How to build an easy DWC reservoir for little $ + perfect nute solution + PICS!

Hemp4Victory

Hemp4Victory

Well-Known Member
Sounds like a fairly simple and straightforward cloning method.

So far it isn't going so well. If she was in dirt I would say she is overwatered. Since it's DWC I'm guessing it is a lack of oxygen. I am not sure what is wrong though. I poked the 3 tiny holes. They aren't putting out many bubbles though. There is a constant slow stream of bubbles. Should there be intense bubbling in the res? Like enough to be moving the surface water around a bit or is just a little bit of bubbling enough. She definitely looks overwatered.
 
snutter

snutter

Well-Known Member
Hemp4Victory said:
Sounds like a fairly simple and straightforward cloning method.

So far it isn't going so well. If she was in dirt I would say she is overwatered. Since it's DWC I'm guessing it is a lack of oxygen. I am not sure what is wrong though. I poked the 3 tiny holes. They aren't putting out many bubbles though. There is a constant slow stream of bubbles. Should there be intense bubbling in the res? Like enough to be moving the surface water around a bit or is just a little bit of bubbling enough. She definitely looks overwatered.
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the bubble action will vary depending on how many gallons of water you have in your res. This is also how you should choose pump size. For me I have 12 gallons of water in my res, so I use a 20 gallon pump. It doesn't put out a massive amount of bubbles, but it's enough to keep oxygen in my water. I could could buy a 30 gallon pump and I'd get more

bubbles, but I seem to do fine with my 20 gallon one. If you're not happy with the amount of bubble action, get a bigger pump, would be my suggestion. But, like I said, it doesn't take a whole lot of bubble action to keep the water oxygenated...

Now, if you're running a DWC then I don't understand how you can have an over-watering problem... Our roots are always in water. It has to be something else... I'll go re-read your other post as I don't remember the exact issues..

-S
 
BoomerBloomer57

BoomerBloomer57

Well-Known Member
Air. Lot's and lot's of Air.
Kind of like a jacuzzi, the more the merrier.

I use the 4 inch stones, change em out every grow. I'm at 750 PPM's, 5,8 on the ph and running 67 degrees in the water. I change the water and nutes every week during veg. During flower I only add more water and nutes, no draining at all. My girls drink up 1 1/2 gallons per day now and I don't use the fancy schmancy high priced nutes. One container of veg and one for blossom at $32.95 each. I'm about halfway through the ones I bought LAST YEAR.

I start em off at 500 to 550 during veg. First coupla weeks into flower they get bumped up to 650 PPMs, Then it's up to 750 and then I flush.

Clean the coolers with alcohol, rinse, replace the stones and i'm good to go.

I don't mind the cost of replacing the stones cause I'm not paying big bucks for the nutes.

Been working for me all year and I see no reason to change.

Check out the dates on the pics and tell me I'm doing something wrong,,,,,,
 

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snutter

snutter

Well-Known Member
yeah, pot head your plants look great. Looks like you have a good system going dude!!! Stick with it!

Some of your veg plants look a little stretched out, but the plants in flower look great!!

-S
 
rasbill

rasbill

Member
im using this system now, everything was great, but that plant food formula (lucas formula or whateva) certainly isnt working, im just going to stick to gen hydro sceadule and buy the vegitative food like i was supposed to, my plants are dying for nitrogen, bucket works though
 
STZ

STZ

Active Member
Well shit this thread makes me wanna give it a shot... I been growing outside for 5 years and I grew inside for two years and I have always been a soil man but this fuckin thread makes me wanna buy a pump and some air line and get going. AWESOME root balls snutter really really cool! I was just looking around RIU parusing posts and, just as I happened to stumble accross this thread, I look over and see a stack of about a dozen or so empty 18 Gal Rubbermaid Roughneck totes sitting there in the hallway (I use them to store dried and Trimpro'd weed from outdoor until I can trim it). Do you think its fate tearing me away from my soil growing past and into the future of DWC? Well I don't know about all that... but I will most certainly be at Wal Mart tommorrow buying the other supplies. to give it a try.

Now all I need to do is go read up on how to take some Afwreck clones out of 1 gallon pots of Ocean Forest and put them in Rubbermaids :) Then I can put the whole contraption together and stuff it under a 400w and start the fun!
 
snutter

snutter

Well-Known Member
Right on man!!! Glad to hear I inspired you a bit... And yeah, maybe it was fate saying something there.... Or just good timing in reading this post and finding your totes. heheh.

please send me a PM once you get set up and let me know how things are going for you... I always like talking with people who try out my system. I'm sure you'll have great results just like I do.

And if you have any questions, just ask. I answer all questions sent to me via PM.

