Deep water culture only thread

gamebird65

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone I just recently started growing in my closet. I am not sure what a DWC is? But I am doing a Hydro set up. I have a pump in a reservoir pumping the water in the tub. I am using a 1000w HPS, which I now believe that it might be too much. Can I put a 600w HPS bulb into a 1000w HPS ballast? I have two exit fans and i ran the apartment vent into the closet. I believe I have all the nutrients I need, but still not quite sure. I have the liquid Ph test kit and some Ph up/down. I think I still need a pmp, TSD, and EC tester (not sure if I need all or what they do). Do I need all of them? I was wondering what is everyone talking about using bubbles? I saw someone's reservoir bubbling, how do I do that and what does it do? Also what is the air stone and where do I put them?

Thank You,
M Dawg
The air stone is just one of those oxygen stones in the aquarium section at walmart , petsrus , etc.....I see different set up's ..... like some with commercial air pumps and some using the walmart air pumps.. That is bubbles and some say make it good and frothy....well I have a five gallon bucket resevoir and they seem to be getting enough oxygen with one 10 to 30 gallon aquarium air pump from walmart..
 

Swale84

Well-Known Member
Hey everyone, just wanted to post some pics of my DWC setup. I'm a first time grower who hit some bumps in the road starting out. Plants have really taken off in the last couple of weeks. Right now I'm battling pH problems. I can get my pH down to about 5.6, but later in the day it drifts back up to 6.8-7. Anyway, hope you enjoy and any suggestions are appreciated!

My setup.....


Big plant taken yesterday......


Thanks for looking!
 

gamebird65

Well-Known Member
Hey everyone, just wanted to post some pics of my DWC setup. I'm a first time grower who hit some bumps in the road starting out. Plants have really taken off in the last couple of weeks. Right now I'm battling pH problems. I can get my pH down to about 5.6, but later in the day it drifts back up to 6.8-7. Anyway, hope you enjoy and any suggestions are appreciated!

My setup.....


Big plant taken yesterday......


Thanks for looking!
I think your temp is too high to start with....also i think you might have too many lights.....yes i know the rule is not too much light.but i see that the fan leaves are young and are covered well with the lights at that size...so I myself woul;d cut back a bulb or two until they start to fill in the empty space...then i would add lights to the shaded side of plants only....what I mean from shaded side the top light wont be able to directly hit the leaves from bushy growth..Too me it isn't how many lights.It where is the plant actually getting direct sunlight........
 

gamebird65

Well-Known Member
Hey Swale 84,

Looks like Ph problems. What water and nutes are you using? Res temperature?
the problem isnt in nutes..I see maybe at first you over nuted ....but the new growth on top are very lively and green.......wonderful looking...but i see wasted money in burning that many lights so soon....I dont have a problem with my veg and I only plan on using 2 lights until the 12 - 12 stage.....Then the plants will begin a new phase and need the extra coverage......
 

Swale84

Well-Known Member
I've got my temps down to 77. I added two PC fans for my intake. I'm using Fox Farm nutes at only 1/4 strength. My res temperature is 68.
 

n00604173

Well-Known Member
77 is much better. good call. try and space your lights so that the WHOLE plant is getting light, not just the top. i've got all kinds of crazy lights rigged up around mine to get all the colas light. it's basically just a learn as you go thing, but take all the advice you can, it'll really help.
 

gamebird65

Well-Known Member
77 is much better. good call. try and space your lights so that the WHOLE plant is getting light, not just the top. i've got all kinds of crazy lights rigged up around mine to get all the colas light. it's basically just a learn as you go thing, but take all the advice you can, it'll really help.
now I was trying to explain that point...but i'm stoned and I was deep into it....:-o
 

onthedl0008

Well-Known Member
True success in dwc will come if u keep ur ph any where from 5.4 to 5.8.This is the perfect balance of all things going on in ur system.
Ive learned that stretching comes from higher res temps especially in flower but they dont like it to cold either mine go from 74-78. And my plants do very well.
All kinds of things could have caused what happened to ur lower plants leaves.
Its definately not ur lights bro. At this stage ur plants are plenty ready for those lights and are going to love u for them. Less light only means slower growth.
I do veg 2 moms with 2 42 watt daylight as well as to 23 watt daylight and these are totally sufficient enuff to veg my plants 1 foot from seed in 2-3 weeks @ 1/4 to 1/2 latter peak ppms @ around 5-600.But really unneccesary in most cases. Ive actually grown plants like this @ 1/4 strenth it all kinda really depends on ur particular strains requirements.

