Simple questions regarding DWC and plant requirements

T

Tasty Morsels

New Member
Hey guys, long time lurker, only recent now poster. My question is regarding DWC.

Basically, I want to have a veggie room where of coursse the mothers and clones get housed at, and a flowering room where magic happens.

Now if I wanted to flower 4 AK47 plants at a time, what should I do? Should I get individual containers for each plant or could I use one big reservior and house them all in there? If I can do that....

1. How big should the reservoir at least be?
2. What about air pump and air stone size?
3. Lastly, what kinda HPS wattage should I look into getting if I want to flower 4 plants?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks! I've seen you guys really help out others and here's hoping I can get me a taste of that, lol.
 
I swear I'm gonna answer... but my wife is making me roll this up first..... :joint:

So, how much room do you have and how big do ya wanna grow em....?
 
Tasty Morsels said:
Hey guys, long time lurker, only recent now poster. My question is regarding DWC.

Basically, I want to have a veggie room where of coursse the mothers and clones get housed at, and a flowering room where magic happens.

Now if I wanted to flower 4 AK47 plants at a time, what should I do? Should I get individual containers for each plant or could I use one big reservior and house them all in there? If I can do that....

1. How big should the reservoir at least be?
2. What about air pump and air stone size?
3. Lastly, what kinda HPS wattage should I look into getting if I want to flower 4 plants?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks! I've seen you guys really help out others and here's hoping I can get me a taste of that, lol.
Click to expand...
I like individual containers over one big reservoir because if a problem arrises the plant can be pulled and the problems isolated to one plant/reservoir.
Any reservoir should be large enough to allow 5 gallons of nutrients per plant. Any smaller allows PH fluctuations to happen easier and the reservoirs to heat up easier.
The more air the better for DWC. I used a fish tank aerator with a dual output and two stones per 5 gallon reservoir. If a single reservoir is being used two dual output aerators and a couple of air wands glued to the bottom of the reservoir will suffice.
Light depends on how big the plants will be and the room size. I would use a 400 HPS but a smaller room could use a 250 just fine as well.
 
HeadMed, I actually have a bit of space. Nothing extremely cramped but nothing huge as well either. I can get exact measurements for you guys later tonight.

Racefan, thanks for the reply that's exactly what I was looking for. I found some Rubbermaid containers I didn't now I had and they are both 18 gallon containers. Is the 5 gallons of nutrient per plant a strict rule, meaning I need at LEAST a 20 gallon reservoir if I wanted to grow 4 plants?

I think the only reason why I'm apprehensive about doing a lot of different containers is that I don't know how the pumps would work. Is it possible to have a pump supply air to more than one 5 gallon container? If so, how would I do that? Or should I just get one of those pumps that cost around $10 or so for each and every 5 gallon container?

I'd like the flowering AK47 plants to get as big as they possible can so I think I'll opt for the 400 watt HPS. Is there a specific one I should look into getting or would this one from HTG serve me well?

High Tech Garden Supply

One final question, I swear lol. Are the space to amount of plant ratio slightly smaller in the veggie state? Meaning, I'd like to have a DWC set up going for the clones and mothers so I was wondering if I could fit like 6 veggie plants in one of the 20 gallon reservoir since they won't grow as big as the flowering plants.

Thanks in advance guys, I really do appreciate the help!
 
Just did some measure and my growing room is 3.5ft in length and 2.5ft in depth, and the height shouldn't be a problem, since it's a closet afterall.

Is this enough room to grow 4 flowering AK's? The height isn't too much of a concern to me but the girth of the plants are of course are. Should four 5 gallon buckets be able to fit in there? I tried looking up the specs on a regular 5 gallon bucket but haven't any success so far.

Thanks all!
 
The girth is a problem with your closet and 4 plants, and height is too. At least in my opinion. If the plant gets to tall in close quarters you end up raising the light. If you raise the light high enough and the plant gets tall enough, eventually the bottom of the plant doesn't get any light, (enjoy that run on sentence) and therefore doesn't produce. It just takes up space and makes things harder to deal with.
10FtSq_Fullsm.jpg



This closet is 2' deep and 5' long. on the right side you can see on of the big girls... theres 2 of em in there sharing 5ft sq. , and it's pretty crowded. They started 12/12 lights when there were about 18" - 24" tall and bushy. I truly believe that a plant will double in size during bloom. It's happened with every strain I've grown.

