Easy Homemade Hydroponic System

[postmandave]

heres another D.I.Y project , might be of use to some one,ythe postman


Things you need (Pictures are in order)

1. Rubbermaid Tub â?? (I use a 20 Gallon)
2. 2-3 Fish Air stones
3. Air Pump
4. Black Air Hoses â?? (the one in the pic is clear but try and get black)
5. Net Pots
6. Growing Medium
7. This is what your final product should look like.

1. What you need to do is cut holes in the lid of the Rubbermaid container to fit your net pots in.
2. Then run the air hose from the air pump into the bottom of the Rubbermaid container and plug them into the air stones.
3. To check to see if your air stones are producing enough Oxygen fill the container up with water. Then put the lid on and start the pump. Come back in a few minutes and see if water has splashed through the holes and collected water on the top of the lid.more in next post, the postman.

[postmandave]

Hydroponics making complete
Here are the other two pics. Growing medium and the final product, the postman.
i dont use rockwool i spread the rootball over one layer of hydrotron. it workng so well for me but yes you can drop the rockwool cube in as well

[latewood]

why use promix? you don't need it. since you have to nute, hydroton alone would be less expensive, but just as efficient.

I love pro-mix, but I would use it in container plantings.

Nice job on the DWC set-up. jmho, lw

[postmandave]

hydroton would have been first choice but ,he used what was lying around but yes latewood , hydroton,would be better, the postman

[mobay]

man watch out for that hydro, it aint nothing to be played with, when you start you wont be able to stop.

[postmandave]

but i was taught by a good mate from a far of land that is a master with hydro,he taught me enough to help this dude put this together, cant remember the dudes name , rick summit, funny guy ,lol. the postman.

[latewood]

you got it right...you just won't be satisfied...it's addictive...

[Punani Jack]

Can someone please elaborate a little more about this grow method please?

It seems simple enough. I have a feeling though that I am missing something. Are you using the airstones to oxyginate the water or for the purpose of making bubbles so water splashes on the roots or "pot" of the plant? In the case of the latter then surely you must neede quite a powerfull air pump to create enough water agitation. Well it must be powerfull compared to my aquarium air pumps anyway...

I think this is the route I may take with my grow. So any additional info would be great. And Im dropping around $500 on ligting so I am serious!

[BlueDragonSmoke]

This is the method I use...but I use 2 $30 air pumps for a fish tank with 2 air stones connected to each pump.....it is to splash on net pots and cause humidity under lid for root system....but in my method I didnt use net pots ....im poor in all so I used disposable plastic cups and I put 6 cups together and drilled holes in all at one time...lol and I didnt use Hydroton either...member i am poor...lol I used lava rock 20lb $2.49..bring them home smack the bag with a hammer a few times cause I thought they was a little big...lol and wash them ...no soap ...test the water you r using then soak the lava rock in the same water over night and test ph again to see if the rosks you got are ph nuteral... any way this is about the cheapest way to grow and it REALLY works well....I do 4-6 plants every time I grow depending on the good clones I have and no problems ... or even with that set up add a little water pump and some drippers on a timer and you have best of both worlds ....(drip/bubble) WOW watch them grow...lol hope this helped some

[dion]

folks like me really appreciate threads like this... thank you PMD that seems like an affordable and effective manner of growing.

bluedragonsmoke, cool deal letting other grow mediums be thrown out there.

I haven't really figured out about how much this whole setup costs to build, but i know i can do independant research to figure it out.

thanks again for all the help spelling it out for those of us who cant spell
(and in translation that means for those of us who have no idea what in the fuck is going on with hydroponics)

thanks
Dion

[latewood]

Can someone please elaborate a little more about this grow method please?

It seems simple enough. I have a feeling though that I am missing something. Are you using the airstones to oxyginate the water or for the purpose of making bubbles so water splashes on the roots or "pot" of the plant? In the case of the latter then surely you must neede quite a powerfull air pump to create enough water agitation. Well it must be powerfull compared to my aquarium air pumps anyway...

