Building your own hydroponics or self watering tub is easy and inexpensive.

There are
many approaches, some more complicated than others. For the purposes of this
discussion, I’ll focus on a couple basic units from which you can expand or modify to
your liking.

First, you’ll need a few tools. These are the ones I have found handy.

Tools
Razor knife
Framing square
Router or Dremel moto-tool with a spiral cutting bit, saber/jig/hole/coping saw or other
method of making circular cuts.
Cordless drill and bits.
Skill saw, table saw, handsaw, or other method of making accurate straight cuts
Tape measure.
Compass

Some other things you might find useful are files, rasps, sand paper, hole saws, eye
hooks, jack chain

Materials:

The materials you’ll need are:

1) Two large tubs. One to fit inside the other. The outside one (or both) should be light
proof to inhibit algae growth. The first tank simply acts as a double walled containment
system in case of spills or leaks, the second one fits inside acting as the nutrient tank
that supports and contains everything else. If you buy them so they are nested then the
first will hold the plants while you change nutrients as well. If you plan on using five
gallon buckets a small hole near the top of the first tank is a good idea to allow air in
when you separate the two. (If you have ever put two wet five gallon buckets together
and tried to pull them apart again you know what I mean.) I like the tubs in the picture.
They are sold as storage bins at home depot and office supply stores. And have
attached wide opening tops and a small lip to support a tray/lid holding your plant pots.
Again, get the black ones if you can. If you can’t find them or they do not fit your needs
try Rubbermaid tubs, bus tubs, 5 gallon buckets or paint the exterior until it is light tight.
Whatever you use, it should be sturdy. You don’t want something that will not bend
when moved holding water, which weighs over eight pounds a gallon. Don’t skimp too
much on quality. You’ll be glad in the end. “Quality is the bargain to savor, the
bitterness of low quality lingers long after the sweetness of a low price.”

2) One water pump. Fountain pumps work ok, if you are just watering with clear water,
but if you are constantly running nutrients through it you might find the salts build up
and/or wear on the parts possibly causing premature failure. For these cases you might
spend the extra money for a pump that is saltwater/grey water capable (grey water is
water with suspended particulates ) You don’t need a big one, 40 to 60 gallons/hour is
probably fine for most small to medium set ups. It will give you a low flow to trickle on
your planters that you can regulate with the timer settings. Get one that will pump the
liquid up to a height sufficient to elevate it over the edges of the planters, about 15 to 25
inches should be enough, more is better, but be careful. You don’t want one that
creates so much pressure behind it that the water comes gushing out and erodes your
medium. Also beware of how fast your planters drain and adjust the water intake,
pressure, drain holes, and/or amount of time you leave the timer on. Look for them on
ebay, Aquarium shops, Home Depot or garden centers. I have found small 40gph
fountain pumps on Ebay for as little as 2.00 a piece (delivered) when buying in bulk. (I
like growing in soil and just fertilize by hand a couple times a month.) That makes them
cheap enough to replace if one goes bad, I have never had to replace one yet though.
Still, for true hydroponics with nutrient salts I would spend the extra money for one that
is salt water rated. Probably 15-30 dollars. Little giant makes some serviceable pumps.

3) One good digital timer. It should be programmable to the minute with at least 21
on/off settings a week (3 per day) and grounded. MAKE SURE IT IS GROUNDED.
(Three prongs). You will want it to have some battery backup in case of power failure to
preserve you programs. I use Amertac or Intermatic timers with great success. Priced at
15 to 30 dollars, available at Home Depot, Ebay, hardware and lighting stores.

4) One grounded, fused power strip/surge protector. I use Belkin models. Surge
protection is desirable but not necessary. I like it because it adds protection for the
programable timer in the case of power failure. Priced 3 to 30 dollars at Home Depot,
Ebay and variety stores

5) Black Tubing. I use Neoprene fuel line. It must be light proof to stop algae growth.
The amount you need will depend on your particular set up. If you are running several
lines from a main feed line make sure the secondary lines are about ½ the size of the
main line to keep pressure up to an acceptable level. Interior diameter will be dependent
on the output of your pump. If you want to be technical, I’m sure there is a formula out
there that plumbers use to figure reductions sizes out but I am too lazy to worry about it.

