Daddys Garden

Hydroton in 6"net pots, set in 6" netpot 5gal bucket lids with the net cut off so the 6"pots can be started in a ebb and flow tub
3-5 min on and 40-120 off, the max and min.without causing overwater wilt
18hrs floro twin 40watters for starts and early veg,then 18hrs veg under one 1000watt halide. 11.5 hrs flower under one 1000wattHPS and one 1000watthalide
seeds and clones from clones from clones until bugs,then wipe clean start seeds again never have a mother.

5gal bucket grow chambers, with a 1/2 feed ring near the top about two inches down on the inside.3/4 inch drains to a repump bucket,that returns solution to the nuit. tank in another room.
the buckets are feed by two 1056GPH sub pumps plumbed in a loop in case one fails
Daddy

here are a few pics I just took

...I bet Daddy takes wonderful care of his little girls...!

I get the feeling you've done this before, Daddy. C'mon, admit it ;)

Still gon' suscr'b...

:bigsmoke::joint1:all I do is smoke da chit

Nice thank you for showing that awesome setup!

OK stupid question of the thread ... Which line does the nutes go into and which one does it flow out of (just to be sure) :P
Thanks! And while I'm at it - the nutes supply uses a submerged pump or just an external?

:thumbsup:

*edit : OK the top is the feeder and the bottom is the returner - it just drains back to the main supply. How does it drain back - just gravity? And submerged pumps - have you ever had the supply run dry?

Also is the feed set in to deliver into the middle of the plant or just the side?

And does it matter what the gap is between the holding bucket and the lid with the net pot in?

thanks!

there are two submerged pumps,there is not a holding bucket the netpot lids sit on the 5 gal grow bucket.there is only an inch or so of water in the grow bucket.
with the grow buckets and the nuit. storage tank at the same level, there has to be a repump bucket between the grow and storage.there has to be a high spot in the return line, higher than the feed ring in the grow buckets,this prevents a syphon

the feed ring in the top of the buckets have 4 spray emitters in them, which spray on the sides of the netpot
sounds complicated but not if you remember that liquids always seek there own level,which is why the need for a repump or the buckets would be flooded to the same level as the storage tank a40 gal panda
the pumps have been off for 36 hrs and things were still ok

hope this helps someone
Daddy

these pics might help make sence. this system was in a constant state of improvement/trials/failures for the last two years.
at one time I top fed with a loop as well as internal spray but this caused white salts to form on the rocks, so the 1/4" line was eliminated

Daddy

One of the best setups Ive seen on this site - thank you for sharing.

:hippy:

nice looking deal there Daddy :thumbsup:

So 5 minutes every 40 to 120 minutes? I'm gathering these are for different stages of growing? What is the premium time for watering have you found?

Also do you use an airstone in your water nute storage tank?

thanks again!:thumbsup:

the on times are shorter and less frequent the more roots they have,other wise the buckets would flood because of all the root mass,look at the one pic i'm lifting the lid on. a 5 gal bucket full of roots
yes I run two stones in each res.

The 40 gal tank is the only one on the controller at this time

Daddy

If you only had a 20 programmable timer for this system - could you still do this? I was thinking 5 minutes every hour from say 6 am till 12am then once at 2am then once at 5am (to complete the 20 programs). Lights would go off at 12am and back on at 6am to sync with the spraying/root feeding.

Light will probably be LED 120watt - and maybe some flouros if need (heat will be kept to a minimum this way). I'm thinking 4 clones in 15 liter buckets - but set up exactly like yours - as you have inspired me! :)

If you don't think this is plausible, then I'd really like you to tell me, because if it isn't I'd probably just modify this to an ebb and flow.

Thanks again for your help and time :rastasmoke:

I see no reason that won't work, although I don't alter the feed times for day/night, like I stated the max without over watering if in doubt stop feeding for 4-24 hrs and see if they perk up or wilt

sweet setup
:thumbsup:

Hi again daddyo - regarding the return flow back to the reservoir - does the reservoir sit lower than the return tubes that come from the bottom of each bucket?

If my reservoir is say 1 meter high and full - and my plant buckets sit at say 1/2 meter then when i turn the pump off - will the water go back up into the bucket thus flooding the buckets?

