How does a completely enclosed, recirculating, zero water changes SWC system sound?? read on.This is the second morph of my self built Hydro system. It works.
Most recirculating Hydro systems are bulky, making them difficult to taylor into a small room. Not to say I havent seen some ingenious feats around here!! My system is an easy hydro build that maximizes space in any room.
I wanted very much to run the krusty bucket(OG) or BIG TOKES Bio bucket system(ICMAG) that have been raved about when i first got started indoors.
Due to space and stealth factors I decided to design a system incorperating multiple designs into a compact, cheap hydro system 100% self built.
The system acts as a typical DWC system would by supplying the plants O2 through airstones.Instead of buckets im using 49 liter trays(2 plants per tray) + volume of the 6 inch pots. The system is top fed in intervals from the rez to feeder lines causing water levels to rise in the trays.This acheives a constant water level to the plants, as well recirculates the system when the overflow point is reached.Once reaching the overflow hose, the solution is returned via waterfall efect back into Rez.
a shot of the magic tray system. you can see how everything functions from this shot......but I know, y'all want more details eh???
The beauty of this system is it provides massive volume for root growth in both axis.My tallest plant grew to 6 feet. The system uses gravity and a pump to recirculate.That angled line comming out of the Rez is connected to the pump which in turn supplies the feeder lines....simple.
Here you can see the waterfall effect the system creates simply by recirculating.The pump is near this area, so this is where the 02 injection is created.
Here is the 02 injected feeder lines I constructed out of 1/2 hose and 1/4 inch air hose(fish stuff = cheap, widely avalible)
OK OK... BLunts run down. (this is going to take a few posts)
I went with drip irrigation for two reasons.
1. I had to maximize root growth within the pot itself, maximizing root space. Some DWC systems the roots grow straite down, wasting the volume of the pot.
.....and that just the top half!!
2. I wanted my system to recirculate.
The main table is made of 1/2 plywood with holes cut out to fit the netpot into the sweet spot of the tray, 1 - 2 inches off the water. The trays themselves I mounted with the lids onand predrilled 6 holes, finally screwing them up into the table.(you can see the screws in the pic)
The water level is maintained by the ebbflow idea of using a hose to channel the water back into the rez(you can see the level hose in the first shot)....for those that are too stoned to scroll back up there...haha.
the hose on the left coming down from my main trays to the REZ trays.
Their are 3 main trays connected together with 1/2 hose, what one tray does the others do. Each tray has 2 airstones located directly underneth each netpot hole.
Currently I have room for 6 plants. I am recirculating this system once every 4 hours for 10 minutes. Last round I recirculated every 3 hours for 2 mins.My idea here is better water exchange,cooling process-rez water is colder then the top trays), plus the creation of O2 due to waterfall effect like the biobuckets!!! I am still playing with this, who knows maybe i can run with out the stones!
My Rez is two larger trays on wheels (130 liters total capacity!!),
again connected together with half inch hose.You can just see the other one in the first shot....sorry stoners im not inserting that pic again!!!l
They sit directly below the main trays. Everything sits about 2 1/2 feet off the ground(plant to ground).
A good shot of the feeder lines. At the netpots you noticed i drilled a spot for the hose to go in. I used those small T 'ees at the end of the line in each netpot, once they are buried they seem to stay in place.
Hopefully that gives some ideas to you folks out there looking to compact their system, maybe even gain 1/2 - 2 feet ot of headroom.
Most recirculating Hydro systems are bulky, making them difficult to taylor into a small room. Not to say I havent seen some ingenious feats around here!! My system is an easy hydro build that maximizes space in any room.
I wanted very much to run the krusty bucket(OG) or BIG TOKES Bio bucket system(ICMAG) that have been raved about when i first got started indoors.
Due to space and stealth factors I decided to design a system incorperating multiple designs into a compact, cheap hydro system 100% self built.
The system acts as a typical DWC system would by supplying the plants O2 through airstones.Instead of buckets im using 49 liter trays(2 plants per tray) + volume of the 6 inch pots. The system is top fed in intervals from the rez to feeder lines causing water levels to rise in the trays.This acheives a constant water level to the plants, as well recirculates the system when the overflow point is reached.Once reaching the overflow hose, the solution is returned via waterfall efect back into Rez.
a shot of the magic tray system. you can see how everything functions from this shot......but I know, y'all want more details eh???
The beauty of this system is it provides massive volume for root growth in both axis.My tallest plant grew to 6 feet. The system uses gravity and a pump to recirculate.That angled line comming out of the Rez is connected to the pump which in turn supplies the feeder lines....simple.
Here you can see the waterfall effect the system creates simply by recirculating.The pump is near this area, so this is where the 02 injection is created.
Here is the 02 injected feeder lines I constructed out of 1/2 hose and 1/4 inch air hose(fish stuff = cheap, widely avalible)
OK OK... BLunts run down. (this is going to take a few posts)
I went with drip irrigation for two reasons.
1. I had to maximize root growth within the pot itself, maximizing root space. Some DWC systems the roots grow straite down, wasting the volume of the pot.
.....and that just the top half!!
2. I wanted my system to recirculate.
The main table is made of 1/2 plywood with holes cut out to fit the netpot into the sweet spot of the tray, 1 - 2 inches off the water. The trays themselves I mounted with the lids onand predrilled 6 holes, finally screwing them up into the table.(you can see the screws in the pic)
The water level is maintained by the ebbflow idea of using a hose to channel the water back into the rez(you can see the level hose in the first shot)....for those that are too stoned to scroll back up there...haha.
the hose on the left coming down from my main trays to the REZ trays.Their are 3 main trays connected together with 1/2 hose, what one tray does the others do. Each tray has 2 airstones located directly underneth each netpot hole.
Currently I have room for 6 plants. I am recirculating this system once every 4 hours for 10 minutes. Last round I recirculated every 3 hours for 2 mins.My idea here is better water exchange,cooling process-rez water is colder then the top trays), plus the creation of O2 due to waterfall effect like the biobuckets!!! I am still playing with this, who knows maybe i can run with out the stones!
My Rez is two larger trays on wheels (130 liters total capacity!!),
again connected together with half inch hose.You can just see the other one in the first shot....sorry stoners im not inserting that pic again!!!l
They sit directly below the main trays. Everything sits about 2 1/2 feet off the ground(plant to ground).
A good shot of the feeder lines. At the netpots you noticed i drilled a spot for the hose to go in. I used those small T 'ees at the end of the line in each netpot, once they are buried they seem to stay in place.
Hopefully that gives some ideas to you folks out there looking to compact their system, maybe even gain 1/2 - 2 feet ot of headroom.
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