Questions on potential grow tent setup - looking at RDWC

Looking to get two grow tent packages - 1 4x4 for veg with a 600w MH, then 1 4x8 for flowering with 2 1000w HPS bulbs.

My goal is to have 18 mature plants in the flower tent, and 18 (or more) in veg tent. So, I plan to have an 18 5-gallon bucket RDWC system for the 4x8 (with an extra as reservoir). Do you think that's enough space? 9 under each 1000w. Does anyone have anything they've done similarly within a grow tent/confined space, that is a bucket RDWC system? Or otherwise?

Also, maybe most importantly, do I need to do RDWC for the veg tent as well? What are your suggestions there, for transferring from one to another? It's a lot of questions but hopefully it starts a useful conversation as well. Thanks to all in advance for any help or thoughts. I signed up for this forum above all the rest because it seemed like an active, smart community.

Do you even grow? Got experience? Going from zero to 18 plants? Sounds like a lot of work to me. Especially hydro.

You can be successful with your idea. I dunno tho. Sounds like a pretty big leap. Good luck.

Thanks for the reply, bud. I've grown outdoor in the past, but this is a big leap. The way I see it, I'd rather learn on the system I plan to use in a cycle or two than just grow soil indoors just to "feel comfortable." I've done a ton of research and have friends that grow, so I feel like I can handle it. Not sure my question was, "do you think I have enough experience?"

Good luck bro. Sounds like you know what you're doing.

Thanks -- any clue on the question around the veg to flower tent...? Not sure what people prefer to do there typically, in regards to two RDWC systems, or another hydro system, or what in the veg tent...

I've only done DWC/Drip once. Now I just do Hempy buckets and Lucas Formula. But, based on what you say, you will have a flower and veg tent. I probably would just maintain them all in their own tent veg through flower and just add or change the lights if necessary. I've never really heard of transplanting a DWC. That's mostly for soil. Or in a rockwool cube. I mean if you go from a medium to RDWC could particles get in your system and clog something up?

I'll plead the fifth on this one bro. You need a good hydro person. I've done it. But, I'm certainly no expert. Good luck.

GrowUrOwnDank said:

I've only done DWC/Drip once. Now I just do Hempy buckets and Lucas Formula. But, based on what you say, you will have a flower and veg tent. I probably would just maintain them all in their own tent veg through flower and just add or change the lights if necessary. I've never really heard of transplanting a DWC. That's mostly for soil. Or in a rockwool cube. I mean if you go from a medium to RDWC could particles get in your system and clog something up?

I'll plead the fifth on this one bro. You need a good hydro person. I've done it. But, I'm certainly no expert. Good luck.

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Thank you, that's a really good point about the transferring from a medium to the RDWC... I've been doing even more research (it's my favorite new hobby in downtime), and I see someone say you can grow them on tables/in totes in well-rinsed hydroton medium (which will be mostly residue-free), in individual lids. Then when they're 1.5 feet and their roots are touching the solution, you transfer the plants and their lids to their individual buckets for flowering. Anyone else have any experience here that can help?

Bluntsmith said:

Looking to get two grow tent packages - 1 4x4 for veg with a 600w MH, then 1 4x8 for flowering with 2 1000w HPS bulbs.

My goal is to have 18 mature plants in the flower tent, and 18 (or more) in veg tent. So, I plan to have an 18 5-gallon bucket RDWC system for the 4x8 (with an extra as reservoir). Do you think that's enough space? 9 under each 1000w. Does anyone have anything they've done similarly within a grow tent/confined space, that is a bucket RDWC system? Or otherwise?

Also, maybe most importantly, do I need to do RDWC for the veg tent as well? What are your suggestions there, for transferring from one to another? It's a lot of questions but hopefully it starts a useful conversation as well. Thanks to all in advance for any help or thoughts. I signed up for this forum above all the rest because it seemed like an active, smart community.

Click to expand...

You said 2 1000 hps bulbs------no air cooled reflectors?

What is your definition of mature plants?----how big?

IMO, 18 buckets is too many to deal with----have you considered a few tanks for multiple plants?

For the veg tent I would just use a tote or something like that.

If interested, check out the link in my sig.-----may give you some ideas.

A~~~

Alaric said:

You said 2 1000 hps bulbs------no air cooled reflectors?

What is your definition of mature plants?----how big?

