trying to take the leap into bubbleponics.

Title says it, I want to ditch this soil and use bubbleponics.

I'm somewhat familiar with tons of information and facts about the system and I feel like I know enough to get it starter however I still have some questions I'm not familiar about.

First, would it cause too much stress to move the plants via net pots into a reservoir in my flower room. I'm trying to go perpetual with 2 bubbleponic systems in my flower area at different stages of bloom. (4 weeks apart from each other) and 1 system in veg along with a cloner which I already have (a DWC cloner not bubbleponics) so after I harvest from 1 system, ill move the veg'd clones from veg into that system in flower either by the lids or by each net pot. Would that work without damaging roots and stressing the plant too much?

Second, how many gallons should each reservoir hold if I were to have 8 plants per system? I was thinking atleast 30gal with 8x 3"net pots in each lid.

And Third, for my water pump is it better for a bigger pump ( around 250-350gph) or more efficient to run a smaller (100-200 gph)?


Here's my plans: 8 plants per system.. setup like a dice's "5". [ : - : - : ] Each system will be raised 1 foot off the ground with a spigot on the bottom for easy draining. 3" net pots with each with its own drip feed with hydroton as a medium. Each system will have its own air pump (I was thinking a 50-80gal air pump using 2 valves and have 2 airstones per unit) and as well its own drip feed submersible pump. I'm not sure which line of nutrients ill be using (any suggestions?) Also for keeping res temps under control anyone have suggestions? I run 600w hps cooltubed.

I won't be using this setup until I have every system made and working correctly so I'm just preparing now. Plus I still have vegging soil plants so I have time. About 4 weeks until I move them into flower then that's when I want to switch to bubbleponics.


Thanks

I use 5gal buckets and I just pick up the lid and all and move it. I do the same thing with clones from a 5 clone bucket to there own one plant bucket. Never had a problem just want to be careful if the roots are tangled in air lines or each other. I reach in and take the air stone off so the air line slips right out.

I use single res each 5 gal bucket is it's own res. Some say this is to much work but it's cheap and very forgiving. If you have a problem in one bucket it is confined to that bucket only. It also gives you options as far as nutes You don't have to run the same mix in all your plants. It gives you the best options for a perpetual grow. My opinion is to save some money and hassle of a recirculating res and go with single buckets. I know you will get alot of advice against doing this but to me it's worth the extra work.

I use buckets 3.5 gallon and 5 gallons depending on size of plant. No water pumps just air pumps, I keep the water high almost to top of rapid rooter in 3.75" net pot until its in flower then I drop it to bottom of pot.

I use beneficial bacteria (Voodoo juice) for veg then switch to just nutes and Dutchmasters Zone in flower. I use extra buckets to have fresh nutes ready then all I do is switch bucket (which is 1 or two times in flower!) I keep my area and buckets clean just monitor ppm on each plant and give it more or less depending on ppm readings. I also have a smallish garden 14-16 plants at most. Yea I could do a reservoir bucket and some kind of DWC hybrid but I like giving each plant what it needs not a generic average. More work but better bud.

I grow for quality not quantity and this method gives me superior yields and smoke.

BigBuddahCheese said:

I use buckets 3.5 gallon and 5 gallons depending on size of plant. No water pumps just air pumps, I keep the water high almost to top of rapid rooter in 3.75" net pot until its in flower then I drop it to bottom of pot.

I use beneficial bacteria (Voodoo juice) for veg then switch to just nutes and Dutchmasters Zone in flower. I use extra buckets to have fresh nutes ready then all I do is switch bucket (which is 1 or two times in flower!) I keep my area and buckets clean just monitor ppm on each plant and give it more or less depending on ppm readings. I also have a smallish garden 14-16 plants at most. Yea I could do a reservoir bucket and some kind of DWC hybrid but I like giving each plant what it needs not a generic average. More work but better bud.

I grow for quality not quantity and this method gives me superior yields and smoke.

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Hey Cheese I'm glad to see that there is someone else that has some common sense. I try to tell people to spend less time reading about growing and more time growing. You learn so much more that way. I'm not saying don't do your home work but pick your experts wisely. Tell them to show you the buds!!!!

faller200 said:

Hey Cheese I'm glad to see that there is someone else that has some common sense. I try to tell people to spend less time reading about growing and more time growing. You learn so much more that way. I'm not saying don't do your home work but pick your experts wisely. Tell them to show you the buds!!!!

