Hydro advice needed: DWC vs. Ebb and Flow/Hydroton vs. Rockwool

[TopJim]

yellow leaf, green veins -- may be a sign of iron deficiency.  http://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-treat-iron-deficiency-in-plants/
 
Often an indicator of pH drifting too high.  You might also try a nutrient flush and then reset your reservoir nutrient mix.  If iron is too low (e.g. aquaponics) there are some nice organic seaweeds + iron (e.g. Maxicrop). 
 
From my experience as a hydroponics store owner...Ebb&Flow, DWC/RDWC, Aeroponics, NFT, drip/drain to waste...Faster growth and greater yields typically at cost of more points of failure and more maintenance (time).  (R)DWC, must keep the water temps down (chillers).  Aeroponics or drip, emitters clog. Slight personal preference for Ebb/Flow, lower risk & less maintenance on pumps/timers.  But to each his/her own. You'll get better results with hydroponics than soil.
 
Per original question, watering frequency, varies with air temp & circulation, plant size : container size.  Generally speaking, for ebb & flow, every 4-6 hours in hydroton (daytime).  2x per day if using Rockwool.  No watering within 2 hours of darkness or overnight. 
 

Bell peppers budding, 21 days from sprout
 
Happy gardening,
Chris

 

[Spokanepepperman]

Wow now I'm thinking of setting my old grow room those look awesome if I can find my old pics I'll post some pics of my nft rail.

 

[mlittle74]

First season hydro for me here.  I'm trialing both systems you mentioned.  So far the DWC is producing much more plant vegetative growth over the ebb/flow (mine are still seedlings).
 
Its not a true comparison as I'm using three different peppers in the three systems (1 x DWC and 2 x E/F).
 
What I will say is that at this early stage, all three are showing much faster growth than my soil plants... I'm not an experienced grower tho, so this does not necessarily mean much!
 
What I liked most is that the hydro has corrected some lockout issues I was having for these plants in the soil without any effort.  If things progress like this, next years grow will be 80-90% hydro with a couple of soil pots as opposed to all soil like last year.

 
I'm growing hydro for the first time too.  A friend of mine wanted to me to grow her some peppers native to Peru, where she grew up.  I knew I'd have withdrawal from growing peppers so decided to experiment over the winter.  Good luck with yours, keep us updated
 
M

 

[dragonsfire]

Would be nice but the doing it in my apartment Im guessing would create a moisture problem

 

[Gotrox]

You can see the final results on my glog.
I am changing things up a bit for next season, as a couple hundred in nutes is a bit pricy.
Trying this, recommended by some as an old favorite by a new manufacturer.
http://www.amazon.com/J-R-Peters-Jacks-Classic-Fertilizer/dp/B008KOVO7Q/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1443224161&sr=8-12&keywords=jr+peters+fertilizer.
 
I am sure I can make it a hydro fert, but maybe some additional elements are needed---will find out next Feb.