DIY Hydro setup??

[ncnavguy]

I've gone through the grow faqs and got alot of good info from there. I think I'm going to go by Mobay's guide to build a grow cabinet from a tool box and use 150 cfl's as the light source. I havn't found any info on actually setting up the hydro inside of the chamber yet though. Is it possible to do this my self or will I have to order a kit from the internet. I would prefer to be able to set it up just getting stuff at local stores (Homedepot, walmart, we have a sea of green hydro store 100 miles from here). Any one got any advice on building an inexpensive hydro kit for about 6-12 plants. Thanks :)

[Cornelius]

man you can totally build it yourself. Look into Deep Water Culture (DWC) for a simple yet effective hydro set up. However, this may not be the best if your are growing from seed, as when you try to take out your males your roots will be quite tangled. I'm doing a drip system, and i bought the water pump, hoses, and drip stakes at a hydro store. I got my resevoir and root chamber at walmart (plastic tubs). You can find little water pumps probably at walmart or home depot. Drippers you might can get at a garden store (not sure). You can always order stuff online.

But you don't need to buy a kit.

Also, make sure your CFLs have a good light spectrum for you plants (~6500k for veg and ~2500k for flowering), or just get both to give a more balanced spectrum throughout the grow. I do recommend getting some good nutrients. A 3-part nutrient system works the best (General Hydroponics and Advanced Nutrients make good 3-parts).

[JackdaWack]

It all depends on how close the recources are to you, and how manageable you are with building materials. Its like the guy who wants to build a sick hydro setup but has never built a lego. You can make one very cheap very easily, but u need the know how, the time, and the materials, there are alot of threads in here on how to make them, so look em up, the hydro section were in is the best place to look. you really dont even need to get a guide, look in the cabinet section at what other people are using, the more creative and innovative your grow and time you put into it, the cheaper it will end up. ive built a pretyy serious cab before with 100 bucks in supplies from homedepot my own plan. worked awsome until the plants outgrew it.

[Cornelius]

i just thought of something: for 12 plants you should prob do ebb & flow. It's really simple, all you need is a pump and some pipes and a big tray to keep your plants in

[ncnavguy]

Awesome, thanx guys! I'll probably start up a grow log here in the next week or so! I'm reasearching ebb&flow right now!

[deftdrummer]

NCnav we built our hydro setup for under $250 and thats with the ebb tray. You have to get that at your local hydro store but everything else we built ourselves with parts from walmart / hydro store / and home depot. We have a 2'x4' ebb and flow tray with two tanks connected to each other under the tray itself. The tubs were bought at WalMart for cheap and I think the total capacity is 24 gal. Let me know if you want some pictures.