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Looking for most silent hydro setup options.

Ca++

Well-known member
As far a leakage that is so overkill. I dont even have a liner and have never had a leak in my DIY undercurrent setup. Make it correct the first time and there will be no leaks...PVC is completely fine for potable water.
Good for you. I know people that can't walk by a drink without scoring a goal with it. While a lapse of judgement every few years seems fairly likely for most. The phone call while the hose is running and such.
 
Hi

run to waste on rockwool
the pump only run a few minutes each day

rockwool is the less hospitable for gnats IME
and i have some (xprience) with gnats.. lol
 
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stiff

Well-known member
Veteran
Maybe run some BTI through it and see if it gets rid of them? I usually have good success with Bacillus thuringesis israelis
 

Loc Dog

Hobbies include "drinkin', smokin' weed, and all k
Veteran
Hello IC community,
Was wondering for the next year project.. The aim is to switch from organic soil/organic nutes into some hydro. It is just more clean doing it in small space appartament, and more safe due to ferocious amounts of soil being bought over and over again.. Another problem is that organics is atracting those fungus cunts constantly. And I dont want to use all those bio/synthetic tipes of insecticides, they work moderate, but finally bugs come back and even becomes more resistant, So idea is to just start clean without any other plants, put intake filters, seal everything and have a completely fungus-twat free environment for ladies.

But I have stuck in choosing right system for compact 4 plant per cab grow.

Most important is the noise, which system makes
DWC - air pumps
RDWC - air pumps + water pump + waterfall sound
Aero - waterfall sound + water pump + nozzle

But what about growing in clay pebbles and flood/drain system ?
It looks most silent to me, but problems is what about draining/clogging problems? It would be fatal for me, as it is appartament and basically I would get into big big troubles because of that. So I have no space to make mistakes.
What do you think overall, because I have much more experience doing in hydro rather than indoor soil.

Which one would be better in compact small space conditions ???
Coco is the last option if none of the systems above is possible with dampening sound to a minimal. But seeing problems of Na/sodium with coco I would like to dodge it.

Grateful for any ideas !
Coco. Grows as well as hydro, but all plants will not get screwed if a problem. Use boiling water to expand blocks, and prepare water a day ahead with BTI dunk floating in it, so it has time to breed. That should take care of all fungus gnats.
 
D

Deleted member 543464

Hello IC community,
Was wondering for the next year project.. The aim is to switch from organic soil/organic nutes into some hydro. It is just more clean doing it in small space appartament, and more safe due to ferocious amounts of soil being bought over and over again.. Another problem is that organics is atracting those fungus cunts constantly. And I dont want to use all those bio/synthetic tipes of insecticides, they work moderate, but finally bugs come back and even becomes more resistant, So idea is to just start clean without any other plants, put intake filters, seal everything and have a completely fungus-twat free environment for ladies.

But I have stuck in choosing right system for compact 4 plant per cab grow.

Most important is the noise, which system makes
DWC - air pumps
RDWC - air pumps + water pump + waterfall sound
Aero - waterfall sound + water pump + nozzle

But what about growing in clay pebbles and flood/drain system ?
It looks most silent to me, but problems is what about draining/clogging problems? It would be fatal for me, as it is appartament and basically I would get into big big troubles because of that. So I have no space to make mistakes.
What do you think overall, because I have much more experience doing in hydro rather than indoor soil.

Which one would be better in compact small space conditions ???
Coco is the last option if none of the systems above is possible with dampening sound to a minimal. But seeing problems of Na/sodium with coco I would like to dodge it.

Grateful for any ideas !
Get a fishtank and a few fish. Take up the hobby. Then people won't question the hum of your pumps. I've found you can't hide the sound. You can hang em upside down with bungee cord. Set them on styrofoam, there's still gonna be the hum.
 

Ca++

Well-known member
Pumps only hum if they are AC or diaphragm types. Even then, a weighty rotor like a central heating pump resists the torque spikes like a flywheel. Imagine the racket around the house if they didn't.
 

Rexel

Active member
Coco + Blumats = silent. Not sure if it qualifies as hydro, but it grows nice plants for me.
I never got Coco + Blumats to perform properly and be stable enough. I think it's better suited for peat that can go drier IMO.

If doing coir I think it's better with regular automation with feed pumps and timers since you don't want the carrot deciding how wet the substrate should be since it should stay wet and never go dry.

I had too many runaway with Bluemats trying to feed coco coir properly.

A small air pump is almost silent and you don't need much to keep a nutrient solution stable. Feed pumps are fairly silent and doesn't run more than a minute 2-6 times a day.

Then there's traditional and regular Autopots that's dead silent and been around forever? I rather use that for Coco coir if choosing a passive system.

Cheers!
 
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Artful Codger

Active member
I never got Coco + Blumats to perform properly and be stable ebough. I think it's better suited for peat that can go drier IMO.

If doing coir I think it's better with regular automation with feed pumps and timers since you don't want the carrot deciding how wet the substrate should be since it should stay wet and never go dry.

I had too many runaway with Bluemats trying to feed coco coir properly.

A small air pump is almost silent and you don't need much to keep a nutrient solution stable. Feed pumps are fairly silent and doesn't run more than a minute 2-6 times a day.

Then there's traditional and regular Autopots that's dead silent and been around forever? I rather use that for Coco coir if choosing a passive system.

Cheers!
I've been running coco and Blumats for three years now. I'm pretty happy with it. I think it's like anything else...takes a while to get it dialed. Lots of ways to grow.
 

Ca++

Well-known member
I'm F&D in a tent. The loudest intermittent noise is the relays clicking. The loudest constant noise, is air rushing through the carbon granules. The only hum is a 600 ballast. I have 4 water pumps and 1 air pump. One water pump whines mildly. The noise I must address next, is water hammer in a hosepipe, when the solenoid snaps shut. It's pumped water, not on the mains. However that hose is through a drywall, and makes a knocking noise I'm aware of. I have the bits to add a vertical dead end full of air. The airs elasticity should take the edge off.
I use a spectrum analiser at various points in the room, and coupled to different structures, to find vibration and standing waves. I might have an image..
Screenshot.jpg

IIRC that was sniffing at the loudest part of my fan, before I boxed it. No 50hz mains seen, as it's EC. Like most of my pumps. The 855 is prominent in the waterfall (history) and related to the commutation speed. Most of the rest is air noise, influenced by the pipe widths.
I put the effort in, and get the results I need. My air pump and acoustic dampener live in an 18mm mdf box, lined with dampening rubber. This is then hung with elastic, along with another acoustic dampener, in a second 18mm mdf box lined with more dampening material. Air pumps are a bloody nightmare, but you need to shove that pipe in your ear to hear anything. Where there is a will, there is a way
 

greyfader

Well-known member
forgive the shameless proselytizing but the ppk system is the quietest! no air pumps, no chillers, no continuously running water pumps. small quiet pumps running a total of 6 minutes runtime per day.

as far as fungus gnats are concerned i haven't seen one since switching to perlite amended with worm castings and diatomaceous earth. two years ago.

see the link in my sig below for an idea of what a ppk system looks like. and the plants grown in it.

also this thread: https://www.icmag.com/threads/blue-star-og-pheno-hunt-winner-in-a-ppk-system.18128016/
 
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