Hi Everyone, it’s great to have found this community! I live in the Boston area and, after trying to eek out an outdoor grow this summer during a heatwave with curious neighbors and delivery people, I’ve decided to start an indoor grow setup in my apt. After researching options based on my living arrangement, and seeing various great recommendations on this forum, I decided to invest in quality and efficiency from the start and am going with a 2x4x7’1” Gorilla tent, a custom built strip of 4 Luminus cxm22gen4 COBs (2*3500 +2*4000) and an AC INFINITY cloud line T6 fan and filter. I just ordered up a bunch of autos and am raring to go. Since I’ve only grown in soil before, I’m particularly interested in getting advice and guidance (ideally a design plan) on how to set up and run a small reservoir hydro system. For example using a plastic craftsman bin as I’ve seen some on here do, with a small pump to deliver nutes, possibly using Rockwell cubes to start, and then switch to geo rock. I am also seeking LST tips for autos as I’d like to SCROG the grow. There’s so much to learn, thanks!
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heya @BosGrow and
to afn! 
can't help ya much with hydro, cuz me an organic soil grower, so...
otherz will chime in tho & anything else u need, jus give a holler 
ppp &
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@BosGrow Welcome to AFN Ok the Boston area indoors. Do you have AC and will you be running it to control the heat and humidity in the summer months? The reservoir temperatures need to be held as close to 68°F as you can get. Water holds the most dissolved oxygen at that temperature and gets beyond life support for a plant above ~80°F. I have a primer for DWC here:
www.autoflower.org
When you assemble your grow space put as much of the equipment outside of the tent as possible. Every cubic inch of space inside the tent is valuable. Your extraction fan and filter and the drivers for the lights can all be outside of the tent.
I have grown in the 17 Gallon tubs that hold about 10 gallons of nutrients with two plants in each. a couple of problems arise with this but are not a deal killer. One is the entanglement of the roots at harvest time. It is a problem if the plants are not both ready to be harvested at the same time. The first plant harvested you need to leave a small leaved stem and branch growing in the net pot or the roots in the reservoir will die and foul the reservoir. The other is once filled and grown it is nearly impossible to move without damaging the plants.
The reason I grow hydro is so pumps can do all of the heavy lifting. I have a bad back. I highly recommend having two air pumps. Put one on a battery back-up and divide the flow so you have a stone from each pump in each reservoir. A plant can live for a while without light but loosing aeration in the reservoir can cause problems in a short time.
Plan for a top-off tank outside the tent. Spills will happen. Plan for them. I have a flood tray as my floor in my grow space. It will easily hold all of the water in my entire system should a major leak happen. It has!
Pumps pumps pumps you need them.
Top feed to get started.
I used Orca Grow film for my walls and then to keep light out of the reservoir. It turns out that algae likes yellow light.
There is so much more but that should get you started.
Welcome to AFN Ok the Boston area indoors. Do you have AC and will you be running it to control the heat and humidity in the summer months? The reservoir temperatures need to be held as close to 68°F as you can get. Water holds the most dissolved oxygen at that temperature and gets beyond life support for a plant above ~80°F. I have a primer for DWC here:
Grow Mediums - Deep Water Culture Basics - Bubbleponics
Sharing some things I have learned doing Deep Water Culture with cannabis. Technically what I use is called “Bubbleponics”. First your environmental needs must be met - light, temperature, humidity and air movement all need to be in range for plants to grow well. I will assume you understand...
www.autoflower.org
When you assemble your grow space put as much of the equipment outside of the tent as possible. Every cubic inch of space inside the tent is valuable. Your extraction fan and filter and the drivers for the lights can all be outside of the tent.
I have grown in the 17 Gallon tubs that hold about 10 gallons of nutrients with two plants in each. a couple of problems arise with this but are not a deal killer. One is the entanglement of the roots at harvest time. It is a problem if the plants are not both ready to be harvested at the same time. The first plant harvested you need to leave a small leaved stem and branch growing in the net pot or the roots in the reservoir will die and foul the reservoir. The other is once filled and grown it is nearly impossible to move without damaging the plants.
The reason I grow hydro is so pumps can do all of the heavy lifting. I have a bad back. I highly recommend having two air pumps. Put one on a battery back-up and divide the flow so you have a stone from each pump in each reservoir. A plant can live for a while without light but loosing aeration in the reservoir can cause problems in a short time.
Plan for a top-off tank outside the tent. Spills will happen. Plan for them. I have a flood tray as my floor in my grow space. It will easily hold all of the water in my entire system should a major leak happen. It has!
Pumps pumps pumps you need them.
Top feed to get started.
I used Orca Grow film for my walls and then to keep light out of the reservoir. It turns out that algae likes yellow light.
There is so much more but that should get you started.
I do much of what Man'O'Green does, with a few exceptions.
