new aero/hydro system need help with timing

[Zaehet Strife]

just got this http://discount-hydro.com/productdisp.php?pid=13&navid=4 and its my first time growing in water. do i need to leave the pump on 24hrs a day, or do i set it on certain intervals with my timer? please help, i have it goin at 24hrs a day for now.

 

[Zaehet Strife]

also, if your cool and wanna be nice my mind could eat up some good tips since this is my first time, ty so much everyone.

be positive and love your life- 311

 

[Zaehet Strife]

no one has any idea?

 

[Mike Young]

What kind of timer do you have? If you can set it to 1 min on, 3-5 min off depending on your situation. Chances are that your timer is only gonna give you 15-30 min interavals. In that case, you can try 15 on, 15 off, but watch your roots. Make sure they aren't drying out.

 

[Badbackguy]

45 seconds on 5 min off, and dont over water them..

 

[Zaehet Strife]

i have a timer that has 15min intervals, so ill try 15 on 30 off and see what happens... thank you so much my plant was looking a little full on water.

 

[Grim Reafer]

i have a timer that has 15min intervals, so ill try 15 on 30 off and see what happens... thank you so much my plant was looking a little full on water.

how did your plants react?

 

[Grim Reafer]

45 seconds on 5 min off, and dont over water them..

what timer do you use?

 

[Zaehet Strife]

well they were looking pretty healthy before, kinda look the same, lets give it a couple days on 15on 15off and see what happens, ill post some more pics in a few days.

its not a digital timer

 

[mastacheeser]

umm is there a medium?
if theres no medium it needs to be on when the lights are on, and most of the time when theyr off

 

[Mike Young]

umm is there a medium?
if theres no medium it needs to be on when the lights are on, and most of the time when theyr off

Good call. Though I do think he's using 2-3 inch net pots w/hydroton. I'd run babies 24/7, but eventually your roots are just going to be soaking in nutrient solution after a couple weeks. That makes it a little more forgiving.

Good luck with the grow. I like that planter bucket. It looks inconspicuous.

 

[Zaehet Strife]

ty very much, ill go ahead and turn it back on 27/7 tomorrow when the lights come back on. worked 9 hours total today in the garden... back hurts, but well worth it. gonna kick back with a cold one, pack up the bubbler and check out all my hard work.

 

[taipanspunk]

...the idea behind that system you have is that it is continuous, so you should leave it on through out the day 24/7...

...also in about another week I recommend that you separate the four because the roots are going to get tangled and growth is going to get a bit crowed (certain leaves will fight for light)...

 

[Zaehet Strife]

i was thinking of originally making a make shit plastic separater for the roots... but laziness prevailed. i picked out all females for the water system that way i wouldn't have to worry about separating the roots if one turned out to be male. ill probably be lst'n the girls in the water as well, so i dont think light will be a prob, i just haven't wanted to touch them because im afraid ill fuck this hydro shit up lol. thanks for the help man i really appreciate it, it means a lot.

 

[Mike Young]

ty very much, ill go ahead and turn it back on 27/7 tomorrow when the lights come back on. worked 9 hours total today in the garden... back hurts, but well worth it. gonna kick back with a cold one, pack up the bubbler and check out all my hard work.

I like the setup man. You got alot of room! That shit would be alot prettier without that dumptruck load of dirt ya got in there, lol.

I agree that 4 plants in that hydro pot are going to get crowded quick. I'd cut a new lid in that thing with one hole right in the middle to accommodate a single shrub. Less is more!

 

[Zaehet Strife]

great idea mike, should i just measure it out and get a bigger net cup? how big should i get? i hear if i put an air stone down there it will help out with the oxygen is that true? thx for the help man.

 

[Mike Young]

Yes. Airstone is never a bad idea super cheap. Super reliable. If you can use a tape measure and a saw, you can easily construct an insert that would hold a 4-6" pot? I'm not the expert on your kind of setup, I am chasing my own dragon. You could grow a serious amount of grass in the space you have.

 

[zar82]

I use the 15 on 15 off timer. People told me it would never work for aero. during veg i set mine to 15min on 15min off. Then as the plants start to show roots out of the net cup i set it to 15 on 30 off. You have to make sure the roots arent drying out during the cycles. You only want ur pump feeding when the lights are on. I was told not to feed when the lights are off.

 

[Zaehet Strife]

hmmm great info guys, im going to take some pics tomorrow and post them, i dont really know anything about aero or hydro this is just kinda experimental, trying it on my own without help first. ill post info and pics tomorrow they are really light green in color, as ive added more ferts they kinda darkened up a bit but still super light. ill post tomorrow night dudes/dudettes