Submersible and Inline pumps for RDWC

kesaber

Well-Known Member
I have recently changed my RDWC setup to copy one I feel would be better for me. I will be using six 10-gallon totes and a reservoir. Rather than using an inline pump that flows water into the reservoir, I will have an inline pump pulling water from the reservoir. It would then pump up and distribute water into the tops of the buckets. I will also connect the buckets at the bottom so that the water can flow back to the reservoir. I will have a link at the bottom to the system I am copying. I will be using a hydrofarm 1000GPH pump inline. I will also have a 165GPH submersible pump in my reservoir that will connect to the chiller, and flow back into the reservoir.

My question is about the pumps. Is it a problem to go with a 1000GPH pump that circulates and a 165GPH submersible pump that chills the water? What size submersible pump would you guys recommend? Thanks

 

nomofatum

Well-Known Member
That pump is pretty fast, you are just fighting yourself adding heat with an excessive pump. I would use just the lower power pump and dump the chilled water into the individual buckets. You can have the second pump hooked up but off except when you want to mix fast for whatever reason (PH fix?).
 

kesaber

Well-Known Member
That pump is pretty fast, you are just fighting yourself adding heat with an excessive pump. I would use just the lower power pump and dump the chilled water into the individual buckets. You can have the second pump hooked up but off except when you want to mix fast for whatever reason (PH fix?).
I'm sorry I don't understand the last sentence at all. In the video he's using a 700GPH pump using 5-gallon buckets, I'm guessing to create more oxygen in the water through pressure. I understand it may not be ideal, but I already bought the pump and lost the box so can't return it, and don't have the money to spend on another unless it's absolutely necessary. It is good to know it will cause extra heat though, so if I have that issue I will know one of the contributing factors.
 

nomofatum

Well-Known Member
I'm sorry I don't understand the last sentence at all. In the video he's using a 700GPH pump using 5-gallon buckets, I'm guessing to create more oxygen in the water through pressure. I understand it may not be ideal, but I already bought the pump and lost the box so can't return it, and don't have the money to spend on another unless it's absolutely necessary. It is good to know it will cause extra heat though, so if I have that issue I will know one of the contributing factors.
Well, you have a chiller, so as long as you don't pump so fast that the return lines can't keep up you will be fine.

The advantage a RDWC has over a connected, but no pump DWC is that you can add things and they get mixed in quickly. Easier to adjust PH, easier to add chiller, easier to add nutes and mix... But this is all at the cost of more breakable parts, adding more heat to the system using the pump, spending more money, and more likely failure points and leaks.

You already have everything, so hook it up and do an empty test.

I use a transfer pump to fill or mix my res with the aid of a 32 gallon brute trash can. I pump cold winter air into the bubblers instead of using a chiller, res says between 60 and 66f.
 
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