Building a Rubbermaid Hydro Bubbler Unit - Cheap and Effective

this is a good post but i just have one question regarding the wick.....
does it do through the bottom of the pot and into the nutrient solution?
and eventually do the roots grow into the solution as well?

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Originally Posted by wman44

this is a good post but i just have one question regarding the wick.....
does it do through the bottom of the pot and into the nutrient solution?
and eventually do the roots grow into the solution as well?

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The wick sits on the bottom of the net pot and transports moisture and nutrients up to the newly transplanted seedling or cutting until the roots grow enough. The wick itself will sit in the bottom of the pot, and the pot will end up sitting in the nute solution.

Eventually the roots will grow down into the nute solution in the reservoir, but the wick's purpose is to make sure the seedling/cutting gets off to a good start and develops a strong root system.

When running a bubbler like this (technically a deep water culture [ aka DWC ] system), you will want to have a root conditioner as a component of your nutrient solution to prevent root rot. Some people use a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution, others choose a solution from the local hydro shop.

Thanks for asking the question, and keep them coming. That way I am unlikely to miss something I assume people know already.

There is a bit more I need to develop for this thread, but that was a really good question.

MVP :jointsmile:

hey thanks for that.. im getting ready to start my first hydro grow.. getting really fucking bored with soil.. anyways right on and keep on keepin on...:jointsmile:

ok i have a question about the wick. am i laying it like in the pic above and then fill it most of the way up and then fold it down and place my rockwool right ontop of the wick and then top it off so you cant see tthe wick. So in other words the wick would be sitting on the bottom of the pot and the other end up along the side going right under the cube? sorry i just wanna make sure i got this right

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Originally Posted by zerocool5878

ok i have a question about the wick. am i laying it like in the pic above and then fill it most of the way up and then fold it down and place my rockwool right ontop of the wick and then top it off so you cant see tthe wick. So in other words the wick would be sitting on the bottom of the pot and the other end up along the side going right under the cube? sorry i just wanna make sure i got this right

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If a picture is worth 1000 words, this explanation will be a little over 3000 words.

In summary, it sounds like you have it figured out. One end of wick on bottom of the pot. Fill with grow medium - hydroton in my pics. Other end of wick you set the lil one on top. Then fill around and a just enough on top to keep the light from reaching the rockwool (to prevent algae growth).

Take a look at the pics and post back if you have questions or need help. Hopefully your babes will look better than the one in the last pic. Its not getting enough light since it is being shaded by a much larger plant... its a runt.

MVP :jointsmile:

In regard to the amount of nutrient solution needed, I use 5 gallons of total solution. The net pots will sit down in the solution at least an inch or two, maybe more depending on the depth of the pots you choose. It is recommended that you allow the water level to vary up and down by an inch or two so that the developing root system will get occasional exposure to air.

You can choose to use any nutrient solution you want. I chose an organic solution using the Botanicare products: Pure Blend Pro (Grow for veg, Bloom for Flower), along with Liquid Karma and Sweet. I use Dutch Master's Zone as a root conditioner to prevent root rot.

I'm short on time so I'll post more with pics a little later on today or tomorrow...

A coat of the new white spray paint for plastic (Krylon | Krylon® Fusion for Plastic®) on the outside helps maintain low water temps in the bucket (and reflect light).

I drill a hole (1") in the base, and use spigots from home brewing (beer) buckets, attached to a hose, for EZ draining (see spigots: NORTHERN BREWER: Fermenters and Accessories). Rigged-up irrigation valves never held a seal, and leaked for me. These things are the right tool for the job.

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Originally Posted by Goat

A coat of the new white spray paint for plastic (Krylon | Krylon® Fusion for Plastic®) on the outside helps maintain low water temps in the bucket (and reflect light).

I drill a hole (1") in the base, and use spigots from home brewing (beer) buckets, attached to a hose, for EZ draining (see spigots: NORTHERN BREWER: Fermenters and Accessories). Rigged-up irrigation valves never held a seal, and leaked for me. These things are the right tool for the job.

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Goat has some good ideas here ^^^ although I have never had a problem with leaks myself. As always do what you believe is best for your level of expertise with DIY projects, and experiment a bit.... there is always a way to builder a better mousetrap (so to speak...)

MVP, Nice, real nice. Have some rep.

If I may though, I've built quite a few of these bubblers in various configurations. I have learned that:

- Polyester absorbs and wicks water better than cotton. You can buy a square yard of thick polyester (mostly) material for about $2.50 from most any place that sells fabric, like Walmart. That's quite a few wicks. You can also get more expensive professional wicking material from the hydro store. It's called capillary matting.
- Even the colored plastic tubs that look opaque will let light shine through them. I recommend wrapping the entire box with foil duct tape, or good thick, expensive regular duct tape, or cheap duct tape and do two passes. A little light is OK, but try to keep it out.
- For the lid, heres a real easy way: You get a quarter or half sheet of sturdy foam insulation, and cut holes in it with an exacto knife. Much, much easier than cutting in the hard plastic. It might just save you a little blood. 3/4" thick insulation is usually fine, but I get 1" since it's not that much more money. If you get white insulation this is best, because it will reflect light back up to the plants without having to cover it in mylar or a white material. You can trace around the lip of the net pot, then cut just a little smaller than the lip and the pot will fit down in the lid perfectly, with the lip sitting on the foam. Nice and tight and free from light leaks. Also the foam is really easy to sand. You might want to cut your hole ever so slightly smaller than you want, then make it nice and round and tidy with the sand paper (about 150 grit). It's much easier to take a little foam off than it is to put some back. Of course if you have a scroll saw like me, cutting the holes is extremely easy and tidy.
- Your plants will grow big and fast if you get a bunch of air to the roots. Also this way you don't have to worry about root rot. You can do this several ways. Use a big air pump and put a shitload of air stones in there (actually air wands are much better), put a power head submersible pump in there (the one that injects air into the stream) and it will circulate the water, or make sure you design you box so that there is a few inches between the bottom of the net pot and the bottom of the reservoir (so that you can have some of your roots dangling in regular old air), or do some combination of 2 or 3 of those. Oxygen to the roots is the key.

Perhaps it would help to confuse him if we were to run away more.

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Originally Posted by MVP

its better to go to Lowes or Home Depot and get the black vinyl air line tubing rather than clear vinyl stuff so that you don't end up with algae growth.

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Different strokes and all, but I can't stand that black air line. It is real stiff, and when it gets stretched out, like to go over an air nozzle, it just stays that shape and likes to kinda just fall off the nozzles after awhile. I got a big roll of supple, soft air tube from the aquarium supply section of a pet store. It's kinda clear, but translucent green, and stays soft forever. Algae is not a problem since it doesn't grow in air lines. It will stay on a nozzle forever, and remain nice and soft a long time.

And check valves: I would not use these unless you have a big air pump. Especially on weaker pumps, they reduce the air flow considerably, like to half or less sometimes. Instead, I use a gravity valve: simply put your pump on a small shelf or something above your reservoir, and the water cannot get into it through the air hoses.

I've got a bunch of em, but I'll try and shut up and let MVP do his thing.