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What size reservoir should I have for my grow room?

For recalculating systems 40 litres/m2 of growing area is the minimum for ease of use. A larger reservoir gives a greater buffering capacity against changes in conductivity, pH and plant water use.

You should aim to have the largest reservoir you can comfortably fit in the area you have allocated for one. For a run to waste system, any convenient amount is ok

How do I make up a nutrient solution for my grow room?

As a general rule of thumb, you add your additives first then add the nutrient until you reach the desired conductivity.

Remember, regardless of your background conductivity, you should still make your nutrient solution conductivity to the recommended level on the label of the hydroponic product you're using. In other words, the background conductivity is included in the final conductivity reading of your nutrient solution.

For example, if your background conductivity is E.C 1.0 and the product recommends you have your nutrients solution at E.C 1.8 you only add enough product till you get a reading of E.C 1.8 (not 1.0 plus 1.8 to get 2.8) in your nutrient solution. This is an important factor in your growing because if your background conductivity is too high, by the time you add the additives, your E.C could be too high to add any nutrient. In that case you will need to source better water

How often should I check my nutrient solution in my grow room?

You should check your nutrient solution's reservoir level, conductivity at least every second day given that you have an adequate reservoir as long as you're not running high temperatures and you have good water.

The more often the nutrient solution is checked the better the chances of preventing serious problems in your grow room.

How often should I change my nutrient solution?

This will depend on the quality of your water, the size of your reservoir and the size of the plants. You will need to change your water more often if:

a) your reservoir is small.
b) your water source is poor quality.
c) your plants are large.

Assuming you have an adequate reservoir and good water, a change every two or three weeks is acceptable when the plants are less than three weeks old. As they get bigger, a weekly change is recommended.

What temperature should my nutrient solution bein my room?

The best temperature is between 17°C and 21°C. Any lower and growth will slow down and any higher and you will start to deprive the solution of oxygen.

During summer, it is sometimes difficult to keep temperatures low enough. Generally, you will need to aerate the solution if the water temperature gets too high. The absolute maximum solution temperature is 32°C. Above this and the plant will begin to suffer. During winter, in most places, heating the solution is necessary.

Is it a good idea to aerate the solution?

Yes, especially when the solution temperatures start to rise during the warmer months as warm water can't retain as much dissolved oxygen as cool water.

How much nutrient solution should I give my plants?

To Answer this accurately depends on too many variables such as temperature, humidity, medium used, preferred E.C, water source, lighting and plant size to name a few.

Most pre-made kits have been designed to water plants correctly, so you would only need to work this out if you were designing your own. Basically, the requirement is to keep the roots moist and aerated all the time but do not over water them, as this will deprive the roots of oxygen.