6) Various in line connectors for tubing. Some examples are T fittings, Couplings,
Reduction fittings, misting or sprinkle heads possibly. Also you might need to look at
tube clamps. What you will need will depend on your personal tastes. For these
instructions You’ll need a T fitting and maybe a coupling dependent on your pump
choice. For things like drip irrigation or aeroponics you’ll need additional fittings.

7) Planters. For these instructions one or two 10" planters are used. (Remember I grow
in soil, not true hydroponics) For hydroponics you can reduce the planter size somewhat
since the roots do not need to draw nutrients from the soil or expend energy to
penetrate it , but feed directly from the nutrient rich water and so do not need to spread
out much. For these plans you could easily expand to four or six planters by reducing
the diameter of your planter pots and increasing the number of your hose outlets.
Remember to decrease the size of your hose outlets as you add more to the mainline.
8) One small sheet of material like MDF, plywood, plastic, aluminum or similar sturdy,
hard material sufficient to cover the tanks assembly and support the weight of your
plants and planters above your nutrient water and support the assembly when you take
them out to change nutrients. In this example I use vinyl faced MDF because I have a
lot of scrap from our cabinet manufacturing. It is solid and works fine as long as you
don’t get it too wet, but it swells and will eventually fall apart in constantly wet
conditions. Plywood would be a better choice. Pressure treated plywood is even better if
you can find a small piece. It is unlikely that you will need more than about 18 x 30
probably less or so but it will depend on your tank assembly as to exact measurements.
Other methods I have used is using the lid of a five gallon bucket or other container lids.
Just make sure it is sturdy enough to support the weight of the planters filled with your
medium of choice, water and plants.

9) Nutrients and planter medium of your choice. I like soil and use the hydro system as
a self watering unit only. It is cheaper, easier, more available, less work and
maintenance, and more forgiving if you make a mistake. If you go totally hydroponics
There are many good inert moisture retaining materials like broken terra cotta,
sphagnum moss, vermiculite, pearlite, pumice stone, gravel, very coarse sand or
combinations of these and other well aerated, moisture retaining materials.

You’ll also probably want things like a TDS Meter (Total dissolved solids), pH meter or
test strips (meters are much better), ph up/down solutions, prepacked nutrients
assuming you are not mixing them yourself. (Many are available, I have used Eco-grow
in the past with good results), small long wire handled brushes to clean tubes and
fittings on occasion. For soil I would get a good high quality soil base and experiment
with some of the recipes you can find on the web. A good basic recipe I have used is:

1 quart earthworm castings, 2 quarts pro-mix, 1 quart pearlite, 1 teaspoon of

blood meal, 2 teaspoons bone meal and spray with kelp meal 1 once per week.

10) Starting mediums for germination. With these you do not disturb the fine root system
developing from the germinating seedling when transplanting to the planters. For soil I
would suggest Jiffy 7 Peat Pots. They are excellent and come in self contained compact
biscuits that expand with water. Just water, plant and grow. “0" mess,... none. For
hydroponics, try rock wool cubes. They are similar in use and hold air and moisture well
while germinating.

Instructions:

Begin by measuring whatever you have chosen to use as your containment tank and
cutting a sheet of material to fit inside riding on the inner lip of the container. (See
photos) If you are using a five gallon bucket you can use the lid that fits or if you use a
different container you might use the lid that comes with it provided it is sturdy enough
to support everything. Subdivide your top into as many areas as you wish. For this
demonstration I will only use two. Measure diagonally from corner to corner from both
corners to find the center of your subdivisions. Layout your holes with a compass using
where the lines intersect to center your holes and cut them out. You might use a hole
saw, saber saw, jig saw, keyhole saw, razor knife to accomplish this. Your hole needs to
be slightly smaller than the top diameter of your planter so when it sits in the hole the
planter will not fall through.

