Need help with feed schedule for new hydro system! PICS INSIDE!!

So I have a quick question that I'm sure someone here may be able to give input on. I just crafted a homemade hydro system that uses small net pots which are filled with coco. They are being fed from the top via a pump (sort of like a drip feed system but the net pots hang over a reservoir similar to DWC). At first, the plants will be fed with nothing but this pump, but as the roots mature and grow downwards, they will begin growing in the water (like a dwc). This is because I am using coco-noir that is fine and running noir in DWC probably wouldn't work that well.

Right now I have nothing inside the set up as I just finished it. However, I am unsure of feeding schedule for such a set up!!

I plan to put some seeds into the coco and letting them germ and run inside the system for a while (possibly and hopefully until harvest if the roots have enough room). The water lines running to each pot don't necessarily "drip" however, they just dispense water at a gentle yet rapid rate (IE- "not dripping"). This is what scares me as I planned to run the feed system 24/7, now I am scared this will kill the plants due to root rot!!

Top of system, lines run to each small net pot filled with coco, have foam inserts to cover the coco which I may or may not use:


Bottom of system (dark picture, hard to see anything):


Side view kinda:


Again sorry for the dark pictures. (CAN GET BETTER PICTURES IF NEEDED)

So long story short. How long do I feed these things? I was gonna run the water 24/7 but then since I am using coco instead of hydroton I am worried in rotting the roots due to the coco holding to much water.

I also have another pump with two outlets and two air stones that I am putting in to add oxygen and whatnot to the water. So question is, how long do I leave the water running for that is running top-down through the coco? Or should I just say screw coco and grab some hydroton? Though I don't think using hydroton should be necessary!!

and sorry if the description of the system is vague. I honestly have no clue what this type of hydro system would be classified as. It feeds from the top and feed like a dwc. If anyone has ever tried something like this or knows anything about using noir in this manner PLEASE GIVE ME INPUT!!! =D


Thanks in advance for any advice!!

Someone please help! I plan to get this system running within the next few days so I need to figure this out. I think I already may know the answer after experimenting with the thing, but I'd appreciate some advice!!

Also, as far as nutes are concerned. Would I use coco nutes or regular hydro nutes for such a grow? I'm assuming hydro nutes just because the roots will ultimately be mostly in the water and not just confined in the small cups of coco. Still would like advice though!!!!

Edit: I feel like it may be best if I just run it on a timer. Does anyone know if 30 minutes of watering once a day in the coco would be too much? My timer won't let me set shorter increments than that haha (cheap crap).

My veg room is on a drip recirculating. Lights are18/6. Watering every 6 hours (3X a day)15 minutes at a time with adjustable drippers only when lights are on. Flower room lights are 12/12. Ebb and Flow recirculating system flooding every 5 hours (3X a day) for 15 minutes. I use rockwool in hydroton.

I don't know much about coco but I know alittle about hyrdoponics. You should start running the system and trying some watering times as young seedling they won't need as much water as adults so you should vary your schedule accordingly. It really depends on the timer you have to work with as to what you can do. An cheap outdoor digital timer from HD has like 7 settings a day so you could have them run during the light on period 6 times in 18 hrs for example for a duration of like 15 min. If this is saturating the coco to much then cut back or increase the length or frequency.
When ever you make a system like these the watering times are dependant on a lot of factors, such as; the strength of light, length of light, temp of grow space, size of root container, delivery system, medium used, amount of water used, the ability to distribute feeding uniformly, just to name a few of the top of my head.

Isn't there a coco forum? I use Rockwool so I"m unfamiliar with the medium as I stated before but it's never to late to learn something new, actually I thrive on it.

Smoking cannabis isn't addictive, it's in it's cultivation that that demon lies.....

fenwick865 said:

My veg room is on a drip recirculating. Lights are18/6. Watering every 6 hours (3X a day)15 minutes at a time with adjustable drippers only when lights are on. Flower room lights are 12/12. Ebb and Flow recirculating system flooding every 5 hours (3X a day) for 15 minutes. I use rockwool in hydroton.

Click to expand...

Interesting so your flower set up is basically like mine except mine is using coco. I think I may start off doing one 30 minute feed a day. After that I'll see how dry that soil is and find out the perfect feed time. However the timer I own now isn't very good and is basic as it gets. It can only run for 30 minute increments at the least. If I can find a better timer for a good price locally I will be picking one up to run the pump off of however. Though I am contemplating using hydroton at this point, I just hate buying the shit because my hydro store only sells extremely large bags of it and I would never use that much in my life. Coco is also one of my favorite mediums to work with and always treats me well.

Maybe I could use some coco-noir mixed with another medium with larger granules (similar to hydroton) and get good results.

I got a lot of options and still don't have seeds to put in this system to I have time to perfect it. =D

Edit: and I also think this system would be AMAZING for starting and growing clones in. Reason being is that personally I've had 100% success with getting clones to root in coco-noir. and I've never had to use a "dome" either. I just cut, dip in hormone, and put in noir (I generally treat the noir with a small amount of LK and other root stimulants). Always works so this system might make me very happy!