New Hydro Setup and Where do I get a controller?

Im building a new hydro setup using an ebb & flow technique. its going to be 12-16 2gal buckets, a 3.5gal control bucket and a 30gal reservoir (i think.) I know I need three pumps and a controller. Where do I get a good controller and what should I be looking for? Do you guys see any problems with this setup so far? I'm using a 1000w HPS/MH switchable w/ air cooled reflector. B/W poly all around. Clay pellets in the buckets with rockwool as my medium.

don't know the answer to your question but your set-up sounds like it is primed to be very successful.

email get on chat

and look for c.a.p controllers...

first, you're thinking too big.... or too small

a 1k will be ok for 4-8 buckets (and 8 is reeeeealy pushing it). so, you're going to need more light, or less plants. remember, a n00bs biggest mistake in hydro is overgrowing.... the opposite of cfls.

lol @ the opposite of cfls

kindprincess said:

first, you're thinking too big.... or too small

a 1k will be ok for 4-8 buckets (and 8 is reeeeealy pushing it). so, you're going to need more light, or less plants. remember, a n00bs biggest mistake in hydro is overgrowing.... the opposite of cfls.

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ok so how many plants should i attempt with this light? 6? how much space will 6 buckets take up exactly? and what do you mean overgrowing, attempting too many plants? i have no problem lowering the number of plants, so long as they are healthy and it suits my one 1000w HPS/MH light setup. I dont have tons of room and am trying to keep it within a 4' x 4' walk-in closet. i can however store the reservoir outside this area. thanks for your advice. i dont want to bite off more than i can grow.

look magus maybe i showed you a little too much...

i showed you that so you could build that system or scale it to what you would need sorta, make the system, but freestyle it...ya feel me?

i agree with kp....especially with that 1k, now if you would to use 2 600, thas a different story...cuz with those round buckets...they take up space that could be used for lighting and plant space...

you could freak it with different pots and use square buckets....or!!!!!!!


.... i say keep the controller bucket, and the big res.... but instead of using the buckets, i say find some type of big rectangular container...im thinking some 3' x 6'... and then use like square pots or even rectangular containers (because i know you are trying to do sog, so that way you could still move the plants around and keep like 2 - 3 plants in the rectangular containers or just use square pots!!!)

yea i know i should charge you for that nice insight huh...lol...naw im just fucking witcha...im high and i love to brainstorm!!!

i recommend 4 5g per 1k, no more. given proper veg time, you can yield close to a pound per plant like this. usually more like 8oz per plant, but don't try to get more than you can light, or you'll have more frustration than you know what to do with....

yeah im all over the place. i smoked this morning and i cant shake the stupid feeling. i dont think there is a setup i havent planned out (incorrectly at that.) i just dont want to cheap out and get shitty yields. 8oz per plant sounds nice though lol. do you think 4 plants in a 5 gallon bucket could yield at least 6 oz per plant in this space with the 1k watt HPS/MH(obviously ya do)? as for the SOG, im thinking I might just do bigger plants since height is not an issue anymore. so in a 4' by 4' space kindprincess, you think I can fit 4 plants in 5gals? how big of a res would i need and what power pumps? if this setup works out I will most likely quadruple it in a few months. Im writing down all the people who help me out in a good way for some gifts. Merry Christmas.

LoudBlunts, yeah information is my downfall. Hence why I have been in college five years and have had five majors. Too many choices. I had freaked that setup a few times thinking of grow trays instead of buckets as well as the square pots. But I appreciate every bit of it. Big up.

a 300gph water pump would be more than enough to recirculate. as for size, i'd go with a 5x5 or 6x6 (6x6 allows you some room to work and move around...), but i wouldn't do more than 4 plants per 1k. here's a pic of one of mine under a 1k.... this should give you an idea of why i say that....

if your space is 4x4, and you can't go bigger, i say go with four smaller plants (expect 4-6 oz each)

oh yeah, and that bucket ended up at 15.5 oz bone dry, no stems

kindprincess, you are amazing. teach me! that plant was sick (figuratively speaking.) and nearly a pound dry? who could ask for more from an indoor grow huh? how long did you veg for, or how tall? how much vertical space did you need? I can possibly muster another foot wide but not more than that, and as I said the reservoir can remain external to the grow area if need be. so 4' by 5' and 4 plants in a 5 gallon pot. If I have results like that Ill be a happy dude.

what strain was that btw? im trying to grow some feminized white widow from sensi seeds.

in a 4x5, you could fit two of those beasts. they'd be bunched together, but would fit, esp with some training.

as for the particulars;

gh three part
cal/mag (from start to finish)
superthrive
ph up/down (naturally)
advanced nutes hammerhead

vegged for 8 weeks, then flowered. this is a 15 gallon tall bucket, i had three plants growing at once. had they been in separate containers, i'd have gotten more like 1.5-2 lbs. i learned my lesson about hydro and overcrowding in that experiment (which is what it was, i wanted to try three clones super close to form a monster bush......)

anyway, with four buckets, zigzaged in a 4x5, i think you could def get 6-8oz per plant with 8 weeks veg. it would fill the room, but would be great

also, i train my plants by hand. no strings, no weights, i just bend them over, and let them stand back up slowyly (sometimes they don't want to bend, or seem floppy; niether matters). the next day, i bend them the other way. by doing this, i get constant growth with no slow down or halt from topping, but i get a multi cola plant with no dominant apical tendencies. lots of colas means good yield, and more primo buds per harvest

strain was dreamgoddess, can't remember who from, but they were never released as an f1 hybrid. dg is a cross of godbud and dreamweaver....


i think i sent you a pm.... did you get it, or did i space out and not hit the send button?

so thats a four month grow huh? rough. but worth it for that yield. oh my mistake, that white widow was from dutch passion. im responding to the PM now. thanks for all the insight and wisdom (although i think they mean the same thing.)

MagusALL said:

so thats a four month grow huh? rough. but worth it for that yield. oh my mistake, that white widow was from dutch passion. im responding to the PM now. thanks for all the insight and wisdom (although i think they mean the same thing.)

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i root clones before starting a flower cycle, and veg the clones while big plants flower. the result is a big bush perpetual cycle.....

youre talking the same setup as me, i made my control bucket with a kit of relays and float swtiches...

https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/37315-rate-system-me.html

Build an ebb & flow type hydroponics system