DWC setup help

[Kronz]

Just went and purchased two 14 gallon containers to start a dwc. This will be my first time growing hydro. I have been reading threads of how many plants i should put in each container but everyone has a different numbers.. I am going to use a 600watt hps system. I was thinking of 3 plants in each container, so 6 in all. how many plants can I fit under a 600hps? I am going to setup it up tomrrow and will add some pictures. But any help would be great.

Kronz Reviewed by Kronz on 10-06-2009. DWC setup help Just went and purchased two 14 gallon containers to start a dwc. This will be my first time growing hydro. I have been reading threads of how many plants i should put in each container but everyone has a different numbers.. I am going to use a 600watt hps system. I was thinking of 3 plants in each container, so 6 in all. how many plants can I fit under a 600hps? I am going to setup it up tomrrow and will add some pictures. But any help would be great. Rating: 5

[LOC NAR on probation]

We run 6 three inch netpots in a ten gallon tub. It really depends on how big they can get. Remember if you start at one foot they will end up two to three feet. A 600 watt light will cover a 5 x 5 area. If you go too tall then you will need side lighting to get under the canopy.

OH, and welcome. Come on in the water is FINE.

[SpaceNeedle]

We run 6 three inch netpots in a ten gallon tub. It really depends on how big they can get. Remember if you start at one foot they will end up two to three feet. A 600 watt light will cover a 5 x 5 area. If you go too tall then you will need side lighting to get under the canopy.

OH, and welcome. Come on in the water is FINE.

I would say a 600W light covers more like 3 x 3, and no more than 4 x 4
sn

[Kronz]

heres a couple pics. I just made 2 of these containers. 4 plants in each. I glued the airstones down with silicone, now just ready for some plants. I am not sure how much nutrients i need. Ive read over and over about nutrients but cant figure out how much i should put in. Im going to be using the General Hydroponics Flora series. So I change the water and nutrients every week is that correct? I mainly need to just figure out the nutrient info. How much ? and how often ?. I will be using tap water and using PH up/down to balance it out. So anyone with Nutrient info please help me. Thanks

[dejayou30]

I think you are definitely going to want more air stones, and make sure you have plenty of air moving through them, ie. nothing less than an industrial sized air pump, no Wal Mart fishtank air pumps, etc. You really need to churn the water in bins that big to avoid stagnant areas and rotten roots as a result of the stagnation. As for nutes, not so sure on GH Flora because I use organics. As for the number of plants per bulb, I've found it much easier to grow one big one under one bulb. Good luck! :thumbsup:

[Mother]

Hi Kronz,

Your pictures are a bit dark, but it looks like you have two airstones per bucket. I'd recommend four per bucket. Also, GOOD air pumps are a must! Like dejayou30 said, no Walmart junk. Go to an aquarium store and get some good dual output pumps, two per bucket. (That's one dual output pump running two airstones, so one airstone per output.) I like two dual pumps better than one quad because if one fails, you'll have some time to realize it before your plants' roots suffocate.

As for nutes, follow the directions on the label, only start at HALF strength and you can work up from there. A PPM/pH meter will be invaluable for this, so if you don't already have one, get one, period.

Yes, change your water once a week. You may be OK with tap water, or you may not be. The more chlorine in your tap water, the less likely it will work for you, but that's not the only nasty chemical they put in tap water, either. You'll find out pretty fast (a few days) if your tap water is suitable. If your temps are ok (65-75 F) and your pH and PPM are OK and you get root rot anyway (a slimy film that collects on the roots) then your water is bad.

DWC is really easy once you get the hang of it, like riding a bike. It seems really overwhelming at first, but once you catch on it's a breeze.

[Kronz]

thanks for the replies... Ya I am going to have to get better airstones. I went to Petsmart and picked those up. I also picked up airpumps, here is a picture of my airpump. should I get a better one? I also just picked up a hanna 3 in 1 tester..

[tinytoon]

GH makes an airpump that they advertise as the only one on the market made for Hydro. has 4 adjustable outlets that can run 3 stones per outlet for a total of 12. Pump is suppose to be extremely quiet and runs around $70. as for nutes read Latewood's Legacy which is a sticky in Hydro section. According to the Hydro shop I go to the regular GH 3-part is best for Hydro and the flora nova series is best for soil, atleast that is what I was told :thumbsup:

[dejayou30]

I have never seen those, but since it says "up to 40 gallon", I am assuming its talking about fish tanks. My opinion is that a fish tank air pump is not going to cut it in a bin that big.

I run something like this:

Its not that big, but moves a ton of air. I have a 19W and a 36W one. The 19W one supports 6 air stones and the 36W does 10. The 36W one is a bit overkill for my setup, but its better to have more air than you need than not enough. The 19W one was like $40 and the 36W was around $70. Your air supply to the roots is the most important element in DWC, so don't slack on it. :thumbsup:

[disrupt86]

GH makes an airpump that they advertise as the only one on the market made for Hydro. has 4 adjustable outlets that can run 3 stones per outlet for a total of 12. Pump is suppose to be extremely quiet and runs around $70. :thumbsup:

i have this is pump,its the quad manifold.i wish i would have spent my 70 bones on 7 dual outlet pumps.oh yeah i had to any ways.