Is this a good system?..

[Yowie2.02318]

so I bought this it should be here on Monday or tueds, main question is anyway what do you guys recommend using as a medium, they are 9 litre pots , so for Bunnings clay balls that’s only about $36 for 4 x 10 litre bags or should I use coco mixed with perlite? Help?.

 

[drgreenthumb]

Cheap Rubbish. Nutes and roots will get warm, which will give you an endless supply of grief.

Its just plastic bags sitting on a bigger plastic bag.

best to use with all clay balls if you really want to use the system. Coco will more than likely block up the pump and drippers if it gets into the bottom res.

Just make sure you clean and ph the clay balls if you use them.

 

[R3za92]

Rubbish. Nutes and roots will get warm, which will give you an endless supply of grief.

Its just plastic bags sitting on a bigger plastic bag.

best to use with all clay balls if you really want to use the system. Coco will more than likely block up the pump and drippers if it gets into the bottom res.

Just make sure you clean and ph the clay balls if you use them.

It’s fabric pots but yeah agree it’s not the greatest. Could use this with coco but make your own res (100l tank from Bunnings etc) and use the bottom tray/tub thingo to collect waste. Use a cheap wet vac to remove the water.

 

[drgreenthumb]

It’s fabric pots but yeah agree it’s not the greatest. Could use this with coco but make your own res (100l tank from Bunnings etc) and use the bottom tray/tub thingo to collect waste. Use a cheap wet vac to remove the water.

I bought a single version of this a long time ago to give it a try and they’re soft rubbery plastic pots and res underneath. Thin metal tubes to make a frame for the res/stand then the plastic sits in it to make the res if that makes sense.

Unless they’ve change since then

 

[Deleted member cpr]

Bloody hell Doc green, surely its usable?

Straight perlite, super coarse grade is my medium of choice. Very cheap and works a treat.

 

[drgreenthumb]

might be able to pull it off once when it’s brand new maybe if your lucky and it’s the middle of winter but they are cunts to get 100% clean and sterile for the next grow.
That’s what separates the cheap and nasty systems from the good quality and reliable systems IMO, the ability to be cleaned properly and have the same results everytime.

 

[drgreenthumb]

No harm in giving it a go I suppose, since it’s already on its way.

 

[R3za92]

I bought a single version of this a long time ago to give it a try and they’re soft rubbery plastic pots and res underneath. Thin metal tubes to make a frame for the res/stand then the plastic sits in it to make the res if that makes sense.
Unless they’ve change since then

you could be right. They look like fabric pots in the picture, if they aren’t id fuck them off for proper plastic pots or fabric pots, definitely wouldn’t run it as a res if it’s just plastic over a frame for the tray underneath, catchment for dtw at most.

 

[drgreenthumb]

you could be right. They look like fabric pots in the picture, if they aren’t id fuck them off for proper plastic pots or fabric pots, definitely wouldn’t run it as a res if it’s just plastic over a frame for the tray underneath, catchment for dtw at most.

Yea bud they're pretty bad. The bottom of the bags have a sleeve that is fed into the res they sit on with mesh on the bottom of the bag to stop the clay balls falling through and allow nutrients to flow back to the tank

But the roots grow straight through the mesh and into the res that doesn't come with an aerator.

I only vegged in it then threw it out but id imagine the roots would fill the whole shallow res up and block the recirc flow up pretty bloody easy.

 

[Yowie2.02318]

I have 3 gallon fabric pots here at home that are new I got like 12 of them , would they work as a replacement?
also im looking into other systems now too, does anyone recommend Wilma 4 pot system?

 

[Yowie2.02318]

I’m going to try it with the straight clay balls and hope for the best with some auto flowers?

 

[drgreenthumb]

I’m going to try it with the straight clay balls and hope for the best with some auto flowers?

Yea give it a go mate. Is this your first attempt at hydro?

