Res changes, add backs, how much solution should i have total for my system? thanks!

My setup is an ebb and flow bucket system. Thata CAP ebb and flow right? lol

I have a 55 gallon drum for a res and 9 5gallon buckets in the system.
with 7 out of 9 buckets being used, if i put 30 gallons in the res, when it fills, it leaves about 5-7 gallons in the big res so that there is still solution submerging the water pump in there so it doesnt run dry. And thinking ahead that solution will be absorbed and water level in the res will drop, so I actually put in 40 gallons. Then I let it drop to 25 30 gallons before adding plain top off water. And my PLAN has been to either change res every 2 weeks or if I add enough water back that the amount of water added back equals 30 gallons i would change the res. So far the latter hasnt happened and I have been just changing the res every 2 weeks.


HERE IS MY QUESTION: What is the best, most efficient way to run this? Should i make like a 50 gallon mixture and just let it drop? Or should i be just doing like 30 gallons, or the minimum, and actually add water back daily? Or something im not even thinking of?

Starting to dial this all in!!! THanks for any help!

I'm in a much smaller setup and in aero. But I'll take a stab at it.

In my rez I start with 7 gals of water (5 gal R.O. and 2 gal tap). I add my nutes. Ph and leave for a day.

I check my ppms and Ph daily. I also add ~ 2 gals of water every other day (normal tap) to keep the rez topped off at 5 gals.

I have had no ill effects and my girls seem very happy. The solution usually has one day of "super concentration" then I add tap water and dilute it.

To me it gives the plant a lot of variety. The PH also swings from 5.5 - 5.8.

Lots of people do add backs, I got tired because your plants decide what and when they want to eat so I just hooked up an auto feed res and just use pH water to fill. I change out my nutrient res every 2 weeks except week 6 whan I use a P/K13 booster for one week. I put a 50 gal on blocks to get it to gravity feed to the auto shut off. Water level is always where I want it. You can see the blue line coming out of the 45 gal and going into the pod with the auto shut off. I have gonn away for a week at a time and never had water issues.

woodsmaneh! said:

Lots of people do add backs, I got tired because your plants decide what and when they want to eat so I just hooked up an auto feed res and just use pH water to fill. I change out my nutrient res every 2 weeks except week 6 whan I use a P/K13 booster for one week. I put a 50 gal on blocks to get it to gravity feed to the auto shut off. Water level is always where I want it. You can see the blue line coming out of the 45 gal and going into the pod with the auto shut off. I have gonn away for a week at a time and never had water issues.

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Damn bro that is nice! I really like that! So this Auto shut off valve, where is that and WHAT is it? like what to search for to buy one? how and were do you install it? This should work if i have TWO 55 gallon reseviors one for veg and one for flower and ONE 55 gallon res elevated above them with constant fresh water in (I use RO, so i would need to somehow encorporate using cal mag) and these shut off valves would keep it at say 30 or 35 gallons all the time? right ? that sounds pretty awesome!

I really like ur setup man, my first hydro run was DWC, but not recirculating like yours. Mine were separate buckets and it was a BITCH taking readings every day. Somone here in RIU suggested i run ebb and flow bucket system and i now just finally got a veg and bud room setup for it and all the supplies purchased. my first run of Fruity Chronic Juice (the 3 ladies that were in those DWC buckets) is drying for its final day today and will be curing for a bit. Those plants were sooo stressed the whole time. At first we were going with the whole Gen Hydro Flora Series line, roots got all gross and brown, we changed to Lucas Formula, leaves looked fucked up so we cut way back on the nutes, then made it stronger, all the while the roots looked gross. So i didnt really expect them to be great. They do look good tho, really frosty. BUT!! They kinda just stink like PLANT. They do have a little bud smell but MOSTLY i think they just smell like plant. Have you ever had that issue? Or should they get better smelling in curing? Cuz the buds smelled really fruity when they were LIVE.

When you said in week 6 you add a P/K13 booster for one week. What is that? Would it work with what im doing with Gen Hydro? Lucas Formula. which is just basically 8ml micro/ 16ml bloom. and I add Botanicare Sweet. before any of that I make my RO water to be 100ppm with cal mag. And if my res gets more than 70F then I add some Aquashield. but is gonna be winter now so that wont be an issue.