bubbler system with top drip added?

[old blue]

I made a lil project last week where i took a 14 gal rubbermaid container, and made a 8 pot bubbler/aero system. i engineered it so the misters dropped down from the top, where as to not get tangled up with the root mass. But unfortunately, the mist heads i purchased weren't sufficient for the unit. So i decided to change it up to a bubbler/top drip system. I'm getting to put it in my cab for my girls that i just started to flower from seed (and 1 small rooted clone) and wanted to know if i should even bother to use the top drip, or should i just use the bubbler part? i've never used the top drip method and wasn't sure if it's ok to run all the time with the bubbler.

here are some pics to see what i mean. 1st pic is when it was a bubbler/aero system. 2nd & 3rd pics are it now as a bubbler/top drip system.

[papabeach1]

oh I was wonder if ya did saw movie "i grow chronic" maybe in you tube website why don't ya use that method by use other Rubbermaid box with water/mixed nut. you can put it up higher shelf to feed them. and put it down or under shelf to stop feeding the water how about that? save power bill too.
I'm thinking about do that with my next system with Flo lights hmm?

[Bleek187]

Blue, i use DWC with air stones in it just like you got... when i first put the plants into i throw a water pump in to give a drip to all the plants... that way it gives your roots constant exposure to water and food.. they will grow faster and thicker with the drip... when they reach the water in the res i pull the pump out... after the pumps go out you will see the roots start to grow down into the water faster than they were with the pump... i usualy only leave the pump in for the first week or 2 then pull it...

if you dont use the pump at all whats gonna happen is the roots will grow very slow and so will the plant... ive put 3 plants into the same res before and put a pump on one and not the other 2... the one with the pump had a full root system and was about 1/3 bigger then the other 2 in about 3 weeks... so they def need some sort of direct contact with the water..

ive also seen setups with DWC that flood and drain like 3 times a day for about 10 mins each time... the res floods from another res and fills to the point that the netpots are in the water for 10 mins.. the rockwool soaks up the water then the res drains agin... i think this is extreamly pointless tho... if your gonna do flood and drain just do flood and drain... if your doing DWC just throw a pump on there for 2 weeks and your golden...

hope this helps

[city]

i am using about the same thing.atually. i just got done changing my water then seen this. HAPPY PLANTS!!!. i have 6 in one tub. hooked a 6 way from lowes on a half inch riser then ran it to each one. timer is 4 x a day 45 min. but i dont use rock wool. have a 12" stone. roots are in the water. using Ionic solution. and 2 twin flors cool white. I am absolutely amazed. it looks awesome compared to soil. i have 2 going to see the dif. soil looks sickly at 6". hydro is full and lush at 12". 4 weeks from seed
Happy hydro to ya

[city]

also i put metal reflective tape on my lid and wrapped my tub in 20 mil plumbers tape. cut my water change to every 14 days since adding the stone and keeping it light tight

[The Hemp Goddess]

I never use a top drip. The water pump in the res raises the water temp substantially. You can get good roots growing with just air stones and air pump. I sometimes do use an aero/bubbler combo for clones as the warmer water temps do not seem to be a problem.

[old blue]

I never use a top drip. The water pump in the res raises the water temp substantially. You can get good roots growing with just air stones and air pump. I sometimes do use an aero/bubbler combo for clones as the warmer water temps do not seem to be a problem.

Would the water pump raise the temps significantly even just running it for 15 mins, 4 times a day? And i'm only going to run it for the first couple of weeks, and only on the seedlings put right into flower from the start. just til they form a good root mass.

btw, how big should i let the seedlings sprout before taking them from under the cfls, to immediately flower under my 400 hps cool tube? I'm totally skipping the veg stage, due to time restraints.

[The Hemp Goddess]

You should be okay--just check the res temps to make sure they don't get too warm.

The plants should be well rooted before you put them into 12/12 light. Just so you know, it doesn't matter when you put them into 12/12, they will not flower until they are sexually mature. How long do you have until you need to harvest?

[old blue]

You should be okay--just check the res temps to make sure they don't get too warm.

The plants should be well rooted before you put them into 12/12 light. Just so you know, it doesn't matter when you put them into 12/12, they will not flower until they are sexually mature. How long do you have until you need to harvest?

I'm moving cross country on oct 15th. :-\ I ordered 5 fem auto ak47 x lowryder 2 that should be in by weeks end, that i'm gonna germ and put right in with these also. they say that they're supposed to go from seed to harvest in 8-9 weeks. i'm here for 11 more weeks, so we'll see if they're correct. haha.