How To: DWC

VoidObject

DWC/Bubbleponics Mod
Back again with a couple of questions for you VO...Instead of starting with clones my buddy gave me two healthy (platinum kush according to him) plants 21" tall in hydroton from his ebb/flow garden. I transferred them into my bubble bucket net pots. The roots had created a ball (little smaller than a bowling ball) in the hydroton to i just set it in the net pot as is not to disturb root system. Because the roots were not through the net pot the put the water level 1" into the net pot (Should i have put it a little below the net pot?). PH/PPM are at recomended levels. The water is at 72F. Room temp 75F-80F. Fan on low moving air around and slightly blowing on plants. Humidity 40%-50%. 1000w light about 18" above tops. Air stones with lots of bubbles. After a couple hours the leaves seem to droop but not burned or curling. Do you think the could be in shock from transfer into a different system or overwatering? Do you think he is correct to say go into flowering?
Yeah it's probably transfer shock, and put them into flower id you'd like.

Lower the water level a bit to encourage downward root growth
 

firsttimeARE

Well-Known Member
What do you use as a cleaning agent for your buckets and netpots and do you clean them between each grow or res change or only when you've had cleanliness problems?

Everything i've read seems wicked overkill, like multiple hour soaks and washes and flushes of varying strengths of h2o2 and hot water, I cant afford to be wasting 10-20 dollars in h2o2 and about 3 hours to be keeping up with what they're recommending.
 

VoidObject

DWC/Bubbleponics Mod
What do you use as a cleaning agent for your buckets and netpots and do you clean them between each grow or res change or only when you've had cleanliness problems?

Everything i've read seems wicked overkill, like multiple hour soaks and washes and flushes of varying strengths of h2o2 and hot water, I cant afford to be wasting 10-20 dollars in h2o2 and about 3 hours to be keeping up with what they're recommending.
I just do a really good clean between grows, and h2o2 treatments every few days.
 

firsttimeARE

Well-Known Member
Like with what though? I heard bleach is bad and that's what i've been using so i'm looking for new ideas.

I like that approach and am trying to do the same as its the easiest, id rather do 10 minutes of maintenance a day than have to spend a couple hours cleaning every few weeks.
 

VoidObject

DWC/Bubbleponics Mod
Like with what though? I heard bleach is bad and that's what i've been using so i'm looking for new ideas.

I like that approach and am trying to do the same as its the easiest, id rather do 10 minutes of maintenance a day than have to spend a couple hours cleaning every few weeks.
Rinse and scrub with hot water
 

Dpllrd01

Member
What's up guys (and gals..) First, thanks for stopping by. Second, if this is your first grow, you may want to try something a little less complex. While being beginner friendly, I don't recommend this to anyone who has yet to experience passive hydroponics (or at least some form of growing.) Third, and most controversial, but the uncontested majority of professionals that I have talked to (which has been a lot..) have all told me DWC and organics don't mix well, and I suggest you heed these words as it took me months to figure out.

This is a single-reservoir per plant tutorial. There are many pre-fabricated systems that do multiple plants per rez.. and that's not recommended. For multiple reasons.. mostly root competition.



Next, what you'll need:

1. (At least) One 3.5 or 5gal bucket, and one extra (for reservoir changes since we aren't doing RDWC or UCDWC.)


2. Net pot lids for the bucket(s). I use 6" but it really should be dependent on plant size.


3. Airpump, airstones, and of course ph strips (or even better a ph meter.) Air pressure check valves are nice as well. Also tubing!


Other minuscule things you should already have (basic hydro gear): Rockwool, hydroton, ph up&down, hydro nutrients.. I'm only trying to teach you the basics of a deep water culture, not how to grow hydroponically.

The Setup

Here's how I put things altogether (The VO Grow):

1. Wash the inside of the buckets and net pot lid (hot water and scrubbing at least, I also do h2o2 treatments{NOT WITH ORGANICS/BENEFICIALS!!}).. After that put a little hole in the bucket as pictured above so you can run the air hose through. I prefer two holes so that I know where I want the water level.. more on that further down.

2. Hook up tubing to airstones and the airpump. I prefer using two airstones per rez. You can get by with one and no splitter.


3. You can now fill the water level up to half an inch to an inch below the rockwool (where I put my second hole.) This is at first when you're working with seedlings/clones. Water will be spraying up from the airstones anyway.


4. Get your net pot setup with the hydroton in the bottom and around the rockwool. Leave room to fill over the top with about half an inch of hydroton later when the stem gets bigger. Then set it on your bucket and you're finished! Read on for maintenance.


Maintenance
Remember to: Fill up that water level every day! (You won't need to for the first couple of weeks because they won't barely drink any.) Twice a day if they're really big and thirsty.

Keep that ph in the 5.5-6.1 range!

Change your rezes nutes/water and wash at least once a month, twice is nice.

