Waterfall RDWC

[fragileassassin]

Are you using the slip inlet and slip outlet version of the 2" bulkhead? And I see they have a screen for it. Are you using any kind of screen to keep any roots out of the reservoir?

the screen will just make things worse. nice in theory but the roots just clog them up.
slip if you want to cement it and it be permanent or threaded if you want to add threaded adapters to be able to take things apart if needed.

 

[Airwalker16]

Are you using the slip inlet and slip outlet version of the 2" bulkhead? And I see they have a screen for it. Are you using any kind of screen to keep any roots out of the reservoir?

You can either buy an Inline filter or just put a mesh bag over agood 5-10" long piece of 2" abs with a ton of small holes drilled in it OR a bunch of slits going down almost to the middle on both sides, spaced equally as wide as the blade used is. Kind of like the screens are. it just needs to be bugger. But use it on the inside inlet of the bulkhead. Just skip it on, no need to glue. Those screens they sell aren't very large and roots go right through it. Mesh filter bags work the best to actually clean your system. You just gotta pull it off if it gets visibly clogged up and rinse it off is all. If you ended up using a submersible pump rather than an inline you can just put the filter bag right around the pump itself. But the point of the inline water pump is to help keep temperatures down and avoid needing a chiller.

 

[DaFreak]

one of my favorite old systems was a water fall. I plumbed it so feed lines would feed into the bottoms of boxes and an overflow on top. gives you more height for the waterfall and saves canopy height.

 

[Airwalker16]

one of my favorite old systems was a water fall. I plumbed it so feed lines would feed into the bottoms of boxes and an overflow on top. gives you more height for the waterfall and saves canopy height.

This just doesn't make sense to me. Could you elaborate?

 

[DaFreak]

 

[DaFreak]

I’ve made about a dozen systems for myself and friends and I can say from experience That the advantage of the waterfall recirculating Dwc is that they are super quiet. And the reason I have my feed lines coming from the top and not just directly in is because it’s one less point of failure. Run a system for years and anything fails.

 

[Airwalker16]

I’ve made about a dozen systems for myself and friends and I can say from experience That the advantage of the waterfall recirculating Dwc is that they are super quiet. And the reason I have my feed lines coming from the top and not just directly in is because it’s one less point of failure. Run a system for years and anything fails.

How does the waterfall have further to fall if you're just pumping it straight Into the water? Also, how is a waterfall at the top and a return in the bottom a failure point any more so than yours:

 

[fragileassassin]

how is a waterfall at the top and a return in the bottom a failure point any more so than yours:

Pressure on the fitting at the bottom of a site.
I thought about doing it a similar way but didnt think about feeding the water to the bottom and was concerned it could cause stagnant pockets in the sites.
Feed into the site and as it rises itll dump into the drain. Doing it like that you can keep the water level in your control res lower so it waterfalls back in.
Idk if youve ever seen an overflow system that steps down in a pet store that sells aquarium plants. A lot of pets marts used to have them.
Youll see it more in ponds and aquariums that want to keep noise or overall water disturbance low.

 

[J232]

Pressure on the fitting at the bottom of a site.
I thought about doing it a similar way but didnt think about feeding the water to the bottom and was concerned it could cause stagnant pockets in the sites.
Feed into the site and as it rises itll dump into the drain. Doing it like that you can keep the water level in your control res lower so it waterfalls back in.
Idk if youve ever seen an overflow system that steps down in a pet store that sells aquarium plants. A lot of pets marts used to have them.
Youll see it more in ponds and aquariums that want to keep noise or overall water disturbance low.

Is it a bio bucket? So the DO is introduced in the control res only right? Or am I thinking something else.

 

[DaFreak]

How does the waterfall have further to fall if you're just pumping it straight Into the water? Also, how is a waterfall at the top and a return in the bottom a failure point any more so than yours:

The waterfall is in the reservoir not in the buckets. So you get extra height from having returns on top. The failure points are from pressurized feed lines. A lot more volume going through mine.

 

[DaFreak]

Pressure on the fitting at the bottom of a site.
I thought about doing it a similar way but didnt think about feeding the water to the bottom and was concerned it could cause stagnant pockets in the sites.
Feed into the site and as it rises itll dump into the drain. Doing it like that you can keep the water level in your control res lower so it waterfalls back in.
Idk if youve ever seen an overflow system that steps down in a pet store that sells aquarium plants. A lot of pets marts used to have them.
Youll see it more in ponds and aquariums that want to keep noise or overall water disturbance low.

Exactly. Pumping into the bottom worked like a charm. I was worried about it siphoning water back when pumps failed but never did.

 

[Sdh777]

My plants are 9 weeks old in RDWC and I haven’t changed the water once. Water plants & roots look as healthy as can be. And I use paint strainers on my buckets to keep debris out of the system. They work great but they’re for 5 gallon buckets.

 

[DaFreak]

I’ve gone two cycles with Lucas topping off to see if it worked and it did.

 

[Kndreyn]

I’ve gone two cycles with Lucas topping off to see if it worked and it did.

That's interesting. So you add the nutes to your "top off" and just keep the PH in check? I'm new to hydro, other than drain to waste, so forgive the rookie questions.

 

[fragileassassin]

That's interesting. So you add the nutes to your "top off" and just keep the PH in check? I'm new to hydro, other than drain to waste, so forgive the rookie questions.

Yep
I mix up a whole barrel at full strength to let it top off on a float vlave and change the water a few days after the barrel is gone.

 

[Southside112]

How often do you guys change your reservoirs out? And does the Lucas formula work ok in these systems?

Never. Lucas formula works like a charm in this system.

 

[Kndreyn]

Hey thanks for all the help. I have the bulkheads ordered. By the time I get this made I'll have some AKBB TKNL5haze clones to put in it.

 

[Airwalker16]

Hey thanks for all the help. I have the bulkheads ordered. By the time I get this made I'll have some AKBB TKNL5haze clones to put in it.

Very cool dude!

Never. Lucas formula works like a charm in this system.

Like I said, I really prefer the whole system Including CaliMagic. It just works so well with this chart:

 

[Kndreyn]

What's kinda cool is, I'm doing this as experiments. I'm almost 70 years old and been smoking and growing since 1969. Back then we didn't know anything about how to make buds. We just grew the plants and smoked the leaves haha... I've come a long way since then. I have two 315 CMH lights, so I'm thinking, I'll build two systems, one for each light. I'll try the bottom return for one, and the top return for the other and run them side by side to see how they compare. Then the next run I'll do the "no res. change" for one, and Airwalker16's formula for the other. The real kicker is, I don't even really smoke that much anymore. Mostly later at night when I'm playing chess online. I give a lot of weed away to friends and family. I just love growing this shit hahaha!!!

 

[DaFreak]

I hear ya, I smoke maybe a joint a day but produce 1.5 pounds every month. Nobody I my circle is ever hurting for weed