Find a convenient place to drill a hole for the hose/hoses and cut a small notch in the
edge to fit the power cord into. (See photo)

Fit your hose through the hole provided for it and connect to your pump of choice.
Remember, for just fresh water feeding, a fountain pump works well. If you are pumping
nutrient salts in solution you might get way with a fountain pump, but the salts may wear
the parts excessively in which case you may want to invest in a pump designed for
salt/greywater.

Your hose diameter will be determined by the pump you buy, so buy the pump first. It
will need to have enough lift (Distance from the floor of your tank to the highest point
needed) to pump over the lip of your planters. Make sure your planters drain as fast or
slightly faster than the pump will circulate the water so you don’t have a flood.

Using t fittings and/or reduction fittings that fit the inside diameter of your hose. Run
irrigation/drip lines from the main line off the pump. In the example the line is the same
size because it only feeds two pots and is the most basic example. If you have many
lines coming off the main water line you will need to reduce the size of the off shoots.
You may also need a bigger pump and/or mainline to provide enough water/pressure.
For a small system 40 to 60 gallons per hour is good. Set the on/off times on your timer
accordingly after testing the flow rate.

Many light weight pumps may benefit from being weighted down to hold them in place in
the bottom of the tank. Try strapping it to a brick if that is the case. Also you’ll probably
want to elevate the pump slightly and place some sort of screen over the intake hole to
keep debris from entering the pump and hose lines. A small nylon net held with a rubber
band works well for this. Clean any filters and the nutrient tank out about once a week
or so when you change nutrients or if you notice your flow has decreased. Also check
your hose lines for algae growth. Algae will eat your nutrients up very quickly and
deplete gases dissolved in the water as well as clog waterlines.

At this point the rest is just assembling the parts. Look at the photos and diagrams. You
may want to secure the ends of the hoses to the planters so they don’t move when the
pump comes on. This can be done easily with twist ties or plastic ties.

A slight variation on this design is to mist the roots (aeroponics) instead of watering the
medium. In this case instead of planters use a net and maybe sphagnum moss to
support the plant roots. Mount your hoses inside the nutrient tank instead of running to
the top of the medium and equip with misting heads on the ends so the spray hits near
the top of the net, moistening the roots, running down and off the roots back into the
nutrient tank. You will want to increase the daily feedings in this case which means
you’ll need a timer capable of multiple feedings every few hours. I’ve never tried this
system so there is not a lot of advice I can give beyond that, but it seems straight
forward enough. For more info Ed Rosenthal has written several good books with
specific advice.

Another unique system that works surprisingly well takes advantage of capillary action
in a cotton wick. This system requires no pumps or timers. It allows roots to
continuously feed at will. This idea is similar to a drip line that you might use to run
water from a local creek to a covert planting site outdoors. Expect to have to change
wicks when the plant is harvested as the roots will probably grow into and around the
wick. Your wick should be heavy cotton cord or lamp wick and needs to run from deep
in the nutrient solution up into the medium of your choice. It should be looped around
the plant just inside the edge of the planter and buried down about a inch to limit
evaporation. The lift you can get from capillary action is limited so check to make sure
the wick will move enough water to keep your medium damp. Prime your wick and
medium by soaking it in the nutrient water completely before burying it. You might have
to experiment with mediums to find one that retains and distributes a good amount of
the moisture. I have used pearlite or vermiculite in the past with pretty fair results. A
picture is worth a thousand words, just look at the drawings and you’ll get the basic gist
of the idea. It is very simple and inexpensive. It’s effectiveness relies on its construction
and maintenance.

