What is a waterfarm?
- Thread starter Bigz2277
- Start date
SCOTTYBALLS
Well-Known Member
I just wanted to add another way to run a waterfarm wich im using now... I no longer use a air pump I have my waterfarm on a pedistool.. The Drain tube now points straight down into a 4 gallon resivoir where a 160gph waterpump pumps water up and out the drip ring.. water no longer collects in the bottom bucket it is now a root resivoir..
Ive done this mostly to help when the plant starts drinking a gallon and more a day and makes changing water much easyier.. doing this will also supply the lower root zone with more oxygen as water will just run over the the roots instead of being sumerged..
Ive done this mostly to help when the plant starts drinking a gallon and more a day and makes changing water much easyier.. doing this will also supply the lower root zone with more oxygen as water will just run over the the roots instead of being sumerged..
poind3xter
Member
Interesting setup Scotty! How ofter are you running the pump? Is it just during lights on?
SCOTTYBALLS
Well-Known Member
24/7 without it running the roots would dry out and that would be a bad thing
poind3xter
Member
Awesome! Thanks bro!24/7 without it running the roots would dry out and that would be a bad thing
AWnox
Active Member
That sounds EXACTLY what I need. I got a Sensi Big Bud going now and she's a 2 weeks flowering and drinking about a gallon already. I'm going to need that setup in a hurry if she stays on the track she's on. Any way you can get us a diagram of what you got going. It'll be easier to understand if you could. Thanks SCOTTYBALLS, as always a legend among men.
SCOTTYBALLS
Well-Known Member
Here is a quick sketch i did with paint brush should give you a idea what im doing.. Also the stream coming out the drip ring is nice and straight and no longer spits and splatters all over the place i no longer have a problem with salt caking up on the ring and around the bucket and walls.. its working really really good and much less work.. larger resivor also means more stable ETC and ph.. Make sure the pump is adjustable I have mine down on low and its just right .. I had it on high and it pumps so fast the bottom bucket was filling faster then it could drain.. you want a nice steady stream not a hard squirt .. or you could insert a adjustable valve inline if you prefer but you guys should know my motto by now keep it simple..
I call this the CFW setup continious flow waterfarm.
I call this the CFW setup continious flow waterfarm.
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Bigz2277
Well-Known Member
Thanks for everything scotty. This is more of a ebb and grow/drip hybrid whereas the waterfarm is dwc/drip. I love it man. + rep
AWnox
Active Member
Ahhh! Got it! That makes perfect sense SCOTTY, thanks again for coming through. This will will really help out my current situation. My Big Bud is drinking pretty much a gallon and she's only at 2nd week of flowering, might have to upgrade the setup rather soon. It's a pain in the arse to have to prepare and pour an entire gallon every day. This is truly a more set-up and leave-it scenario, kudos on the bright idea.
P.S.: Does the 1/2 inch line fit well into the drip ring "T" piece? I'm assuming your still using that piece to hold the drip ring and connecting the line to that? If not are you holding the drip ring in place now that there's no line/tube going into the waterfarm itself?
Thanks again for all your help with the farms man, wouldn't grow my trees any other way.
SCOTTYBALLS
Well-Known Member
yes the 1/2 line plugs right into the drip ring.. you will need a extra 1/2" elbow too so it ..go's straight overtop the waterfarm.. I had a extra waterfarm drain elbow and used that but they can be found at any hardware store..
poind3xter
Member
Basically this setup becomes a bato bucket system. I'm not a plumbing guy at all so I'm thinking about how I can use the containers and efficiently drain back to the same rez. I have temp issues in my area so I'm looking at using a 150qt ice cooler as a rez. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!
kingballer12
Member
This is sweet thanks for the advice bigz! and yes your advice is very helpful Awnox
kingballer12
Member
Your awesome scotty thanks man!
mytwhyt
Well-Known Member
This being my first post, I want to start by thanking SCOTTYBALLS for his pineapple express thread. It showed me the way to bigger and better grows.. You have my heartfelt thanks Scotty..
I've had two successful grows with the standard water farms, but like many others, I've found the reservoir is just to small. [It's hard living with a heavy drinking female, or two]...
I wanted a larger reservoir with an integral scrog screen that I can move at any stage in the grow. This is the first of three, maybe 4. I can only have three females in flower and 4 in veg, for a total of 7 plants... With 3 setups I can harvest every 30 days.
Started with,
1 Coleman 50 qt. ice chest w/wheels.
1 water farm top bucket, top of the bucket is 11in. below the screen
1 24x32inch screen.. it's 2x4 inch plastic coated, would prefer 2x2inch
2 16inch side supports are welded to a 1/16in base plate, bolted through the handles ea. side
The side supports welded 90* to the base plates, holes through the cooler handles drilled at the same angle as the top of the handle. That'll let the bolt heads and nuts lie flat when tightened, much more steady than straight down
I used 1/2 EMT tubing for the screen frame, 144 inch's total, plus a cheap HF flux wire welder.
The tow handle is left intact and still works, but I cut off the hinges for the lid to lay flat.