I think this is the route I may take with my grow. So any additional info would be great. And Im dropping around $500 on ligting so I am serious!a standard aquarium pump is all you need for a 5 gallon bucket or a 8-10 gallon tub.
If you go with a big, let's say 33 gallon tub you will need a double airpump with 2 airstones instead of 1...Some dwc growers will use a dbl airpump with 2 t's, and put 4 of the .88 airstones in bottom...I have also seen where a guy at OG used 4-4" airstones off a dbl pump with 2 t's, his results were fantastic.

I started and still grow with this method, among others...last go 'round I grew a nice sexy orange skunk tree that provided me with 6-7 ounces after drying...good luck

[BlueDragonSmoke]

6-7 oz ? lol What you do lose a oz and you still looking ...lol...=))

[Zandor]

Support the underside of the rubbermaid tub it will cave in after a short amount of time. You can build a frame with PVC to support it and that would help. fyi.

[latewood]

This is the method I use...but I use 2 $30 air pumps for a fish tank with 2 air stones connected to each pump.....it is to splash on net pots and cause humidity under lid for root system....but in my method I didnt use net pots ....im poor in all so I used disposable plastic cups and I put 6 cups together and drilled holes in all at one time...lol and I didnt use Hydroton either...member i am poor...lol I used lava rock 20lb $2.49..bring them home smack the bag with a hammer a few times cause I thought they was a little big...lol and wash them ...no soap ...test the water you r using then soak the lava rock in the same water over night and test ph again to see if the rosks you got are ph nuteral... any way this is about the cheapest way to grow and it REALLY works well....I do 4-6 plants every time I grow depending on the good clones I have and no problems ... or even with that set up add a little water pump and some drippers on a timer and you have best of both worlds ....(drip/bubble) WOW watch them grow...lol hope this helped somethis is a great method.
I do this also...as far as the lava rocks, great stuff. and suggesting breaking them up is good advice.

another note on cheap rock grow medium...pea gravel was the 1st, hydro grow medium and is still used in certain areas, today. You can use any Inert rock/substance, Including a variety of 5-6 at wally's.
the difference is, some are heavier than others and harder for the roots to move, but they work...Other choice such as lava rock are lighter and retain more moisture.

that is why the market of large perlite, hydroton, coco*, and others is growing, with new products all the time.
* I learned something new yesterday. coco is treated like soil; In respect to nutrients and PH...didn't know that. lw

[turtle420]

I've got to ask...

POSTMANDAVE:
How the heck do you make your pictures so "perfect"??

They have the white background... nothing around them... Jesus! It's like a catalogue or something! :)

Nice work buddy! ;)

[latewood]

6-7 oz ? lol What you do lose a oz and you still looking ...lol...=))
very funny. The reason for the variance is, because I don't really ever weigh everything(don't care) and I smoked a shitload 2-3 ounces I estimate...For some reason I had cause to weigh 1/4lb???:D LOL:cool:

[postmandave]

Turtle. White mylar on a cloning table. I wish it was me that took them but it was some dude that does pics for a living. the flash on the cam reflects of the mylar and then he messes about with them on his computer and they come out like that. Cool though innit. Wait to you see the ones that I'm putting on ebay for me and mobay grow boxes and clone boxes. They will be real pro. We have both decided to try and beat all these rip of grow boxes by making boxes with superior products fitted and at affordable prices .Yeah we will be doing it to make money but not to rip people off like most of these grow box suppliers do .The Postman.

[BlueDragonSmoke]

Everything is high now days ....it sucks....plus your plants wont know a difference what you use ....lol

[seattle420]

this is a great hydro sytem it uses the space perfectly!

[busteruk7]

nice thred postman
you come up with some really good ideas i think i will be attempting this one someday as i have always wanted to do hydro
cheers postman :)

[wildchick]

This is the same system we have put together from another site we seen, we would love to talk to you about how you went about your grow with this unit and the steps and amount of water vs nukes and lighting that it took u to use it correctly to grow, this is our first attempt and have became addicted already , just need a little advice from a user of this type system?? Is there anyway we can e-mail you and trade info. for us two crazy chicks in need of info.

