How Do I Maintain Water Levels In My Dwc Bucket?

[mikeb437]

My plant just went into the bucket this Saturday and it is filled up to the required level. I’m just curious how I maintain that water level. I realize that there will be some evaporation over the next week or two so do I just continuously add water that is properly pH’ed every day or so? Im not sure how fast the water levels will drop.

 

[DGP]

I usually top off with water that has been mixed to the same nute levels and PH as the plants are at and I make sure the water temp is about the same as well so I don't shock em. Then I just use that to refill. That's just how I do it though. some people add a little H2o2 or dechlorinate etc., but in deep water I find a little chlorine can be helpful. Most of your water conditioners have calcium hypochlorite in them anyway. Once I heard from a vendor that some of the res conditioners are nothing more than "shock-it" (pool chemicals).

Dee

 

[DGP]

Mike,

How are things proceeding?

Dee

 

[REDiJEDi160]

You don't have to do it everyday I don't have to start adding water on the back-end till full blown flower and even then it's like the 5th day of the week so I just add plain water then ph. As the water in your res evaporates it concentrates the nutrients so if you change water completely every week like I do then nutes are unnecessary unless you plan on keeping the same resevoir for awhile.

 

[DGP]

You don't have to do it everyday I don't have to start adding water on the back-end till full blown flower and even then it's like the 5th day of the week so I just add plain water then ph. As the water in your res evaporates it concentrates the nutrients so if you change water completely every week like I do then nutes are unnecessary unless you plan on keeping the same resevoir for awhile.

I would agree with that in general but the only time I top off more frequently is when the plants are too small to reach the water with their roots. I switched to top feed in my tent where I start seeds and clones to solve that issue though. After the plants send some roots out the bottom I don't worry so much about precise water levels.

Dee

 

[REDiJEDi160]

I would agree with that in general but the only time I top off more frequently is when the plants are too small to reach the water with their roots. I switched to top feed in my tent where I start seeds and clones to solve that issue though. After the plants send some roots out the bottom I don't worry so much about precise water levels.

Dee

Yea my dwc is a homemade tote system I use a pump to run top drip the whole time but in mid-late stage flowering my plants decimate some water to the point that the probably wouldn't have enough to work properly and burn up. That is the only reason why I top off my res same thing would happen in my ebb and flow though I used to top that one off around the same time too but that was more necessary for nutrient concentration than running out