BLUNT_69 building a SWC + Drip Hydro (for all you cab growers)

[wizberry]

Hi Blunt_69,

I've been reading your threads and have been very impressed with the Magic Trays ease of maintenance and performance. I have a few questions...

You mentioned that your original 6 site trays used the Sterlite Underbed storage trays, 49 liter size. Unfortunately, I can’t find that size in my area or Sterlite no longer makes that size? Sterlite makes a 39 liter size which measures 34” x 16” x 6” and a 74 liter Ultra size which measures 44” x 20” x 6.5”. I’ve also found a 42” x 20 x 6.5” at Bed Bath & Beyond. Which of these sizes is most preferable?

I usually breakdown & clean everything at the end of a grow. But since the trays are screwed onto the plywood, this must not be done? So I'm guessing the old bacteria and enzymes, in the driplines, and the trays keep the system healthy? Cuz they are NOT sterile, hehe. I've seen beneficials like Hydroguard, and used the fresh bacterial teas available at any gro shop. Is this a good/bad idea for the Magic Trays?

I’m amazed that your temps are always so low in the reservoir, like in the upper 50s F. Your upper trays are in the mid 60s F. How is this possible when the room temp is often in the 80s? Is your outside climate super cold? Does your rez sit on a concrete floor in a basement? Do you use a chiller?

Your grow area is 5x7. Does the plywood cover the entire 5x7 area? Area-wise, I think of your grow area as having an inner sweet spot, about 3 x 5 ft, which contains all 6 plants along w/ most of the buds, AND an outer area, which is a 1 foot outer area around the sweet spot. This works out to roughly 70 watts/sq foot in the sweet spot area. But my question is...how important is that outer 1 foot area to your yields? Am I totally off in the way I'm thinking about your area?

I appreciate your answering all these questions...your system is amazing, and I'm trying to understand all the little details..

TIA, Wizberry ...

 

[Blunt_69]

Wizberry - thanks for your interest in the magic trays, I will do my best to answer all questions!!

You mentioned that your original 6 site trays used the Sterlite Underbed storage trays, 49 liter size. Unfortunately, I can’t find that size in my area or Sterlite no longer makes that size? Sterlite makes a 39 liter size which measures 34” x 16” x 6” and a 74 liter Ultra size which measures 44” x 20” x 6.5”. I’ve also found a 42” x 20 x 6.5” at Bed Bath & Beyond. Which of these sizes is most preferable?

49 liter trays are what I used for the trays mainly for two reasons. Capacity, but also how long they were. This was important so that I could space netpots apart accordingly giving each plant room.. You could get away with less capacity and spacing. My system as it sits allows for about 5 gallons of TOTAL root space per plant including volume of net pot. So any less is less space for roots and branching. The dimensions are not as important as total liters/gallons held. I am not sure what a 49-liter tray measures.

The 8-site was just built using same trays recently. Those 49 liter trays should be around. If anything I would go bigger if head space is not an issue.

I usually breakdown & clean everything at the end of a grow. But since the trays are screwed onto the plywood, this must not be done? So I'm guessing the old bacteria and enzymes, in the driplines, and the trays keep the system healthy? Cuz they are NOT sterile, hehe. I've seen Beneficial’s like Hydroguard, and used the fresh bacterial teas available at any gro shop. Is this a good/bad idea for the Magic Trays?

I use hydrozyme throughout any grow, and use a salt flushing agent once the plants are removed from netpots.The top trays are accessible with the netpots out.. You mostly find sandy crap from hydroton which can be wiped out easy. the lower rez tanks and hose require next to nothing for cleanup. This seems to do the trick and keeps sludge and other crap minimal.. I try not to kill beneficials, so as long as my system is clear and fresh I don’t sterilize between rounds.

I’m amazed that your temps are always so low in the reservoir, like in the upper 50s F. Your upper trays are in the mid 60s F. How is this possible when the room temp is often in the 80s? Is your outside climate super cold? Does your rez sit on a concrete floor in a basement? Do you use a chiller?

