RDWC build journal

Closets are small hence why closet growing is synonyms with thinking small, but thinking in a more modest way doesn't mean you can expect big surprises. Now I'ven't grown all too big before mostly because I've been growing DWC not to say there is anything wrong with DWC, I'm just too green to do it with out the slightest flaw, but I don't want to soil/soilless because of the run, it just doesn't feel right to have something knowingly leaking in a apartment building.



So after much research it would seem a RDWC system would be the best way to maximize my small space. I want to grow 3 plants with a reservoir all done with 5gal containers. Know when using 5gal buckets you get a lil closer to 4gallons because of the <2liter frozen water bottles that I use and they're displacement.

Another strike against DWC is the monotony of changing each bucket every week. While it's not the worst thing I've ever had to I would love it if this can be streamlined. Because of this RDWC is the best approach to closet growing for me.

Out of all the ways I've seen to RDWC I love over/under technique where you have wide flowing channels on the the bottom of each unit and a hard flowing jet at the top.

My setup will total around >20 gallons and my plan is to use 3 5gal coolers of different brands as my plant reservoirs and a 5gal black food safe bucket covered in reflectix as the rain reservoir. To link all the units together I plan to use 2" PVC pipes and uni-seals all around to create a fast wide channel between them so water can freely flow un-impeded. Connecting the 800gph pump to the main reservoir I will be using a 1" bulkhead to 1" black poly tubing to the pumps inlet, then going out of the pump at 1/2" black poly tubing to the jets (1/2 bulkheads with 90degree elbows) above the water line. I'm hoping the transition in pipes/tubing will maximize pressure to the jets. The expected result being super oxygenating the water in each reservoir with plants. NOTE every reservoir will have an airstone (but considering dropping air stones all together and just sinking air tube to bottom.. I hear it's better)

I know with more water it easier to maintain cooler temperatures in the reservoirs but I'm sure I'll have to throw in a 2L frozen water bottle every now and again but this set up will make it super easy to use a chiller because with just DWC I would need a chiller for ever rez and that could be pricey.

Anyway this headbanger makes me go into type-rants so this is the 1st step: design. I've already ordered the parts and will update as I go through the build and hopefully it will be a grood grow investment because all in all I think it will be just under $200.

hey man...please post photos. I am doing a similar setup. Just bought some gel cool packs to throw in the rez cooler. Do you think 5 plants in a single large tote RDWC will be too many? #Go49ers

How big is the Rez? I'm sure it's more than fine though just make sure you caver it in reflectix or some kind of insulation.

Fuuuuuuuck building this is quite the pain in the ass and hands..
I WAS going to use bulkheads for the lower bucket to bucket tube system but at the last minute I decided to go with uniseals so I could run 2" PVC pipe between them as oppose to 1" black poly hose... I think now that while I haven't made a huge mistake, I have made it harder for myself because uniseals ar lame as fuck!

It has probably taken me 3-4 hours to do this much of the linking up and I still have two more units to go.. I was installing shelves earlier so my cordless drill has died and needs 6 hours to charge.

So far I'm happy with the results as I've tested the seal and tip holds water! But I am extremely exhausted and exacerbated by the installation thus far.

SO looks like tomorrow I'll put the other buckets on there get everything all linked I up then I still have to install the water jets, but I don't think those will be too much of an ass pain as for those I went with bulkheads. But it's happening and it's working... But who knows tomorrow could be even more difficult and I could end up rage monster smashing everythng into tiny lil pieces of entropy!

Also I think the key to getting the pipes in the uniseals is cursing as much and as loudly as you can

Well well the battle continues and I'm thing I should have done an areoponic/ fence post set up because linking these buckets was a bitch until I had the epiphany to not directly link each bucket with the same piece of PVC. It makes more sense to give each one it's own pipe and link all the pipes with couplers. I figured that out after breaking one of my coolers

So now I'm using 2 5gal buckets and 2 5 gal coolers. Luckily I had a spare. One of the coolers though is leaking at the uniseal so now I'm thinking I should've just 5gal bucket and reflectix as I have to insulate the two buckets.

I'm using PVC glue to try and patch the leak I'm pretty sure that's not going to hold it though so I'm waiting for everything to dry, then I'll test it and if I still have a leak I've got fiberglass resin on stand by that will certainly hold back the water. I was going to use the fiberglass to patch the cooler I cracked but I didn't as I wanted this to go as smooth as possible and fibber glassine shit is like another 5 steps, so I went with a bucket I'll have to insulate.

I still haven't attached the jets but in no rush as I lent my 1/2" tubing to a friend so no tubes no test but it is coming together in my usual hodgepodge fashion... Not sure what looks more crude my drawing/schismatic or the finished product, I guess I'm a good engineer if they looks equally as crude

I know I'm an atheist but... Pray for me

... Sure enough it's leaking again and now the big guns come out.



Now look at that resin.. I smothered ever nook n cranny in a layer/puddle of fiberglass resin and that's not all



I cut off a rectangle of fiberglass and use that over the crack in the cooler I broke. This is by far the messiest Fiberglas job I've done but no brush so luckily the pen is mightier than the sword..because I used a pen to spread the resin... My sword just would have been unwieldy in this task. Now this is the 1st coat and I hope the last but I'm going to let it dry give it a whirl and adjust as needed.

I had to go out of town for a week to film a documentary, s sorry for the build update wait.

I think i:m going to scrap this whole project!!!
after last week i fiberglassed the uniseal on one of my buckets with three layers of fiberglass and it:s still leaking, probably from the bottom of the inner seal as its a very hard to reach spot. but then today when i trialed it once again a sprung two previously unseen leaks on different buckets...

i am going to do one of 3 things and let me know what you guys think
1; apply more fiberglass to the outside and insides of the uniseals
2; swap all uniseals for bulkheads
3; scrap this whole set up and build an areoponics/fence post set up

Im so torn on what to do as i:ve already spent money trying to get this to work but as i live in an apt building leaks can not be tolerated.

thoughts?

Well I've fiberglassed half of the uni seals thus far in one coat. I assume it's going to need another coat but I won't be able to do it until this weekend though. My goal was to get this grow going before I went to Orlando, but now with all the filming I'll be doing with IFC I hope I can get some seedlings in these before mid October.View attachment 3265024View attachment 3265027 View attachment 3265028

I should also voice I'm worried that since every container is not like the other that my reservoir levels will be different in each container... So that's going to be an issue for the future...

...I really think I should just scrap this and build the setup from the post "harvest a pound every three weeks" by stinkbud

Sorry about your troubles. I used bulkheads and wasn't satisfied with the flow, ended up using a single piece of 12" PVC horizontally with endcaps... though my grow space is 2.5'x6' which made it ideal (not exactly a cheap solution either).

My suggestion would be not to over-complicate things. In that space a single tub could support 4 plants and you could still RDWC it. Out from one side at the bottom, in on the other side at the top. Make sure you have an easy method for clearing the outlet of roots. Keep an eye on it near the end of veg and a couple weeks into flower till stretch is done.

I have purchased the 2" uniseals as well...I think using a super durable rugged tote will work better. I have a spare 27 gallon tote so I am definitely considering that option. I had success with my veg hydro tote. You can see below...Need to build a rdwc tote though for flowering stage.