Adding a waterfall to RDWC ??

[fartoblue]

Hello all thinking about adding a waterfall to my RDWC.

My current system is DIY recirculating through the bottoms of the tubs back into the epicenter. I have air stones in each tub 10lpm. I am thinking of adding a waterfall to the existing system.

Would this be as simple as dropping a water pump into the epicenter with some 13mm pipe, a few cross connectors running a 13mm pipe into the top of each tub.

 

[Renfro]

You could just setup the waterfall in the epicenter, lot simpler.

 

[fartoblue]

Thanks Renfro I already have a waterfall in the epicenter from the return pump. I just thought an extra pump, pumping a water fall into each tub would create more DO.

I would still keep the water recirculating back to the epicenter and keep the airstones, I was thinking of adding an extra pump from the epicenter to each tub. This would then recirculate back to the epicenter with the main pump.

 

[rkymtnman]

try to get it to spray like this: multiple streams

 

[fartoblue]

Thanks Rky

So is this idea viable and worth doing. A basic RDWC along the lines of Current Culture is what I have now. I intend to simply add another pump into the epicenter with some 13mm pipe attached to spray into the top of each bucket whilst the main pump still recirculates from the bottom of each tub to the epicenter. I would also have the airstones.

God knows I am doing something wrong I have NEVER managed to kill a plant until I started RDWC. I had one side of two rows look shocking and the other row look ok. I thought it must be a blockage but no. I know I have had the water level to high up the nets (inch above bottom) so maybe one row is lower as the floor isn't quite level which would make the level even higher on the worst row.

Spray into the water RKY or onto the roots??

 

[rkymtnman]

Thanks Rky

So is this idea viable and worth doing. A basic RDWC along the lines of Current Culture is what I have now. I intend to simply add another pump into the epicenter with some 13mm pipe attached to spray into the top of each bucket whilst the main pump still recirculates from the bottom of each tub to the epicenter. I would also have the airstones.

God knows I am doing something wrong I have NEVER managed to kill a plant until I started RDWC. I had one side of two rows look shocking and the other row look ok. I thought it must be a blockage but no. I know I have had the water level to high up the nets (inch above bottom) so maybe one row is lower as the floor isn't quite level which would make the level even higher on the worst row.

Spray into the water RKY or onto the roots??

i agree with Renfro, i'd just put one in your epicenter. that along with the airstones in each tub would be more than enough DO in my opinion.

rdwc is a steep learning curve but once you get it dialed in, the results will blow your mind.

and yes, if you could get all the tubs level, that would help your situation.

 

[Airwalker16]

Thanks Renfro I already have a waterfall in the epicenter from the return pump. I just thought an extra pump, pumping a water fall into each tub would create more DO.

I would still keep the water recirculating back to the epicenter and keep the airstones, I was thinking of adding an extra pump from the epicenter to each tub. This would then recirculate back to the epicenter with the main pump.

If you run a manifold that breaks off to each bucket, lose the airstones. You won't need then at all anymore.

 

[Airwalker16]

Thanks Rky

So is this idea viable and worth doing. A basic RDWC along the lines of Current Culture is what I have now. I intend to simply add another pump into the epicenter with some 13mm pipe attached to spray into the top of each bucket whilst the main pump still recirculates from the bottom of each tub to the epicenter. I would also have the airstones.

God knows I am doing something wrong I have NEVER managed to kill a plant until I started RDWC. I had one side of two rows look shocking and the other row look ok. I thought it must be a blockage but no. I know I have had the water level to high up the nets (inch above bottom) so maybe one row is lower as the floor isn't quite level which would make the level even higher on the worst row.

Spray into the water RKY or onto the roots??

You absolutely MUST use 3/4" pipe off the pump and for the manifold, it's once you've got that built that THEN you'd branch off to 1/2"(13mm) vinyl tubing.

https://www.rollitup.org/t/i-gotta-lose-the-air-pumps-how-plus-my-awesome-mini-dwc.960807/page-2#post-14251657

 

[Airwalker16]

https://www.rollitup.org/t/i-gotta-lose-the-air-pumps-how-plus-my-awesome-mini-dwc.960807/page-3#post-14262160

Here's the actual manifold.

These are what it's made of besides the last pic of the union. I would suggest using these inbetween your large gravity fed pipes to make cleaning easier. Well more like possible at all. Also, use threaded connectors into a THREADED TEE or whatever you use to split off the manifold.

 

[fartoblue]

If you run a manifold that breaks off to each bucket, lose the airstones. You won't need then at all anymore.

Many thanks Air walker Think I will have most of there parts in my workshop (shed). Would I need to lose the air stones for a reason or would they just not be essential. If I kept them would the system be supercharged.

I've just started to cut some of my right off crop, so depressing trimming garbage. The roots were brown but not slimy so I have no idea. They didn't have many fine hairs so maybe I burned them, I was only feeding at 1.6 ec.

Really starting to lose heart with RDWC.

 

[Airwalker16]

Many thanks Air walker Think I will have most of there parts in my workshop (shed). Would I need to lose the air stones for a reason or would they just not be essential. If I kept them would the system be supercharged.

I've just started to cut some of my right off crop, so depressing trimming garbage. The roots were brown but not slimy so I have no idea. They didn't have many fine hairs so maybe I burned them, I was only feeding at 1.6 ec.

Really starting to lose heart with RDWC.

Water has a maximum limit of oxygen that can dissolve into it. That Max is reached easily with waterfalls in every site. You literally do not need airstones. it's a waste of time, electricity, and noise.

 

[Airwalker16]

Many thanks Air walker Think I will have most of there parts in my workshop (shed). Would I need to lose the air stones for a reason or would they just not be essential. If I kept them would the system be supercharged.

I've just started to cut some of my right off crop, so depressing trimming garbage. The roots were brown but not slimy so I have no idea. They didn't have many fine hairs so maybe I burned them, I was only feeding at 1.6 ec.

Really starting to lose heart with RDWC.

Lol. You'll come out on top. If you're not using a chiller. Don't run again without one.

 

[fartoblue]

Lol. You'll come out on top. If you're not using a chiller. Don't run again without one.

I'm in the north Uk Airwalker and grow in outbuildings. At the moment I have 2 x aquarium heaters in the system and still only at 63f. May need one in the summer. I will post a picture of my roots tomorrow to confirm if I have/had rot.

 

[fartoblue]

I think my problems may have been the water level I had it an inch or 2 inches above the bottom of the net pot.

 

[JealousLeaf]

I think my problems may have been the water level I had it an inch or 2 inches above the bottom of the net pot.

Huh,I thought it should be a few inches below right?

 

[fartoblue]

Huh,I thought it should be a few inches below right?

Yea JL think that is why I had problems.

 

[Axion42]

Yea JL think that is why I had problems.

Bingo

 

[Airwalker16]

I'm in the north Uk Airwalker and grow in outbuildings. At the moment I have 2 x aquarium heaters in the system and still only at 63f. May need one in the summer. I will post a picture of my roots tomorrow to confirm if I have/had rot.

Oh Ya I remember that you said that. You actually have a thermistor probe in the water connected to a LCD display?

 

[fartoblue]

Oh Ya I remember that you said that. You actually have a thermistor probe in the water connected to a LCD display?

Just use a food probe

 

[Airwalker16]

Just use a food probe

Hm.. I guess that works... I'd recommend you get a fish tank thermometer from Amazon or eBay for a few bucks($5) and permanently place it in your res so you can see your water temp all the time.