Or is there another pump or filter you use?

Can I please see an image of the out flow connection to the reservoir and its location regarding the buckets (that sit on the two pieces of wood under them)?

thanks for your help ! :)

The blue pump in the 3gal bucket is a little giant with a built in float switch.I call it the repump bucket. it has the same water level as the grow buckets minus the 2x2 blocks they set on.( I am experimenting with diff water levels in the grow buckets, none to 3 inches deep) it returns water to the blue 25gal nuit tank.
this is my new veg,under an OLD 440 watt 8'VHO floro

I know clear as mud :rastasmoke: I haven't medicated yet this morning

Daddy

Thanks once again - ahh that answers the gravity question! It's a great system you have there. I was thinking a simple one way flow (swing check valve) http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imag...ve_1_union.jpg value might have done it with out the 2nd pump - or if the reservoir was below the buckets then by natural gravity.

What have you found with your experiment so far as when leaving water in the buckets at different levels?

I was thinking you could almost have a aero-bubble hybrid system - perhaps that would be a waste of time though.

Also does it matter if the reservoir is covered, does light effect the nutes when light hits them in any way? I remember hearing fluorescent light for example can effect oil in a deep fryer some way.

Anyway I am coming along nicely (thanks to you) and nearly completed my own "daddy-o system" :thumbsup:

I'll keep you posted! Thanks again for all your help mate - you rock!

(and I'll probably bother you again with a silly question - as after re-reading my last question, I barely understood it myself - clear as day as you say!)

:D

This is the first of the 6 that I am now harvesting

smells GOODER THAN GRAPE GUM

Daddy

Purty!!! /drool

Is that your kitchen your hanging in??

No its the laundry room/clone room/drying room

was trying to guess by the cabinet in the background hehe

Hey DaddyNobucks, by chance you wouldn't know where you got that float from. I'm trying to build one instead of buying one.

float switches and one stuck open and caused a flood and the other hasn't reliable either, so the cost of the little giant pump with builtin float switch was a bargin. google it.

Daddy

Thanks

Nice buds daddy!

Grats on a good harvest

daddy - few questions if i may? :P

1 - How different is the watering/feeding times for veg and flower?

2 - What time would you recommend for the 12 hour cycle?

3 - When switching from veg to bloom - do you do a complete flush of the veg nutes before starting the bloom nutes?

4 - Have you tried the defol technique as described here
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=174163 ?

5 - What is your PPM averages in veg and bloom?

Cheers mate! :thumbsup:

QUOTE=trippy321;2141340]daddy - few questions if i may? :P

1 - How different is the watering/feeding times for veg and flower?veg is usually 3 min.ON and 40 min.OFF flower 5 min. ON and 60-120 min. OFF depends on how fast water can drain out of the grow buckets

2 - What time would you recommend for the 12 hour cycle? Depends on the time of year,nights in summer fort sure

3 - When switching from veg to bloom - do you do a complete flush of the veg nutes before starting the bloom nutes?Plain water for 2 days, then add flower nuits,switch to 12hrs light tapering to 11hrs at finish last three weeks

4 - Have you tried the defol technique as described here
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=174163 ?No, usually just pluck large fans and then most when nearing finish, BUT after reading all the posts on icmag I am going to try it.:thumbsup:

5 - What is your PPM averages in veg and bloom?I usually only change muits twice in veg. and twice in flower, starting at 300ppms up to 650 late veg. then about 500-600 all thru flower. have tried higher but they always burn, so I stay under 600ppm

Cheers mate! :thumbsup:[/QUOTE]

Hello Daddynobucks and trippy, thanks trippy for asking about flushing the nutrients after the vegetative stage before the flowering stage. I will definitely do the same technique that daddynobucks shared. I just want to ask about the light intensity for the plants? What lighting fixture would best help them to reach the peak of flowering?

not sure on that,should be at least 20watts/sqft. some say HPS others MH.
Me I use both 1K each and a 1K MH for veg. for 81 sq.ft. 6-12 plants
currently using air cooled horizontals, but think better results
with bare vertical hanging. there was always a heat problem though.

Daddy