Mindfuck about DWC

[monkz]

At the risk of sounding like a total noob, i have two questions about DWC which are really pissing me off. I'm an experienced grower, but have never grown soil-less.
I've been looking endlessly for a straightforward answer but cant seem to get one so here goes:

1) how do you change the water in a dwc system when the roots get too big, robust and heavy? Wouldn't the act of lifting the plant to replace the water rip the root system off the main rootball?

2) how do you lift the plant when you're doing a scrog?

Please and thankyou

Monkz.

 

[firsttimeARE]

The bucket has a netpot lid which the plant roots are in and the roots grow out of the holes in the netpot into the water. So you just lift the lid let the roots and air stone dangle and then put it into another bucket to change water.

As far as scrogs I built a screen that attaches to the netpot lid with 1/4" nylon nuts and bolts. It works pretty well. Bucket changes are just as simple as described.

 

[WeedFreak78]

Set it up with some light hangers so it can be lifted in place, then slide the res out..do whatever...slide it back under..lower plant.

 

[ttystikk]

I drilled holes in my tubs and used bulkhead fittings and 1" hose to connect them. Then it's as easy as dropping a waterpump into one to drain the spent nutes.

 

[Itzame Mario]

I use a battery powered fluid extractor myself. It has a long snout that will reach all the way to the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket. I have a little 'access port' (it's just a 2" netpot with a neoprene top) to change water. I don't have to move the plant at all.

Sierra Tools Battery-Operated Liquid Transfer Pump, Model# JB5684

 

[BecauseIgotHigh]

I use a battery powered fluid extractor myself. It has a long snout that will reach all the way to the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket. I have a little 'access port' (it's just a 2" netpot with a neoprene top) to change water. I don't have to move the plant at all.

Sierra Tools Battery-Operated Liquid Transfer Pump, Model# JB5684

1. My tote is filled up nearly completely with roots, i cant lift them up to clean the rez anymore. So now I just top them off with nutes and water. Clean mix starts with 800ppm of nutes. She drinks about 1gallon a day of water and about 100-150ppm of nutes. About 7 days it takes for her to drink all the nutes from the tote. Now I just fill her up with water, and top her up with nutes mix from a gallon of water. Tote filled to 22L with 800ppm of nutes....day 7 100ppm, with 21L of water. Then make a 800ppm mix with 1L of water, and add into the tote. Keep ph @ 5.8 (5.6-6.2). If i leave my nute mix higher than 6.2+, takes about 1-2 days until I see any deficiency.

Add a drainage hole at the bottom of the tote.

 

[hotrodharley]

A drill powered pump from Harbor Freight is cheap and works like a charm to drain your res if you can't lift the plant up and out for changes. Keep a screen of some sort over the end to keep your roots from tangling the pump. Cut roots simply heal and form a "Y" just like the top of the plant does. No harm done.

 

[Jimdamick]

1. My tote is filled up nearly completely with roots, i cant lift them up to clean the rez anymore. So now I just top them off with nutes and water. Clean mix starts with 800ppm of nutes. She drinks about 1gallon a day of water and about 100-150ppm of nutes. About 7 days it takes for her to drink all the nutes from the tote. Now I just fill her up with water, and top her up with nutes mix from a gallon of water. Tote filled to 22L with 800ppm of nutes....day 7 100ppm, with 21L of water. Then make a 800ppm mix with 1L of water, and add into the tote. Keep ph @ 5.8 (5.6-6.2). If i leave my nute mix higher than 6.2+, takes about 1-2 days until I see any deficiency.

Add a drainage hole at the bottom of the tote.

One way to do it is lift the entire pail about 2' foot off the ground, get a piece of 1/2" aquarium hose to the bottom of the pail, suck on the end of the tube like it's a dick, spit out the water until it flows, and drain into another container. You then should measure the EC/PPM/PH) and adjust as needed.

 

[GIJonas]

Go RDWC and only drain one control reservoir. And get your grow dialed in so you never need to look at roots.

 

[ttystikk]

Go RDWC and only drain one control reservoir. And get your grow dialed in so you never need to look at roots.

Shush. Don't tell them it's that easy...

 

[eskimore]

The roots are very strong, especially when they get big. Just use an empty bucket to hold the plant while you change the water. The oxygen will do the roots good. After you dump a bucket, refill it with clean water and add a little hydrogen peroxide and then scrub the inside and clean the hose and stone as well. Then rinse again and refill with about 3 gallons of water and fresh nutrients, which leaves plenty of air for the roots as well as water. Add water as needed and change everything again at 7-10 days. You will get exploding growth.

 

[fishdeth]

I have my 2 plant "bucket" setup with a recirculating pump with a small res down below.
When time to drain, just take the drain return out of the res and attach a hose to it, pull off the drain riser pipe and away it goes.

 

[GIJonas]

Cool mini setup. Looks neat.