Putting bubbles in your 'ponics

  • Thread starter Thread starter Illegal Smile
  • Start date Start date
I am having trouble understanding how long your pump should be running for? Does it run all day long? I would greatly appreciate anmd help what so ever.
 
Hey Illegal smile - I see that you use the top off method of adding plain water to your original nute mix, then draining and mixing a new rez when the amount you've topped off = the size of the rez. I was wondering if you could explain why you use this method v the topping off with nutes method? are there any clear advantages or is it simply personal preference?

Thanks mate!
 
sophanox said:
Hey Illegal smile - I see that you use the top off method of adding plain water to your original nute mix, then draining and mixing a new rez when the amount you've topped off = the size of the rez. I was wondering if you could explain why you use this method v the topping off with nutes method? are there any clear advantages or is it simply personal preference?

Thanks mate!
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Actually I change the res every week regardless of how much water has been used. I think it's a matter of personal preference, at least I know of no scientific evidence. My reasoning is this:

1. My nute schedule is by the week, so following it means a res change every week.

2. You can only know what your nute concentration is at the point you do a res change. You can add proportionally more nutes, but you don't know which components were used by the plants at what rate. They may have scarfed down all of X and none of Y, so by adding the full mix you are over-feeding Y.

3. A personal philosophy that if they get fed the right stuff in the right amount (this boils down to trusting your nute company) each week for the week, it really doesn't matter what the uptake rate is during the week.Next week they get a whole new supply, and at a higher level.

4. Last but not least, it's easier.
 
This is a good post, I S. I never read it before today. The only thing I don't like is having to control the water level at first to make sure the rock wool does not over saturate and possibly cause mold to form on the stem. I do realize that after the roots hit the water, you can lower the water levels and not worry about it any longer. But it's for that reason that I do it the way I do (well actually that, and not having to change out the air stones too). Still I like the way you do it, and I still think it's a much better system than any drip type system out there. I'm sure you get excellent results with a system like this!

-S
 
snutter said:
This is a good post, I S. I never read it before today. The only thing I don't like is having to control the water level at first to make sure the rock wool does not over saturate and possibly cause mold to form on the stem. I do realize that after the roots hit the water, you can lower the water levels and not worry about it any longer. But it's for that reason that I do it the way I do (well actually that, and not having to change out the air stones too). Still I like the way you do it, and I still think it's a much better system than any drip type system out there. I'm sure you get excellent results with a system like this!

-S
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When they are young I guess you have to be careful and monitor no matter what kind of system. I get the water level right at the start true, but from there what I monitor is not so much the water level per se, but how wet the rockwool or rapid rooter is on top. It's a simple matter to find it a little dry, pour in some water, check it again later, perhaps add more water. I don't even need to lift the res lid to do that.
 
Illegal Smile said:
When they are young I guess you have to be careful and monitor no matter what kind of system. I get the water level right at the start true, but from there what I monitor is not so much the water level per se, but how wet the rockwool or rapid rooter is on top. It's a simple matter to find it a little dry, pour in some water, check it again later, perhaps add more water. I don't even need to lift the res lid to do that.
Click to expand...

Your first sentence is VERY true. In fact, keeping the rock wool just how I want it is always a bit of work to me.. I'm talking about during rooting when their in my cloning rig. Getting the roots to stretch to the water takes time and patience, but once they hit they grow fast... I'm actually switching to a new medium instead of rock wool. Its a spongy brown type of stuff (I can't remember what it is called, damnit) and it pH neutral which is cool. I bought a tray for my nute solution to sit in, and then a clone holding tray which sits in the nute tray, and a dome that covers it all. The roots should form a lot faster this way, and will be easier for me to get down in to the water when moving to my res's..

-S
 
Illegal Smile said:
Actually I change the res every week regardless of how much water has been used. I think it's a matter of personal preference, at least I know of no scientific evidence. My reasoning is this:

1. My nute schedule is by the week, so following it means a res change every week.

2. You can only know what your nute concentration is at the point you do a res change. You can add proportionally more nutes, but you don't know which components were used by the plants at what rate. They may have scarfed down all of X and none of Y, so by adding the full mix you are over-feeding Y.

