Originally Posted by W33DM4N420

Hey guys I finally got my DWC setup all complete and just waiting on a 400 Watt HPS in the mail. I'm just using a 10 gallon tote with 4 net pots and using rockwool to start the seedlings and Hydroton as a medium. I have a few questions...

1. What is a good water temperature for my reservoir?
As cool as possible, 70 degrees or below. Mine are at 66 degrees.

2. How long before I should start adding nutrients to my reservoir?
Start as soon as you put the plants in DWC. A quarter-strength solution to start.

3. How often should I change out the water completely in the reservoir?
I've never frown DWC, but my understanding is that you top off your reservoir daily, keeping PPM the same, but once you add back 10 gallons of water, it is time to change your res.

4. Do I keep feeding my plants nutrients up until the day of harvest?
No. You want to flush the nutrients out of the system. The way I'd do it is to stop adding nutrients to your DWC 2 weeks before harvest and only top off with pH'd water. Diluting the nutes keeps your plants from starving, but will begin to eliminate the nutes.

5. I am buying the General Hydroponics Flora Series nutrients.(Micro, Grow, Bloom) Do I start with the micro?
You use all three nutrients at once, all the time. The amounts will change with the age of the plant. Full strength veg formula is 3 tsp Grow, 2 tsp Micro & 1 tsp Bloom. I start seedlings at one quarter strength and go up from there. Transition (the first two weeks of 12/12) the formula is 3-3-3 and then it is 1-2-3 for flowering. Some people also use the Lucas formula which eliminates the use of Grow all together. In veg it is 5 ml Micro & 10 ml Bloom per gallon. In flowering it is 8ml Micro & 16 ml Bloom per gallon. I have used this formula in flowering only and have found it to be too strong for some plants.

6. If I start with the Micro, when do I start it and when do I switch to the Grow?
See above.


7. This may be dumb but when I switch nutrients, Do I have to empty my reservoir and start with a new batch of water?
I do to ensure my plants have nothing but fresh nutes. One doesn't know which ones are taken up at what rates, so I like to be sure they are all there.

Please try to answer these as specific as possible. Thanks!