New passive DWC sytem/ first hydro grow… lots of questions???

Dad-grows-best69

Dad-grows-best69

Member
Been growing in dirt for a long time now am about to be trying hydro for first time and am setting up a DWC. I got a 4 bucket system with a 5th bucket reservoir with “ passive” exchange. My grow area is 3.5ft x 3.5ft and my light is a Spider Farmer Se3000. Carbon filter/ ac infinity exhaust fan. Wall mount oscillating fan, 2 intake vents. First question.., does this sound ok for setup? Next.. how does this “passive” exchange work? It says to just check reservoir? How will ph down get to last bucket just adding in reservoir?Wouldn’t a water pump work better? Can I add one? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
 

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.Smoke

.Smoke

Well-Known Member
Dad-grows-best69 said:
Been growing in dirt for a long time now am about to be trying hydro for first time and am setting up a DWC. I got a 4 bucket system with a 5th bucket reservoir with “ passive” exchange. My grow area is 3.5ft x 3.5ft and my light is a Spider Farmer Se3000. Carbon filter/ ac infinity exhaust fan. Wall mount oscillating fan, 2 intake vents. First question.., does this sound ok for setup? Next.. how does this “passive” exchange work? It says to just check reservoir? How will ph down get to last bucket just adding in reservoir?Wouldn’t a water pump work better? Can I add one? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
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Yeah, "passive exchange" isn't really a thing. You 100% need a pump to get the water flowing.
 
H

Hydro_guy

Member
Dad-grows-best69 said:
Been growing in dirt for a long time now am about to be trying hydro for first time and am setting up a DWC. I got a 4 bucket system with a 5th bucket reservoir with “ passive” exchange. My grow area is 3.5ft x 3.5ft and my light is a Spider Farmer Se3000. Carbon filter/ ac infinity exhaust fan. Wall mount oscillating fan, 2 intake vents. First question.., does this sound ok for setup? Next.. how does this “passive” exchange work? It says to just check reservoir? How will ph down get to last bucket just adding in reservoir?Wouldn’t a water pump work better? Can I add one? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...
Hey what's up dude? Ok so it sounds ok. But yeah you need a pump to pump nutrient enriched pHed water to each bucket then the water will passively flow back to the reservoir as water is removed/pumped out to the buckets. Get it? Do you have a humidifier and dehumidifier? Didn't see you mention that. You'll need them both depending on the time of the year. I'll try to add pics of my grow room. Good luck my man!
 
amneziaHaze

amneziaHaze

Well-Known Member
small pump with thin hose dont make the pump pump out faster then it can passive return or you can get an overflow or a dry pump. this way you get an waterfall in each bucket that mixes your water and gives O2
 
H

Hydro_guy

Member
amneziaHaze said:
small pump with thin hose dont make the pump pump out faster then it can passive return or you can get an overflow or a dry pump. this way you get an waterfall in each bucket that mixes your water and gives O2
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That's true, that's why I run 3 inch pvc on DWC system to avoid that and having it get clogged with roots.
 
H

Hydro_guy

Member
Dad-grows-best69 said:
Been growing in dirt for a long time now am about to be trying hydro for first time and am setting up a DWC. I got a 4 bucket system with a 5th bucket reservoir with “ passive” exchange. My grow area is 3.5ft x 3.5ft and my light is a Spider Farmer Se3000. Carbon filter/ ac infinity exhaust fan. Wall mount oscillating fan, 2 intake vents. First question.., does this sound ok for setup? Next.. how does this “passive” exchange work? It says to just check reservoir? How will ph down get to last bucket just adding in reservoir?Wouldn’t a water pump work better? Can I add one? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...
 
