I use a
4 pot DWC hydro setup.
I have customised the setup with:
This was an expensive setup and wasn't all purchased at once but gained over a number of years. However i
t has paid for itself in savings 3x over but it took two years to get the ROI. I'm in year 3 with this setup and enjoying the benefits.
I tend to germ 4x identical strain and manifold them. This involves topping two or three times for either 4 or 8 colas per plant. Recently been preferring 4 colas due to space constraints and larger plants.
I do a full defoliation (not the top 2x nodes of each cola) just as the bloom begins and then lollipop so there are no small bud sites below the light line.
The chiller means I have never had root rot or needed to use hydroguard.
The inline carbon filter means I can scrub the air but the unit can sit outside the tent giving me maximum use of the tents height.
The external water pump cycles the water through the chiller but being external it doesn't get tangled or clogged by roots. This also makes cleaning and harvest much easier. I built a box and manifold around the pump so I can switch flow direction and divert to an external output. This means I can use the pump to empty the reservoir or fill it (for cleaning purposes).
The Kind LED has been good (not great). I have had to send it in for 1x RMA when the PSU and VFD died at the beginning of a grow. The warranty was honoured but is only in effect for 1 year which I now feel is too short. I also wish I had gone for the 1000 rather than 750.
The norres air diffuser is great but in future I'll be looking for something that sits flat in the base of the reservoir. If the water level gets low the air diffuser stops the nutrients from diffusing evenly in the water. This became apparent after a couple of runs, one of the 4x pots always produces a runt. I think I could solve this by splitting the in/out tubes from the pump so the water cycles evenly through the system but this is a hack rather than a proper solution.
Last harvest I got 12x
32oz mason jars from 3x 'Gorilla Glue #4 by Fast Buds' - auto's (my first auto). One plant was a runt so I just removed it, however the rest were very hardy and didn't need constant PH maintenance. I did over run the grow by 2 weeks so this was a 4mnth grow, maybe a little less. I was very impressed by the genetics.
I got 1x Jyarz Satchmo and 1x Classic full of kief by dry sifting the trim, way more than I was expecting. I also then cooked up a batch of coconut oil with the remaining shake. Not tested that stuff yet but it looks potent too.
The purpose of the setup was to have a system that required minimal maintenance and could produce enough to keep three peoples medical needs covered and one recreational. I also avoid running during summer, I did get an AC unit but it's a pain to use and expensive to run.
I went hydro for quick turnarounds and to maintain a sterile environment.
I'll see if I can get some pics of the setup in here. Need to do a post harvest tidy first