-S

STZ said:
Well shit this thread makes me wanna give it a shot... I been growing outside for 5 years and I grew inside for two years and I have always been a soil man but this fuckin thread makes me wanna buy a pump and some air line and get going. AWESOME root balls snutter really really cool! I was just looking around RIU parusing posts and, just as I happened to stumble accross this thread, I look over and see a stack of about a dozen or so empty 18 Gal Rubbermaid Roughneck totes sitting there in the hallway (I use them to store dried and Trimpro'd weed from outdoor until I can trim it). Do you think its fate tearing me away from my soil growing past and into the future of DWC? Well I don't know about all that... but I will most certainly be at Wal Mart tommorrow buying the other supplies. to give it a try.

Now all I need to do is go read up on how to take some Afwreck clones out of 1 gallon pots of Ocean Forest and put them in Rubbermaids :) Then I can put the whole contraption together and stuff it under a 400w and start the fun!
Click to expand...
 
snutter

snutter

Well-Known Member
I'm very sorry to hear that you are not having good results with the Lucas Formula. I don't understand why though. Everyone I've turned on to it has had excellent results, just like I do.

are you sure you followed it correctly with the correct pH? pH levels are where some people seem to have problems.

Who knows, maybe your strain just doesn't dig that formula.

I think you'll be doing great with using the 3 part system. GH makes a great product. I'm sure if you follow what they outline, you'll be fine. It just costs more money using all 3 parts, rather than the Lucas Formula.

Let me know how your grow is doing bro. And I'm stoked to hear that you DWC Reservoir is working well for you!!!

-S

rasbill said:
im using this system now, everything was great, but that plant food formula (lucas formula or whateva) certainly isnt working, im just going to stick to gen hydro sceadule and buy the vegitative food like i was supposed to, my plants are dying for nitrogen, bucket works though
Click to expand...
 
snutter

snutter

Well-Known Member
Let us all know how it turns out for you dude!!

and sorry to everyone here that it takes me a while to reply.

In general I consider this an old thread, so I don't check it very often. I'm so glad to see that it is still being read by growers here, and more over that people are building the reservoirs!! That's really cool!!!

-S

STZ said:
Well shit this thread makes me wanna give it a shot... I been growing outside for 5 years and I grew inside for two years and I have always been a soil man but this fuckin thread makes me wanna buy a pump and some air line and get going. AWESOME root balls snutter really really cool! I was just looking around RIU parusing posts and, just as I happened to stumble accross this thread, I look over and see a stack of about a dozen or so empty 18 Gal Rubbermaid Roughneck totes sitting there in the hallway (I use them to store dried and Trimpro'd weed from outdoor until I can trim it). Do you think its fate tearing me away from my soil growing past and into the future of DWC? Well I don't know about all that... but I will most certainly be at Wal Mart tommorrow buying the other supplies. to give it a try.

Now all I need to do is go read up on how to take some Afwreck clones out of 1 gallon pots of Ocean Forest and put them in Rubbermaids :) Then I can put the whole contraption together and stuff it under a 400w and start the fun!
Click to expand...
 
M

mogascreeta

Active Member
snutter said:
Let us all know how it turns out for you dude!!

and sorry to everyone here that it takes me a while to reply.

In general I consider this an old thread, so I don't check it very often. I'm so glad to see that it is still being read by growers here, and more over that people are building the reservoirs!! That's really cool!!!

-S
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snutter, what type of lights do you use? do you think growing 5 plants in one of those containers is feasible? i am setting up a grow box this year i have all the stuff except the light. my dimensions are 4'x3'x5'h any pointers you could give a first time indoor grower? this tubing idea is ingenious i cant believe anyone would advise against it. :joint:bongsmiliebongsmilie:joint:
 
snutter

snutter

Well-Known Member
Hello,

I absolutely think it's feasible to grow 5 plants in one container. In fact, I think it's the best idea I've had in a while. :-) Here's my reasoning:

1) Shorter Veg time. 3 weeks AT THE MOST! Probably less. I don't want them more than about a foot tall when I put them in to the flower room. However, I'm keeping the light VERY close so that the nodes are as tight as can be.... Minimal stretching is key here.

2) Larger harvest. I believe that each plant will generate at the least 1 oz of dry bud. I actually think it will be closer to 1.5 oz per plant. If all 5 do 1.5 oz's then that is 8 oz's total dry bud. The best I've done with one plant is 7 oz's and I had to veg her for 2 months.

3) Better use of lighting. My lights are 400W HPS in the flower room. My hoods measuer 22" x 22" x 22" x 22". The light dispersal covers the 5 smaller plants a hell of a lot better than it does one huge plant. This is due to the plant growing outwards as well as up. You don't have much outward growth with shorter plants. So with the shorter plants, the lights will be focusing on just a few main colas on each plant. I expect very fat colas! :-)

4) Less time manicuring. There will only be a few main colas to have to trim up. There will be a hell of a lot less inner budding and absolutely no "outer" popcorn buds to deal with. I hate manicuring. It takes up so much frickin time. I expect my manicuring time to be cut in half if not more...