Dad-grows-best69

Dad-grows-best69

Member
Hydro_guy said:
Hey what's up dude? Ok so it sounds ok. But yeah you need a pump to pump nutrient enriched pHed water to each bucket then the water will passively flow back to the reservoir as water is removed/pumped out to the buckets. Get it? Do you have a humidifier and dehumidifier? Didn't see you mention that. You'll need them both depending on the time of the year. I'll try to add pics of my grow room. Good luck my man!
Click to expand...
Yeah I do have a dehumidifier that I’ve run for my dirt room on occasion in the summer. Typically though I’m right around 50% so no need most of time. Ok, so just a small pump with small hose like the air hose I have now. Could I feed them to each top basket where there is a fitting on the lid? There are 2 , I know one is for air hose and air stone below. So could I use the other one to top feed with the little wate hose? I included pic…. Other is my dirt flower room
 

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H

Hydro_guy

Member
Dad-grows-best69 said:
Yeah I do have a dehumidifier that I’ve run for my dirt room on occasion in the summer. Typically though I’m right around 50% so no need most of time. Ok, so just a small pump with small hose like the air hose I have now. Could I feed them to each top basket where there is a fitting on the lid? There are 2 , I know one is for air hose and air stone below. So could I use the other one to top feed with the little wate hose? I included pic…. Other is my dirt flower room
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Yes you can. I've never did a 1/4 feed tube with a manifold to 1/4 tubing to my plants bc I think you may need a special pressure regulated manifold like the FloraFlex stuff. I usually used a 3/8 adapter screwed it to the pump then 3/8 silicone tubing to a 3/8 manifold to 3/8 inch tubing to each net basket. That always worked for me, just make sure all the tubing attached to the manifold are the same length the keep pressure the same in each tube.
 
PJ Diaz

PJ Diaz

Well-Known Member
mytwhyt said:
This is a rdwc grow using only an air pump to circulate the water.. Gravity return to the reservoir.. No electric water pump or air stones... It is slow, only 120 gals a day for each unit connected to the reservoir.. Kinda abandoned posting in this thread when the trump plague struck in 2020. There are more posts on the next couple pages.. The Official Dwc Cooler Club - Any Kind of Cooler Res | Page 37 | Rollitup
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I don't understand, how does an air pump circulate the water?
 
mytwhyt

mytwhyt

Well-Known Member
It uses the drip ring.. The drip ring sits in a 3/4" pvc water column, and that water column is connected to the reservoir.. This column is higher than the water level in the reservoir and the grow bucket.. The grow bucket is also connected to the reservoir with a return line.. When the drip ring lifts water out of the column, it comes from the reservoir, not the grow bucket.. Gravity will not tolerate an unbalanced water lever, so it returns to the reservoir... 24/7 drip on hydroton supply all the O2 a plant can use..
DWC Waterloo Scrog - Recirculating Reservoir - DS-200 LED | 420 Magazine ®
 
PJ Diaz

PJ Diaz

Well-Known Member
mytwhyt said:
It uses the drip ring.. The drip ring sits in a 3/4" pvc water column, and that water column is connected to the reservoir.. This column is higher than the water level in the reservoir and the grow bucket.. The grow bucket is also connected to the reservoir with a return line.. When the drip ring lifts water out of the column, it comes from the reservoir, not the grow bucket.. Gravity will not tolerate an unbalanced water lever, so it returns to the reservoir... 24/7 drip on hydroton supply all the O2 a plant can use..
DWC Waterloo Scrog - Recirculating Reservoir - DS-200 LED | 420 Magazine ®
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How does the drip ring lift water out of the column? Is it like a siphon? How does the air pump help in that process? Pushes up tiny water bubbles to the drip ring? It sounds cool, but I'm still confused.
 
Dad-grows-best69

Dad-grows-best69

Member
PJ Diaz said:
How does the drip ring lift water out of the column? Is it like a siphon? How does the air pump help in that process? Pushes up tiny water bubbles to the drip ring? It sounds cool, but I'm still confused.
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Yeah, me too with the whole gravity will even it out. It says just to add to reservoir and gravity will even it out? Not sure the science there or the efficiency that why I thought maybe for a little extra $ it would be worth adding a pump?
 
PJ Diaz

PJ Diaz

Well-Known Member
Dad-grows-best69 said:
Yeah, me too with the whole gravity will even it out. It says just to add to reservoir and gravity will even it out? Not sure the science there or the efficiency that why I thought maybe for a little extra $ it would be worth adding a pump?
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I mean the theory makes sense if there was a water pump pumping out of the res into the dwc tank, then the water recircs back to the res due to gravity, but he said that he just uses an air pump.
 
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