More info on my drip hydoponics setup...

Hobo · 12-06-2007, 06:45 PM

ok well where do i start? this is my first attempt at a hydro grow. i opted for a drip recovery system, as it seamed easiest for me. i built a table to keep the planters off the ground above the reservoir level.

I use futuregarden Liquid Earth Nutrients its a 3 part. they also have great suplimentary hydro nutrients and additives like organic activator, which is completely organically derived, and allows the plant to more fully take advantage of available nutrients, and also contains some trace elements. I keep my flowering room reservoir at 5.5 pH and 900-1100 PPM. i also have an airstone to keep the reservoir oxygenated in all my reservoirs/systems. In the Veg room, i have another drip capable of 9 separate drippers. i keep that at 500-700PPM 5.8 pH.
the vegroom also has a cloning water-culture system set up, with an airstone keeping the water oxygenated, and a gap between the top and the water level for more air to the roots.

Im growing in an uninsulated attic, which is going to be a huge problem in the summer, might have to seal it and use an AC. but for right now the temp is just a little lower than desirable, around 68 degrees.
I have a vent fan pushing warmer air from another room in the house into the attic, and 2 oscilating fans to move air around, one in the back of the room, one right on the plants.

inside the attic is a closet like space that i made the veg room. i keep the door open in the light hours and close it before the flowering room's lights go off. i cant get the vegroom in the sleeping hours of the flower room.

Lights in the flowering room, 400w hps, nothing special about it. and a 400w MH. i had these set up expecting more females for the first run.. but hey ill put 800 watts on 2 plants

~. right now i have them tilted almost vertically surrounding the 2 plants, on top of them getting supercropped... light is getting allll through these babies, not to mention more moving air.

Lights in veg room, 2- 4 foot dual florescant cool/warm white combos for the clones. another 2 4 footers and a 150w hps for the mature clones and mothers. not much i know, ill prob get some cfls to throw in there. i use a 24 hour photoperiod.

The pump in the veg room and flowering room are linked to the same timer, 5 times a day 15 minutes at a time. i reccomend atleast a 150 gph pump for this lowpreasure adapter setup. which you can get at Hydroponics - systems nutrients supplies and grow lights by FUTUREGARDEN right now i have clear tubes, im getting black ones though soon. the water is pumped out of the reservoir via a 1/2 inner diameter hose, to a piece that splits it and controls preasure 2 up to 9 ports. you then can buy drip emiters to link the hozes and control the flow. the excess water is drained back into the reservoir via more 1/2" hoses. this is what makes my system a drip RECOVERY system.....

SHAMAN- for your sake if you were to water your soil or another dirty like medium you could use a non recovery drip system. you can control the flow of the dripper, so they dont get too much. and you can set a timer to turn the pump on for you, so its all automated.

Im using 1 inch rockwool cubes and 4" cubes for mature plants. they will grow out of the cubes into some clay pellets, so they can easily be removed without damaging to roots to go into the floweing room containers with a mixture of pond rocks, and aquarium rocks.

what you see right now for containers will be upgraded. i was using cut up rubbermade totes, then drilled a 1 inch hole and put a hose nozle there, to attach the drain tubes that will flow back into the reservoir. im getting sturdy and wider containers, ill be using restaurant bus trays, and drill a hole to drain through a hose.

i have topped the plants twice now. once at about 8 inches, and then a toping for each of the new split tops, so it will be a 4 topper, they are extremely bushy. also like i mentioned i supercroped about 3 large branches on each plant to allow more light and air to the middle of the plant.

i also spray with sodium free clubsoda to give the plants more co2. i also have a system set up where vinegar drips into baking soda at a slow consistant pace, so it time realeses c02 into the air.

im gonna harvest at dark dark red pistols and cloudy-amber trichomes. Ice Ice BABY!!!

attached are some more pics of random things, note they are at random stages of the plants growth, the original post has the most recent pic.... the pen pic was when that plant was only 8 inches tall. and i dont have a recent pic of my new positioning of the lights in the flower room, ill have that soon.

tokecrazy · 12-06-2007, 07:40 PM

So what do you think of hydro.I love it,I have a ebb&flood tray and a dwc buckets too.I like both systems.Looks good strong plants keep us posted. PEACE

Hobo · 12-06-2007, 07:52 PM

i love hydroponics, growing in soil feels almost weird to me now. its hard to imagine growing NOT hydro after discovering how easy it is to build your own set.

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