U follow these guidelines u will be successfull in DWC. Bro i do keep my cfls 3-5 inches away pretty much till the seedling starts out of the plug and developes its first set of true leaves.Usually 2-3 days. Then I put them @ 2-3 inches for a day or 2.But withing the first week or so those cfl's are directly above the tops maybe an inch-2 @ the very most.
Ur plants look alot better from the initial ordeal. Prolly was heat but could have been nut burn cuz u fed to early.I dont feed mine till the roots hit the water. Its again unnecesary.
Anyways hope that helps man
 

n00604173

Well-Known Member
dl, what do you use for flush? i'm finishing up my first grow, and want to flush at the end. i'm using an aerogarden which i converted into a dwc until i build my big one, and just need something to flush the ladies with. what do you use/suggest?
 

onthedl0008

Well-Known Member
Well i used to flush for 2 weeks with plain water cuz it helped with taste and it does but thats my preference. If you look in the fact tho its really not neccesary to flush nutless for that long as well as some really good advice ive recieved from some peeps that know what they are talking about.
What i will do this time coming up is back my ppms off or go back to my first week nut feeding schedule.for the last 2 weeks and then flush for 3-4 dats and watch my trichs with my new 420 scope.
If ur unsure but know ur strains exact flower time just go 3-4 days plain water bro. its worked for me. When i fine tune my newly acquired flush method ill let u know.
 

MrDC

Active Member
I'll be setting up a new grow as soon as the closing papers are signed on my new home. The space i have is 8' wide 2' deep and 6 tall. I plan on lighting it with a four foot t5 sporting 8 bulbs, with a 400w hps to throw in later.
I'm building a DWC setup using square 5 gal buckets, fitted with a 1 gallon square pot slotted to hold two 4" net pots with hydrostone. I plan on pumping air in with an Ecoplus 5 commercial Airpump, rated at 3.1 cfm @ 80w. 6" airstone bars for bubbles... any suggestions on a better rig?
Will be dividing the space into a seperate mother space, grow space and flower eventually, ideally all in the same five gal. buckets. Using a combo of mylar and panda film for a reflective surface, as well as deviders later on. Ventilation will probably be a vortex fan intoa DIY carbon filter. CO2 suppliments with a 5 gal bottle of yeast...
I want to set up the buckets to run off a single res, maybe a fifty gal. rubermaid, but I'm not sure what the best way to do it would be... I just don't want to do nutes ph checks and ecerything on each bucket.
Oh, planning on running ten plants to start, will see whats available after i finish the build.
Ideas anyone?
 

captkody

Active Member
howdy everyone. I'm all set to go. seeds germing,cab built,lots of crap bought. one question, how long before you start the nuts? I am using techfloral any help would be greatly appricated as I'm new to dwc. will be growing white widow
 

Stoner87

Well-Known Member
I'm going from soil to hydro, starting with DWC. I plan on using more complicated methods as the room grows.

I plan on making it a perpetual SOG op. A veg box with room for 2 mothers and a clone/veg box, aswell as a flowering room.

Nutes:
I'm using DNF two part for veg, and DNF, Carbo load(powder) and Bigbud(powder) for flowering.

Ph is around 5.5-5.8

Temps are around 22-25C in veg and 21-24 flowering, humidity is around 40%

Lights:
Vegroom:x4 42 watt 6500k CFLs x1 15watt t5 6500k Adding alot more once I establish a mother.
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Floweringroom: x1 85 watt 2700k CFL(I've got 2) x2 42 watt 2700k CFLs (I've got 6) x1 15watt UV GrowLamp (I've got 3)
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Everything is still very much underconstruction. Right now just flowering a bagseed plant(killin time/havin fun).I have a WWxMango in the veg, there was also 2 PPPxBE but lost them both (don't ask:sad:)

I'm still kinda struggling with exhaust and intake because I can't cut any holes in the walls. Tips would be greatly appreciated.
Heres a link for more a bit more detail on the room https://www.rollitup.org/cfl-growing/144481-cfl-sog-setup-what-do.html

I gotta say I love DWC so far.
Way better then soil.

I love how you can do so much, in so many ways with hydro. I look forward to seeing everyones take :leaf:
 

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