Critique my design

nolem1234

Active Member
Using all the grow threads on here as inspiration I've been slowly piecing together my version of a draining table with recirculating reservoir grow table, for 2 plants, each in 3 gallon grow bags with a hempy style soilless mix, coco coir, 25% perlite and some grow cubes
This is for a small grow that can be placed in a normal sized closet easily.
It's foundation is a shelf I had got off amazon a while ago, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KYJQMI/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I took out the middle two levels, leaving only the base and top behind, it is still fairly sturdy with them gone, especially when the base has weight of 2 pots and reservoir on it.
-The draining table is a Home Depot concrete mixing tub and a hair drain guard from the bathroom section. It sits directly on top of the reservoir (with a slight forward lean to completely drain it) to maximize my growing area.
-130GPH adjustable water pump is what gets the water/nutrient solution up to the 6 site 1/4" dripper station. Gravity does the rest to let unused water back into the reservoir. If dirtiness or algae becomes an issue I will switch to drain to waste.
-growing area from the top of the pots is 23" deep, 33" vertical, 33" wide.
-White/black plastic sheeting stapled the supports form the siding walls.
-I plan on having an air input fan in the bottom, with exhaust fan blowing out the top, small cir fan inside.
-Lighting will be 250 watts of CFLs for veg and a DIY COB LED (2 or 3 running at 20 watts each) for flowering. Both on retractable lines anchored to the top shelf
-For watering I think I'll go with multiple "floods" per day where I'll turn the pump on for however long it takes to get 20% runoff.
Take a look at the pic and give me some constructive criticism please, this is still very much in design mode and I am willing to change things.
 

mackdx

Well-Known Member
I'm no expert, but after watching input ppm/ph vs runoff ppm/ph on my DTW coco setup, I would reconsider a recirculating system simply go with drain to waste. Dumping the waste bin is a small hassle compared to stabilizing your solution in a recirculating system.

YMMV
 

Squidbilly

Well-Known Member
Here is my my ONLY critique, or suggestion> I think your going to battle issues with resevior temps. The only way I've been able to combat this without adding an expensive chiller is to make a cooler a my resevior and adding a frozen 1/2gallon every day or two to keeps temps below 70 degrees.

You could also try to wrap things in white plastic, or insulated the one you have. I run DTW and keep my 'cooler' resevior about 15' away from my tent. It gets 80degrees sometimes in the room but the cooler keeps it within range for 3-5 days with an ice change or two, so I would imagine that you will battle issues recirculating the same water inside a hot tent.

You could always keep rotating ice jugs in the set up you have now but it will be a battle if you don't somehow insulate the resevior. Or at least I think it will : )
 

Squidbilly

Well-Known Member
Wait till you get that coco mix on timed waterings and you have some nice roots>plants go coconuts

You could get away with smaller containers and less medium with multiple watering a day. Thats preference. I went too big this round, wish I went smaller. I'll go with 2gal instead of 3gal next round.

Definitely get intake and outake and odor contorl squared away and realize it's going to be tight for a circulation fan. Small 9" vortex or even a couple clip on desk fans work well in small spaces.
 

Dogenzengi

Well-Known Member
I ran an ebb n flow setup without heat issues.
I plumbed the table( a concrete pan ) out thru the tent and into an 18 gallon reservoir.
 

piecemasta

Active Member
Maybe consider having the plants on their own shelf so you can easily access the reservoir. Definitely consider an air cooled light. I once grew in a wardrobe cabinet if you want to check out my threads at the bottom on my post to possibly get some insight. With pots that size in your set up you shouldn't have to water more then every three days once the get mature I'd imagine since your plants are limited by the cabinet size. I used the smallest carbon filters i could find haha good luck and enjoy your learning journey! just try not to waste to much money buying equipment you could have done without :)
I would use a 250watt hps in that!

https://www.rollitup.org/t/the-only-cabinet-youll-ever-need.447605/
 

nolem1234

Active Member
Thanks for the comments everyone,
I left the 2nd shelf in at first and had the tub sitting on that, but opted to go directly onto the res for more vertical space.
I concur about res temps, I like the idea of a satellite res in a cooler location, the room this will be in has a bathroom that stays cool.
I have some 2gal black pots I could use instead
Seems like DTW is more popular than recirculating, I think I can easily build a short wood frame to hold the tub and pots close to the base shelf, then plum that to waste. Doing that would give me plenty of vertical.
 
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