Best hydro system for 2-10 plants

[Da1KrayzieThug]

Looking for the lowest matienence while still using not a lot of space. I've always liked the DWC's but I recently read that if you don't use a control bucket that it becomes a big problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, I have a qeustion about superthrive. Is it supposed to be used as a nute or is it suposed to be used along with nutes? Thanks in advance.

[turtle420]

Hello Thug,

I'm not sure about the "control" bucket in a DWC setup, but I know that SuperTHRIVE is an additive... not to be used as nutrients. You should use your regular nutrients, and SuperTHRIVE as an additive to that. :)

[Gen]

Thug this is my humble opinion. How large are your plants going to be? If you are going to grow miniature plants. say 3 feet tall approx. Then you can get away with swc. I'm doing a 33 gallon plastic container grow for 1 plant with scrog. This has been done before so check out Nimby''s post on www.overgrow.com. Since I am only using one bucket, I'm putting a fountain pump 130 gph inside the swc with hydroton rocks in a net pot. If you are doing more than one plant then you will need a larger container to hold the roots. I will be using a 2 gallon container inside the 33 gallon container as the reservior. The important thing is water circulation, beneficial bacteria, ph and ppm. I am not using a control bucket. People use control buckets so it's easier to check ph, ppm and add water and nutrients. It's hard to lift a scrog with a plant to get to the roots and reservoir underneath.

Turtle is right about superthrive.

[Da1KrayzieThug]

OK thanks turtle but I still need to know what the best system for me would be. The thing with the control bucket with the DWC systems happens from something like the plant not absorbing the nutrients then the bucket gets filled with too much or something about the toxins gathering. I like the DWC systems because if I use like a 3 gal bucket for each plant I can just replace the water on each of them one by one. Now that I think about it, I'd much rather do a DWC in a big rubbermaid tub, but I don't know how to drain the bucket (would be a little heavy plus the fact that moving a lot of fully grown plants wouldn't be such a good idea.) then refill it quickly (it would be hard to have like 20 milk jugs of ph adjusted water to be just sitting there.)

Any help would be greatly appreciated (wow i say that a lot). Thanks in advance (that too)

[Da1KrayzieThug]

Thug this is my humble opinion. How large are your plants going to be? If you are going to grow miniature plants. say 3 feet tall approx. Then you can get away with swc. I'm doing a 33 gallon plastic container grow for 1 plant with scrog. This has been done before so check out Nimby''s post on www.overgrow.com. Since I am only using one bucket, I'm putting a fountain pump 130 gph inside the swc with hydroton rocks in a net pot. If you are doing more than one plant then you will need a larger container to hold the roots. I will be using a 2 gallon container inside the 33 gallon container as the reservior. The important thing is water circulation, beneficial bacteria, ph and ppm. I am not using a control bucket. People use control buckets so it's easier to check ph, ppm and add water and nutrients. It's hard to lift a scrog with a plant to get to the roots and reservoir underneath.

Turtle is right about superthrive.

I'm actually looking for the plants to be about 3-4 feet. BtW, what's a SWC? I've never heard that one before.

[Gen]

swc=shallow water container If you have beneficial bacteria growing you should not have to change water. I've been running lettuce in a swc with hydroton rocks to hold the beneficial bacteria. I have not changed the water yet. It's been two months. I only have about 1 1/2 inches of water in the container. I don't have any mj beans so I am forced to experiment on veggies till I can get some.
I can tell you the lettuce is beautiful and delicious.

[Da1KrayzieThug]

So basically it's exactly like a DWC but with a lot less water? So in other words, if you leave a DWC bucket unattended till the water drains it is turning into a SWC? I think I've decided on DWC then. My other question is, How much water do plants drink up or evaporates a day with single bucket DWCs? I want to know this so that I know how often I'm rpobably going to have to add more water to each bucket. Thanks for any help.

[yeskaa]

So basically it's exactly like a DWC but with a lot less water? So in other words, if you leave a DWC bucket unattended till the water drains it is turning into a SWC? I think I've decided on DWC then. My other question is, How much water do plants drink up or evaporates a day with single bucket DWCs? I want to know this so that I know how often I'm rpobably going to have to add more water to each bucket. Thanks for any help.
id say when plant and root ball are big ..a gallon a week

[Da1KrayzieThug]

Well that's not bad. But, I figured that I would try a big rubbermaid tub to grow about 6 clones and if it works out good then I'll kep it. If not, I'm gonna take it apart and make a DWC system with another rubbermaid tub set to it just in case water levels get too low. I don't kow why but the whole float valve seems so ingenius to me and I love the concept.

[turtle420]

Thug,

Sorry for the disappearing act... anyways, I wanted to tell you... about your re-filling dileman: Use your water pump. Use it to pump water out of the tub, and then water back into the tub.

???

[mobay]

hey thug this what i got after 7 days from seeding

[Garden Knowm]

LOOKING GOOD mobay