get maximum DO that way. Supposedly the air pump/stones just introduce contaminants? J232 confirmed that for me.

BTW I didn't need help with the leds, Greengenes has me taken care of there. I will be starting a journal shortly if for nothing more than a place to hopefully track my progress and keep all supplied info in one place...

Thanks again!

Your very welcome bud. Always happy to help where I can.
I've no doubt grengense method works perfectly but just make sure you stick to his method.
I learned different methods but there's a thousand ways to do this.
Stick to the guys you can see doing well.
Do what they do and you'll do as best you can

Oxyrhina said:

Am I understanding correctly that you can use just the MaxiBloom powder rather than the liquid micro and bloom? If so should I also use calmag?

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i've used maxi alot. it's a good and cheap 1 part nute. you "shouldn't" need cal/mg with Lucas but not a bad idea to have on hand.

Oxyrhina said:

I'm about to look up root rioters and the rapid rooters that J232 mentioned

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and both of those are both much better than rockwool IMO. RW is either too wet or too dry and not worth the hassle.

Oxyrhina said:

Thank you very much for the info and I will definitely check out your journal later this evening! You didn't mention using calmag so I assume you don't use it? Have you tried it and found it wasn't necessary? Ugh sorry I was about to blast off a bunch more questions, I'll check your journal later today as soon as I can to see what is or isn't answered there! Thanks again!

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You will need to use calmag with RO water, tap water ppm is mostly calcium and mag, I do use calimagic, micro and bloom. My tap water is too hard to be able to use nutrients at the proper ppm. I used a bit of big bud later on as well for the L aminos.

rkymtnman said:

i've used maxi alot. it's a good and cheap 1 part nute. you "shouldn't" need cal/mg with Lucas but not a bad idea to have on hand.

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This might be why I fought n tox or calcium def in one of my plants the whole time, I didn’t know Lucas should of been good. I did end up needing on hand thought. Going to try some different nutes next time, maybe maxi, was the plan, keep it simple.

J232 said:

This might be why I fought n tox or calcium def in one of my plants the whole time, I didn’t know Lucas should of been good. I did end up needing on hand thought. Going to try some different nutes next time, maybe maxi, was the plan, keep it simple.

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i think i finally figured out how to solve the issue of cal/mg with Maxi. i started with calimagic and that had too much N as you said. i'm gonna try to use CES Plant Amped for a Ca defic and Epsom for a Mg defic. with well water, i rarely need Ca but I do need Mg alot. but will be nice to fix a Ca issue and not mess with N or Mg levels. and vice versa.

rkymtnman said:

i think i finally figured out how to solve the issue of cal/mg with Maxi. i started with calimagic and that had too much N as you said. i'm gonna try to use CES Plant Amped for a Ca defic and Epsom for a Mg defic. with well water, i rarely need Ca but I do need Mg alot. but will be nice to fix a Ca issue and not mess with N or Mg levels. and vice versa.

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Good to know, I have one plant that is bordering n tox still and in week 8 of 12/12. I couldn’t figure it out, drop calmag down and another spots up, n tox plants starts to lighten up like it should. I ended up just running calimagic the whole run in 1/4 to half strength and kinda rolled with it, I’m all ears to not have to deal with that again. I was thinking along the same lines, something with better control and individual from each other. I’m close now so I’m just hoping everything holds on.

J232 said:

I’m close now so I’m just hoping everything holds on.

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bingo! luckily i caught all mine within a day or so and was able to fix it, i still want the flexibility to fix Ca and/or Mg independently of each ohter. i'm shut down for the summer but that's on my " To Do' list next grow.

rkymtnman said:

bingo! luckily i caught all mine within a day or so and was able to fix it, i still want the flexibility to fix Ca and/or Mg independently of each ohter. i'm shut down for the summer but that's on my " To Do' list next grow.

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Right on man, I’m just finishing week 8, my big critical kush has been spotting off and on for a couple months, I had a good spot for awhile but again lost it somewhere in calmag land. Like I said, I never did figure it out, it’s just Jesus take the wheel now haha. 2 of the bigger producers are ready, 3 others looks like weeks left, this could be the n tox cal mag causing that. Pretty convinced to never go back to dirt again anyways. I want to eliminate res changes as well, I ended up doing 3 at least, less stuff I don’t need the better, I was going to just use epsom and calnit but I’m still doing some reading on that. I took notes of the stuff you mentioned above, thank you for that. Sorry for the rambling OP, it’s good info for you as well!

I might add, at some point over the months I figured I had a pretty good grip on things. The relation between N and calcium really took me for a loop that I briefly recovered from, problem is, I’m not sure what I did. I’m 75% sure upping ph to 6.0 for a week worked better, but I wasn’t tailoring to that one plant and I had a hard time letting it suffer, I’m impressed on the plants response time to changes in the res, 12 to 24 hours to see during a 18/6, 24-40 hours during flower. I did some stupid stuff this run but we will see come harvest, I’m confident in the quality but almost as excited to crack more seeds and do my second hydro run as I am to harvest this run. I used 2 gallon bloom, 1 gallon micro, must of kept close to Lucas