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Yea its more common sense then anything... people just lack it today. lol. Peace brother.

Pick what experts wise? I'm no expert, only experience in dwc/bubbleponic systems I have is a small 8 site dwc cloner. I'm just trying to stop using soil and go hydroponics. And sorry I don't have bud shots of me using hydroponics (hence this thread in the first place) I'm just trying to sort out my system before I build it.

And for your guys advice, thanks I appreciate it but my space is really small (5'x2'x6') and with those 5 gal buckets id only be able to get a single line of them and fit maybe 6 or 8 in there instead of 2 30gal totes with 6-8 sites each. I'm trying to get as many plants under my 600w with optimal light usage. Also you think I should just go DWC instead of bubbleponics? Is there a reason besides its cheaper for that opinion?

Thanks

If you don't do one thing.. just remember that "Less is more in DWC"

I am rocking the AN PH Perfect Sensi Line and its like acid to the roots because all the nutes are available at any ph range 4-8 and they uptake it like now. I am using like 1/5th the dosage and plants are better then ever in my dwc.

Not until I wasted a few months burning the shit outta my roots thought I had rot for the longest time. LOL. here I am buying hygrozyme, voodoo juice, aqua shield, super thrive, dutch masters zone trying to figure it out. Plants always looked gorgeous but would stall out when roots had enough and burnt up.. damn. Lessons learned.

It is always easier to give them more food, its harder to repair plant damage and time lost to over feeding.

KushisSweet said:

Pick what experts wise? I'm no expert, only experience in dwc/bubbleponic systems I have is a small 8 site dwc cloner. I'm just trying to stop using soil and go hydroponics. And sorry I don't have bud shots of me using hydroponics (hence this thread in the first place) I'm just trying to sort out my system before I build it.

And for your guys advice, thanks I appreciate it but my space is really small (5'x2'x6') and with those 5 gal buckets id only be able to get a single line of them and fit maybe 6 or 8 in there instead of 2 30gal totes with 6-8 sites each. I'm trying to get as many plants under my 600w with optimal light usage. Also you think I should just go DWC instead of bubbleponics? Is there a reason besides its cheaper for that opinion?

Thanks

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What I said there was just general advice to you. Not meant to offend anyone. I grow in a 4'X5" space. I have 4-6 5gal buckets at a time In there. I have tried to put more in there but the truth is that my yield is about the same with 4 plant or 8 It's more abut the space than the number of plants from my experience anyway. I would go with the bigger single buckets and less plants.

Oh sorry, I thought you were saying I think I'm a pro with no proof to back it up lol. I understand though about yeilds in numbers its the same with me in soil I ran 4weeks veg with 6plants , then 12/12 from clone for a couple months, then 3 plant scrog so I know what you mean but I'm really trying to get a harvest every 4 weeks. I could set up 8 dwc buckets, 4 plant harvests, but id be limited to 4 weeks veg which is why I want more smaller plants. I'm guessing (my best educated guess) that id have somewhere between 12"-16" plants after 4 weeks veg from clone.

Also is there even a noticable difference between bubbleponics and DWC besides in the first weeks of veg?

BigBuddahCheese said:

If you don't do one thing.. just remember that "Less is more in DWC"

I am rocking the AN PH Perfect Sensi Line and its like acid to the roots because all the nutes are available at any ph range 4-8 and they uptake it like now. I am using like 1/5th the dosage and plants are better then ever in my dwc.

Not until I wasted a few months burning the shit outta my roots thought I had rot for the longest time. LOL. here I am buying hygrozyme, voodoo juice, aqua shield, super thrive, dutch masters zone trying to figure it out. Plants always looked gorgeous but would stall out when roots had enough and burnt up.. damn. Lessons learned.

It is always easier to give them more food, its harder to repair plant damage and time lost to over feeding.

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Thanks for the advice. Have you always had trouble with those nutes? I'm trying to use an A+B nute (one for bloom one for veg)

KushisSweet said:

Thanks for the advice. Have you always had trouble with those nutes? I'm trying to use an A+B nute (one for bloom one for veg)

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It was my first time with AN A+B and in DWC. To its defense I was use to the higher ppm in aero/nft systems before. Just go low and you can always add more.. don't be afraid to go too low because you will be shocked the amount that is really needed.