Count on experimentation to fine tune all of these systems. Hydroponics is a good way
to grow fabulous plants, but it is definitely not set and forget. You have fine tune any
system and to do the maintenance and upkeep required. You should also have some
experience at looking at the condition of the plant to determine nutrient balances. If you
are not into experimentation and maintenance, the best way to grow is in soil. It is more
natural, much less work, cheaper, and more forgiving if you make a mistake. Again, the
automated fresh water system combined with manual fertilization described above
works well for this application.

The following is a simplified diagnostic tool that I have found useful in the past. It is far
from complete, but will give you a good basis to start from. Be careful in your
assessment before making major changes. To Diagnose your plants begin with #1
below. Keep reading until you find the condition that applies to your plant then read the
nutrients section to learn more about it.
1) First, my problem...
a) Affects only the bottom or middle of the plant, Go to #2.
b) Affects only the top of the plant, or the green tips, look at #10.
c) Seems to affect the entire plant equally, start at #6.

2) a) The leaves are a uniform yellow or light green, leaves die & drop off and/or growth
is slow, leaf margins are not curled-up noticeably, you may have a Nitrogen (N)
deficiency.
b) If not, go to #3.
3) a) If the margins of the leaves are turned up, and/or the tips may be twisted. Leaves
are yellowing and may turn brown, but the veins remain somewhat green. It may be a
Magnesium (Mg) deficiency.
b) If not, go to #4.
4) a) If your leaves are browning or yellowing. Or your have yellow, brown, or necrotic
(dead) patches, especially around the edges of the leaf, which may be curled or your
plant may be too tall. Look at a Potassium (K) deficiency.
b) If not, keep reading.
5) a) If the leaves are dark green and/or red/purple. Stems and petioles may have
purple & red on them. Leaves may turn yellow or curl under. Leaf may drop easily.
Growth may be slow and leaves may be small. It may be a Phosphorus(P) deficiency.
However red or purple stems are common to many strains and are not a problem in and
of them selves, so keep this in mind.
b) If not, go to #6.
6) a) Perhaps the tips of the leaves are yellow, brown, or dead but the plant otherwise
appears green and healthy. Stems may be soft It’’s a good chance you have over
fertilized especially Nitrogen (N), Or it could be from over-watering, damaged roots, or
insufficient soil aeration (use more sand, perlite, or vermiculite to increase drainage. On
occasion it may be due to not enough Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), or potassium (K).
b) If not, go to #7.
7) for leaves that are curled under like a ram's horn, and are dark green, gray, brown, or
gold..It is probably from over-fertilization (too much Nitrogen (N)).
b) If not, go to #8……
8) If The plant is wilted, even though the soil is moist. It might be from over-fertilization,
soggy soil, damaged roots, disease, or copper deficiency (very unlikely).
b) If not, go to #9.
9) If your plants won't flower, even though they get 12 hours of darkness for over 2
weeks. The night period is not completely dark and/or maybe too much nitrogen. Use a
bloom formula fertilizer with little or no nitrogen. It may also be due to too much pruning
or cloning. The hormones for growth and flowering are stored in the growing tip of the
branches only. When you top the plant you lose these and it take about two to three
weeks to build the level back up again.
b)If not, go to #10...
10) Are your leaves yellow or white, but the veins are mostly green? Iron (Fe)
deficiency.
b) If not, go to #11.
11) The leaves are light green or yellow beginning at the base, while the leaf margins
remain green. Necrotic spots may be between veins. Leaves are not twisted. It is
probably a Manganese (Mn) deficiency.
b) If not, #12.
12) If The leaves are twisted but otherwise, pretty much like #11. It is likely to be a Zinc
(Zn) deficiency. b) If not, #13.
13) If the leaves twist, then turn brown or die. The lights are too close to the plant.
Alternatively, but rarely, a calcium (Ca) or Boron (B) deficiency.
b) If not…… It maybe a weak plant.