Just recommend getting an aerator spit into multiple lines spread around in the bottom res tank because the roots will track into the tank

 

[R3za92]

I have 3 gallon fabric pots here at home that are new I got like 12 of them , would they work as a replacement?
also im looking into other systems now too, does anyone recommend Wilma 4 pot system?

you’ve got multiple options. Personally from what dgt has said the system would make that good of a reticulating system so if it was me I’d run it as a drain to waste system. So buy something I could use as a res (either. 100l tote or those little tanks from Bunnings) to feed the plants out of, a cheap wet vac to empty the res under the plants (the waste), fabric Pots, 70/30 coco perlite medium, and a pump/lines to set droppers with.

personally as a first grow I’d never recommend reticulating as a lot has the potential to go wrong.l and I find that dtw is just a little bit easier for newer growers.

 

[Billygoat]

Why would the roots get any warmer than being in soil in a tent?

My very first set up was similar to this, but was plastic pot in pot. I assume this sits on top of the res so the run off goes back into the res? will make it a bitch to clean/empty the res.

hopefully the weight of the clay balls and plant mass isn't too much for the frame... otherwise I reckon you will be fine..

 

[drgreenthumb]

you’ve got multiple options. Personally from what dgt has said the system would make that good of a reticulating system so if it was me I’d run it as a drain to waste system. So buy something I could use as a res (either. 100l tote or those little tanks from Bunnings) to feed the plants out of, a cheap wet vac to empty the res under the plants (the waste), fabric Pots, 70/30 coco perlite medium, and a pump/lines to set droppers with.

personally as a first grow I’d never recommend reticulating as a lot has the potential to go wrong.l and I find that dtw is just a little bit easier for newer growers.

This system comes marketed as a recirculating top feed system, Probably more like recirc NFT then DWC i suppose as the roots are meant to stay in the clay ball bag not in the RES and the pump just reuses the nute from the tank.

But I definitely agree with you on that would be better to just put a drain hose on the bottom tank and use it as run to waste to avoid high temp, root rot and pathogens that grow in it.

And Yes definitely do not recommend RDWC as a first time grower. As we've all seen

 

[Yowie2.02318]

you’ve got multiple options. Personally from what dgt has said the system would make that good of a reticulating system so if it was me I’d run it as a drain to waste system. So buy something I could use as a res (either. 100l tote or those little tanks from Bunnings) to feed the plants out of, a cheap wet vac to empty the res under the plants (the waste), fabric Pots, 70/30 coco perlite medium, and a pump/lines to set droppers with.

personally as a first grow I’d never recommend reticulating as a lot has the potential to go wrong.l and I find that dtw is just a little bit easier for newer growers.

I’m going to bunnings to get a hose for The drain plug at the bottom of the res and I was going to just let it drain and connect the other end of the hose the the water tank to refill the res and also rinse it out a few times would that work okay if I change the water weekly and keep an eye on the ph and temp?

 

[Yowie2.02318]

Yea give it a go mate. Is this your first attempt at hydro?

Just recommend getting an aerator spit into multiple lines spread around in the bottom res tank because the roots will track into the tank

Yeah it’s my first hydro grow , I usually just sprout inside and veg for a few weeks and dump them in 300-400 Litre planter beds on the property, I like the bush but I wanted something fast with this drought

 

[drgreenthumb]

Why would the roots get any warmer than being in soil in a tent?

My very first set up was similar to this, but was plastic pot in pot. I assume this sits on top of the res so the run off goes back into the res? will make it a bitch to clean/empty the res.

hopefully the weight of the clay balls and plant mass isn't too much for the frame... otherwise I reckon you will be fine..

Water is conductive of the ambient temp and also anything above 21-22 with lower Dissolved O2 and allow bacteria, pathogens and all sort of other nasties to breed.

 

[Yowie2.02318]

Water is conductive of the ambient temp and also anything above 21-22 with lower Dissolved O2 and allow bacteria, pathogens and all sort of other nasties to breed.

Would using a fish tank heater help that problem Doc ?

 

[drgreenthumb]

soil in a lot more insulating than water and doesn't and the O2 for the roots is obsorbed from the surrounding air or drawn in when watering. DWC hold the O2 in the water but if it isnt 'dissolved' so to speak then the roots will suffocate and minerals that are suspended will break and/or become bio unavailable to the roots