which hydro setup to use?

italian04 im not trying to be a dick but please stop using my thread to have a personal conversation with someone with information that is irrelevant to what im trying to figure out.
peace and happy growing:hippy:

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Originally Posted by wman44

would a piece coir and perlite substrate work well in an ebb and flow?
the reason i ask is because my buddy that moved mendocino co about a year ago and he said alot of people use it because of its easy to deal with ph.

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I'd first look into Hydroton pebbles.
There are a couple reasons for this:
-Perlite does have a lot of particles that can clog pumps
-It's not easy to clean and re-use, and is VERy obvious as a waste product
-The coir baskets IMO are better suited to a constantly moving system. I like to minimize materials in a system that cannot be completely sterilized.
-The pH of hydroton starts high but your first step in 'setting' it is to build your system and before putting in any plants, run the pumps for a few days to both check for function, timing, and leaks, and to keep adjusting the pH of your res down to 5.8-6.0. It will climb for the first couple days, but once it is stable, IT'S STABLE. And the clay balls are 100% washable and re-useable. So you're, like, saving the planet too, maaaan.
Now go hug a tree:hippy:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stinkyattic

I'd first look into Hydroton pebbles.
-The pH of hydroton starts high but your first step in 'setting' it is to build your system and before putting in any plants, run the pumps for a few days to both check for function, timing, and leaks, and to keep adjusting the pH of your res down to 5.8-6.0. It will climb for the first couple days, but once it is stable, IT'S STABLE. And the clay balls are 100% washable and re-useable. So you're, like, saving the planet too, maaaan.
Now go hug a tree:hippy:

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So when setting up the hydroton for the 1st time how often do you adjust the ph? daily, or more? and I assume this is just with water adjusted to the correct ph. I am just getting set up for my 1st grow. What about all the brown that washes off the hydroton. I have run 3) 15 gallon tubs of just well water thru 40lbs for about an hour each and I am still getting a lot of color out of the hydro. I guess I have not flushed it enough. I will adjust the ph on the water next also.
Thanks for this site, it will save a lot of headaches, I have been trolling it for about a week now, learning all I can.

Don't rule out the DWC yet...especially not because of the airpump.

I have a DWC going right now and it's exploding!!!

The airpump i'm using is this: Top Fin® XP Air Pumps - Air Pumps & Accessories - PetSmart

it's the dual outlet xp-125. I have 4 plants in my 14 gallon tub...it's a little tight for space and i'll soon be moving to individual 5 gallon buckets...but the pump is doing great. i'm running 4 5inch air stones off of it. Each plant/netpot has an airstone hanging 2 inches below it so it is just blasting the roots with lil bubbles. the roots are massive and the plants are THRIVING. and this is only my third grow.

super easy. super low maintanance. no pump timer...i love it. DWC all the way!!!

thanks for listening.
Skeet

im doin DWC and got mine in 2gal buckets and 6 in net pots. alot less nutes to use and for flowering i will just move them to the flowing section. the plants seem to love it!! my first DWC grow!