How to build an easy DWC reservoir for little $ + perfect nute solution + PICS!

I honestly think that if it gets that hot in your attic, you're going to have huge problems keeping the temps down without adding an air conditioner. Even with fans blowing, the ambient temperature outside + the added heat of direct lighting from your 400W HID light (MH or HPS) will still be too hot. I'm only guessing, but I think you'd constantly be fighting temps. Plants thrive around 75 degrees F lights on and around 60 degrees F lights off (which is exactly where I keep my rooms).

If you can, I'd place them some where else in the house. Do you have a basement? If adding an air conditioner isn't an issue, then I think it'd be ok to do in the attic as you mentioned.

I use 18 gallon totes filled with 12 gallons of nutrient solution, and have 5 plants in them and they seem to be doing just fine. I think this is a reasonable size container. But, I think 20 gallon totes might work even better, filled to 14 or 15 gallons with nutes..

Good luck, and let me know if you have any more Q's... Also, it may be easier to get a quicker answer from me if you send a private message. I don't always remember to check this thread. I'm no longer subscribed to it...

-S

mogascreeta said:

Yeah i was thinking about a 400 because it is so much more cost effective. i have already just started my first outdoor grow, and i was thinking to do the indoor grow during the winter in the off-season because i wanted to put the growbox (its a friends old iguana cage lol) in my attic but in the summer it can get well over 100F+ so do think i could still do it with good ventitation? i was not really looking to do a perpetual grow because i honestly have more of an interest in outdoor growing. i was thinking the box could serve as both the veg and bloom chamber. who knows though, once i learn the ropes a little better i will perhaps change my mind. also if i were going to do 5 plants in one container, what would you say should be the minimum capacity for the container? thanks for your help, sometimes i think everyone on rollitup is just plain stupid, but you clearly have a wealth of knowledge and dont mind mind sharing it

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I just keep them in my cloner until I'm ready to move them to a reservoir... The roots get long enough that they make it to the nutrient solution that I have inside it. They just keep on growing. I've had the roots get as long as 10 to 12 inches before I transplanted them. They've even started growing in the cloner, heheh.

Nowadays, I make sure not to take clones until about 2 weeks before I'm ready to use them. I have a perpetual set up going now. 1 reservoir comes out of the flower room every 10 to 14 days, and one takes its place. So it's pretty easy for me to figure out when I need to take cuttings.

I don't understand why some people are having problems with the Lucas Formula, and others don't... Are you sure you were using it correctly?

8ml's / gallon of water Flora Micro
and
16ml's / gallon of water Flora Bloom
pH = 5.3 to 5.5

Is that what you used? It should work just fine. Works great for me...

The only other think I do is I use a few drops of super thrive during Veg. Once they go to flower I stop the super thrive and then use a few tablespoons of epsom salt. But, the lucas formula by itself should work all the way through, even without any other additives.

Sorry to hear it didn't work for you. It's nice not having to spend the extra $35 on a gallon of the Flora Gro each time I buy nutes...

Good luck to ya, and I hope your grow is going well. If you have any more questions, shoot..

-S
PS
Glad that you like the way my plants grow!!! Thanks!!! That's always cool to hear!

nordowell said:

nice post im thinking of trying this, im currently running an al b fuct sog grow but considering this due to lower plant count. your plants look amazing. how do you keep clones going until they get rooted enough to hang in the water? one more thing, i too had problems with the lucas formula and switched back to the 3 part system which was a quick fix.

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I was asked to bump this, so here we go...

You just saved me a big headache. I have extra res, extra tubing and I have extra airstones, the blue ones from Walmart. Was getting ready to use them in the next couple weeks.

+rep for not letting me come home to a dead plant I spent a month vegging already.

Fuckin' sick. Thanks, man. I'm going to try this very soon! +rep.

Im gonna try your setup...

One question about hydroponics in general. how should i get my plants started for this...

Like should i take a clone, put it in rockwool, let roots grow, then put it in the basket and dunk it in the water?

snutter said:

I keep it pretty simple. I have a clone dome. I just take my cutting, dip it in clone gel, place it in pre-soaked rock wool, stick it inside the clone dome and place a light over the top. I wait for roots to shoot at least 3 to 4 inches out of the bottom of the rock wool and then I transfer to a net pot with hydroton rock and place her in a reservoir.

