First Hydroponic Grow. Need advice please

[Qwobbler]

im not trying to do a DWC i think i just want a recirculating system.

 

so there is one tub that is the reservoir below another tub that is the grow box. they are both 60lt, stacked on top of each other.

 

the reservoir has a pump that feeds water to my drippers at the top of the grow box (which are now not drippers, i have cut them off as you can see in the pics and am replacing with ring feeders)

 

there is also 2 air stones in this reservoir.

 

So when the pump turns on, it pumps water to the tops of my pots and pours over the clay and rockwool, then it drips down to the bottom of the grow box, which has a drain plug and then the dripping water from the bottom of the netted pots goes in that drain plug which goes back into the reservoir.

 

So after the feed, there is no water in the growing tub. - Should there be some left in the grow tub?

 

 

Please let me now if im not making sence

Edited March 27, 2015 by qwobbler

[Sir PsychoHashy]

No, that's fine Wobbler.  Doesn't matter for now, but I would fill the top tub with your chosen medium before the roots start hanging out the bottom of the net pots, probably no need for the net pots either, and spread them out to near the corners.  Best of luck.

[Qwobbler]

you guys are all so cool thanks heaps ay, i think i got it goin right...

 

will post pics and progress in a week and see if everything takes and runs well

 

Thankyou!!!

[Qwobbler]

wait up.....

 

i have the net pots sitting through holes in the lid. medium in the net pots.

 

so your saying, i ned the top tub completly full of clay so that the roots dont get exposed to air?

 

is this why maybe my drip idea might work?

 

 

basically i have the net pots in a lid that goes on a tub. that tub is 60lt. there is nothing in it at all.

 

the water that pumps over the top is draining through the net pots then draining into the reservoir... understand what i mean?

 

so with a constnt drip system, the water will be flowing over the roots that pop out the net slowly to keep them moist, then when they finally hit the bottom of the rez there will be maybe about 20cm of water in the bottom just below the drain plug... is that making sense? is my idea a right way or have i made it up?

[Sir PsychoHashy]

If you want to try that, feel free, and keep us posted, I would be interested to see how it goes.  Having said that, I wouldn't do it, and if you have a pool of still water sitting in the bottom of the tub you are asking for problems with root rot etc, especially if you don't regulate the temp of that water, and put an airstone in it.  I would fill the tub with clay balls, and pump the solution through every 2hrs, and make sure the drain point is as low as possible.  The clay balls hold on to sufficient moisture for that long, in an oxygen rich environment, tried and true method that works.  Experiments are great, but best done after becoming an experienced grower.  I've heard of recirc drip systems, and know you can buy kits to do it, but I'm also pretty sure that they are meant to have the entire pot filled with medium.

[Qwobbler]

ok, got ya. and now it makes total sense!!! Thankyou so much Sir PsychoHashy, you have been a great help.

 

i am filling the tub with my clay balls as we speak. ... also good for me too, now i dont have a big bag of clay sitting around for visitors to see

 

Cheers!

[Sir PsychoHashy]

No worries mate.  I do recommend that you spend a lot of time researching the fine art of growing canna indoors while they are getting started, the more you know, and the more you are ready for, the less hassles, surprises and fuck ups you will have.  Big new grower mistakes are running nutes too strong too early, insufficient ventilation and airflow, and not switching the lights to 12/12 early enough, and then running out of room (I still do that one ), along with many others.  Post a diary and you will get help and encouragement, but you will still need to do research first.  Best of luck.

[Qwobbler]

im inding it to be a pain in the bump to connect and disconnect my irrigation line because its stiff...

 

can i use plain old garden hose for my hoses? its dark so i dont see a problem, please let me know if there is a problem

[Sir PsychoHashy]

Not sure, but I think that bog standard garden hose lets a bit of light through, so I wouldn't.  Go to Bummings and grab some 13mm black poly irrigation tube, they also sell garden hose style connectors that plug into it, but I have found that you can also bung the poly straight into the hose clamp side of the garden hose connectors as well.  I prefer to go through the hassle with barbed joiners on more permanent connections, but the connectors work for those points that have to be regularly disconnected.

[Qwobbler]

thanks... hahahah ive figured out its much easier to have clip on/off connectors now and found some elbow joints..

 

i already got a shit load of 13mm black poly stuff but was having problems with kinks around corners.

 

so off i went, every thing around corners is elbow joined, and anything to my grow tub or rez had clip on and off connectors

 

im getting the hang of this already... the 2 little Big Bang Autos i had in the first set up in net baskets, have taken VERY well to the new set up!!

 

will post pics tonight...

 

how do i start a journal on this thing?