Hey Richard,

In DWC, you want the water level to be just under the net pots. The bubbler should produce tiny bubbles which pop on top of the water. This small amount of water bursting under the pots is sufficient to provide nutrients and water to the roots in the pot. If you have the water too high, the roots may be subject to root rot. You dont want the initial roots from the seedlings sitting in water.

Thanks kkamm....yes I'm sure the not pots are at or just below the water level, With the hydrocorn layer in the bottom of the net pots, the rockwool cubes sit approx. 3/4" above the water level. My concern was that I have not seen much growth over the past 2 weeks an was wondering if this is normal.

cheers, Richard

Richard did you check your ppm on your water before mixing? I ask because I have 250-300 ppm water. The first time I did a system I added nutrient to get to the 800 ppm stage. My plants diddnt do much. I learned here that I needed to test before mixing then subtract the original ppm from my later readings to determine the true reading. We have since gone to rain water but that comes with ph challenges, but ppm is like 3 as opposed to 250-300

Also while I don't disagree with the advice above I would ask can you feel any moisture in your rockwool? It shouldn't be wet, but should be able to tell there is water there.
I ask because I tried originally to put hydro ton in the bottom of my cups and placed ripples in the troughs on my nft system, almost all my plants started dying. I had 6 or so where I ran out of hydro ton and they were fine. I raised the water level in the toughs to where the hydro ton was soaked, the ones without it started to die, they were too wet and the ones with recovered. Just my experience.

Rio_Grande, my ppm before I added the nutrient was 26...so that is not the issue and adjusted as you mentioned....I just now checked it again and its at 790.....down just 10ppm. Perhaps I'm impatient on the expectations.

The water level is just at the bottom edge of the net pot....and as you mentioned the bubbles are keeping the hydrocorn damp and the rock wool cube is moist.

Sounds like it aught to work

view of DWC

view of DWC

That's a nice and neat looking set-up. I would have guessed along with Rio that the rockwool was likely too saturated. How high above the plants are the T5 bulbs? The second guess would have been: too high. I'd say preferably 6" above the leaves, 12" if the ventilation isn't so good, would be about right, but others could advise you better on this distance since I've been growing oudoors.

PupillaCharites, thanks for the reply...you may be right about the rockwool being too wet. the cube sits on a bed on hydrocorn so I'd say about 1" or so above the water. The bubbling action does keep the hydrocorn wet and in turn the rockwool may have become to wet.

I had the light originally 8" above and just this morning raised to to 12" above. What I did notice this morning was a few of the plants had produced roots several inches long...I think that's a good sign.

cheers, Richard

I'm glad to hear it's working out. I'm sure everyone has their own anecdotal way of saying what works in their circumstances, but let me tell you what works for me to give you more info on what others are doing (and I certainly don't know if I have the right answer which generally works, all I know is it works for me outside).

I look at the hydrocorn and if the upper surface of it is wet, I am too close to the water and get more plant disease. If I lift up (NOT right after cutting strawberries I bought in the supermarket ;-), the top ball of hydrocorn, it is somewhat dry on the underside, but the pieces below it are water-dampened, which you can see in the clay as the water turns it wet looking like a leaky ceiling vs. bright wall. I have usually around 50-65% humidity after the Sun burns off the 98% we wake up with, and it is breezy usually, but this general thing pretty much works for me at least outside, to be sure the upper root mass has access to oxygen isn't getting waterlogged down.
Cheers and good luck to you too!

Based on your reply to pupilla I wonder if your plants are just in that stage where they put most of their energy into growing roots?