Grow Mediums Hydro alternative to AutoPots?

[Simplicio]

I've been growing in ~15 usable gallon, 2-plant reservoirs, but the plants got too big.
Now I'm trying a 2-plant Autopot 2.2 gallon Easy2Grow system along with some new diy hydro setups.
Autopots don't need reservoir changes, and the usual reason given is that the water doesn't stay in the autopot fluid tray long enough to stagnate.

But the reason might also be that the water flows thru the system too fast for the microbes to catch up, or something else.
If that's true, then a small dwc setup might be able to survive without ever changing the reservoir.

I've got 3 of these small reservoirs going right now.
Each has about 4 gallons of fluid for 2 plants.
Liquid levels are controlled by float valves inside the reservoirs, which are connected to an external reservoir that only needs to be replenished about once a week.
When the plants are small, reservoir size won't matter, but when the plants get big, root space or root interference might be problems.


The longest running setup is starting its 7th week right now with zero reservoir changes, and the plants are thriving.
I have been upping ppm daily by hand in the plant vessels, which is a slight pain.
In the future I might just empty some out reservoir fluid daily and have it get replaced with stronger storage reservoir fluid.
In my larger dwc setups, I've also not been changing out the 15 gallons, but have been removing 1 gallon daily from each, which gets replenished from a storage reservoir.
I was also using daily clorox, but not in the small reservoirs.

The hope is that these can be run just like autopots, but with a bit less work.
I've been measuring daily ppm and pH for both plant vessels and storage reservoirs.
So far they are staying the same, but might not as the plants near harvest.
If they continue to stay the same, then those daily ppm and pH measurements will be unnecessary, as with autopots.
I'm also paying attention to smells, and if the reservoirs start stinking I might be forced to add clorox.

Here are a FastBuds Blackberry (Left) and a Mephisto 3BearsOG (Right) in a 3 x 3 ft tent at the start of their 7th week. I use the "let them grow the way they want to" strategy, while following the Vapor Pressure Deficit chart from seed to harvest, and using AutoCOBs.

 

[Olderfart]

Nice healthy plants. I will be interested to see what other have to say about your questions. I have used Autopots, but not hydro, so I will stay in the audience.

 

[briefbriefs]

Whoa consider me subbed. I’m interested in what happens!

 

[Death The Cultivator]

Is this similar to UC DWC just without the reservoir changes? Not entirely understanding

 

[Simplicio]

Is this similar to UC DWC just without the reservoir changes? Not entirely understanding

Remotely similar to UnderCurrent, but I use one 2-plant reservoir per tent, instead of multiple buckets hooked up to one storage reservoir.
Each of them has its own storage tank, and each is (or will be in the future) at a different stage of growth, producing a 2-plant harvest each month roughly.
There is only gravity feed, no recirculation.

The thing I'm trying to test is whether dwc can be made as easy or easier than autopots.
Autopots need no reservoir changes or root rot prevention, so I won't do those things either.
My experience is that the Autopot storage reservoir pH and ppm always match those values in the Autopot grow vessel base, so there's no need to measure the base values.
Although I'm now measuring both storage reservoir values and plant reservoir values in the dwc setups, I plan on devising a scheme whereby only the storage reservoir needs to be measured, just like autopots.
I do use airstones, which is a passive action, but still more complex than autopots.

The oldest plants in one tent are nearing the end of their 9th week, and the results so far are promising.
I did light burn these plants (my 12" COB try failed), but other than some orange teeth they are very healthy.
The other 2 setups are doing great, both nearing the end of their 6th week.
I'm hoping that trying 3 different reservoirs will be sufficient proof of concept.

First picture is a SeedStockers Purple Punch nearing the end of 6 weeks. Its tentmate was accidentally killed by my klutzy hands a week ago.
Second picture is FastBuds Blackberry (Left) and Mephisto 3BearsOG near the end of 9 weeks.
Last picture (too lazy for lights out) is PacificSeedBank DarkSideOfTheMoon (Left) and Yumboldt also near the end of 6 weeks. I'm checking to see whether this seed bank is a scam.

 

[Death The Cultivator]

Remotely similar to UnderCurrent, but I use one 2-plant reservoir per tent, instead of multiple buckets hooked up to one storage reservoir.
Each of them has its own storage tank, and each is (or will be in the future) at a different stage of growth, producing a 2-plant harvest each month roughly.
There is only gravity feed, no recirculation.

