first hydro set up

running a 6 pot system starting in 3gal buckets 10L net pots, with a 55 gal res.

median is coco coir cubes (came triple rinsed) and large perlite (rinsed real good) then mixed @ 4 parts coco 1 part perlite.

sprouts are in rapid routers all in one net pot atm of my mix atm while trying to set up system, planned on putting each rapid rooter into a 3"coco cup and filling cup with?? perlite, hydroton or coco or my pre mix?

just came from hydro store bought a pump bag for the res and guy said you can line net pots with the air pruning bags any one do this ? where as i am using cubed coco and large washed perlite I think it is over kill for my situation also never heard of it

got a freebie of botonicare grow to complete my free line by botonicare all free all big bottles loving it, now to assemble and dial all this in


please looking for any first time set up do's and dont's as well as any other comments really appreciate you all looking and any help as always MP ftw!

ostpicsworthless:
LH.

:ciao:


:48:

LEFTHAND said:

ostpicsworthless:
LH.

Click to expand...

damn u brb

ok this is all thrown together 4 hours total including manually filling like 30-35 gal not easily lol lots left to do i know this

ran system 3 times with 30 gals aprox filtered all pots with the grow bag on the out side of the nets to catch any crap, going to drain and fill up tomorrow fully and set timers etc

all sprouts were put in coco cups with premix all had tap roots out the bottom of the rapid rooters, had to throw the crit cheese in with one for now to figure out what to do with it

think i may end up with 5 satori and 2 cheese

all soil plants in tent were topped off with the coco mix to, the tops they been drying up fast under that light and watered

I've never seen those systems. Lol.
I wanna say its a flood n drain style. I use the ebb n gro made by C.A.P
I've ran promix/hydroton/perlite in the system.

I'm getting ready to set it back up n run coco in it.
I'm going with large perlite n coco 50/50. Was going to add pro mix into it bit it seemed to hold enough water that I figure it wasn't necessary

From some advice from other growers they have advised to figure a way to keep the coco in.
I'm going the burlap method. Not 100% sure how yet.
So using those liners will do you good.
LH.

ya seems a flood and drain says set timers to 20 fill 40 drain minutes. butt calls it a ebb and flow no idea
hxxps://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/the-big-boy-ebb-and-flow-from-htg.46204/

Most excellent sir.
I'm use to a tote or table style ebb. So this was a little different. I was use to a watering schedule of 1 hr on 2 hrs off 24/7.
With this system I'm 15 on 3-4 times a day.
But I was advised to start with 1-2 floods n wrk up at the start.
Besta luck.
LH.

I'm going to use Hydroton when I setup for my hydro system. Cheers to getting it going

dude i bought hydroton stuff is dirttttttty. there is also some thing about the circular shape of it I was told there is another rock product i seen yesterday same as hydroton but has a lava rock shape to it so roots act more natural then when they would hit the hydroton.. I honsetly went there to buy hydroton... The coco coir cubes are real nice break up nice into strands but not alot of mess in the system just ran it again manually, and the large perlite if you prewash it leaves every little residue in system i have not check ppm yet.


xx://www.amazon.com/Smart-Pots-5-Gallon-Soft-Sided-Container/dp/B0055E7KR2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1374585402&sr=8-3&keywords=smart+pots+grow+bags

You have to wash the Hydroton Also, because you can wash it and it's basically just clay balls... you can re-use it a lot.

Just something I'm leaning to as to I've liked the thought of it in a lot of the videos I've seen.

ya i talked about that to the perlite you get 5 runs for 44$ and the coco coir was 2 bags for like 50$ so if i x that by 5 runs 250$ so pretty much 300$ for 5 runs = 10$ per pot per run


the hydroton i bought 5lbs washed it still leaves dirty nasty residue gonna really need to be washed a few times in a wheel barrel out side imo and it's a time consuming pain to reuse as well as 5lb does not fill a 10l net pot so your looking at like 8lb a pot maybe

i think you can get hydroton for 20$ 10lb around there

Dr is correct. Rinse it good.
Hydroton is very pourse allows air n nutes to be stored.
Lava rock acts just like it it's just sharp bigger n cheaper.
I'm excited to use the coco. I personally am sick of hydroton. $ ain't bad but I hate cleaning it.
LH.

meh i bought some hydroton I just didn't like it, stuff is so dirty it like stains

the grow bags are great later today will take the pots out removes bags to clean only thing with them is i think i would want them in the net not outside it, if I were you use them for the run. Hydro store guy said you can air prune hydro roots so they never are an issue? any oppinions

In my system no need to air prune. Look my system up it differs a lil from urs.
If I can find 2gal sp that will stop over or in my iner pots then yes ill be doing them instead of burlap.

