Small Hydroponic Setup

[Gingy]

I want to have a small hydro setup just for 1 or 2 plants max 3 and i was planning to have it in a pretty small space probably about 1.5m tall and 1.5m wide.

 

And I need to know:

 

1. What's the best light cycle to have, how many hours should the light be on a day?

2. What's the best light I can use, I would prefer to use the one that uses less power but if that increases cost to much I wont bother?

3. Do you need different formulas or can i just use this one fertilizer that is high in nitrogen and my outdoor plants love?

4. Do I need separate grow and flowering rooms?

5. How much does it cost?

 

And if you guys can think of any other useful information that would be great.

 

Also this is the setup i was planning, what do you think?

[iatd]

Hey Guingy.

 

Short answers here.

 

1. 24 hours of light for veg / 12 hours for flowering

2. You will need at least a 600w for 1.5x1.5. MH for veg HPS for flower(optimal) but you can use one or the other.

3. You want Veg nutes for veg and flower nuted for flower. (less N during flower)

4. You don't need a seperate grow room but it speeds things up quite a bit.

5. Check out ebay. It will be your cheapest option.

 

That aero setup looks pretty sweet. Make sure you do a diary so we can see how it goes.

 

Td

[Pleb Scrubber]

I recommend you build your own system, you can make an areoponics one like the pictures or read up on different types of hydro systems.

 

Sounds like your trying to keep costs down, so I would recommend you get a HPS either 400W or 600W and use that for both flower and veg. In Veg you can run it 18 hours a day to save a bit of power bill too.

And building your own setup will save you a heap of money too.

 

I would use that one room for both veg and flower to get started, later you can have a dedicated room for each, so that when you harvest the flower room, you have new plants ready to move in to it without waiting months.

[merl1n]

Hi there Gingy,

 

For the answers to your questions have a look thru Cannaversity most of your answers are there and more. Also have look at the room calculators for lights, fans vs area info.

 

That setup could work but with the container being opaque and light can get at your fluids you will grow a really nice batch of algae. Some say not to worry about algae but it can mess up you pH and ec levels and lead to other organisms and parasites taking hold and you don't want that. Also roots don't like direct light too much. My setup is black, pots, pipes, all fittings etc Black. No light in and no algae.

 

But I can't see a problem with the plan in theory.

 

Merl1n

Edited January 27, 2011 by merl1n

[Gingy]

Thanks for all the awnsers helped heaps i'll be sure to keep a diary once its up and running

[Gingy]

i've been hearing from some people that hydro is bad for you because it's not all natural. any thoughts on this?

[Pleb Scrubber]

i've been hearing from some people that hydro is bad for you because it's not all natural. any thoughts on this?

 

You know what else is not good for your health? smoking weed!

 

Just feed your plants pure water for the last 2 weeks before harvest to clean out any chemicals still in them.

[Gingy]

true but i prefer to turn my weed into hash and then make pot food

[merl1n]

Hi Gingy,

Those comments of hydro not being good for you have been around for years, decades even. Some says its because its stronger than outdoor because you control the environment. Some say its due to the nutrients, additives even hormones some ppl use.

Half the vegies you buy are hydro and they use the same nutrients and worse to grow them. Most conniseuer pot growers are very careful about the nutes etc they give their plants. Agreed the commercial growers may not be as cautious but:

 

I'm still to hear of anybody dying from pot consumption, hydro or not.

 

There are many things that are bad for you, some say red meat, chocolate, alcohol etc. Shit in that case I should be dead.

 

Pot like alcohol is an intoxicant, you become intoxicated, its toxic or poisonous, but if you listen to all the bullshit going around you'd wrap your self up in cottonwool, never go outside cos of solar radiation, don't drink water cos of the chemicals in it, don't eat meat cos of the hormones, don't breathe the air cos of the pollution, don't use supermarkets cos of the additives in our food..............the list goes on and on.

 

I've been smoking hydro and only hydro for many years and I haven't seen any long term ill effects

 

I agree with Pleb about the flushing. You also need to be flushing during the grow as well as the final flushing. When it hasn't been properly flushed the salts that build up in the plant burns the back of your throat when smoked. The trim I use to make hash has all been fully flushed so I'm not sure how unflushed weed affects hash but even so a good flush never hurts. It also improves the final taste.

 

Merl1n

[Gingy]

i totally agree