No. I do not use a chiller with the system. The lower rez trays are also a low profile tray 65 - liters each and spread out over more surface area. Because my trays sit on a suspended basement floor it is always cold. They self cool. The plywood the trays are built onto separate the heat between the room and rez area. I also cover everything in white plastic to reflect as much light heat away from the Rez tanks and the plywood itself. It is a combination of all three techniques that achieves superb results with no additional cost. The 8-site is using a different technique whereby blowing cool are into the rez cavity from a basement.Think of it as a room withing a room with seperate climate control.

Your grow area is 5x7. Does the plywood cover the entire 5x7 area? Area-wise, I think of your grow area as having an inner sweet spot, about 3 x 5 ft, which contains all 6 plants along w/ most of the buds, AND an outer area, which is a 1 foot outer area around the sweet spot. This works out to roughly 70 watts/sq foot in the sweet spot area. But my question is...how important is that outer 1 foot area to your yields? Am I totally off in the way I'm thinking about your area?

Yes these are total growing dimensions. The outer 1 foot area achieves very similar results to the inner spread and this is mostly due to the way I prune the plants as they grow. I basically shoot for filling out the room with as many colas with good spacing as I can. If you do that, every part of the grow space is maximized. Especially if you can keep the canopy even. It is also important to support your branches with cages or bamboo. When you’re growing bud this fat, branches topple over easily.

 

[wizberry]

In one of your posts u mentioned that u use a T at the end of the dripper line. Is the T buried under the hydroton? I'm guessing the T is right up against the stem of the plant, dripping onto the peat puck? Any chance of seeing a pic of the way the drip line and the T are setup inside the netpot?

TIA, Wizberry
btw, I don't care how dirty the feeder lines are, cuz now I see that they hold beneficial bacteria.

 

[Blunt_69]

Yes this is excatly how i used to do it because the hose would not want to stay beneath the hydroton. I now drill a hole just a tad smaller then the hose right near the brim of the netpot and fish it beside the stem. The hole provides enough resistance to hold the hose in place directly into the peat puck.

 

[wizberry]

Yes this is excatly how i used to do it because the hose would not want to stay beneath the hydroton. I now drill a hole just a tad smaller then the hose right near the brim of the netpot and fish it beside the stem. The hole provides enough resistance to hold the hose in place directly into the peat puck.

I was wondering about your netpots. Are these standard pots adapted for netpot use? They seem to have solid sides, do they have the usual netpot openings at the bottom? You posted that 8 inch netpots would work even better ... what has been your experience with them?

TIA, Wizberry

 

[Blunt_69]

Havent used 8 inch.. Somebody posted awhile back asking if they could use 8 inch.. I answered yes. Added volume for roots is always a good thing. However I have not tested it. Both 8-site and 6-site systems i have produced use a standard net pot 6 inch stacked together in pairs. This allows for better tap roots formation, and prevents any hydroton from slipping into the trays.. This would = disaster if even one level line was clogged. To date i have never had roots grow into my leveling lines. The drainage line yes, and does need to be checked usually mid to late flower.

 

[ajc0k]

would this system work just as good if you left feed lines running all day like rdwc?

 

[Blunt_69]

It might.The 8 site uses a better method of drainage. The idea is for the lower trays to super oxygenate the water/nutes and be flushed every 3-4 hours with rez supply

 

[johnny drama]

amazing set up i know that must have took a minute to build

 

[moldyeye]

yo

yo

bump

 

[hazi]

I'm planning of building a version of this setup (thank you so much for the thread) and have a few questions.

1) This might be a stupid one but do you think that as long as I had a way to drain/refill the tubs could I get away without a reservoir? I guess I don't really understand the advantage of a reservoir in the setup.

2) What is the advantage of having the pots sitting above the deck instead of in the tubs, more root space?

3) How can you get away with never changing the rez over the course of a grow? All the other forums I have read say you get buildup of "bad stuff" if you don't.

