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Bubbleponics

PostPosted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 7:51 am
by teetee
Hi everyone, (edit... sorry about the green faces replacing every letter after n,the o, this happens automatically on my posts for some reason, I dont have the time to actually do this on purpose!)

I am about to get started with my first closet LED grow, and have been doing the research about hydroponic growing systems.
I am intrigued by Buubbleponics, which is a fusion of deep water culture DWC along with a top feed drip system. The idea is that the top feed gives the developing roots a head start until the roots hit the highly oxygenated deep water, where allegedly they explode with growth.
Bubbleponics is big in the States, but not so popular in the UK. There are some UK systems such as Plant!it, or the Brummie Bubbler, that are available, but these seem to be for single plants only. In the US the Bubbleponic units tend to be large tubs with a number of netpots in the lid - usually between 6 and 20 pots per unit.
A good starting point was a company called Simply Hydroponics. They make their own units and also tell you how to make them yourself. One of their employees is a bit of a Bubbleponics Guru, his name is Roseman. He has a brilliant tutorial showing a full closet grow using a variety of Bubbleponic units, some homemade. He also gives loads of other great advice, my favourite so far is the home made Onabreeze machine on page 11, where he attaches a fan to a tub containing onagel for complete odour removal at a fraction of the £100plus that the Ona system costs.

The link is as follows
http://bubbleponics.com/forum/showthrea ... C-Tutorial

I'm raring to go, and I am going to post my journal here, using Bubbleponics in a wardrobe set up using Helios 6 with CO2 augmentation using the Ecotechnics controllers and sensors. I'm planning on using House and Garden nutes, so I'm gonna need lots of advice and motivation.... i'm hoping you guys are the ones to do that for me... I'm talking 420UKChronic, FLOWERpower, Ledbud, Autoberry, LEDHydroponics, Hippiedays, Lilcherry, ECflouri and Godzilla, and of course anyone else I missed out!
I'm just putting the finishing touches to my drobe and hopefully will be propagating next week. ;)

Re: Bubbleponics

PostPosted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:05 am
by 420UKChronic
Sorry about the green faces, will sort that now. ooo

Re: Bubbleponics

PostPosted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:31 am
by ledbud
very good info teetee, keep up the good work mate. :cool:
share and grow,
:-P :grin: :grin:::: :grin:::::

Re: Bubbleponics

PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 5:49 pm
by LEDDWCRigger
DWC is my favorite system. I've found that the top drip system is not necessary if you start your plants slightly deep in the net pot and with the water level high enough to where the bubbles pop and moisten the root area. I do think it's a bit of a pain to do at times, but it keeps the system simpler and down to one pump. I'm a very simple guy like that. Love that a good DWC system can go a week or more without needing to be checked if you got your stuff down.

Re: Bubbleponics

PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 9:00 pm
by teetee
Hi mate,
thanks for your input here, what nutes do you use for DWC grows, I'm about to start using House and Garden (for many reasons - but it is a clean nute for DWC especially if using Drip clean).
A lot of people are talking about adding Cal/mag when using LEDs, do you think I will need some, given the huge range of nutes already stockpiled? Or should I just wait for bleaching and take action then?
Cheers!

Re: Bubbleponics

PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 9:22 pm
by ledbud
mate please use Cal/mag from week 2, just need 5 ml to start with for 10l water.
I been growing with led fro few years and you 100% need it.
Cal/mag is minor nuts and wont harm your plants.
what do you think LEDDWCRigger?
:-P :cool: :grin:::: :grin::::: :grin:::: :grin::::: :grin:

Re: Bubbleponics

PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 10:13 pm
by teetee
Hey Ledbud,
Any particular brand of Cal Mag?
I can only find Plant Magic 'Magne Cal+'
cheers mate!
:cool:

Re: Bubbleponics

PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 10:22 pm
by ledbud
Plant Magic 'Magne Cal is good .
Magne Cal will help your plants take up NPK.
:-P :cool: :grin:::: :grin::::: :grin:

Re: Bubbleponics

PostPosted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 1:23 am
by LEDDWCRigger
teetee wrote:Hi mate,
thanks for your input here, what nutes do you use for DWC grows, I'm about to start using House and Garden (for many reasons - but it is a clean nute for DWC especially if using Drip clean).
A lot of people are talking about adding Cal/mag when using LEDs, do you think I will need some, given the huge range of nutes already stockpiled? Or should I just wait for bleaching and take action then?
Cheers!


I would suggest checking your calcium/magnesium levels in the water and nutrients that you're using. Given my water is pretty hard here, I don't add cal/mag. I just use basic General Hydroponics nutes with my LEDs. Got me a small feature on High Times Pix of the Crop, so I'm happy with it.

I also keep my lights just at the 2,000 umol range at the top of the plants. Much higher than that and bleaching begins. For a 75w panel I have, that's about 3 inches away. For a 150w panel I have, it's about 9 inches away. As soon as I'm popping about 2,500 umol, bleaching begins.

Be careful adding cal/mag. If one gets too high, it'll lock out the other.