IMO, 18 buckets is too many to deal with----have you considered a few tanks for multiple plants?

For the veg tent I would just use a tote or something like that.

If interested, check out the link in my sig.-----may give you some ideas.

A~~~

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Thanks for the reply, A. Read your link in sig, that's some fascinating stuff, helpful too... cool to see someone with 20+ years of experience chiming in.

The 1000w's will have A/C reflectors, good question. This is the package I'm looking at (click here). (As an aside, do you think it's a fair cost, or should I build it part-by-part on my own?)

My definition of mature plants is whatever California says it is, haha. I am interpreting the law as plants in flowering, but it's hazy to say the least.

Now that I think about it, an 18:1 ratio does seem a bit high. I do think I can get away with 9:1, although I see most systems are 4 or 6:1... I just don't have the room for more than that.

And yeah, I think a tote or two in the veg room will get it done. Do you think the veg room should be a drip system? That's where I'm leaning.

Thanks in part to this community's input, I'm now thinking a 4x4 600W MH with two 20-gal totes with 12 3" holes for 3" net pots with rockwool and hydroton in veg room. Each tote will be its own DWC (sharing common pump and air systems between totes) with a drip system to feed them from seedling to their ready-for-flowering size. Then, the healthiest 18 of the 24 clones are transported via their net pot into the two 10 5 gal bucket RDWC systems in my 4x8 2x1000W HPS grow tent. The other six will be destroyed in a sacrificial religious ceremony mirroring that of ancient Aztecs.

Thoughts? I am about to embark, and will share with the community my journey.

@Bluntsmith I don't think you need to put 18 5gal buckets in a 4x8 tent. I ran 6 buckets and that was more than enough. They will grow crazy fast and get huge, and fill the canopy no problem. I've had 12, 10, 8, 6 plants in that tent and I always get right at 24 oz, regardless of how many are in there. 12, 10, & 8 were in coco, and the 6 was my rdwc system. I had 6 in my 4x8 tent and vegged in my 4x4 tent, but wouldn't start veg until the flower tent was almost done. I also ran 2x 600w bulbs (air cooled w/ 440 cfm 6"). I have thought of running 2x 1000w lights, but was afraid of heat issues. With good air flow, i can keep my tent about 5 deg or lower than the temp outside the tent. It's in a basement which keeps it cool, but in the summer, even w/ AC in a basement, it can get to 80 deg in the tent.

I think you have come across my rdwc thread, but here's the link again. https://www.rollitup.org/t/rdwc-build-so-far-so-good.852489/
I recently moved and just started my system back up. Going to do the exact same setup. 6 buckets in the 4x8 w/ the 600w bulbs running a nice pheno of Blue Power I got at the cup in Denver in 2014 (from seed, (pheno hunted)). I'll run ro water through a chiller with cal mag and Lucas formula GH micro and bloom. That's it. I like it clean, simple and automated. I'll start a journal this time, so check it out!

I did 6 in a 4x8 With x2 1000w in a Flo n grow that did great vegged in a 4x4 as well. 18 in that space is to much, might as well go with a flood tray. Cut down on plants and veg them. 6 plants would veg decent in a 4x4.

Thanks for the advice @blackforest and @drgreentm ... I'm definitely rethinking my design based on your input. I have also heard/seen/read that it's not so much about plant count, it's about the wattage being dropped on 'em. I guess for me I've got the opportunity to legally grow up to 18 mature plants, so I was trying to maximize, as it were. I'm not really interested in going with the "SOG" approach with flood trays and all that, just because I can, and that fulfills the 18 plant allotment... it just sounds to me like I should maximize each plant with RDWC, and if 6 is the magic # for that space then I'll roll with what has been proven to work and not over-complicate it. I'll just have to find more space for more systems! Really appreciate it... I'll check the journal out too as you go along there. RDWC's simple/automated capabilities is partly what drew me in to begin with. That and the high yields...

Bluntsmith said:

This is the package I'm looking at (click here). (As an aside, do you think it's a fair cost, or should I build it part-by-part on my own?)

My definition of mature plants is whatever California says it is, haha. I am interpreting the law as plants in flowering, but it's hazy to say the least.

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I watched the video about that tent-----looked like about 7' of height----yuk, and when they showed that f&d setup it didn't have much distance between the lights and trays.