The Nutrients:
Nitrogen - Plants will use a lot of N during the vegetative portion of its growth cycle, but
it's easy to overdo it. If you think you’’ve added too much try flushing the soil with plain
water. Soluble nitrogen (especially nitrates) is the form that's the most quickly available
to the roots like ammonia compounds, while insoluble N (like urea) is broken down first
by microbial action in the soil after which it maybe absorbed by the roots You should
avoid excessive ammonium nitrogen, which can interfere with other nutrients. Too much
N will also delay flowering. You should change fertilizers to a low nitrogen bloom
formula so the plants are allowed to become N-deficient late in flowering for the best
flavor.
Magnesium - It is common to have a Mg. deficiency. Marijuana uses a lot of it and
many fertilizers don't have enough of it. You can fix this simply enough by using ¼¼
teaspoon/gallon of Epsom salts that are first prepared by powdering them first and then
dissolved in hot water. Let the solution cool before use. You can foliar feed at ½½
teaspoon/quart. If you mix your soil, for every gallon, use 2 teaspoon dolomite lime. Mg
can get locked-up and made useless by too much Ca, Cl or ammonium nitrogen, also
be careful that you don't overdo Mg or you'll lock up other nutrients. It’’s balancing act....
get it?
Potassium - Too much sodium (Na) will chemically displace K, causing a K deficiency.
Sources of high salinity are: baking soda (sodium bicarbonate "pH-up"), too much
manure, and the use of water-softening filters (which should not be used). If the problem
is Na, flush the soil with lots of clean water. K can also get locked up from too much Ca
or ammonium nitrogen, and possibly cold weather.

Phosphorous - During flowering some Phosphorous deficiency is to be expected, just