Try, try hard.. to keep your rez temps around 60-70. Use frozen water bottles if you have to.
You can do it this way:NOT RECOMMENDED

I prefer you do it this way:

Use the tea: Heisenberg's Magical Tea

Check this out for more basic DWC info before you ask too many questions: https://www.rollitup.org/dwc-bubbleponics/473122-dwc-information-thread-beginners-who.html


It's very possible more coming later. Open to suggestions, answering questions, and trolling trolls! So don't be afraid to comment![/QUOTE]


Hey bro... i know this is an old thread and all! But been reading it, and I am not new to growing by far! Been growing for 8+ years now! But that's (organic) growing too! ;-)So, I have been reading ALLOT on hydroponics! And I am VERY intrigued by it!! I think it's very interesting!! I am getting burnt out on growing organic (not growing in general) though!! I
ABSOLUTELY LOVE to grow! And enjoy burning some smoke that I myself had a part in growing, if you know what I'm saying!? It's far better then smoking some BS shwag by far!!
Anyway bro, I purchased me a new system over the weekend.. It hasn't arrived yet, but should be any day now! I got the DWC & DTF system. Reason being is, I had herd that there is
record grows more so with the DTF along with the DWC all in one! IDK if that is 100% true, but do know that hydro grows hell allot faster then organic grows!! So, I have two girls going now, feminized beans, I have Humboldt & Blue Mystics going now. There only a week old, and doing really good! You can see pics of them in my profile under my journal..
My question is do you think they would be ok if I took them from the organic grow there in now, and switch them over to the DWC system!? And another thing, I have asked a few plp for pointers and shit, but hadn't really got allot of advice, and was wondering if you could keep an eye out on my grow, I am going to keep a full "everyday" updated grow of it, and would really appreciate your help/ opinions and whatever else you could help me with bro?? I understand if you don't have time or some shit... But really need the pointers and or help in the right direction bro...?? Cause I know that hydro is totally different them organic growing, and really don't want to have two females on my hands and not know what to do!! Well, hope to hear form you bud... Take er easy till then... Later.. D..
 

Dpllrd01

Member
Organic soil wise? You can transfer soil to dwc, yes.
Yes... Soil... I have been told so much bro, it's unreal!! Some say yes, some say no!! So it has me :wall: And I have a fucking headache!!
I thought maybe you could but wasn't 100% sure!! I sure hope they make it, and some how don't fuck up! Because there looking real pretty
now!! Check um out bro, just go to my grow journal under my profile, and I am getting ready to post up some new photos, I just took
them less then 15 minutes ago! So you think you could help me along with the DWC grow through my grow journal bro?? I sure hope so!!
So, how many DWC grows have you had by now!? Well, look 4ward to your reply... Later... D.
.
 

Jman305

Active Member
Thanks, but ph meters take additional maintenance/calibration and what-not.. ph strips aren't hard to use if you know what you're doing. And not breaching the 6.0 ph barrier lessens your overall nutrient uptake. Though I can see why you'd think that you're getting all those nutes, you're barely getting and P and Mg.
Does this mean a natural (small) swing in pH is a good thing in hydro? Looks like Mn gets almost no love in hydro. I was under the impression that micro nute lockout causes macro nute lockout. Also, if my first question is the case, how often should you check your girls for swing? I've heard morning and evening pH are naturally different, something to do with the plants own internal structure. But maybe that's a bit much? Maybe just every 3rd day? I know this is a lot of questions, and I don't expect you to have all those answers, just looking for some input is all.
 

hoopler

Member
Hey there, thanks for all the great info! Can you suggest to me a nice air pump for 12-15 5 gallon buckets? I'm up for even 2 pumps if that's what i end up needing. Thanks!
 

NWMED

Active Member
My friend is having trouble with his DWC. He's using Home & garden nutes. He has some other plants in DWC with different nutes (cheaper) which are doing great. He said the plant on H&G nutes was fine in the am but when he checked in the evening it was wilted like a soil plant that hasn't been watered. He had done a water change 3-4 prior. PH, Temp, and PPM all seem fine. Anyone have an idea what maybe wrong?
 
the one thing i dnt get as a newb to dwc is if ur sitting the buckets in a pool (chiller shown above with water bottles) that will definately cause algea and other airborne pathogens that surely are not beneficial to plant growth. I have been really fighting rez temps with my single rez setups but i knw i wnt sit my buckets in stagnant water!!!
 

VoidObject

DWC/Bubbleponics Mod
the one thing i dnt get as a newb to dwc is if ur sitting the buckets in a pool (chiller shown above with water bottles) that will definately cause algea and other airborne pathogens that surely are not beneficial to plant growth. I have been really fighting rez temps with my single rez setups but i knw i wnt sit my buckets in stagnant water!!!
Yeah algae grows, and then I kill it with h2o2. It's a cycle that happens weekly, and the only downside of this cooling method is increased humidity.
 
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