Help choose between 2 diff dwc setups

[ALLWaYsHiGh]

How long will u be vegging for? Won't their roots get to tangled up? I don't think this will work for me, being i'll be doing a perpetual grow, so they'll be vegging the whole time others will be in flower. So, i'm guessin they'll be huge by the time they go to flower with a big root structure.

Yea thats what i was thinking but my veg space is limitted and i want to do prepetual allso thats why its goning to be an experiment probably 2-4wks veg time tops depends on root mass

 

[old blue]

Yea thats what i was thinking but my veg space is limitted and i want to do prepetual allso thats why its goning to be an experiment probably 2-4wks veg time tops depends on root mass

I take it ur going to have dedicated mothers? I'm not, i'm just gonna keep vegging and take clones off of veg plants a wk before putting them in flower. So i won't need an area to keep mothers. It'll just be a constant cycle with new clones, in various stages. ;-) That way, i'll be able to do a long veg stage(6-7 wks) each time to harvest 4 lst'd monsters every 8-9wks.

 

[MrPuffAlot]

Use 5 gallon buckets..
you'll only use 4gallons of solution in the buckets.(at the most)
Larger the volume, less PH drift.

Ive tried 3gallon buckets with 2gallons of water.. and youll
be adjusting your buckets every couple of hours.

lol 4/5+ DWC buckets.. haha.. will be very labor intensive. Believe me.
Get yourself a good TDS/PH meter.. and youll still be in for alot of
"adjusting" for each bucket... whew..

IMO: start a EBB/FLO table and 1 DWC bucket. checking/adjusting 2 resvoirs
is 100x easier than check/adjusting 6. believe me.

 

[Brussels]

Well, i greatly appreciate any and all advise u can give me. I do want to have 4 bushy monsters(i'd like to get 2-3ozs/plant). I want a pretty even canopy so that my 400watter will penetrate.

And i made one of massproducers, DIY cloners, that i plan to use. And i'll either put into rockwool after they root, or just put rooted clones right into netpot with hydroton.

I can see how changing out all the buckets every 7-10 days will be a pain, especially with having 4 in veg, and another 4 in flower all the time. So what do u recommend as an easier way to change solution. I'm thinking maybe cut a 3/4" hole in lid, and stick a tube down to the bottom(with a screen taped on to not suck roots up) and use an inline electric pump. And then just reverse it to refill the buckets with new solution. That would probably be easiest.

Blue...I wanted to keep up with your thread, but I've been away a few days. Okay, I'll do my best to outline what you're in store for with Four 5 gal DWC's going at one time. Most of the points I'm going to make are not opinions, or 'guessin': They come from many errors made in the past, and correcting them on the 'fly'. My only motive is to attempt to assist you and perhaps other from making the sometimes critical errors I've made.

One 400w HID is not enough for a 4'x4' space, especially for the size plants you envision. 800w minimum, 1Kw best. Lights need to be adjustable up and down. If not, plants will stretch, and be 'leggy' with large internode spacing. Of course, yield will be less that expected.

Good venting is absolutely necessary. No argument there.

Larger DWC grows (yours fits this category) is almost a full-time job. It's not just "changing solutions every 7 to 10 days" As the plants grow, solution intake is incredible, and levels need to be monitored. As solution levels drops, pH can be altered radically and must be monitored. < I refill using 50% solution mix> Get at least a 10 gal black solution mixing container from a hydro shop, and attempt to time solutions changes on only two buckets at a time. Makes the draining and filling chore much easier. Speaking of draining, I'm including photos of one of my buckets with a gravity drain. It is also handy to see your solution levels at a glance. Yes, get the blue not clear tubing -- you'll get algae growth in the clear ones. Gravity draining works well for me. I have a hole drilled into the lid of my buckets and use a 280 gph pond pump to refill two buckets at a time. Just make sure the refill tubes are the same length from the 'Y' so they'll flow at the same rate. I use black electrical tape to cover the hole.
Remember, you'll not be able to use the handle on your bucket -- the plant is in the way, they're heavy.

Maintaining solution temperatures are critical. If the solution gets to warm, all kind of nasties start to happen. Keep it cool.

Now, the subject I hesitate to address again: clones. Please believe me, your tent will be full from four plants that have had 6 to 7 weeks of vegatative dwc growing. It won't work. Trim that to three weeks tops. You'll have to trust me on this one, I've made that error before. Even with three weeks veg, you'll have little room near the end for lst.

I have no idea of your growing experience level Blue, and feel your volumn is for advanced growers. I have managed two dwc grows during fall and winter months for the past three years, and I'm finished with it. Great yields, sure, but it's just too much for me.
I'm currently making an experimental coco grow keeping a careful log for a comparison to dwc. So far, I love it. Fast and easy.
I'll be happy to provide links to some of my other grows if you'll PM me. Again, good luck, and I wish you success with your plans...
Brussels

http://www.greenpassion.org/f20/coco-coir-grow-seeds-6735/

 

[old blue]

Blue...I wanted to keep up with your thread, but I've been away a few days. Okay, I'll do my best to outline what you're in store for with Four 5 gal DWC's going at one time. Most of the points I'm going to make are not opinions, or 'guessin': They come from many errors made in the past, and correcting them on the 'fly'. My only motive is to attempt to assist you and perhaps other from making the sometimes critical errors I've made.