The thing I'm trying to test is whether dwc can be made as easy or easier than autopots.
Autopots need no reservoir changes or root rot prevention, so I won't do those things either.
My experience is that the Autopot storage reservoir pH and ppm always match those values in the Autopot grow vessel base, so there's no need to measure the base values.
Although I'm now measuring both storage reservoir values and plant reservoir values in the dwc setups, I plan on devising a scheme whereby only the storage reservoir needs to be measured, just like autopots.
I do use airstones, which is a passive action, but still more complex than autopots.

The oldest plants in one tent are nearing the end of their 9th week, and the results so far are promising.
I did light burn these plants (my 12" COB try failed), but other than some orange teeth they are very healthy.
The other 2 setups are doing great, both nearing the end of their 6th week.
I'm hoping that trying 3 different reservoirs will be sufficient proof of concept.

First picture is a SeedStockers Purple Punch nearing the end of 6 weeks. Its tentmate was accidentally killed by my klutzy hands a week ago.
Second picture is FastBuds Blackberry (Left) and Mephisto 3BearsOG near the end of 9 weeks.
Last picture (too lazy for lights out) is PacificSeedBank DarkSideOfTheMoon (Left) and Yumboldt also near the end of 6 weeks. I'm checking to see whether this seed bank is a scam.
View attachment 1208995
View attachment 1208996View attachment 1208997

It looks like it's working well for you though. I will happily watch though. Thanks for the explanation

 

[Simplicio]

These ~3 usable gallon, 2-plant DWC reservoirs with float valve and external storage tank are working very well.
Much better than my failed attempts with 2.2 gallon, 2-plant, Easy2Grow autopots.
It will take me several grows to figure out how to make them as simple as possible.
I have 3-4 staggered setups of these, so I should learn how to deal with them in a few months.
I've harvested a couple of these so far, and really like them.

So far I've been getting the hoped for 3-4 ft tall autos that take up 4 sq ft each, and yield about 4 oz each.
Much better than the huge jungle my larger reservoirs were producing.
I eventually expect to be able to have a set schedule for storage tank ppm that will eliminate the need for frequent plant vessel ppm and pH checks.

Here's the setup that has the most mature plants, ready in a week or two.
I'm also testing Pacific Seed Bank, which I suspect isn't on the up and up.
Their DarkSideOfTheMoon auto is on the left, and their Yumboldt auto on the right, both nearing the end of 11 weeks.
No topping or training was done, but some string was used to keep the plants apart.

 

[Simplicio]

I've decided I like these 3 usable gallon, 2 plant reservoirs, and will be using them exclusively until I get things figured out.
The float valve inside each reservoir isn't being affected by roots, and does keep fluid level fairly constant at about 2.5 inches.
Plant size is about what I want, 3-5 feet, and yield is about 3 oz per plant with zero topping, training, or pruning.
Plants get about 2 sq ft each, and I use ultrasonic humidifiers to follow the unaltered VPD chart thru harvest with RO water and Greenleaf Megacrop 1.0, a bit of CalMag, and nothing else.

I have 2 unsolved issues.
1. How to keep pH and ppm in plant vessel the way I want them by using specific values in the storage reservoir.
Things are pretty stable during late veg and flower when the storage reservoir ppm is about 1/3 higher than ppm in the plant vessels, but this is probably humidity dependent.
2. How to deal with sprouts.
I like to put them into the hydro system as soon as they poke out of Rapid Rooters.
So far ppm=1600 (EC=3.2) in the storage tank has been insufficient to keep giving the sprouts the ppm they want, so I've been having to add food from the storage tank to the plant vessels by hand for a couple weeks.
I'm still looking for a ppm that will slowly raise ppm from zero to a max of about 450 ppm over the course of about 3 weeks without my doing anything.
I'm guessing that's about 2500 ppm that I will eventually dilute down to 450 ppm as the plants age.

I've got 4 of these going right now, along with a smaller 1-plant reservoir.
Here's a picture of a 2-plant vessel.
I've added a top feed to keep the reservoir better mixed. It's from a General Hydroponics Farm Kit and uses the same air pump as the air stone.
Previously I'd been reaching into the reservoir with my hand to mix in pH up/dn and nutes.
So far I haven't changed out the reservoirs or added clorox, and hope to be able to continue, although clorox might eventually be needed.
The plant vessels get about 1/3 to 1/2 new fluid every day anyway, and unwanted buildup of unused elements in the plant vessels seems not to be happening.

I'll post some individual plant pictures below.
I'm still holding out hope that I can make these easier than Autopots.

 

[Simplicio]

Here are the youngest plants, Mephisto 3BearsOGxDoubleGrape and WhiteCrack nearing the end of their 2nd week.
I've been having to add fluid from a storage reservoir to increase ppm.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

I have not had good luck with sterile hydro.