Newbie to Hydro - Please help

I've been growing for a while outdoors and want to go a different route. I wanted to see what I "exactly" need. Some say that very minimum equipment is necessary while others say need CO2 and much more is useful. Please help before I waste money

i guess it depends on your purpose of growing somewhat. Hempe buckets are the simplest form of hydro - just need a bucket, some medium (perlite for example), lights, nutrients, fans, timer, ph/tds meter(s) and some space as the minimum entry requirements. OR you could get as hi-tek or as complicated as you wish with all the latest and greatest.

That does help. I found a grow tent that should work and it comes with everything you said. My only worry is sense it is hydro, idk if the way the seeds are germinated need to change or how I could exactly get them to grow hydro without losing them

SmokeScholar said:

That does help. I found a grow tent that should work and it comes with everything you said. My only worry is sense it is hydro, idk if the way the seeds are germinated need to change or how I could exactly get them to grow hydro without losing them

Click to expand...

Germing them is the same, just start them in rockwool.

Flood tables are simple as shit.
You can usually get a 3x6 table for 80 bucks at the hydro shop. A 4x4 is cheaper.
Just build a table for it, put a res underneath it, set it to flood every hour and you're rocking hydro.

PH and EC meters are mandatory.
I own the 200 dollar Hanna Combo meter, 2 Milwaukee PH-55's, but I use the E-bay cheapies.

I've had the EC meter for 2 years, and the PH meter for 3 months with no problems.

Here's what I use.
EC- METER
PH- METER

If you're trying to keep it simple with nutrients try
General Hydroponics
FloraNova Bloom start to finish.
Floraliscious+ from start to finish.
Add Liquid Koolbloom during flower.

3 bottles and you can kill it.

Don't forget calibration solutions. You'll want to calibrate often.
Here's a good set.

It's all I use.
Peace.
Tav

I just use 6" pots filled with rockwool grow cubes, germinate my seeds in juffy plugs, once the roots start to show, I place it in the pot with grow cubes covering the jiffy plug, feed my plant from a gal jug of nutes twice a day, just like a house plant, lights are your descretion, easy as pie, I use GH Flora series, sometimes add floralicious bloom, but not sure if it's worth it, couldn't be much simpler and a good way to learn hydro, of course need ph and tds meter, as one said very important for hydro, here's a few pics of my recent plant, unfortunately one was a male, it's a WW 7 weeks 12/12.

Thank you for that! Those are a couple things I will be purchasing.

That helps me greatly, knowing that there is no real change. I shall follow that recommendation

This is my setup. I can use it for soil, hempy or tables. Right now I have two 1kw lights over two 3x3 tables.

Basic setup, everything you need.
[video=youtube;rnraIbFdzWI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnraIbFdzWI[/video]

Taviddude said:

Flood tables are simple as shit.
You can usually get a 3x6 table for 80 bucks at the hydro shop. A 4x4 is cheaper.
Just build a table for it, put a res underneath it, set it to flood every hour and you're rocking hydro.

PH and EC meters are mandatory.
I own the 200 dollar Hanna Combo meter, 2 Milwaukee PH-55's, but I use the E-bay cheapies.

I've had the EC meter for 2 years, and the PH meter for 3 months with no problems.

Here's what I use.
EC- METER
PH- METER

If you're trying to keep it simple with nutrients try
General Hydroponics
FloraNova Bloom start to finish.
Floraliscious+ from start to finish.
Add Liquid Koolbloom during flower.

3 bottles and you can kill it.

Don't forget calibration solutions. You'll want to calibrate often.
Here's a good set.

It's all I use.
Peace.
Tav

Click to expand...

Why would you not use the grow until flowering and then maybe another 2 weeks after -it has more nitrogen and works much better for growth.
if you want to keep it simple cut out the unnecessary floralicious and kool bloom not the grow! Just my opinion after 20+ years

To really make it simple I prefer a continuous monitoring meter the control wizard trimeter works good- 153 bucks online http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/130629364798?lpid=82 you wont even need to measure nutrients just
add them until the reading is where you want it

Would you recommend just using general hydro floral series? for the nutrients. any and all advice is greatly appreciated

SmokeScholar said:

I've been growing for a while outdoors and want to go a different route. I wanted to see what I "exactly" need. Some say that very minimum equipment is necessary while others say need CO2 and much more is useful. Please help before I waste money

Click to expand...

While your outdoor experience is gold, the biggest difference is control of the environment, which outdoor guys have no control of. Start with the basics, I try to steer people away from tents for this reason, dialing in a tents environment is much more challenging then in a bigger room. Temp control can be done cheaply, humidity may be an issue so a de-humidifier should be handy if needed. That's all you really need to worry about for your room. Medium can also be challenging and your set up will determine which you use. I have set up a gentleman with a simple manual ebb/flow system that without the light the hole set up was under $150.00. With a 400 watt light and this set up he spent less then $350. for his first run. He was able to produce almost 400g. On his first attempt. Rockwool slabs and cubes is how I set it up, 3 litres of nutrient water every day was the labour part. Nutrients are a personal thing and not much money needs to be spent here. If you understand feeding than you can use almost anything, since your hand watering. Newbies...I recommend a 3 part system, ease of use. For someone like you with experience, use can use pretty much anything out there as long as it mixes completely. Meters, a ppm and ph pen will also come in handy, their cheap now 20 buck or so. You really don't need to spend a lot. this type of system will allow you to figure out if its for you without breaking the bank. If you like it then the automation can begin...JAS

I find coco a great medium as an alternative to soil and canna do a 2 part base nute (A+B) which gives all the plant needs. I supplement with H+G Roots Excelurator during rooting and early veg stage and after re-potting. Later I supplement with cannazyme.
Takes part of the worry away moving from soil to hydro because of the similarity in texture giving both plant support and reasonable moisture retention.
ph, ec/tds, temp and humidity meters will give you control of environmental factors or at least a reasonable chance.