Asking for answers to new grow room design questions for RDWC

[Jason9922]

Just go with a design that works dude. 3" pipes connecting all the modules. Fuck the two bucket brain strorm...have fun installing the piping on that one.... just wrap the bucket in reflextix.

Buy a chiller or perish...

If this is your first foray into hydro you are biting off A LOT to chew. Just saying.

It's "easy" for us experienced folks but your basically going from the dmv with your temp license and climbing into a F1 car.

No it's not my first hydro venture but I appreciate your input. I've grown a few very large mother plants using just the DWC method. It worked very well, I just hated how I had to mess with each bucket when doing the maintenance. I'm not a noob either. Sorry if I come across that way, but the majority of my prior experience is with using soil. I'm just trying not to make mistakes & am trying to get all the input I can to not waste $.
Like nobody has been able to explain what size inline water pump to get for the 4 site system with a 35 gallon cooler res or what's to big. For example I have two pumps in my cart on ebay ok. The first is 40 watts, claims 1375 GPH, is inline / external $47. The second is 85 watts, claims 792 GPH, is inline / external $42. Now I want to be able to expand in the future but are they both way over kill? They both have adjustable power. It's just a little confusing sometimes when you know there are so many people trying to make a killing selling stuff to growers. I know plenty of people that grow large plants including myself using just the DWC method and never using a chiller. But where I live it's cold outside 9 months a year so having your water flow through a copper wormed ice bucket is very common here.

 

[Jason9922]

In the pictures I posted above that's my veg and cloner setup. With them I just use regular 1/2" rubber grommets and John guest fittings. The picture I am posting below is my main system with bulkheads and John guest fittings

Thanks dude for the pics.

 

[legallyflying]

I would go for around 1000 gpm.

Just run beneficial tea. Slime goes fucking nuts in recirculating systems. Don't ask me how I know.

Tea dude, the tea is the mother fucking shit

 

[ttystikk]

Keep your RDWC water chilled, I've found 65 is best... even if you can't keep it there, if you can achieve this temperature at least once a day, you'll keep the slime away.

 

[Jason9922]

I would go for around 1000 gpm.

Just run beneficial tea. Slime goes fucking nuts in recirculating systems. Don't ask me how I know.

Tea dude, the tea is the mother fucking shit

Do you mean just run a nutrient solution? Sorry I'm not familiar with the tea. LOL But it sure does sound bomb!! Please elaborate when you have time!! I ended up getting an 1100 GPH pump. If it dies or in a pinch I can always cap off the 1" inlets / outlets & revert to regular bubble buckets until a new pump can be hooked up. The first thing I bought after lights and venting stuff was a 1744 GPH Elemental air pump and one of those stainless steel air manifolds with 12 outs. That will kick plenty of air into my smaller setup!! LOL I seen it on sale for $32 regular like $65!! so I scooped it with 100 feet of 1/4" black poly air tubing for $40!! Score

Plus after watching a few videos on youtube of people reviewing water pumps around 350 - 400 GPM it became kinda obvious that if I wanted to use any kind of sprayer heads or mister heads I was gonna need a pump that kicked more pressure. I'm thinking of building a simple manifold for the 1/2" feed lines and letting gravity basically do the returning through the 1" return lines. I've also bought stuff to or have done everything I can to keep light away from the water. The only place it can leak is the medium. I made an aluminum cover with 2 L brackets, the cheap kind with half circle channels running down the middle, that I used with my soil plants as a great way to have something very sturdy helping to hold up a big fat stalk!! Once it's together I'll post some pics. Thank you to everyone who has helped by offering up info. Any info is welcomed or even opinions on what you think I should do different. Trying to build the set up once & have the option to expand a little still. Thanks again!

 

[Jason9922]

Keep your RDWC water chilled, I've found 65 is best... even if you can't keep it there, if you can achieve this temperature at least once a day, you'll keep the slime away.

Because of the climate where I live I plan on having all my water run through an ice worm. This basically is a very simple poor man’s chiller. It's just a 5 gallon bucket with a metal frame inside that I cheaply tack welded ( you could build from wood ) with a decent length of hose that's same size as your return line wrapped around the metal frame with an intake and outlet running from each end of the hose on the outside of the bucket. The plan is to fill the bucket 2/3 with water, set it outside until it's partially frozen, and then hook it up to pump so all the water in the system runs through this block of ice. The metal frame I made, I designed it originally to hold four frozen two liters inside the roll of hose so when it gets warmer I can rotate them out of the freezer.

I'm yet to try this and know if it works, I'm just sharing a method I came up with. I was also thinking about just setting the ice worm bucket on top of another bucket that's completely frozen into a block of ice possibly to just slowdown the thaw ya know. A friend of mine was able to score me 4 hot water heater blankets. I planned on wrapping the modules with. I was also thinking about building a simple cheap particle board box for my res which is a Coleman cooler. Lining that with Styrofoam insulation & using the extra pipe insulation I bought when I winterized my pipes on the hoses, and the ice worm I'm hoping will make a chiller not needed. But like I said this is just the plan, I don't know if or how well it will work yet. Just some DIY info to pass along to others like me who can't afford to drop $500 on a chiller at the moment.

 

[legallyflying]

I still use a DIY chiller in one room. Cold coils from a dehu bent into a Coleman cooler. Water pump from the cooler pumps through rubber tube and then SS wort chiller coil.sitting in the rez.

