Changing Resevoir?? WHY?

Ok, I noticed in about 5 days I used up roughly a gallon and a 1/2 of my solution in my DWC. Do I need to do complete change outs of the resevoir solutions at this rate? I would think I could just keep topping it off every week with ph'ed solution with corrected PPM nutes. I do have a digital ph meter and a digital PPM meter. The nutes I'm using are Foxfarm Big Bloom, Tiger Bloom, and hygrozyme. Any help would be appreciated.

well,,there isn't anything like a good debate, so here is my opinion.
First, I hope you have at least two airstones in your DWC tank.
I drain and replinish the water completely, every ten days the first 4 weeks, when they are drinking less than a quart of water a day. After about 4 weeks, in a 6 plant tank, they drink half a gallon and later an entire whole gallon a day and I drain and replinish every 7 days. After three GROWS and a year's experience, I learned the plants loved the being drained and replinished and exposed to air, even if you add back the same water..
If you will experiment you will learn that exposing the roots to air, and being out of the water for just 5 to ten minutes, creates a GROWTH Spurt. Try it!

Dude I got more air than a little bit. I have the two whisper 100 gallon rated air pumps, with about 6 stones attached.

Keep us posted smoke.
I always like to hear about dwc.

I don't think I'll be changing it out. The root structure is enormous, and either its' evaporating or they are using the solution. I have to fill my 5 gallon resevoir every 3 days with at least another gallon.

I just keep toppin off the rez with ph'd water...and I do not add nutes until 7 days later. At 7 days I give it a brand new bath with a new brew of nutes and etc.

SmokerE what size is your rez?

If you 100% drained it during the 4th to 12 week, for just ten minutes, and saw the results, you'd change your mind.
Dozens of people here have also posted scientific research on airing out the roots and getting GROWTH SPURTS in a DWC system.

i know people say to change you the res about every ten days, but you think adding premixed solution to top off would let you extend that to maybe somethin more like 20 days? i know res changes are a must as plants will use up different nutes, but think topping with premixed stuff thats the correct ppm would reduce the number of res changes ull have to do in a single grow?

WATER gets stale, something about electrilites.
I don't know enough to repeat what I learned, but I am convinced and certain that changing the water out helps alot.
AND, draining and replinishing with the same water helps too and all experts agree the roots need to air out.
You won't know it until you try it.

unless you have the device to tell you EXACTLY what nutrients are deficient from the solution you probably should not just add in nutes.

ya ive seen posts of those things, theyre like 10 grand, eff that right? roseman would you still suggest airing the roots out if im using a water pump and misters? cause DWC the roots are def more saturated than my setup since theyre actually sittin in the water

hossfield said:

ya ive seen posts of those things, theyre like 10 grand, eff that right? roseman would you still suggest airing the roots out if im using a water pump and misters? cause DWC the roots are def more saturated than my setup since theyre actually sittin in the water

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Two weeks ago, someone posted a link here to a scientific study on Hydro and allowing the roots in DWC to be out of the water for ten minutes. You gt a growth spurt everytime. I did it 2 or 3 times a week and got drastic results so YES, I very much reccomend it.

hossfield said:

ya ive seen posts of those things, theyre like 10 grand, eff that right? roseman would you still suggest airing the roots out if im using a water pump and misters? cause DWC the roots are def more saturated than my setup since theyre actually sittin in the water

Click to expand...

WTF? Did I miss something guys? Just curious....

you know guys, you could just go with a good ol fashioned flood table. everytime you flood the table, as the water drains out it forefully rips fresh air straight into the root zone. i feed 15 mins every 2-3 hours, this gives me very awesome growth.

I agree that resivors should be changed, if your lazy like me sometimes i let it go, and sometimes problems will occur...

Salt buildup is a HUGE reason. (Salt buildups are hard to clean and can clog tubes easy, not to mention salts arent good for your plants.)
Organic nutrients or worm castigns leaves your water pretty nasty.
Hydroton clay resdue buildup
Nutrient imblanances.
Stertility.. (if you clean your resivors out all the way you will ensure a morpe sterile enviorment, with less pathogens in your water, some also use alcohol diluted in the nutrient mix.)

and probobly more to look at, and some others probobly system specific, just a few reasons you should consider changing it out at least sometimes...

good post, russOr,
great points! I fear Algie too, as a reason for draining and replinishing.

i cant even imagine going over 75F or 10 days. both will produce bad results. even floor trays need to be scrubbed regulary

The growroom for some reason has been hovering around 82 these days. The DWC is right around 75 degrees now. I don't understand, but i'm not complaining. Used to be crazy hot in there.

abudsmoker...appreciate and trust you input. Thank you.

Man, this really works! BAM! Try a fan actually blowing the roots completely dry. They can take the 1/2 hr out of the juice. Boy, can they...Bam(growth spurt)Steve aka koolkat
Thanks Roseman!

Just for kicks I used a male that is 6weeks old @ 4' tall to clip off of, and stress...I found that a plant in clay pellets, can go with out water, or at least show no sign of, for 10 days in natural sunlight..This really changed my mind on how often watering is necessary. I have not seen a drop in growth either.. I soon have to end its days due to the pods are swelling up, but it was quite an awakening for me to see how tuff these plants are...

daddychrisg,

It is amazing how much stress a pot plant can take.
We used to grow outdoors back in the 80's. I can remember running over small plants with the truck, crushing them into the ground, and they would continue to grow along the ground like a vine, and they would just not give up. I've seen plants pulled up out of the dirt and tossed and they just layed there and kept growing with very little dirt or water. Considering the amount of seed they can make, and how hardy they are, I just have to assume that GOD wanted us to have lots of pot!