With that in mind determine the amount of plants, and containers. I'm with Racefan, separate containers of at least 5 gal each would be optimum. I wanna go out to my truck and measure, but I think you can just fit 4 standard 5 gal buckets in there. Flower though when they are 12" to 18" max or you'll be dealing with a swamp. (in my opinion)

As for what light, these are under 2 (one for 2' X 2' tray and one for 2 5gal drip buckets) standard 400w HPS you can buy at Home Depot for about $20 to $25. At $80 to $hundreds for the special grow bulbs I haven't felt the urge to try one. I know another grower however that swears by the things (I can't remember what specific one, I will stop buy and ask.) He swears to me he did isolated grows with 2 clones and got 15% more outta the special bulb. Maybe he just wants to sell one I don't know.

As for air... If I understand DWC right, your gonna hang your roots passively in the reservoir and depend on air stones to oxygenate? I have only seen it done once, I don't know too much about it. I will say that even in my drip buckets I have 1 air stone each, plus it's powered by air (bubble drip). I guess my theory is more oxygen to the roots the better.

sorry to run on so long:smokin2:
 
So you suggest when they are 12"-18" tall in the vegetative stage, to place them in the flowering stage? Sounds good to me. Since I'm unsure about the girth of the AK's (I know they don't get THAT tall) I think I'll flower just two, see how well they spread out, and before I harvest them, note how much room I have and if I can place more than 2 next time. I'm leaning towards the 5 gallon bucket per plant and it sounds like that's the best thing to do.

I just have one last series of questions and I'll be good to go with the grow. Now this involves everything but the flowering stage.

Let's say I got my 10 seeds in and I'm ready to go. How should I turn those seeds into mothers and plants ready to flower?

First, of course, germination them but then after that, place them in rockwool cubes, correct? Now the part where I'm unsure about, once they get stable roots in the rockwool cubes, where should they be transplanted next? I was thinking about using one of the 18 gallon rubbermaid containers I've found, making 6 holes for 6 smallish net pots fora DWC set up that the plants will go in next. Then when those are getting bigger, take each out and place them in individual containers.

Does this sound good, or a lot more work then necessary? Is it possible to put plants that are done with the rockwool stage directly into the 5 gallon containers? Or is that too big of a step?

I'm just not to certain about where to place the mothers, clones, seedlings, and whatnot if I want to go with a DWC set up. And yeah HeadMed, DWC is basically just water filled up the roots with an air pump supply oxygenated air via air stones. Extremely simple which is exactly what I'm looking for, lol.

Any help would again be appreciated, thanks guys!
 
Tasty Morsels said:
So you suggest when they are 12"-18" tall in the vegetative stage, to place them in the flowering stage? Sounds good to me. Since I'm unsure about the girth of the AK's (I know they don't get THAT tall) I think I'll flower just two, see how well they spread out, and before I harvest them, note how much room I have and if I can place more than 2 next time. I'm leaning towards the 5 gallon bucket per plant and it sounds like that's the best thing to do.

I just have one last series of questions and I'll be good to go with the grow. Now this involves everything but the flowering stage.

Let's say I got my 10 seeds in and I'm ready to go. How should I turn those seeds into mothers and plants ready to flower?

First, of course, germination them but then after that, place them in rockwool cubes, correct? Now the part where I'm unsure about, once they get stable roots in the rockwool cubes, where should they be transplanted next? I was thinking about using one of the 18 gallon rubbermaid containers I've found, making 6 holes for 6 smallish net pots fora DWC set up that the plants will go in next. Then when those are getting bigger, take each out and place them in individual containers.

Does this sound good, or a lot more work then necessary? Is it possible to put plants that are done with the rockwool stage directly into the 5 gallon containers? Or is that too big of a step?

I'm just not to certain about where to place the mothers, clones, seedlings, and whatnot if I want to go with a DWC set up. And yeah HeadMed, DWC is basically just water filled up the roots with an air pump supply oxygenated air via air stones. Extremely simple which is exactly what I'm looking for, lol.