don’’t let it go. Red petioles and stems are a normal, genetic characteristic for many
varieties, plus it can also be a co-symptom of N, K, and Mg-deficiencies, so red stems
are not a foolproof sign of P-deficiency. Too much P can lead to iron deficiency.
Iron - A Ph reading that is too high, in either the soil or the water, will render the iron
unusable. If you have an iron deficiency, lower the pH to about 6.5 (for rock wool, about
5.7), and check that you're not adding too much P, which can lock up Fe. Use chelated
iron for maximum availability. Read your fertilizer's ingredients - chelated iron might
read something like "iron EDTA". To much Fe without adding enough P can cause a P-
deficiency.
Manganese - Mn gets locked out when the pH is too high, and when there's too much
iron. Use chelated Mn.
Zinc - Also gets locked out due to high pH. Zn, Fe, and Mn deficiencies often occur
together, and are usually from a high pH. Don't overdo the micro-nutrients, lower the pH
if that's the problem so the nutrients become available. Foliar feed if the plant looks real
bad. Use chelated zinc.
Check Your Water - Too many minerals cause a condition called hard water. If you
have crust around the faucets this is likely. Tap water with a TDS (total dissolved solids)
level of more than around 200ppm (parts per million) is "hard" and should be looked
into, especially if your plants have a chronic problem. Your water company should be
able to provide an analysis of the water in your area, which will usually list the pH, TDS,
and mineral levels (as well as the pollutants, carcinogens, etc). This is a common
request, so it shouldn't raise an eyebrow. You can also have your water tested by your
state’s university agricultural extension service if available or a private laboratory.
Regular water filters will not reduce a high TDS level, but the costlier reverse-osmosis
units, distillers, and de-ionizers will. A digital TDS meter (or EC = electrical conductivity
meter) is useful for checking the nutrient levels of a solution, and will pay for itself before
you know it. They run about $40 and up.
General Feeding Tips - Plants are very adaptable, but a general rule of thumb is to use
more nitrogen & less phosphorous during the vegetative period, and the exact opposite
during the flowering period. For the vegetative. period try a N:P:K ratio of about 10:7:8
(which of course is the same ratio as 20:14:16), and for flowering plants, 4:8:8. Check
the pH after adding nutrients. If you use a reservoir, keep it circulating and change it
every 2 weeks. A general guideline for TDS levels is as follows:
seedlings = 50-150 ppm; un-rooted clones = 100-350 ppm; small plants = 400-800 ppm;
large plants = 900-1800 ppm; last week of flowering = taper off to plain water. These
numbers are just a guideline, and many factors can change the actual level the plants
will need. Certain nutrients are "invisible" to TDS meters, especially organdies, so use
TDS level only as an estimate of actual nutrient levels. When in doubt about a new
fertilizer, follow the fertilizer's directions for feeding tomatoes. Grow a few tomato or
radish plants nearby for comparison.
PH - The pH of water after adding any nutrients should be around 5.9-6.5 (in rock wool,
5.5-6.1). Generally speaking, the micro-nutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu) get locked out at a
high pH (alkaline) above 7.0, while the major nutrients (N, P, K, Mg) can be less
available in acidic soil or water (below 5.0). Tap water is often too alkaline. Soils with
lots of peat or other organic matter in them tend to get too acidic, which some dolomite
lime will help fix. Soil test kits vary in accuracy, and generally the more you pay the
better the accuracy. For the water, color based pH test kits from aquarium stores are
inexpensive, but inaccurate. Invest in a digital pH meter ($40-80), preferably a
waterproof one. You won't regret it.
Cold - Cold weather (below 50F/10C) can lock up phosphorous. Some varieties, like
equatorial sativa, don't take well to cold weather. If you can keep the roots warmer, the
plant will be able to take cooler temps than it otherwise could.
Heat - If the lights are too close to the plant, the tops may be curled, dry, and look burnt,
mimicking a nutrient problem. Your hand should not feel hot after a minute when you
hold it at the top of the plants. Raise the lights and/or aim a fan at the hot zone. Room
temps should be kept under 85F (29C) -- or 90F (33) if you add additional CO2.
Humidity - Thin, shriveled leaves can be from low humidity. 40-80 % is usually fine.
Mold and Fungus - Dark patchy areas on leaves and buds can be mold. Lower the
humidity and increase the ventilation if mold is a problem. Remove any dead leaves,
wherever they are. Keep your garden clean.
Insects - White spots on the tops of leaves can mean spider mites underneath.
Sprays - Foliar sprays can have a "magnifying glass" effect under bright lights, causing
small white, yellow or burnt spots which can be confused with a nutrient problem. Some
sprays can also cause chemical reactions.
Insufficient light - tall, stretching plants are usually from using the wrong kind of light..
Don't use regular incandescent bulbs "grow bulbs" or halogens to grow cannabis. Invest
in fluorescent lighting (good) or HID/HPS lighting (much better) which supply the high-
intensity light that cannabis needs for good growth and tight buds. Even better, grow in
sunlight.
(The truth is that I have been known to boost the red spectrum a bit with low wattage
incandescent bulbs during flowering in combination with other light sources, but this is
only a boost not the main light source. My reasoning is that incandescent light uses
most of its energy to create heat in the form or resistance to make a filament glow. The
puts 90% of its light energy in the red spectrum. I don’t have any figures to back this
theory up but it seems to work.)
Clones - yellowing leaves on un-rooted clones can be from too much light, or the stem
may not be firmly touching the rooting medium. Turn off any CO2 until they root. Too
much fertilizer can shrivel or wilt clones - plain tap water is fine.
The Max Power way:
Many of the above nutrient deficiencies above can be solved with little trouble by getting
a really cheap (low potency) multi-vitamin with all the micro nutrients and grinding one
very fine. Add the powdered vitamin to very hot water and stir until dissolved. Let it cool
and add your fertilizer and water the plant normally. Do not add too many vitamins to
the water. I use one per gallon of nutrient maybe once a month. This is a case where
more is not necessarily better. I know a lot of you are saying that’s not right! You can’t
do that. It’s in the wrong form etc. Well, I am not a chemist but I can tell you I have
brought back more than a few anemic looking plants doing it this way.

You can also find this and a few other trick on our blog:

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