4) Is it better to have a bunch of small air pumps like in this setup or could I have one big one and an air manifold? Is there a rule of thumb about how much air you need per square foot or something?


Thank you so much. These plans are great,. I'll post pictures when I get mine built.

 

[hazi]

One last question. If I'm trying for max yield per unit time what do you think about sog/scrog with more plants vs. bigger plants and topping? It looks like you have done both and I'd really appreciate any advice you might have.

 

[dansbuds]

blunt where did you get those fitting for your overflow tubes ? i've been looking for fittings at HD & lowes ... found a few i can use but those would be perfect & do they come in 3/4" ?

thanx man & awesome set up .

 

[Blunt_69]

hazi -

1) This might be a stupid one but do you think that as long as I had a way to drain/refill the tubs could I get away without a reservoir? I guess I don't really understand the advantage of a reservoir in the setup.

The reservoir allows the system to recirculate from above and keep the upper trays fed with a more balanced and oxygenated nutrient mix as there is more water mixing throughout the system. The more water there is in a system the more stable and the less chance of susceptible to massive swings in ph and ppm.

2) What is the advantage of having the pots sitting above the deck instead of in the tubs, more root space?

Answered you own question there!

3) How can you get away with never changing the rez over the course of a grow? All the other forums I have read say you get buildup of "bad stuff" if you don't.

That is a combination of a number of things, one being the amount of solution that runs through the system.Another being the low PPM levels, highly oxygenated water solution. I do adjust the solution with PHd water if it is getting to hot.Sometimes a do a partial dump and flush.If i cannot correct a trend such as ph falling uncontrollably or ppm rising uncontrollably. The trimeter is a very handy tool for this purpose, it allows you to see trends as they happen.

4) Is it better to have a bunch of small air pumps like in this setup or could I have one big one and an air manifold? Is there a rule of thumb about how much air you need per square foot or something?

I think either is fine.. i dont know the exacts of oxy to water, I work on overkill concept.. So overkill the amount of air you feed into the system!! I use big air pumps 3 of them for the main trays another 1 for the rez tanks

One last question. If I'm trying for max yield per unit time what do you think about sog/scrog with more plants vs. bigger plants and topping? It looks like you have done both and I'd really appreciate any advice you might have.

i prefer to grow larger multi-tops plants. I have found they = most yield depending on how tight you can pack them in there and still get decent light penetration..

blunt where did you get those fitting for your overflow tubes ? i've been looking for fittings at HD & lowes ... found a few i can use but those would be perfect & do they come in 3/4" ?

yeah they come in 3/4 1/2.. I got mine from the hydro store(has nick-nacks like that kicking around) use whatever you can find. as long as she seals up tight, your stylin.

 

[noyd666]

hi blunt .i know this is old story ,but do you still use magic trays?i made 8 site one ,with more drains ect gave me somethingto do,while waiting for court lol looks like you had fun with it.

 

[Blunt_69]

yup you bet.. not online as much but the 6-site is kicking ass as usual. just not growing as much as i used to.... lets see some pics of your bad boy 8 site...

in fact i just fired her up today. with some white widowXnl cross ... its fantastic stuff!

 

[noyd666]

lol just noticed your still here, I have still got it but pulled down for room of a coco nature. coco is getting costly freight wise, so water could be back on.

 

[noyd666]

blunt69, she's up against garage wall tarped over, never used, but pumps and every thing bar chiller. timed the pumps etc if I get her wizzing around I think I would put new marine ply top on and maybe black totes. was going to need a fair amount of nutes.only leak I got was when I put bottom bungs in, was quicker to mop and dry by hand the last bit left over after flushing out.

 

[Blunt_69]

sweet!! never seen one not built by myself.. so that's perty neat man.. dont need black plastic totes if you got the sides tarped in.. mine fits perfectly in my room so.. i only tarp the ends in.. marine top eh.... hmmm im liking that idea...

i just waiting for the lights.. ill take some pics of the system real soon here

 

[noyd666]

good one blunt.