3. A personal philosophy that if they get fed the right stuff in the right amount (this boils down to trusting your nute company) each week for the week, it really doesn't matter what the uptake rate is during the week.Next week they get a whole new supply, and at a higher level.

4. Last but not least, it's easier.
Click to expand...

That's an amazing post man thanks so much! I hadn't thought of reason no.2 before and that alone is enough to use this method really

Cheers!
 
Hey Illegal,

Is there any chance to see some of your dwc plant pictures? Ive read alot of your knowledgeable posts, but have not seen one of your plants. Thanks.
 
CLOSETGROWTH said:
Hey Illegal,

Is there any chance to see some of your dwc plant pictures? Ive read alot of your knowledgeable posts, but have not seen one of your plants. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yeah. That's because my wife is an attorney and while she doesn't mind my posting, made me promise not to post pics. I cheat now and then, you just have to be there. Besides I lay no claim to my plants being centerfolds. I grow for my own use only and care more about quality than yield. I grow with flourescents because of heat. The point is, if I did post pictures they wouldn't be as impressive as the other pot porn around here anyway.

But that said, I am planning to expand on the original post and describe in more detail what I've worked out for the simplest way to grow a half pound in a small closet with 400w of flouros and 6 gal of water. That will include pics of the setup and starting the plants until roots are in the water.
 
Illegal Smile said:
Yeah. That's because my wife is an attorney and while she doesn't mind my posting, made me promise not to post pics. I cheat now and then, you just have to be there. Besides I lay no claim to my plants being centerfolds. I grow for my own use only and care more about quality than yield. I grow with flourescents because of heat. The point is, if I did post pictures they wouldn't be as impressive as the other pot porn around here anyway.

But that said, I am planning to expand on the original post and describe in more detail what I've worked out for the simplest way to grow a half pound in a small closet with 400w of flouros and 6 gal of water. That will include pics of the setup and starting the plants until roots are in the water.
Click to expand...

hmm.. ok :roll:
 
Smile, Do you put seeds in the res as soon as they are germinated? Do you start with rockwool already wet or let the bubbles do it? How do you know whether the cube is too dry or too wet?
 
woof said:
Smile, Do you put seeds in the res as soon as they are germinated? Do you start with rockwool already wet or let the bubbles do it? How do you know whether the cube is too dry or too wet?
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I don't use rockwool I use rapid rooters, but yes I start ehm as soon as they are germinated. You can germinate seeds in the system but I use the paper towel method so I'm certain they have popped. I then put them in a rapid rooter, and the rr in a netpot surrounded by hydroton (well rinsed). The res is filled with plain pH'd water and the water level has been set using the test method in the OP. I dampen the rr slightly before putting the germed seed in, but no watering other than that.

The rr is even more absorbent than rockwool. If the bubbles are providing splash up on the sides of the netpots, the rr will pick that moisture up and hold it. Within a few hrs the top of the rr or cube should be damp but not soppy wet. I want to be able to feel dampness on my finger, but when I press down it isn't nearly wet enough to ooze up. Most of the water is further down, where the roots are growing. Since it is coming from beneath in the bubble mist, it is keeping the bottom of the rr/cube more wet than the top, which is what we want. From this point, with good seeds, I get roots in the water in 5-7 days.
 
I have read this from top to bottom and have learned alot. I have grown with dirt on all my other grows and will be starting my first dw set up. This being said I have some probably stupid questions to ask. I was going to use 2 30gal res (tote) and have 6 plants in each i am getting the impression that this may be too big???Should i use a smaller res? My grow space is 4.5ft x 3 and 5ft tall and was going to use 1000hps I dont want to run out of head room so smalller tote may save me some room. When you put your rock wool in the pot do you cover it with grow medium because you dont want the light getting through to the water???
Thanks guys want to same myself head aches.
 
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