The top is two inch foam, I'll use a non-harding latex caulk to seal the lid at the start of a grow, the top of the cooler is not flat enough for a good seal.
The drain will be plumbed outside to my melon patch for reservoir changes. The sight window tube has always been a pia for me because of algae growing in it. I think I'll do away with it all together and have a float in a tube, through the lid, that rises and falls with the liquid in the reservoir.
I'll take some more pictures when its finished.
I've had two successful grows with the standard water farms, but like many others, I've found the reservoir is just to small. [It's hard living with a heavy drinking female, or two]...
I wanted a larger reservoir with an integral scrog screen that I can move at any stage in the grow. This is the first of three, maybe 4. I can only have three females in flower and 4 in veg, for a total of 7 plants... With 3 setups I can harvest every 30 days.
Started with,
1 Coleman 50 qt. ice chest w/wheels.
1 water farm top bucket, top of the bucket is 11in. below the screen
1 24x32inch screen.. it's 2x4 inch plastic coated, would prefer 2x2inch
2 16inch side supports are welded to a 1/16in base plate, bolted through the handles ea. side
The side supports welded 90* to the base plates, holes through the cooler handles drilled at the same angle as the top of the handle. That'll let the bolt heads and nuts lie flat when tightened, much more steady than straight down
I used 1/2 EMT tubing for the screen frame, 144 inch's total, plus a cheap HF flux wire welder.
The tow handle is left intact and still works, but I cut off the hinges for the lid to lay flat.
The top is two inch foam, I'll use a non-harding latex caulk to seal the lid at the start of a grow, the top of the cooler is not flat enough for a good seal.
The drain will be plumbed outside to my melon patch for reservoir changes. The sight window tube has always been a pia for me because of algae growing in it. I think I'll do away with it all together and have a float in a tube, through the lid, that rises and falls with the liquid in the reservoir.
I'll take some more pictures when its finished.
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101 Runner
Member
View attachment 2245719View attachment 2245720
So I wanted everyone on this thread to see the evolution!! Waterfarm was invented in the 90's..this is the future of top drip!!!! Top drip is super easy and it just got easier. The Halorings this system uses don't have to be cleaned every new round and don't separate and make a freaking mess like the waterfarm rings. This system pushes water!! These guys called it the Progrow for a reason. This system produces and needs minimum oversight. Inline venturi oxygenator keeps everything bubbled up so no more running air stones..less electricity. The only 2" vinyl lines on the market means no pvc hardlines. All water is pushed through the system meaning your nutes hit the back buckets in 20 seconds of application. I'm loving my new system!!
So I wanted everyone on this thread to see the evolution!! Waterfarm was invented in the 90's..this is the future of top drip!!!! Top drip is super easy and it just got easier. The Halorings this system uses don't have to be cleaned every new round and don't separate and make a freaking mess like the waterfarm rings. This system pushes water!! These guys called it the Progrow for a reason. This system produces and needs minimum oversight. Inline venturi oxygenator keeps everything bubbled up so no more running air stones..less electricity. The only 2" vinyl lines on the market means no pvc hardlines. All water is pushed through the system meaning your nutes hit the back buckets in 20 seconds of application. I'm loving my new system!!
mytwhyt
Well-Known Member
It looks to be an improvement on most drip systems, but I need to stick with the Waterfarm air system to avoid the heat a pump in the reservoir would add. That's one of the reasons I'm changing to the 50qt. cooler. As it is now, I run my air through a 20 foot coil of 1/4 copper tubing thats in my mini-fridge, and I have a small 5000btu window air in the small room where the girls live.. I keep some beer in the fridge too, for when I'm hanging with the ladies..
Check my location, you'll see why heat might be a problem for me... sometimes ground temps in the summer, on the gravel drive, run as high as 160*f-170*f, depending on the color. Shade temps can reach 113*f, or more on rare occasions. It's not as bad as it sounds with humidity that's between 2-11%.... Believe it or not it sometimes starts out that high in the morning, today the temperature swing will be about 40*f
Check my location, you'll see why heat might be a problem for me... sometimes ground temps in the summer, on the gravel drive, run as high as 160*f-170*f, depending on the color. Shade temps can reach 113*f, or more on rare occasions. It's not as bad as it sounds with humidity that's between 2-11%.... Believe it or not it sometimes starts out that high in the morning, today the temperature swing will be about 40*f
mytwhyt
Well-Known Member
I have used coco and perlite in straight sided 5 gal buckets in the summer months. I want to dump the coco completely and use the water farm type system year round... It's so much more efficient, and the yield per plant, done right, is awesome. Like I said, 3 females is my legal limit. Had to give up my ccw just to get legal. But since open carry is also legal in Nevada, I figured what the hell.. It just makes other people nervous..
skulljam420
Member
also you can just buy the farm kit for $15 at GE.
it comes with all the tubing needed..
you will get this for$15 really anywhere..
i tried to look into making one of these myself because of budget but trust me..just buy one
it comes with all the tubing needed..
you will get this for$15 really anywhere..
i tried to look into making one of these myself because of budget but trust me..just buy one
SCOTTYBALLS
Well-Known Member
Your welcome guys..