Works fucking money! Looks.ghetto as hell, but jesus it chills.

 

[legallyflying]

and dude... fuck the sprayer heard and mister and all that other shit. Total waste of time. Yeah.. super cool in theory.. but how good is a mister going to work when the entire bucket is full of roots.

I know the temptation is to build the baddest ass water system, etc, etc. But quite honestly, your money is much better spent on gear to contrip your environment. AC, DEHU, Chillers, that sort of thing

 

[ttystikk]

Roots want to be kept cool, dark, wet and fed. The simplest way to meet these criteria is the best way. Less shit to break and kill your girls is an added bonus.

 

[legallyflying]

Hey TT,
you ever experiment with colder water temps during maturation? I'm thinking of dropping to like 62 or so for the last couple weeks.
Right now we are steady at 67. Air temps 80, leaf temps 82, co2 at 1500.
that's first week after flip

 

[ttystikk]

Hey TT,
you ever experiment with colder water temps during maturation? I'm thinking of dropping to like 62 or so for the last couple weeks.
Right now we are steady at 67. Air temps 80, leaf temps 82, co2 at 1500.
that's first week after flip

No, I haven't. Sounds like it might be beneficial, but it would take some very carefully controls conditions to know for sure.

 

[HempletonState]

and dude... fuck the sprayer heard and mister and all that other shit. Total waste of time. Yeah.. super cool in theory.. but how good is a mister going to work when the entire bucket is full of roots.

I know the temptation is to build the baddest ass water system, etc, etc. But quite honestly, your money is much better spent on gear to contrip your environment. AC, DEHU, Chillers, that sort of thing

I just switched to a system that uses both of these in 13 gallon buckets after years of running the water farm drip ring and have noticed immediate improvements. Now I wouldn't suggest having misters or sprayers that low that roots would overtake them, nor would I do this in anything smaller then 13 gallon buckets but the misters at almost the top of the buckets and sprayers half way is a very effective style that is very clean and problem free.
I completely agree with you about money is better spent on controlling your environment but if you already have all that figured out and simply want to upgrade the system it is a very easy quality system.

 

[HempletonState]

Hey TT,
you ever experiment with colder water temps during maturation? I'm thinking of dropping to like 62 or so for the last couple weeks.
Right now we are steady at 67. Air temps 80, leaf temps 82, co2 at 1500.
that's first week after flip

I have experimented with low 60's water temp and felt that it slowed down the growth and amount of water the plants drank.

 

[Jason9922]

Hey TT,
you ever experiment with colder water temps during maturation? I'm thinking of dropping to like 62 or so for the last couple weeks.
Right now we are steady at 67. Air temps 80, leaf temps 82, co2 at 1500.
that's first week after flip

Thanks for the input and your right, these containers are to small, the rootballs will take them over like you said. Fuck it I'm just going to make some drip rings and save myself the hassle of plugged up mister heads etc. Just took someone else saying it for me to get it. Hell yeah man with the dehumidifier chiller! I have been watching craigslist for a good size clean one top come along for cheap for the warmer months/ I almost bought a mini freezer the other day for cheap. Drill a few holes and put my little hose coil system in that fucker! lol I bought a 1100 GPH pump last night along with 30' of 1' ID poly hose. Got both for $73 which isn't to bad. You guys are right, the simpler the better. Just gotta get my hose fittings and bulk heads. Then its time to pop open these feminized pineapple chunk beans from Barney's! Gonna start with that strain In think. It's that or the Chemdawg X Big Bud! Thanks again for the input!!

 

[legallyflying]

You will need a ranco temp controller (Google it) for the dehu and make sure it has auto restart. Meaning if you plug it in it starts

 

[Jason9922]

You will need a ranco temp controller (Google it) for the dehu and make sure it has auto restart. Meaning if you plug it in it starts

I have one of these to connect all my intake & exhaust fans. It was cheap. I repair electronics laptops, desktops, PS3 PS4, cell phones etc. I scored this for $9 with several other controller options. I'm just going to mount it in a spare tower case that I''ve ripped the guts out of and mounted a few 1,000 watt power supplies. I was planning on setting the exhaust system to aim for a temp of 75'-80'F. Is that what that item you suggested for? environmernt control?

 

[legallyflying]

I dunno man.

You need something that has a waterproof temp sensor and will run a 5-6 amp 120v device (your dehu).

The ranco is designed to do this and costs around $60. I highly doubt that thing will power and AC device. And certainly not 6 amps worth.

 

[Jason9922]

I dunno man.

You need something that has a waterproof temp sensor and will run a 5-6 amp 120v device (your dehu).

The ranco is designed to do this and costs around $60. I highly doubt that thing will power and AC device. And certainly not 6 amps worth.

Oh I see now. It's only going to be a small grow room dude. Plus, I'll be around or within a few miles of it most off the time, well all of the time it's running to make little changes, If I have to run a dehumidifier all the time or put it on a timer along with the lights that's cool. Weed doesn't need a medical grade clean room to grow & be plentiful.

 

[Jason9922]

I dunno man.

You need something that has a waterproof temp sensor and will run a 5-6 amp 120v device (your dehu).

The ranco is designed to do this and costs around $60. I highly doubt that thing will power and AC device. And certainly not 6 amps worth.

 

[legallyflying]

Nobody said anything about being medically clean. But if you want to be a slave to your grow room then so be it. Seems silly as for $50 you could automate it.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/121573420291