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Hydro question

W

wordwiz

My system arrived and after letting the water circulate all night and getting the ph done to about 6.5, I'm slowly moving plants into it. A question - can I add algaecide to the water so I don't have to empty it every couple of weeks? Or is algae a problem as long as the ph stays where it is and the water is aerated?

Mike
 
I think it is a DWC (or something like that). It uses an airstone to bubble the water around the roots. The directions said to add nuits daily. It's EcoGrow "R", 14-6-17 and the instructions say to mix one teaspoon of Parts A and B and dissolve in one gallon of water, then add 1-3 tablsespoons of that each day.

I don't fancy having to remove a lid with six huge plants growing in it every couple of weeks to change water and scrub the tub. One NG was talking about using Oxi-clean to control algae.

Mike
 
algae isn't the problem. it's just one. changing the nutes according to the instructions is important. if it says 2 weeks do it after 2 weeks. hydro has great results just not maintenance free.
 
The instructions are to add 1-3 tablespoons of nuits per day and check the ph after doing so.

Algae cannot grow without light, and from what I have read, it's almost impossible to keep 100% of light from hitting the water. I could control algae in my swimming pool by adding chlorine, but I suspect this would wack out the water's ph.

Still searching for the Holy Grail,

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
I think it is a DWC (or something like that). It uses an airstone to bubble the water around the roots. The directions said to add nuits daily. It's EcoGrow "R", 14-6-17 and the instructions say to mix one teaspoon of Parts A and B and dissolve in one gallon of water, then add 1-3 tablsespoons of that each day.

I don't fancy having to remove a lid with six huge plants growing in it every couple of weeks to change water and scrub the tub. One NG was talking about using Oxi-clean to control algae.

Mike
Click to expand...

This is the Ecogrower by GenHydro. I believe it's considered a continuous drip system, not DWC. But what you are describing is a DWC, where the roots are constantly submerged in nutrient and it uses a bubbler. Maybe they have a similar name? If this is the one you have you will notice I left one of the pots empty. That's what I use for maintenance access so I don't have to remove the lid.

012a.jpg
 
Paul,

Yes, mine uses a bubbler, not a drip system. There really is nothing in the instructions to change the water every two weeks, the person I bought the system from said that is what she does. She said she drills a small hole in the top and uses a funnel to add nuits each day.

Mike
 
Plants use nutrients at differing rates at different stages of their growth. Some nutrients will make a precipitate that falls to the bottom.

For both these reasons, it is recommended to change nutrient solution every two weeks and clean the reservoir.

Get a good Ph and EC meter if you want hydro to work properly.
 
Willard,

I want hydro to work as best as it can, but I want to keep my gonads. I can only tell "she who must be listened to" to "trust me, this is worth it." The lowest cost I have come up with so far is buying a ph and and EC meter from Hanna Instruments, and the cost in close to $100, not including shipping.

Don't get me wrong - if I can set up a system where I can grow 300 Mizuna plants at a time that Shaun can sell to a local restaurant, and the ideal solution cuts the time from sprouting to harvesting by seven days, it is probably worth it. But no way can I justify spending a hundred dollars to raise two tomato, three pepper and one rose bush plant!

Mike
 
I use a hanna triple meter, well worth the money. You can get either the pen type or as I did a wall mount unit with leads that stay in the hydro all the time. I think I paid around $200 for mine if I remember correctly.
 
If there is no light getting to the water, algae should be no problem.
By the way, what are you using for lighting?

Don't buy an expensive meter or clean the pots every two weeks. Grow the first cycle and see what you get.
Remember, everything in the water goes into your body. Don't add poisons, use filtered water and go light on the nutrients until you see how they respond. Keep a journal near the plants, write everything down that you do. Once a cycle is done, you will have a better idea of what works and what does not.

She who must be listened to will love the results. Later if there are problems, you can bargain for new toys. (Ph and PPM meter) since the hydro system is already paid for. :)

If you absolutly must buy toys now, use Ph paper and a PPM tester. Search Ebay, they are really cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.com/TDS-METER-HM-Di...ryZ26230QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

My hydro results:
http://img84.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01166rd5.jpg

http://img84.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01169hh9.jpg
 
Redwood,

I'm using ph paper now. I didn't know if a PPM was important or not. Barbie told me to add three tablespoons of nuits per day.

There is no doubt that the boss will let me drain my bank account (well, not quite!) if I can fix her a fried green tomato - straight from the vine - on Thanksgiving, Christmas, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, April Fool's Day, etc. And if my son can secure a contract to provide Mizuna and leaf lettuce to a restaurant, I'll be able to justify meters, lights, etc.

Lettuce requires very little space, only takes about 45 days before it is ready to harvest and my son knows lots of restaurant chefs.

I would love to get good enough at this so I could give up my day job and raise veggies the year around.

Mike
 
PPM meter

wordwiz said:
I didn't know if a PPM was important or not. Barbie told me to add three tablespoons of nutrients per day.
Click to expand...

PPM is your measure of how many nutrients are available to your roots. Very important.

Barbie? do you talk to dolls? :)

Seriously, get a cheap PPM meter and you can tell how fast your plants are using the nutrients. That is the best way to tell if they need the food or not.
 
RedwoodIsland said:
Barbie? do you talk to dolls? :)
Click to expand...

Barbie is a doll! A grandmother, a farmer, a very neat person who I met just from competing in an e-bay auction. She and her hubby are growing a large variety of veggies hydroponically but outside.

But I will check into a PPM meter. Any great leads for an inexpensive one?

Mike
 
Here's the lighting my hydro system in under: 112 10mm red and blue LEDs. My light meter reads agout 1550 Lux at the plant canopy. The back, left plant is a White Beauty tom, in front of it is a Limon. The back right is a Thai Dragon and the fron right plant is a Giant Belgium tom. It was nighttime when I took the picture.

hydro1.jpg


Mike
 
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