One 400w HID is not enough for a 4'x4' space, especially for the size plants you envision. 800w minimum, 1Kw best. Lights need to be adjustable up and down. If not, plants will stretch, and be 'leggy' with large internode spacing. Of course, yield will be less that expected.

Good venting is absolutely necessary. No argument there.

Larger DWC grows (yours fits this category) is almost a full-time job. It's not just "changing solutions every 7 to 10 days" As the plants grow, solution intake is incredible, and levels need to be monitored. As solution levels drops, pH can be altered radically and must be monitored. < I refill using 50% solution mix> Get at least a 10 gal black solution mixing container from a hydro shop, and attempt to time solutions changes on only two buckets at a time. Makes the draining and filling chore much easier. Speaking of draining, I'm including photos of one of my buckets with a gravity drain. It is also handy to see your solution levels at a glance. Yes, get the blue not clear tubing -- you'll get algae growth in the clear ones. Gravity draining works well for me. I have a hole drilled into the lid of my buckets and use a 280 gph pond pump to refill two buckets at a time. Just make sure the refill tubes are the same length from the 'Y' so they'll flow at the same rate. I use black electrical tape to cover the hole.
Remember, you'll not be able to use the handle on your bucket -- the plant is in the way, they're heavy.

Maintaining solution temperatures are critical. If the solution gets to warm, all kind of nasties start to happen. Keep it cool.

Now, the subject I hesitate to address again: clones. Please believe me, your tent will be full from four plants that have had 6 to 7 weeks of vegatative dwc growing. It won't work. Trim that to three weeks tops. You'll have to trust me on this one, I've made that error before. Even with three weeks veg, you'll have little room near the end for lst.

I have no idea of your growing experience level Blue, and feel your volumn is for advanced growers. I have managed two dwc grows during fall and winter months for the past three years, and I'm finished with it. Great yields, sure, but it's just too much for me.
I'm currently making an experimental coco grow keeping a careful log for a comparison to dwc. So far, I love it. Fast and easy.
I'll be happy to provide links to some of my other grows if you'll PM me. Again, good luck, and I wish you success with your plans...
Brussels



http://www.greenpassion.org/f20/coco-coir-grow-seeds-6735/

Thank u so much for ur advice, Brussels. I decided on buying a 1k hps and just use my 400 to veg with. I'll have all 9 ft height in my walk in for adjusting the lighting as well. I understand what ur saying about them overgrowing from that much vegging, so i guess i'll just play it by ear and see if they get out of hand and then i'll learn how best to time it. I'm also not totally sure what strain i'm gonna grow yet, so i'm not sure how big they'll get. They deff won't be 100% sativa.

The thing is, i don't want to keep mothers, and i want a small perpetual grow, so i figured the easiest way is to do a quick flowering strain(most likely Bigbud or something like it), and while plants are flowering for around 7-8 weeks, others will be in veg during that time, getting ready for flowering. I figured a week before putting them in flower, i'll take clones and start them in veg, therefore having a sort of perpetual type grow. Can u think of another way i can have this perpetual grow, WITHOUT keeping dedicated mothers?

Ventilation will be under control. I'll be venting into the attic. And i realise that it's alot of work to manage 4 dwc buckets, but i have plenty of time(i'm self employed) and actually enjoy spending an hour or more a day taking care of my plants.

I like ur advice about the gravity drain. I'm going to use that method, and I'll most likely just change 2 buckets at a time. When u make ur gravity drain and water level hose, how exactly did u do it and what was used in order for a tight seal?

 

[Brussels]

I like ur advice about the gravity drain. I'm going to use that method, and I'll most likely just change 2 buckets at a time. When u make ur gravity drain and water level hose, how exactly did u do it and what was used in order for a tight seal?

I get the fittings from my friendly hydro shop guy. They're very standard. Hell, if you lived next door, I'd give you these. I do use a silicone sealant in the little channel on the rubber grommet, which takes a 7/8" wood bit. Never had a leak. I'm goin to convert all my 5 gal dwc buckets for coco grows this fall. I'm already "that happy" with coco. Growth is already on par with dwc. Next Tuesday, I'll post my updated pics of that grow, you can see how fast they're growing...B

Edit: the blue tubing is half inch ID

http://www.greenpassion.org/f20/coco-coir-grow-seeds-6735/

 

[andy52]

hi hydro,sorry,i just saw your post.i ahve hids in both tents,doing well too.2,400 watters.

 

[andy52]

brussels,what size tubing are you using for the gravity drains on the buckets?