Design Of A Rwdc Room - Questions

[FatFriday]

Thanks

 

[FatFriday]

I picked up 12 - 12 gal containers for the plants and 2 - 55 gal contaners for the reservoir from Home Depot - Im thinking of using one if the 55 gal as a prep tank -

when you replace the eater everyweek do you drain the entire system and have the plants just hanginf in air during the time to switch everything?

 

[jumpincactus]

Might help just to watch these two multi-part series to get the idea of setting a DIY RDWC up. Bigger doesn't necessarily mean harder. Actually, the bigger the better (and I'm not talking about harvest). The more water volume you have in a system, the more stable your pH will be. Think of a cup of R/O water, and let's say the pH is 7.0 (neutral) to start. Then, let's say you put a drop of pH up or down, or a drop of nutrient, in there. Since it's R/O 7.0 neutral, that one drop is going to VASTLY change the pH. If you put that same drop in a 60 gallon system, the pH probably won't change 1/10 of a point. The point being, the more water volume, the more flexibility and ease you have in adding nutrients and keeping pH stable. If you run a single 5 gallon, independent bubble bucket, the plants can drink 2+ gallons in one day....watch what happens to your nutrient ppms and pH overnight in that scenario. My systems are always between 5.7 and 5.9, but I intentionally fluctuate them up to 6.0 - 6.1 and down to 5.4 - 5.5 just to allow some of the nutrients that are more readily absorbed at these higher and lower values. Anyway, here are the links to the series:

Hobby room setup:

Pheno Hunt in Hobby Room:

@jcom is sharing some solid info here FWIW. Looks like I found me a fellow Reefer, no not weed but living reef tanks. The Reeflo line of pumps is the top of the line. I was a reefkeeper for many years and can attest to the quality of their pumps. I would recommend that when ordering your pump if you go with reeflo and if your using synthetic salt based nutes to get the pump fitted with "Marine Seals" as this will add to the longevity of your pump if using salt based nutes. I owned a Barracuda and a Dart and they ran for 5 years without any issues. Was still running when I sold my reeftank.

And as jcom mentioned the larger your water source the easier it is to keep it stable and buffered. Smaller volumes = more ph swing larger volumes = more buffer capacity and less of a swing in water parameters.

Another note for hydro is when aerating your rez be sure your are drawing air from outside the groom especially if using C02 as you will have a hell of a time keeping your rez stable .

 

[FatFriday]

k thanks - you think these tote I got will work well?
need to know before I cut holes in them

 

[EventHorizan]

I picked up 12 - 12 gal containers for the plants and 2 - 55 gal contaners for the reservoir from Home Depot - Im thinking of using one if the 55 gal as a prep tank -

when you replace the eater everyweek do you drain the entire system and have the plants just hanginf in air during the time to switch everything?

What about the control bucket?

 

[FatFriday]

? not sure what that is

 

[EventHorizan]

that is what controls your water level and where you check ec/ph... Water leaves the control bucket and travels thru your grow buckets, then thru your pump and back to the control bucket, and on and on(recirculating)
Your 55 gal tote sets outside the tent up higher that your system with a hose that connects from it that goes down in to the tent and hooks to the control bucket via a float valve(same thing in your toilet)When your water in the system goes down it allows the float to drop allowing water in from the resevoir(55 gal tote). As it fills the valve floats up and stops the water flow, maintaining your water level.

 

[FatFriday]

ah I thought that was the reservoir - I got 2 55 gal - was going to use one inside the tent and the other as a feeder so that my water from the supply could air and warm up - normally the water supply is about 55 deg. a little cold to put into the production system

 

[EventHorizan]

ah I thought that was the reservoir - I got 2 55 gal - was going to use one inside the tent and the other as a feeder so that my water from the supply could air and warm up - normally the water supply is about 55 deg. a little cold to put into the production system

return one of the totes. Then buy one more bucket like your grow buckets. that bucket will be your control bucket. Get an aquarium heater and put it in the control bucket. It will maintain your water temp at 67 or 68..

 

[EventHorizan]

return one of the totes. Then buy one more bucket like your grow buckets. that bucket will be your control bucket. Get an aquarium heater and put it in the control bucket. It will maintain your water temp at 67 or 68..

thats why they call it a control bucket because thats where you check, and control temps ec and ph, either by handheld or in my case a monitor which hangs in the control bucket all the time so i just got to walk up and look at it and i always know what it is... very easy,,,

 

[FatFriday]

thanks - is that where you would add your nutrients every week?

 

[EventHorizan]

thanks - is that where you would add your nutrients every week?

yes

 

[FatFriday]

so what size should I get - they have a 27 gal - want to make sure I have enough water to help keep the system stable - thats the reason I was going to use the 55 gal - not that it was going to be full - was thinking about 30-40 gal max - also what size pond pots should I use - was going to use those clay rocks

 

[EventHorizan]

so what size should I get - they have a 27 gal - want to make sure I have enough water to help keep the system stable - thats the reason I was going to use the 55 gal - not that it was going to be full - was thinking about 30-40 gal max - also what size pond pots should I use - was going to use those clay rocks

you want the control bucket the same size as your grow buckets. you want a control bucket that looks exactly like the grow buckets.. hold on let me find a pic

 

[EventHorizan]

this is my system

 

[EventHorizan]

And some of my other pics... See the 5th black bucket in the tent with no plant in it... thats the control bucket..

 

[EventHorizan]

See the blue hose coming out the control bucket then exits the tent? that goes to my 55 gal res. Mines actually 25.. But i fill it up every 4 days

 

[FatFriday]

whats the ring in your buckets

 

[EventHorizan]

those are drip rings. I have rdwc PLUS top feed. The top feed helps them till they get roots in the water. ,I really like my system. It works really well.

 

[EventHorizan]

those are drip rings. I have rdwc PLUS top feed. The top feed helps them till they get roots in the water. ,I really like my system. It works really well.

it pulls water up out of its OWN bucket to drip over the root also aerating the water..