I have no holes on sides of containers. Just bottoms. Like a 5gal bucket.
It slides into another bucket that's got the plumbing. All controlled via a controller bucket. So I'm just wanting to keep er in cuz I know how it slowly makes its way down n through.

See I went to coco so I can veg out of my system in the innereds but treat or water them like soil plant. Rather then watering 2-3 times a day in hydroton (hand watering) or setting up a drip.
You might wanna give the brick coco a try. At 7-10$ the stuff I got is pretty coarse.
LH.

I have the same system, but 12 buckets. The idea is good, the components suck. The buckets were leaky, a timer died after 2 months as did the smaller pump. So keep a close eye on them.
I would replace the net pots. As your plants grow and need staking, the pots are too shallow to support a stake, they just fall over. Toss the net pots and drop a smart pot with Hydrocorn (the irregular shaped clay pebbles) in the 3 gallon bucket.
I start my hydro back up in Sept. I'll stick with the systems concept but the only component I'll use is the 55 gallon barrel the stuff came in. I’ll be using 5 gallon buckets drilled through the bottom because the buckets that come with it are drilled thru the side and retain 1-2" of water/nutes throughout the grow. It makes maintaining a consistent Ph/PPM a pain, and if you need to remove one....forgetaboutit....water everywhere.
The best part of the system is the hose. Very high quality, flexible, thick walled, easy to get a clean cut.

just got a partial refund (cost of system pretty much.) a ballast upgrade and a new tent shell from htg I agree the 55 gal is the best part then the hoses. I was just gonna use the net pots for veg in the 3 gal then set up totes and a real flower set up as I just don't like parts of the systems you said.. I woudl recommend a DIY ont his system, you seem to have some good points maybe some thing int he future you;d consider a rework of it ya I do not like the 1-2" left in them either kind of dumb to have standing water but if you remove the net and go with a 5 gal smart bag then the 1/4" really would not matter or?

The Hydro corn is the same as the Hydroton, I went with the coir and perlite off some thing hushpuppy posted

Any one ever air prune hydro is still a question out there


LH - almost sounds like I could drop 5gal buckets into my 3gal to avoid that 1-2" build up cubby was referring to. (tought it was a bit less I set my control bucket 2"lower then the 6 so i get full drain thought it was like a 1/2" when all said and done.

Cubby - Thanks for the input, atm the system is just for vegging , already all mixed up with the coc and perlite I guess I could add the Hydroton I have to the mix and remove the net pots and just drop the smart pot bags right in the 3 gal buckets would give alot more root room that is for sure! Really thinking of buying 6 5 gal buckets and drilling the crap out of the bottom like LH is saying, what do you think>? also I almost wonder is separating the smart bag from that unwanted bottom water for now? making a screen or some thing to prevent constant saturation on the median which seems going to be an issue. ("drop a smart pot") you referring to the ones I have that i linked the fabric ones or the more expensive plastic ones with all the holes??

hp://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/ebb-and-grow-inner-bucket-replacement-pi-4701.html?image=0


4U2 - Hi! thanks for stopping in

Did you get a chiller or do you think that you are going to be able to keep res temps cool enough? I have not done hydro the last 2 summers because of it being so hard to keep res temps down, especially when you add a water pump to the mix.

as far as the res temp I was almost debating digging a hole in the ground but I rent and that seems a bit extreme. I can monitor it 24/7. what is ideal 65-70?

77atm just checked it draining it now 55 gal seems so extreme for 6 3 gal pots

Try propping your pails up. 3/4"-1" off tent floor.
I do this with my system n it allows all water to leave the bottom.
If your dropping then in right to the bottom I would put a layer of river rocks or hydroton on bottom 1-2" this will help with compleat drainage n keep the bottoms off the bottom.
Just a spacer that's all.
LH.