Jamie

[postmandave]

Any time. Sorry but i have been away for a while but im back now and it would be a pleasure to help you out give me a shout . [email protected] and we can have a chat.the postman.

[wildchick]

We was going to start out with two of these setup's and put 5 plants in each setup and was needing to know if a dual 400 watt mh/hps setup system would be enough for two of these setup's sat side by side??

Jamie

[bongerstonerd00d]

Before you buy 2 400 watters, why not one 1000 watt HPS? You get basically a 400 watt light for 200 more watts and almost triple the lumens. 400 watt = 55K lumens, 1000 watt = 145K lumens. Lumens = big budz. By the way, nice efficent setup, Postman. I am going to construct two fo those for moms, and I had already thought of the PVC inner frame before Zandor mentioned here. Should you want to build one, here is the a link that has all the fittings you will need.
http://www.pvcplans.com/pvc-suppliers.htm

They got all kinds of kewl fittings for us to play with.



b0nger

[UnitedParcelSecrets]

Wow ... I'm considering this for my next grow now ......

[Jdzzl03]

I made this exact system for my first grow, although I used a larger tub that was able to hold 6 plants. A couple things to watch out for, the tub will begin to bow the more water you add, especially if you have to drag the tub to and from a water source. For this reason I would reccomend adding some type of valve at the bottom of the container so that you can easily hook up a pump and pump the water in and out. If you do this make sure you seal the valve really well because you dont want it to start leaking one day when you arent there. Another problem I ran into is that the plants grew so fast some quickly outgrew there allotted space while other were slower to grow. I would reccomend only three or 4 plants. For and 18 gal tub I use two plants, however if growth is controlled and flowering is induced early you could opt for a more sog method. Good luck with your grow. -Diz:rasta:

[wildchick]

Allow me to ask u when u did u'r grow like this did you do a grow log and if so could u pass it to use to follow as this is the route we wil be taing on our first grow and any logs would be great to follow?\

Jamie

[illuminatica]

Wow ... I'm considering this for my next grow now ......

i heard that the roots get tangled up between the plants sometimes, what i want to know is how long can they stay in this system, i have not found any photos of the plants maturing, flowering etc., is this just for cloning etc.

[Surfnbird]

what size pots are good to use?

[LetsSeeYa]

Looks amazing, but the solution of nutes cost big bucks dont they? And iv read logs on hydro and the list of nutes/ferts are long. Also, it seems like there are always a problem with the ph all the time?

Im new to this, but i just see it a lot.

:rasta:

[Deejay2163]

DWC is getting more and more popular simply because it is simplicity itself. Low start-up costs, minimal maintanence,and good results.I have tried it once and it seems to work ok ,but it can be a pain in the ass if you don't affix a drain system to the tub,especially on the larger systems.Hydroponic growing is a bit different than soil because you have to be on top of it daily as the situation with the growing solution changes so much.I personally prefer dirt ,in regards to how forgiving it is when I screw up,but ,other than that ,hydro is very popular with a lot of folks.

[mainegrown]

my only question before i start to make one of these set ups is can i check the ph with the liquid test kits or do i need a $100 PH pen and what about the PPM?
is there any way to get around these problems as cheap as the lava rocks??
i really dont have a ton of money to throw around (not away.. never throwing money away when into more and better pot) right now...
i am planning on making a more streamlined DWC recirculating system after my harvest.. i think that a DWC set up would be a good use of an oz :wink:
thanks for putting up with a hydro n00b
-MG

[Deejay2163]

Look.It's simple, if you want to go hydro it's a bit more detail oriented that growing in soil.Unless you believe and trust in blind luck, then if you have decided that DWC is the way you're going ,then be prepared to shell out a couple hundred for meters and nutes,and ph up and down,it's that simple.Hydro may be the best way to go , but you can't prove it by me.I'm working with a couple different hydro systems ,but until I see results for myself, then I consider all that I've heard and compare it to my results and either decide to try and adjust from there ,or go back to what I know works.Time will tell.

