Simple DWC systems for aprox. 4', 5', or 6' square floor-space/canopy

No more worrying about WHEN TO WATER!
(credit to regular forum member Jodie for intro statement)
A system like this, with a little practice and effort, using the techniques described on this website and in Robert’s book ( Download the Marijuana Grow Bible ) you will be able to produce about 1 Lbd. in the above stated dimentions, maybe even as small as a square meter.
Deep Water Culture Explained - Hydroponic Supplies & Equipment for DWC - YouTube
20 gallon rubbermaid roughneck garbage pail for a 6", 10″ bucket lid net pot and up to a 12" net pot. Holds aprox. 14 gallons filled to level with bottom of net pot.

I myself do not use the same name brands in the video, it doesn’t really matter the name brand of your nutrients, so, everybody, use whatever you can get easily in your location or use http://www.marijuanabooster.com/ and or just make sure the nutrients and such in this ILGM blog post are covered:
Nutrient Deficiencies In Marijuana Plants: The Ultimate Guide
Berry Bomb Bomb Seeds By "Scotland" - YouTube





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Other Ideas and thoughts, everything you need for your 'One Pound per Harvest Room…
P.S. You don’t have to buy the tent at that website, they just had the best/clearest diagram/picture. You can easily find many other affordable tents that will meet the above approximate dimensions.

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Airlift water pump column ideas:
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In the video below, plumber’s tape not necessary, it is important to clean up the drilled hole. I just use a exacto knife and coarse and then fine sand paper to smooth the edges of the hole.The 1.5″ (or larger) uni-seals and PVC or ABS pipe also add considerable volume, compared to other types of connecting tubes — most multiple bucket systems use a 1/2″ -1″ tube connecting and recirculating the system. In a one 5 gallon 10″ net pot bucket system you’ll be lucky to have maybe up to about 2.5 – 3 gallons of actual water for the plant. In the above system there is 18 gallons per 4 plants, that is a full 4.5 gallons per plant, The center bucket is connected to the individual buckets with 1.5 uni-seals and black abs pipes like 4 spokes of a wheel emanating from the center bucket. Not only that I don’t have to run 4 plants, I could run one plant in the middle bucket and crop it and train it for the whole 5′ x 5′ canopy, giving the one plant the entire 18 gallons. Also this bucket system is very easily made with just two buckets for one plant (one girl two cups? lol) as I discussed in another thread here quite awhile back, giving about 6 – 7 gallons for one plant with an easy access control bucket reservoir so you never have to lift the basket with plant out of the bucket to access the reservoir. And of course this system could be expanded to numerous more buckets.

A whole FRIGGIN’ LOT of buckets connected together.

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One thing I would like to add. I do not believe you need giant net pots. I have bought and used: 8" lid pot, 5 “, 3.75”, 3", and 2" We use 2" for lettuce and such in the greenhouse.

There is no need for giant net pots; The roots grow through the pot into the solution. I settled on 3.75", and do not have trouble with keeping the plants upright. (Some feel the need to use bigger pots for balance), a minimum 3.75 - 5" pot will hold the biggest plants upright.

Another positive to this theory is: You save a ton of money not having to buy 4-5 times the amount of hydroton. Now, the stores want you to buy and fill giant net pots with expensive hydroton, but you only need the 3.75-5" size.

I use 3.75 almost exclusively. I use a 3.5" hole saw to make my saddles/holes. (Always run your drill backwards to make a cleaner more precise hole when fabricating your bucket lids.) I put the lids on the bucket to stabilize them for drilling. One last note. Be careful not to wiggle the bit back and forth too much; You will break the guide bit, every time.

Hope this helps. Peace.lw :slight_smile:

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Yes, it is good to be aware that net pot size has little to do with overall plant size as the roots grow into a large root-ball in the reservoir, primarily around the air-stone as the roots love oxygen so much.

I did mention you don’t need a large net pot in another thread, in that thread I also mentioned I was experimenting with adding horizontal root mass above the reservoir with the drip system. Kinda hard to use a smaller net pot with a drip ring this size.

If you notice in the “Scotland” video a much smaller net pot was used.

A super big bag of hydroton isn’t that expensive at your local hydro grow store, especially since it is reusable.

Shipping prices because of the weight will kill you if you have to mail order it. But even then they have pretty decent prices with free shipping at places like amazon.

And running your drill backwards was mentioned in one of the videos and is a good idea for most high power drills.

I was just clarifting. Not saying you missed anything.

I am poor. Hydroton is real expensive to me. I was just giving advice for the majority of people on a really tight budget. Like me.

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No problem, it’s all good advice here and you brought up a good point.

Just for you Latewood, I edited and added a picture to the above :wink:

BTW. I love your set up. How much are those pots? I actually have 2 60 liter bags of hydroton in storage. Got a deal 2 years ago. Plus I have 2 5 gallon buckets of used H’ton.

Building threads like this will benefit a lot of folks in the long run.

I will try to find my aero cloner data, and post it later.

One last note to new aspiring growers. All this info is to help you all decide which method ot system is best for you. You have to be comfortable with your system. If you want a great starter kit, and do not want to build it yourself. I would buy a waterfarm, like the beige unit posted above. About 55 bucks including nutrient starter kit. It is a reliable and great system. I wish I have bought 4 of them instead of building all my bubblers, aero systems etc. It’s up to you. Thanks McG…for taking the time to put this all together for us. Peace

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The 6" and 10" net pot lids for 5 gallon buckets average about $10 - $12 USD. 20 gallon rubbermaid HDPE garbage pails $10 - $15 USD most big box stores.

Here is an argument for DWC over other hydroponics systems, as well as an argument for small net pots and Latewood’s description of preferred net pot size as you can transfer the net pot to larger and larger reservoirs as the plant gets bigger.

And a tutorial build for a multiple net pot-large bin build, beginning to end. For about $35 USD.

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Bonus! The second guy sounds a little like Tommy Chong :sunglasses:

That looks like one of my tubs! Will watch the videos.

Here is a complete five - 5 gallon bucket set up, with a little part on the drilling of the bucket lid for use with Latewood’s favorite size net pot, 3 & 3/4 inch, and the hole drilled with 3 & 1/2 inch hole saw and a top feed drip system similar to my 5 bucket system.

However in this system, instead of uni-seals and 1" & 1/2" PVC or ABS pipe, it uses 1/2" tubing for the undercurrent re-circulation and instead of a airlift column water pump as the drip’s pump, he’s using a pond submersible pump.

In this setup with such small long tubing connecting all the buckets you probably won’t have to worry about roots finding their way into the moving parts inside the submersible pond pump, however in some rare cases you may have the tubes plugged up with root growth. In my set-up with the uni-seals and 1.5" pipe and so close to the control bucket, the roots may find their way, but an air lift pump has no moving parts, also no electrical wires being submerged as has to be done as the electricity needs to be supplied to the motor in a submersible pump. Although they are well water proofed. I just prefer a air lift column water pump for the above stated reasons as well as piece of mind of never having electrical wires in my reservoir and the added benefit of additional aeration.

Here is a very in depth, long, tutorial with drilling holes as well as measuring PH and PPM/TDS, adding ph down, and measuring and adding nutrients.

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Sent a member here but some of the utube the vids aren’t working?