Glad to hear you had no troubles building your new DWC reservoir. that's cool man!! pretty easy, eh?? I dig it too.

I hope it works out really well for you. In fact, I KNOW it will!!!

-S

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aah gotcha, asked the question before i finished reading all the post

awesome reading

I just baught all the materials i need (gonna make two of them) found a air pump that has two pumps coming off it its rated for 40 gallons so figured i would run one hose to each and i will be all set.

Thank you for clarifying this!!! I don't use the air stones, but this is a good point to make!

Joker209 said:

IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO THIS METHOD OR ALTER THIS METHOD AT ALL DO NOT USE THE BLUE AIR STONES FROM WAL-MART!!! THEY CLOG WITHIN A FEW HOURS (I'M GUESSING DUE TO SALTS) iF YOU ARE GOING TO USE AIR STONES TO REPLICATE THIS METHOD USE THE BLACK AIR STONES FOUND AT PETCO OR THE AIR DISCS FROM PETSMART.

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I just lost like 4 plants because of horrible O2 saturation so I checked in the tub and found out the blue stones were basically 2 little tiny air bubbles were sitting on the surface not even gettin to the roots. Thanks for the rep man I appreciate that. As far as the starting plants I have done all 3 ways and they all work great. One way is to germinate your seeds then stick them in a 1.5" rockwool cube then allow it to sit in a cup til the roots were out the bottom then manually place them into the net cups. Another way to do it (the more expensive way) is to buy some neoprene inserts and place your cuttings in the neoprene that's situated into the net cup, get a waterpump and hook it up to a line with sprayers and keep the cuttings wet until they root then remove the water pump and keep it full DWC. My favorite so far is let your clones root nicely in a see through cup in some soil then take and wash off the dirt (into a papertowel if you wanna save it) and then place them in the cups, situate the roots, let them sit about 2 - 3 days to allow the roots to get used to the new situation and then gently add some hydroton or some of the GM ( I think that's what it's called) which is styrofoam and that blocks light from the roots and res. Hope this helps and sorry if I seemed like I kinda jacked the thread from ya but I will have to post pictures tomorrow of my set up so you can see it if you don't mind.

Joker209 said:

I just lost like 4 plants because of horrible O2 saturation so I checked in the tub and found out the blue stones were basically 2 little tiny air bubbles were sitting on the surface not even gettin to the roots. Thanks for the rep man I appreciate that. As far as the starting plants I have done all 3 ways and they all work great. One way is to germinate your seeds then stick them in a 1.5" rockwool cube then allow it to sit in a cup til the roots were out the bottom then manually place them into the net cups. Another way to do it (the more expensive way) is to buy some neoprene inserts and place your cuttings in the neoprene that's situated into the net cup, get a waterpump and hook it up to a line with sprayers and keep the cuttings wet until they root then remove the water pump and keep it full DWC. My favorite so far is let your clones root nicely in a see through cup in some soil then take and wash off the dirt (into a papertowel if you wanna save it) and then place them in the cups, situate the roots, let them sit about 2 - 3 days to allow the roots to get used to the new situation and then gently add some hydroton or some of the GM ( I think that's what it's called) which is styrofoam and that blocks light from the roots and res. Hope this helps and sorry if I seemed like I kinda jacked the thread from ya but I will have to post pictures tomorrow of my set up so you can see it if you don't mind.

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Ok i like the first idea the most (since i got rockwool cubes)

One question tho... when the clones are in the rockwool can they sit in my humidity dome or does it need 2 be sitting on something with holes going threw the bottom (like a basket) so the roots come threw?

Usually when you root a cutting in rockwool you have a tray like this 1
http://www.indoorgarden.com/store/images/726165.jpg
and the rivets in the plastic allow the roots to grow out the bottom and then you just put it in the cup and water it daily or just bring the water right up to the bottom of the cup where the root is touching water (you will want air between your cup and the water for the center division of the roots when it's roots get larger so lower the water level a little while it gets older) I don't usually go lower than half of my resivior and my ladies love it. I have hella to do and think I broke my ankle so I gotta wrap it up and get to work. I will catch you guys in a bit and maybe throw some pictures up.

If you want me to delete these pictures please send me a message or ask here. Here are some pictures of the totes I have and my grow area.

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