Switching from Diy dwc to diy RDWC need help

[Brother_Antioch]

So although flooding my house isn't an issue. The tent is in an old well house concrete floors with a drain.

I will post pics tomorrow morning of what I have for my set up. I have been reading a listening to everyone's feed back on the issues I will run into. I didn't realize that the pumps I'm using for returns don't have to go in the buckets I can use a straw to suck it up from above water levels. With a screen shouldn't have issue with roots.

But today I did sit in the grow area just starring at my space. Right now I have two autos in the last couple weeks of flower with just my buckets in the tent. I believe I may be able to raise my buckets up enough to equal water level out maybe with the tank. The tank is sitting on two pallets about 6-8" off the ground. I have moved my exhaust fan to the out side of my tent. To allow more room to bring the lights up higher as my plants grow. I would love to use a scrog net and horizontal fill the tent. Which is my plan.

I have another post up in general I believe not sure how to pin it here. I'll show some my pics of what I have going on right now before the full switch.


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Lemon Mandarin Photo by FastBuds


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The two Grand Daddy Purp via seed supreme


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2x4 tent with the lemon Mandarin in it

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Res tank.


I will post the pics of my 4x5 tent that is for the RDWC and all my autos. Planning on adding another 4x4 and moving the mainlined plant over to it for the Grand Flower Flip lol. Has been fun.

If you're worried about the height loss by raising the buckets, why not build a platform for the tent to sit on? Raise the tent by the 2' you have above it and you'll be fine, I'd imagine, so long as the reservoir is located outside the tent.

 

[amneziaHaze]

Reservoir higher than buckets will make it difficult to maintain your water level. Since you will not be cutting into the glass of the fish tank, I assume the reservoir will need a pump moving water out to the buckets (which is standard) and a pump at the bucket level to bring water back to the reservoir. Is this correct? If so, you will definitely run into issues and risk flooding your tent. The pumps will inevitably run out of sync, with 1 pumping more water than the other. More than likely your flow to your buckets will be greater than the flow back to your reservoir which will overfill your buckets and flood your tent.

I've dealt with this already and still do deal with it in my current setup. I have to run my pump 3 minutes on and 12 minutes off to guarantee it never floods. I also have a smaller reservoir than the plant bucket and keep enough room in the plant bucket for all the water of my reservoir so I never even risk flooding. With a 55 gallon tank you won't have that option though.

Just my initial thoughts on the setup. Definitely a good move to go to RDWC. Once you have a good setup it will make like so much easier.

If you make a float each time it goes down it will let water in

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

How're you getting on with this @Gizmo_gardener? Hope Grandaddy Purple is thriving (and the others of course)

Thanks for the support

They did very well. Had some issues with starting them out but once they start root production there was no stopping them from growing. I have learn 6 plants will not fit in my 5*4 tent lol 4 barely fits. The two GDP actually hermied on me right at the end the last week pollen sacks. I chopped then found if I would have just let them produce seeds I would have been set. Lol. But over y'all I am happy. I have 4 growing now in here now. Only in DWC.

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

If you're worried about the height loss by raising the buckets, why not build a platform for the tent to sit on? Raise the tent by the 2' you have above it and you'll be fine, I'd imagine, so long as the reservoir is located outside the tent.

I don't have room to raise my tent either and I know raising my buckets with affect growing space as I am 3/4 thru 4 dwc plant in my tent now as I have slowly been gathering all parts need to turn into a RDWC. I now have enough to swap it over once these 4 finish up. I will post a pic shortly. I will also not need floats or raising or anything of any buckets or the res. Using one pump from res to supply each bucket each bucket will then have a 2" return connecting every bucket to each other and to the res. No pump returning just a supply pump. Continuous flow.

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

Can I ask why you are going to a reservoir

As stated already the res. Will allow controlling oh ec ppm temperature and all a lot easier as right now I'm growing 4 plant in DWC setup watering every other day on two plants every two days on two plants using same nutes and ec ph ppm. When changing water out 1 plant ppm/ ec is much higher then the other and 2 of the 4 is almost 0 they are drinking a lot of water roughly 3.5 gallons a day. Leaving me with a pom of 265 with the beginning starting out at 1250. The 1 plant that is much higher is drinking 1.5 gallons a day every two days when changed ppm is at 1100-1180. If I had a res. All this would or should stay the same across each plant other then water in take. Indo understand 3 plants are much larger then the 1.

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

The photos of the 4 dwc plants

 

[SeedSupreme]

They did very well. Had some issues with starting them out but once they start root production there was no stopping them from growing. I have learn 6 plants will not fit in my 5*4 tent lol 4 barely fits. The two GDP actually hermied on me right at the end the last week pollen sacks. I chopped then found if I would have just let them produce seeds I would have been set. Lol. But over y'all I am happy. I have 4 growing now in here now. Only in DWC.

Love to hear it! Glad you're happy with the results - have a lovely holiday period.