Now as far as building your own-----that depends on many factors:

How skilled (comfortable) you are building it.

I like to play DIY geek myself-----but its your call.

I hope someone can explain the definition of "mature plant".

Cheers and may the weed gods favor you,

A~~~

My big bro runs 4 1k in his room and what he's told me, what I've seen, and my own experience with DWC is that if you can limit your # of sites in your setup, you will cut back your workload putting the system together. That's a shit ton of elbows, tees, joints and holes in your buckets to have to worry about keeping clean, not leaking and not plugging. You'll also want to do a complete wash / sterilization of your setup ( I run 4 per 1K with extra week or 2 in veg ) once every 1-2 weeks which is a lot easier and quicker with 4 rather than 9. Also less or smaller pumps and air stones will be needed which will cut initial costs. Your better off to try and keep it as simple and efficient as you can shit can go bad quick in DWC lol. Best of luck with whatever setup you choose man I'm sure whatever you want can be done just my two. Good luck man!

Alaric said:

I watched the video about that tent-----looked like about 7' of height----yuk, and when they showed that f&d setup it didn't have much distance between the lights and trays.

Now as far as building your own-----that depends on many factors:

How skilled (comfortable) you are building it.

I like to play DIY geek myself-----but its your call.

I hope someone can explain the definition of "mature plant".

Cheers and may the weed gods favor you,

A~~~

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veg is immature, flower is mature., dried and cured is processed. I believe

GrowJahsGift said:

veg is immature, flower is mature., dried and cured is processed. I believe

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Thank you GJG

The statutes in the state I was busted in stated about weight "mature stalks and stems and roots were not to be included".

No one at my trial (not even the judge) knew the definition of "mature stalks and stems."

Do you have any links pointing to that definition?

A~~~

Bluntsmith said:

Thank you, that's a really good point about the transferring from a medium to the RDWC... I've been doing even more research (it's my favorite new hobby in downtime), and I see someone say you can grow them on tables/in totes in well-rinsed hydroton medium (which will be mostly residue-free), in individual lids. Then when they're 1.5 feet and their roots are touching the solution, you transfer the plants and their lids to their individual buckets for flowering. Anyone else have any experience here that can help?

Click to expand...

I find clones in rockwool to be the easiest to transplant into RDWC. Bare root cuttings can be PITA to transplant into a netpot. I stay away from anything organic...rapid rooters, peat plugs, etc.

My clones go into a 8" netpot then I back fill with hydroton. Then once your ready to move the plant from veg to flower, its quick and easy.

redi jedi said:

I find clones in rockwool to be the easiest to transplant into RDWC. Bare root cuttings can be PITA to transplant into a netpot. I stay away from anything organic...rapid rooters, peat plugs, etc.

My clones go into a 8" netpot then I back fill with hydroton. Then once your ready to move the plant from veg to flower, its quick and easy.

Click to expand...

Only thing I can add is that I use this method now but I used to run a tote with 3" net pots and I would just move the whole thing into an 8" and backfill with hydroton. The girls didn't seem to mind too much but it's just really an unneeded transplant and stress for the plant.

Thanks all for the replies. It all helps more than you know. @Alaric and @GrowJahsGift yeah.. I'm actually thinking of bailing on the grow tent package now that I know what I need, and I think I can get it all for a lot less, and with enough digging, in a near-new state, from glorious sites such as Craigslist. My design has been reduced from 18 to 6, per darn near everyone's suggestion here.

I am mocking up a design to make sure it fits in the space I have... the "room" it's in is 9'x11', and there's to be a 4x4 and 4x8 tent in there, so it's a bit tricky. I have attached my design... please note that some of the models are just pulled in... the rez pours into some shit that won't be there, and I couldn't find a legit carbon filter model to throw in, so it's just for show at this point. Also, there is no piping or the intake/exhaust gear... not sure I'll go into that much detail on the diagram, it was more for me to mock up the spacing of everything and make sure I can cram it all in.

Just so you know what you're looking at, in the 4x4 veg tent those are 4" net pots in the DWC tote, 8 of em... the 6 that rise victorious shall be moved via their net pot into their happy new 4x8 RDWC home when it's time to become real women.

As for 6 instead of 18, if my real goal is highest yield per plant, then long term this will be the best route. This allows for more growth, in more ways than one.