Top feed hydro system

I have a GH power grower system that has top feed, should I expect to see any roots down in the res or just in the camber with the clay balls ?

You’ll see plenty of both. @TDubWilly has some great root porn for demonstrating top feed, and plenty of roots down below. @Sutton

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Thanks for quick reply, I was just wondering if the roots would travel downward if they don’t need to lol

They will, they’ll be seeking out all the nutrients and water it can get. More root mass equals bigger fruits.

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Ok great. Thanks for your time :slight_smile:

Out of likes but anytime! TDubWilly will be along probably sometime tomorrow or the next day, pending his work schedule. @Sutton

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This is not a DWC system even though you can make it one by adding an air stone top the mix, only then you can turn off the top feed once the roots hit the water but the system wasn’t built with one in mind.

General Hydroponics made this system to be more of an Nutrient Film Teqhnique system, where you constantly leave the top feed going and it dribbles down the roots. Roots need oxygenated water and without an air stone, this system mixes water and air in the top feed shaft to achieve that so it would be detrimental to the plant to turn off the top feed with no air stone.

Personally, if it was my system, I would do both. I would integrate an air stone and leave the top feed running all the time or maybe even better put it on a timer to run 5-6 times a day for 20 or 30 minutes.

You have to watch for stem rot and damping off in a system like this so be careful.

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Yes roots will eventually make it into that rez and out of the chamber if you grow a decent sized plant which that system is designed to do

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Thank u so much for the info. Yeah I bought a air stone and sep pump the day I got it, like it as a back up too due to me being gone for 8 days at a time. Do to me running this system this way if I wanted to over fill the res while I’m gone is this possible ? Or should I strictly stay to level line ?

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I would stay at the level line or below, taking it above can cause all kinds of problems.

If you wanna add more water then you would need to connect another bucket to it.

In order to hold maximum water, the extra bucket and your power grower would need to be connected at the bottom.

This is a very long time to go in hydro without checking the pH. Many times pH can start to drift after just a couple of days of not being checked.

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Yeah I been reading up about that, may go to buy a auto adjuster system.

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I do both and have a massive ball of roots

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