I have a new setup and I need help!

Hey everybody, I need help with a new system that I'm setting up. My only experience in hydroponics was a setup my roommate and I previously had that was DWC. My new setup that I am considering is for flowering that will consist of 4 8' PVC 6" in diameter pipes housing 6 plants per pipe (24 total) spaced approximately a foot apart sitting in 3 1/2 net pots with hydroton. I will be using a 1000w HPS on a 6' track. I plan on setting up two of these systems for flowering to house a total of 48 plants. The two 1000w lights will be connected for ventilation and also utilize a carbon filter. I plan on using PVC elbows coming off the PVC pipe to drop off into a reservoir with a water pump to run a DFT system. I will also use a an air pump/air stones in the reservoir for oxygenation.

The main questions I have are... Can anyone give me any suggestions for improvement on this setup and how will the yields be using DFT (NFT)? Should I even bother with using drip emitters or are they not needed, especially due to the common clogging complications? Depending upon the feedback I receive, I am planning on setting up an identical third system using a 600 or 1000w MH on a track for veg. My plan is to house 72 plants with 24 clones undergoing the rooting process over a week or 2 in humidity domes and then vegging for just over 2 weeks and flowering for 60 days. This will house 3-24 plant setups that will carry a rotation with between two flowering setups and a veg setup to harvest a 24-plant setup every month. If this is of any concern, I previously grew Skunk #1 in DWC and will be starting my first 24 as purple #1. I would love to hear any suggestions or things I should look out for running DFT. Also, I would like to hear any opinions on DFT versus NFT. Is NFT an optimal type of system for what I am trying to do? Thank you so much for any helpful advice.

No one has any advice? Come on people!!!!! This is the first time I've posted to one of these forums... hoping to get some varying opinions! boo!

...give everyone a bit o' time to respond, eh?

It sounds like you've got a good setup in mind. I once saw a pro-grow in Calgary that was using an aeroponics setup very similar to what you have described. Plants were arranged on three pvc six or eight inch pipes, all slightly slanted to run off to the res.

My only suggestion to what you've posted so far would be to add drip/spray emitters between each plant, and get a good timer so that you can set the on/off misting cycle to something very short. Make sure that you have enough slope in your pipes so that water doesn't stand, but I'm sure you're already on top o' that.

As far as yields went, not sure exactly what quantity per plant my Calgary friend was getting, but his stuph was the absolute bomb for quality. He was using a single 1000w HPS in the middle of the room, and two 600w MH beside it. No light movers, but it was FREAKIN' bright in there...

The other suggestion would be to put up some pix / drawings, so that we can get a better idea of what you're planning :)

And have patience, young Jedi :cool:

Yea, this was my first time posting to this forum and was in a rush I guess to hear what people thought... I'll try to be more patient in the future... lol =)

I'll work on the picture thing and will try to use that idea in the future...

I like the mister idea between the plants. So, with 6 plants in each pipe, I should use 5 misters per pipe with the main water intake coming from the back of the pipe, correct? Oh, and I think I'm going to do NFT with vinyl fence posts so it's flat instead of round PVC (round is DFT I think). Any thoughts on vinyl versus PVC in terms of anything such as algae or any other issues?

Also, how many gph do you think my pump should be for each system of 24 plants? I was thinking of using a 633gph EcoPlus or a 1056gph per system? What do you recommend and is EcoPlus worth a damn? Thanks for all the advice.

...that sounds like a great idea, although the only downside I could see would be a lack of fittings, where the PVC or ABS pipe has elbows, 'Y's, endcaps, reducers, etc.

Just make sure that there is no chance for stagnant water in there, and you should be fine. For a pipe holding six plants, I'd put a spray emitter in between 'em all, and ones on the outside, for a total of seven emitters per six plants.

I remember when my friend in Calgary cropped out, and it was amazing how long the roots had gotten in the pipes he was using. His plants were killa.

As to what pump to use, I don't have any input fer ya, but perhaps some of our other denizens might have some advice...

Happy Gardening!