[ctryboy60]

k,,newbie here,and have been reading tons of info,,last few weeks,,while getting about 15 seedlings going in just some vermiculite,,and baccto soil,,and straight water. these little rubber maid boxes seem to be really common, to you guys. should i ,or can i remove the soil from my roots,and re-plant in one of these systems,,as my two week olds are kinda just sittin there lately,,,could be just me,,but not seeing much happen,,the tallest is about 5" tall,and the same diameter. any info,or suggestions,,welcome,,thanks much, ctryboy.

[LetsSeeYa]

k,,newbie here,and have been reading tons of info,,last few weeks,,while getting about 15 seedlings going in just some vermiculite,,and baccto soil,,and straight water. these little rubber maid boxes seem to be really common, to you guys. should i ,or can i remove the soil from my roots,and re-plant in one of these systems,,as my two week olds are kinda just sittin there lately,,,could be just me,,but not seeing much happen,,the tallest is about 5" tall,and the same diameter. any info,or suggestions,,welcome,,thanks much, ctryboy.


If there only two weeks there only trying to get a rooy system in place. Once your plants have a good rooting in place, then you will notice leaf development. But if you have them in big pots, then it will take a bit longer to see the leaves growing. Just give them some time, they will take off soon:rasta:

[crf70rider]

in my oopinion you could grow 6 plants in that system i have a 5 gallon res. tote and i was going for 3 plants but i started the 3 a week late so i removed the weak link but i have a top feed setup and the pot set on top a drain back into the res throught holes in the lid and the clones i put in the setup have grown to 8" tall in two weeks and i just dump in some sensi 2 part and a little bloom so they dont have any deffs. oh and my personal fav. superthrive that shit amazing

[superfly420]

heres another D.I.Y project , might be of use to some one,ythe postman


Things you need (Pictures are in order)

1. Rubbermaid Tub â?? (I use a 20 Gallon)
2. 2-3 Fish Air stones
3. Air Pump
4. Black Air Hoses â?? (the one in the pic is clear but try and get black)
5. Net Pots
6. Growing Medium
7. This is what your final product should look like.

1. What you need to do is cut holes in the lid of the Rubbermaid container to fit your net pots in.
2. Then run the air hose from the air pump into the bottom of the Rubbermaid container and plug them into the air stones.
3. To check to see if your air stones are producing enough Oxygen fill the container up with water. Then put the lid on and start the pump. Come back in a few minutes and see if water has splashed through the holes and collected water on the top of the lid.more in next post, the postman.

Hey Postman. I'm new to the forum and growing as well. I am current card holder and venturing off to grow my own. I chose to go hydro with a setup similar to yours. I am using a 20 gallon tote as a self watering setup. I got the idea off of youtube. The tote will be divided in half by a styrofoam slab cut to fit making the bottom of the tote the nutrient resevoir. Also in the nutrient resevoir is a wicking basket of sorts filled with hydroton and drilled with 1/4" holes. On top of the styrofoam is a thick layer of hyroton for my roots to grow in. I'm putting 6 3" net pots in the lid also filled with hydroton. Along the side of the tote will be a 1-1 1/2" pvc pipe for the air line to run to the air stone in the tote. This is also the watering tube. There is a drain hole consistent with the styrofoam to avoid over watering. I'm running a walmart pump suitable for 20-60 gallons with a 5" air bar. I'm not a very good artist but I sketched a pic of what I'm goin for..
Can I eliminate all the hydroton and wicking system and add more nutrient/h20 solution and let the roots hang in the solution? My tote is black, do I need to spray paint it anyway? Is Co2 a necessity?

[GROWxMOREx420]

I have grown cannabis outdoor using this method with great success. :thumbsup:

[jjenks]

PMD this is my first time and I had a few questions regarding how much water you put in the container and whether or not additional nutrients should be mixed into the water?