Any help would again be appreciated, thanks guys!
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12-18 inches sounds goood doood i would recamend 30 days of veg growth

i would not recamend growing plants in thee same containers becaseu everytime i have one has died i think they fight eachother over the space and one doesnt win but i might not be sure
 
So I have to thank you for this thread... I hadn't realized it but he bottom half of my drip buckets where DWC. Just never occurred to me that I would lack oxygen in those freaking buckets. Then I realized that for 12 hours a day theres roots sitting in a small amount of still water.

I rushed to the grow and put in some serious air stones. Thank you dude.:grinjoint::grinjoint::rollit::rollit:

Seeds and clones...

Below is what we've just added to handle genetics form seed.
new_clone_and_stage.jpg


We took and eb and flow tray and placed it on the table instead of the reservoir (soon to happen in closet), but instead of leaving it open to the pump (fountain pump in 5 gal bucket under table) to flood, I continued the 1/2" plumbing up into the tray, using 1/4" barbed tees to branch off to drip stakes to each individual plant. I removed the drain tower to allow the tray to waste through 3/4" back to the reservoir.

This allows us space for clones can go straight onto tray if needed, and to veg long enough to take clones.

From seed, you'll want to sex everything before exposing the rest of your grow to it.

This is what I'm doing with my seedling now and suggest.

Take a cfl bulb, a $3 porcelain socket, and put them under a 2'X2'X2' or so box (cardboard is fine). Wire the socket to a cord that can plugged into the same timer as your bloom area. Veg seedling until it's big enough to take a small clone, and do so. Now you can wait until you see evidence that it's gonna survive.. or you can let em hang like I do and just through your fresh clone under your bloom box. Wait about 2 weeks (water etc. don't forget), for it to show flowers. If it's a girl, the seedling still happy and safe in the tray (with all it's vigor - from seed grows stronger and produces more than clone in my opinion. It's not always worth the time and space and effort though.), will now become a mom, at least long enough for me to get what I want. If it turns out to be male... I'd probably kill it, but I guess I could keep some pollen if I wanted, just flower it out in my new "bloom box" (i know it's weak, but this is a sexing box, not a production.).

Trays don't have to be purchased. They are easily made from any plastic storage container and a drill. I use 2"X4" ' s to raise it off the table to clear the plumbing. Hose is cheap at home depot (like $5 per 25'), You may need to visit a hydro shop or a good aquarium (or pet store with decent fish dept) for grommets and fittings. Though most of it is there, you may just have to visit 6 unrelated dept's. to find it all.
 
Tasty Morsels said:
Just did some measure and my growing room is 3.5ft in length and 2.5ft in depth, and the height shouldn't be a problem, since it's a closet afterall.

Is this enough room to grow 4 flowering AK's? The height isn't too much of a concern to me but the girth of the plants are of course are. Should four 5 gallon buckets be able to fit in there? I tried looking up the specs on a regular 5 gallon bucket but haven't any success so far.

Thanks all!
Click to expand...

I know that this page is incredibly old, but I just had to post this because the advice you were getting was horrible. I don't want those coming across it like I did to get bad information.

1) Sea of Green (SOG) or Screen of Green (SCROG) are generally recognized as the highest yielding methods. 2 sqft per plant is generally accepted for these systems. Screen of Green is great because you can use the trellis netting to snake the the branches into position to keep them all exposed to the light even if they start getting tall and lanky.

2) 400 Watts is pretty weak even for a small closet. I'd want at least a 600 watt HPS, and a 250 watt is essentially useless.

3) 5 gallon buckets are generally 12" diameter and about 14" tall

4) For DWC you want about 1 Liter of air per minute per gallon of nutrient solution. I estimate about 3.5 gallons per 5 gallon bucket, and therefore 3.5 liters per minute each.

5) For reservoir sizing I usually use about 50 gallons for a 4 x 4 ebb & flow tray, and for RDWC I would want at least 5 gallons per 5 gallon bucket.

6) For air runs you just simply use a splitter manifold and tubing. Just make sure that the per container LPM/LPH/GPM/GPH are correct.

I've got to run, but hopefully that is a start for people who find this.
 
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