advice on HYDRO Bubbler system?? Please help!

Okay, I bough this starter hydro bubbler system off ebay cost me $41.00 after S/H.. I could have built the thing for less than $12.00.. but hindsight is 20/20. here are my questions...

1. The pots that came with it are just 6 inch pots with some holes in the bottom.. I was expecting 6 inch mesh pots... should I upgrade to mesh pots, seems that would work better.. is that the smart thing to do??

2. The rocks, the rocks look just like lava rocks that my dad use to put around the plants and they look kinda dusty also.. I was expecting HYDROTON clay growing pebbles..(the round ones) Are those that much better.. should I upgrade...The ones I got are all different sizes,etc..

3. The air stones are these round little things they are about an inch long, the instructions say try to put them near the middle.. well they float around and they dont actually stay in the middle, seems to me like I would want to find a way to make them STAY put in the middle.. and use a 4 inch square type stone for each pot

4. How many bubbles do I want. CRAZY bubbles?
5. seems a 4 inch would work better.. Should I try to place them closer to the bottom or nearer the bottom of the pot?

I think you should stay with the lava rocks... I read (I think from Zandor) that the HYDROTON pebbles suck, basically because they don't provide support for the plant - sideways-wise. And that makes sense... with the pebbles, if you shift the plant, all the pebbles will move and you're going to cause havok with the roots. But if you use the lava rocks, the kind of get "stuck" together...

As to the air bubbles, I posted a while back with some concerns about my air bubbles... they basically sucked. So I thought.... Upon closer inspection, I realized that these small tiny bubbles, actually spray water when they 'burst' on the surface. So, although they look pretty pussy to me, they did a pretty good job of wetting my hand when I placed it over them.

As to your mesh-pots... why don't you make more holes with a utility knife? If you've got access to mesh-pots, well, fuck it... buy those.

Hope this helps man... please keep us updated... ;)

-turtle420 :cool:

Thanks man.. Interesting about the rocks, because all the pics I see have the round balls, but it seems the lava rocks would not shift as much.. so I will try them..

What size air stones do you have? Mine are little dinky things.. am I supposed to have CRAZY bubbles, or just to oxygenate the water.. etc..

See pics:

Ok, my airstones, I thought they sucked....

No disrespect, but dude, fucking send back the fucking "airstones" that guy sent you. I mean, they're airstones alright... but I don't think you could keep a Beta Fish alive with them. A high quality 4" airstone cost me $8. That should be better.

Hope this helps... good night.

-turtle420 :cool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SeedKing72

Okay, I bough this starter hydro bubbler system off ebay cost me $41.00 after S/H.. I could have built the thing for less than $12.00.. but hindsight is 20/20. here are my questions...

1. The pots that came with it are just 6 inch pots with some holes in the bottom.. I was expecting 6 inch mesh pots... should I upgrade to mesh pots, seems that would work better.. is that the smart thing to do??

2. The rocks, the rocks look just like lava rocks that my dad use to put around the plants and they look kinda dusty also.. I was expecting HYDROTON clay growing pebbles..(the round ones) Are those that much better.. should I upgrade...The ones I got are all different sizes,etc..

3. The air stones are these round little things they are about an inch long, the instructions say try to put them near the middle.. well they float around and they dont actually stay in the middle, seems to me like I would want to find a way to make them STAY put in the middle.. and use a 4 inch square type stone for each pot

4. How many bubbles do I want. CRAZY bubbles?
5. seems a 4 inch would work better.. Should I try to place them closer to the bottom or nearer the bottom of the pot?

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I'll go Question by question
1. I would buy netpots...you could drill holes and clean them up, but I made some once and once was enough...Netpots are far superior!
2. Well, this is a matter of opinion, I like hydroton, but there are several options...h'ton, lava rocks, coco noir,m coco pellets,...whatever.
As far as dust, I use a metal collander and rinse the crap out of them and use some dawn dish soap w/bleach and rinse the shit out of them...
3. Airstones are another personal preference...I have used 1", 5", and 12"
I like the 5", but the 1" kick ass if they are not clogged up. With the one inch...I just move them and twist them in their access holes until they are close to middle of pot, but if you use 5", you can get aquarium adhesive (right next to airstones at Wally's) and glue a about 4 of them to the bottom of your res and get crazy bubbles...
4. answered above
5. Answered above
goodluck, the more bubbles the better :D

Man, I wish I would have built this thing myself.. I hope this type of system can grow me some good weed.. I went with the 6 inch so I could grow some big plants 18-24 inch when they go into flower... I was thinking there would be like CRAZY MAD bubbles, so I am going twith 2 4 inch stones and paste them the bottom withe some aquarium glue or something.. They gave me a bottle of dyna grow.. but no PH up or PH down, so now I have to go to the HYDRO store and get that

1. Should I use something better than Dyna Grow..

2. Is the purpose of the bubbles just add oxygen and/or is it supposed to MIST the roots too. DOES IT REALLY have to be in the middle.. or just as close as I can get it.. The damn things move all over the place, hence the WANT to glue them to the bottom somehow.. The pot are not in the middle.. so what diffy does it make ??

dude i have grown plants 5-6 ft with air stones like that, the plants yeilded 7-9 ounces ea.
using a 4 gal. rubbermaid container indoors using dynagrow and dynabloom! good luck

I hope I have that type of luck.. I would have 4-6 plant going all the time.. but thats more weed than I could smoke.. or could I ...lol.. Thanks I am going to give it a try..

check out what i made cost me undr 20 bucks for the 3 buckekts

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SeedKing72

Man, I wish I would have built this thing myself.. I hope this type of system can grow me some good weed.. I went with the 6 inch so I could grow some big plants 18-24 inch when they go into flower... I was thinking there would be like CRAZY MAD bubbles, so I am going twith 2 4 inch stones and paste them the bottom withe some aquarium glue or something.. They gave me a bottle of dyna grow.. but no PH up or PH down, so now I have to go to the HYDRO store and get that

1. Should I use something better than Dyna Grow..

2. Is the purpose of the bubbles just add oxygen and/or is it supposed to MIST the roots too. DOES IT REALLY have to be in the middle.. or just as close as I can get it.. The damn things move all over the place, hence the WANT to glue them to the bottom somehow.. The pot are not in the middle.. so what diffy does it make ??

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OK< round 2...Q#1 Don't know about dyna grow, but you can grow with anty of the products out there...It all just becomes preference in the end, also additives will also play a part later...
#2airstones are to add oxygen to the nute solution so your plants don't die.