Cheap Bubbler Hydro System

[skagardener]

Common sense here... you will be using sharp objects, dont cut towards your body, be safe, use adult supervision , blah,blah. by reading any further you understand i am not liable for any damage incurred while using these instruction. just be safe.

so i really dont feel like spending money on a hydro system, mainly because i just got a new place, and a new car. so i decided to make one. here is the outline and idea behind it.

1. get 2 liter bottle. small rubbermaid or "whatever they are called" container. a blade (once again be safe). air pump, air line and air stone. marker.

2. set the 2 litre bottle besinde the rubber maid container, depending on how you want the bottle to sit (level or sticking out about the lid of the container) take the lid off or use the lid. place your razor on the edge of the container and turn the bottle to scar it in a perfectly level line. go back and cut it.


3. next lay the cut out bottle on the lid on the cut side of the bottle. mark the circumference of the bottle, and cut it out.


4 this is the hard and very dangerous part. please e careful. you could also just buy a cup net, they really cheap. cut lots of vertical spaces into the bottle. (easier said than done)



5 then slide your bottle into the opening in the container.



6.cut a hole in the top for the air line.
7. cut a hole to pour in the nutes and check ph etc. make sure you can cover it with something later though.
8. now cover the entire container in any light proof tape. i recommend doing the lid the same way., and also recommend that aluminum foil go on top of the lid to reflect light back to the plant.

thats all for now. just make sure to clean it all VERY good with a bleach solution(once again be careful wear gloves blah blah blah) then wash with peroxide.

 
 

[skagardener]

o yeah, can anyone tell me if fish aquarium test kits and conditioners woul work with hydro systems? are there any ph up/down products for aquariums?
and on another note
http://cgi.ebay.com/General-Hydroponics-FLORA-SERIES-16-ounces-of-each_W0QQitemZ120200744964QQihZ002QQcategoryZ43555QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
this product would not need ph up/down because it is buffered? id probably still test the water but, would i need to spend another 30 buck or more on ph solution?

[skagardener]

also can you root cutting in a hydro unit?

[MstryShovel]

yes and no, but you should do the same-ish system but your air stone, ... like this (waits while he draws)


there, like you have the cutting not sitting in water but it would get direct spray/mist action from your air stone that sits in a low amount of water, just enough to make bubbles, the pump would be on a timer to go on and off every 2 hours(to give it time to dry off, no rott) and then get wet again, ive heard this works well, and am just waiting till mine creates enough  stem for cuttings to take place. as i already have this setup just need the plant matter.  Also make sure your cutting isnt getting nutes, and its just plain distilled watter (mabey a little rooting hormone in it) as nutes will tend to burn out establishing root systems.

[skagardener]

so i shouldnt completely submerse the cutting, and only have it on for two hours at a time. thats good stuff. after it is rooted can i completly submerse it in water? or do i always run that setup. and then lastly can the roots grow into the water if the want to?

[MstryShovel]

it shouldnt be completely under water but mabey just the tip in, and the timer would go on for 2 hours off for 2 hours on for 2 hours and so on.  Its possible to leave the plants in there the whole life, but if you already have that other setup up then thats fine too. the only thing plants need if the roots are completely submerged is oxygen. and thats the role an air stone would serve(to oxygenate the water so it doesnt get stagnant) Or as i would guess with your setup to have a drip system? the bubbler would work but you would just need to make sure theres enough liquids to reach all the roots (because drip systems apply the water directly to the roots from above(ebb and flow floods the roots with water for a few hours every day and then lets them dry out then floods ect. alowing the roots to get O2)

[skagardener]

no, i plan on cutting a hole for an airstone, i think dwc is best for me. i think i will take my cutting soon because my plant is about 9-10 inches tall, and yet it is putting out VERY little growth, and absolutely none below the top inch of the plant. hopefully the bottom will start to gro when i cut the top off.

[skagardener]

just to clear it up before i go ahead, when rooting in a hydro system, dont put in nutes? and dont completely submerse the plant? and dont let it stay wet all day? i just want to be sure of these things before i take my cutting.

[Paradoxic]

I dont think you need to have the cutting out of the water for cloning. Do you think it works better out?

Pretty nice guide, I moved it to the Cultivation section. Genius+