That's pretty much my main reasons for switching to SOG. Pretty soon I believe that I will only be doing SOG grows. I can already tell that I like it. It all depends on the yield of this first test run. We'll see. Like I said, if I get 5 oz's or more, then SOG will definitely be the way for me! :-)

Glad to hear you're diggin my idea of tubing instead of air stone. I like it too! your dimensions are not very big. How do you plan on having a veg area and a flower area in such a small space? You do need both if you want to keep a continual grow going. I'd suggest a 400W HPS light. You can veg under it, and more importantly it's the best spectrum when you flower. I've veg'd under my HPS lights, and saw no difference in growth rate (though I do have two 400W metal halides for veg'ing). Just make sure that in such a small space you have excellent ventilation, excellent scrubbed exhaust (I mean a filter), and good fans running. You might have a bit of a fight on your hands keeping the temps down... But you won't know until you start growing. You can deal with each problem as they arise, just get started!!!! :-)

-S

mogascreeta said:
snutter, what type of lights do you use? do you think growing 5 plants in one of those containers is feasible? i am setting up a grow box this year i have all the stuff except the light. my dimensions are 4'x3'x5'h any pointers you could give a first time indoor grower? this tubing idea is ingenious i cant believe anyone would advise against it. :joint:bongsmiliebongsmilie:joint:
Click to expand...
 
M

mogascreeta

Active Member
snutter said:
Hello,

I absolutely think it's feasible to grow 5 plants in one container. In fact, I think it's the best idea I've had in a while. :-) Here's my reasoning:

1) Shorter Veg time. 3 weeks AT THE MOST! Probably less. I don't want them more than about a foot tall when I put them in to the flower room. However, I'm keeping the light VERY close so that the nodes are as tight as can be.... Minimal stretching is key here.

2) Larger harvest. I believe that each plant will generate at the least 1 oz of dry bud. I actually think it will be closer to 1.5 oz per plant. If all 5 do 1.5 oz's then that is 8 oz's total dry bud. The best I've done with one plant is 7 oz's and I had to veg her for 2 months.

3) Better use of lighting. My lights are 400W HPS in the flower room. My hoods measuer 22" x 22" x 22" x 22". The light dispersal covers the 5 smaller plants a hell of a lot better than it does one huge plant. This is due to the plant growing outwards as well as up. You don't have much outward growth with shorter plants. So with the shorter plants, the lights will be focusing on just a few main colas on each plant. I expect very fat colas! :-)

4) Less time manicuring. There will only be a few main colas to have to trim up. There will be a hell of a lot less inner budding and absolutely no "outer" popcorn buds to deal with. I hate manicuring. It takes up so much frickin time. I expect my manicuring time to be cut in half if not more...

That's pretty much my main reasons for switching to SOG. Pretty soon I believe that I will only be doing SOG grows. I can already tell that I like it. It all depends on the yield of this first test run. We'll see. Like I said, if I get 5 oz's or more, then SOG will definitely be the way for me! :-)

Glad to hear you're diggin my idea of tubing instead of air stone. I like it too! your dimensions are not very big. How do you plan on having a veg area and a flower area in such a small space? You do need both if you want to keep a continual grow going. I'd suggest a 400W HPS light. You can veg under it, and more importantly it's the best spectrum when you flower. I've veg'd under my HPS lights, and saw no difference in growth rate (though I do have two 400W metal halides for veg'ing). Just make sure that in such a small space you have excellent ventilation, excellent scrubbed exhaust (I mean a filter), and good fans running. You might have a bit of a fight on your hands keeping the temps down... But you won't know until you start growing. You can deal with each problem as they arise, just get started!!!! :-)

-S
Click to expand...
Yeah i was thinking about a 400 because it is so much more cost effective. i have already just started my first outdoor grow, and i was thinking to do the indoor grow during the winter in the off-season because i wanted to put the growbox (its a friends old iguana cage lol) in my attic but in the summer it can get well over 100F+ so do think i could still do it with good ventitation? i was not really looking to do a perpetual grow because i honestly have more of an interest in outdoor growing. i was thinking the box could serve as both the veg and bloom chamber. who knows though, once i learn the ropes a little better i will perhaps change my mind. also if i were going to do 5 plants in one container, what would you say should be the minimum capacity for the container? thanks for your help, sometimes i think everyone on rollitup is just plain stupid, but you clearly have a wealth of knowledge and dont mind mind sharing it:bigjoint:
 
N

nordowell

Active Member
nice post im thinking of trying this, im currently running an al b fuct sog grow but considering this due to lower plant count. your plants look amazing. how do you keep clones going until they get rooted enough to hang in the water? one more thing, i too had problems with the lucas formula and switched back to the 3 part system which was a quick fix.
 
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