DIY DWC set up

[gmanguy]

This will be my first attempt at any hydroponics grow. Just getting started with some seeds in dirt in a grow cabinet, just got to wait to clone from them.

SO i have a 14 gal. tote with 5 airstones and 5 1400/cc air outputs from 3 pumps. Now ive never worked in water like this but when i put the lid on while the pump are going, it can mist the whole bottom of the lid in less than 5 mins to the point where its dripping off. The surface of the water is almost all entirely covered in bubbles except a couple small sections. I figure only 10 gallons of water will actually be used since i have to be a little below the nets.

Anyway i will get pics up soon i just want to see if anyone has made something similar to this and had good results and if im even on the right track. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[SFguy]

sounds like the right idea... water, and lots of air

 

[supchaka]

That's a ton of air. I've gotten by with just one!

 

[gmanguy]

here is some pics for relevance, at least somewhat, the pics arnt that good but im hoping it will help pass the idea on. how many plants do you guys think i can sustain in this set up? i havent cut out my net pot holes yet because i dont know how many to do i got 8x 3 inch pots but im thinkin i should only use 6 in this size. any ideas??

 

[supchaka]

Id go 12/12 from clone with that setup. Ive done the same kind of bucket with 6 and when the plants start getting tall its a pain in the ass. They will need to be tied up, and then when you go do a res change everything falls over on you. If you flower right away it might help. Good luck with it.

 

[TruenoAE86coupe]

3" net pots work great, put the rooted plant in the cup, fill with hydroton (rinsed first) and stick in your system. I like 3" cause then i can just use a hole saw, makes much easier and tighter fit.

 

[UnderCurrentDWC]

here is some pics for relevance, at least somewhat, the pics arnt that good but im hoping it will help pass the idea on. how many plants do you guys think i can sustain in this set up? i havent cut out my net pot holes yet because i dont know how many to do i got 8x 3 inch pots but im thinkin i should only use 6 in this size. any ideas??

I would only grow 1 plant in that tote, sure while they're young you could fit 6 in that tote but you'll more than likely regret it in a month.

 

[gmanguy]

defiantly not trying to get that big with my plants tho. im trying to keep them under 3 feet at harvest. how much did u yield off each of those? ill only be under 1 400watt hps and possibly a 400 watt mh aswell but it will be in a grow cabinet. but what about maybe 4. Stealth Hydro has a 4 site DWC system with only 1 stone and 1 pump. http://www.stealthhydroponics.com/product.php?xProd=48 im in 14 gallon that i can use atleast 10 gallons of.

 

[dbkick]

At one point temperature is gonna become an issue, igloo coolers man, the way to go. I make mine active with water pumps and sprayers, so far its worked best for me.

 

[Metasynth]

When I first started DWC, I thought I could pull off multiple plants in a tote like that, I switched to 5 gallon buckets REAL quick...He's really right, one, maybe 2...DWC plants get big, they'll crowd each other.

 

[gmanguy]

i really just need to figure out a way to utilize more space. i cant afford to just have 1 or 2 in that i only really have room for 1 of those totes. im kinda lost on how to do this now. im glad to know now rather than later tho im just tryin to figure out how i can do this best. check out my grow journal. im trying to get some mothers started so i can get some clones going. supchaka said should be able to go 12 12 right away on that, that would work nicely.

 

[TruenoAE86coupe]

Your talking like $10 for the tote, build it up and get ready to get creative in making everything work, you will learn more every grow and if all you have to toss is a $10 tote, its a good learning experience. Make sure your tote can handle the water though, would suck to have 10+ gallons of water dump on the floor and have to figure out how to fix it immediately.
Seems like those in the know use the coolers though.....

 

[gmanguy]

i just meant cant afford the space n fact of having multiple reservoirs to work with. id like to have 1 res to hold all the plants. could i get something more like 20 gals to withstand multiple plants or is it not just the space?

 

[TruenoAE86coupe]

If you do a scrog type it would help you manage many plants in a smaller single res, however this will make water changes tough. Have seen many people make a drain in the bottom so they don't have to lift the lid.

 

[gmanguy]

i was thinking about cutting a small hole i can slid a tube in that i can hook up to a water pump to pump it out then pump back in as well. my plan is to keep them small, 2 week veg then 12/12 and i wanted to fit 6 so i could put a plant in every 2 weeks. could i possibly split my res with some kind of dividers or would this just hurt them by limiting their space?

 

[VoidObject]

The way I see it is.. you either have to do 12/12 from clone or maybe MAYBE a week of veg from clone to prevent root competition/binding. You can't grow anything serious in a multi-plant single-rez setup.

You ever think about 3.5 gal buckets instead of 5 gal? It's what I use..

 

[gmanguy]

i was just looking at 3.5s but i could only get 3 max. i might just have to go with a bigger cabinet

 

[TruenoAE86coupe]

You never said you intended to a plant every two weeks. This will not work with a single res. First off different age plants need different nutrient levels (some will argue this, but those who really know will agree), second the roots will be so intertwined that pulling any one plant without killing the others will be next to impossible. Finally you will not be able to flush plants that are ready to come out, so they will not get rid of the nutrient taste.
If you plan to run a continuous cycle you are going to need more than one res.

 

[TruenoAE86coupe]

The way I see it is.. you either have to do 12/12 from clone or maybe MAYBE a week of veg from clone to prevent root competition/binding. You can't grow anything serious in a multi-plant single-rez setup.

This is entirely wrong, I have grown very very successfully as many as 36 plants in a single res, with great results. Given this was current culture not dwc, but it can be done.

 

[gmanguy]

You never said you intended to a plant every two weeks. This will not work with a single res. First off different age plants need different nutrient levels (some will argue this, but those who really know will agree), second the roots will be so intertwined that pulling any one plant without killing the others will be next to impossible. Finally you will not be able to flush plants that are ready to come out, so they will not get rid of the nutrient taste.
If you plan to run a continuous cycle you are going to need more than one res.

and thats why i post things online first. i know all this info i just didnt really consider it but thank you for pointing this out, i have to tweak my ideas a little bit but im super tired time for bed tonight, and brain storming tommorow.