I have switched from larger, 15 usable gallon reservoirs to 10 gallon totes that have 3 usable gallons of fluid total for 2 plants.
Plants were too big before, but now have perfect size, and 1.5 gallons each seems like the right amount.
Top feed is very nice, and helps keep things well mixed, but it does add complexity.
I've stopped using it, because I was having trouble DIYing it for small reservoirs, and the plants don't seem to mind.
For me, the perfect setup is several 2 x 4 ft tents with one 2-plant reservoir each.
As ManOgreen points out, root tangling prevents the removal of one plant at a time, but leaving a few leaves on a harvested plant keeps it from rotting. For me this is a non-issue.
Like ManOgreen suggests, humidifiers and heaters can be put outside tents.
I set mine on wire shelving units, and have them blow needed heat and/or fog into the tents.
Our plants love the high humidity recommended by the Vapor Pressure Deficit chart, and I use top fill ultrasonic humidifiers to get humidity around 65%.
An external storage reservoir really makes life easy.
I've been using 4 inch pots, but they can be unstable, so I built a new setup that uses square 4 inch pots instead, hoping for less chance of a plant tipping. Here's that reservoir without the external storage reservoir shown.
The float valve keeps about 2.5 inches of fluid in the reservoir, which is about 3 gallons.
The external tank's ppm can "lead" the plant vessel ppm to keep it in check.
I have switched from larger, 15 usable gallon reservoirs to 10 gallon totes that have 3 usable gallons of fluid total for 2 plants.
Plants were too big before, but now have perfect size, and 1.5 gallons each seems like the right amount.
Top feed is very nice, and helps keep things well mixed, but it does add complexity.
I've stopped using it, because I was having trouble DIYing it for small reservoirs, and the plants don't seem to mind.
For me, the perfect setup is several 2 x 4 ft tents with one 2-plant reservoir each.
As ManOgreen points out, root tangling prevents the removal of one plant at a time, but leaving a few leaves on a harvested plant keeps it from rotting. For me this is a non-issue.
Like ManOgreen suggests, humidifiers and heaters can be put outside tents.
I set mine on wire shelving units, and have them blow needed heat and/or fog into the tents.
Our plants love the high humidity recommended by the Vapor Pressure Deficit chart, and I use top fill ultrasonic humidifiers to get humidity around 65%.
An external storage reservoir really makes life easy.
I've been using 4 inch pots, but they can be unstable, so I built a new setup that uses square 4 inch pots instead, hoping for less chance of a plant tipping. Here's that reservoir without the external storage reservoir shown.
The float valve keeps about 2.5 inches of fluid in the reservoir, which is about 3 gallons.
The external tank's ppm can "lead" the plant vessel ppm to keep it in check.
As a matter of fact, I had a change of heart and am now going with an organic soil and worm setup with auto irrigation. Building my own frame with PVC to be a bed and a trellace above. Using blumat auto irrigation. Can’t wait!! Could use guidance on initial soil mix for the raised bed with the worms. I have access to super composted sewage from the City. Whadda ya think?heya @BosGrow and
ppp &
Thank you for the incredible welcome and knowledge share, your setup looks great, much appreciated!@BosGrow
Grow Mediums - Deep Water Culture Basics - Bubbleponics
Sharing some things I have learned doing Deep Water Culture with cannabis. Technically what I use is called “Bubbleponics”. First your environmental needs must be met - light, temperature, humidity and air movement all need to be in range for plants to grow well. I will assume you understand...
When you assemble your grow space put as much of the equipment outside of the tent as possible. Every cubic inch of space inside the tent is valuable. Your extraction fan and filter and the drivers for the lights can all be outside of the tent.
I have grown in the 17 Gallon tubs that hold about 10 gallons of nutrients with two plants in each. a couple of problems arise with this but are not a deal killer. One is the entanglement of the roots at harvest time. It is a problem if the plants are not both ready to be harvested at the same time. The first plant harvested you need to leave a small leaved stem and branch growing in the net pot or the roots in the reservoir will die and foul the reservoir. The other is once filled and grown it is nearly impossible to move without damaging the plants.
The reason I grow hydro is so pumps can do all of the heavy lifting. I have a bad back. I highly recommend having two air pumps. Put one on a battery back-up and divide the flow so you have a stone from each pump in each reservoir. A plant can live for a while without light but loosing aeration in the reservoir can cause problems in a short time.
Plan for a top-off tank outside the tent. Spills will happen. Plan for them. I have a flood tray as my floor in my grow space. It will easily hold all of the water in my entire system should a major leak happen. It has!
Pumps pumps pumps you need them.
Top feed to get started.
View attachment 1221177
I used Orca Grow film for my walls and then to keep light out of the reservoir. It turns out that algae likes yellow light.
View attachment 1221176
There is so much more but that should get you started.
Thank you , great advice and guidance!!
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@TxRebel/Mark can help ya out on the whole no till worm box things
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