DWC Scrog Design Help/Tips Needed

[Chris1]

Hey guys



I currently have 2 8 Gallon Rubbermaid Containers, each soon to be housing an ISS clone a piece. I plan to scrog...how should I go about doing this? How will I change water out in the res if the plant is intertwined with the screen?
General tips are appreciated as this is my first run

Using GH series Gro/Bloom/Hardwater Micro, 250w HPS

 

[burnalot420]

to drain you rez's in that situation you could just put a ball valve at the bottom...

 

[smokestack23]

This might complicate things more than you want but..it will, in the end, save you time and work.
Why not add a third (similar) container and plumb them all together. That way you can do everything from the third (control) bucket.
And if you do that, you might as well get a pump like GoD said but make it recirculating dwc.

I have 4 5gal pails and a reservoir. The 4 and the res are connected together at the bottoms (sides) with 3/4" hose/tubing. Actually, each of the 4 fives have 2 3/4" drains in case one gets plugged by roots.
I have a 160gph submersible pump (16 bucks on eBay) in the res feeding a 1/2" hose that runs into the room. It has a plug/cap in the end of it. Out of that 1/2" line I put 2 1/4" driplines feeding each bucket. They don't drip, they pour. Not really into the medium either..they go down the sides of the netpots. They arent there to really water anything..just to recirculate the solution. You wouldn't think that it would recirc that fast but my res has good movement...even wee whirlpools from the pots draining back into it.

I don't have a controller for my res..I just top it up by hand. My 4 trees suck-up 5 gallons per day.

SO...if money and space allow, you really SHOULD make it into a RDWC system.

my two cents

 

[spider125]

Don't wanna jack your thread but i had a question. Where did you buy your stuff to make it into a Rdwc? I was wanting to try that but a little nervous about making it all work. Got a list of all the stuff I would need? What nutes do you use?

 

[smokestack23]

If you're talking to me...
I got the overpriced but "so much better" yellow outside, black rubber inside 3/4 and 1/2 flexible hoses from the growshop. Got the black 1/8 hose, 1/8 threaded things, and drains also from the growshop. when I say drains I mean those ebb-flow drains or bilge drains whatever they're called..the white ones with a barbed hose fitting on one end and a flange on the other with a nut and gasket.

I got all the 3/4 and 1/2 elbows and Ts and endcap from the hardware store..like 65cents each. I also got zipties to give me some piece of mind. I was gonna use metal hoseclamps on all the Ts and elbows but they're like a buck each. I got a bag of zipties at the dollar store.

Pails I got at the hardware store. They're white so also from the hardware store I got some ali tape (was thicker and cheaper than the growshop's). I also made "jackets" for the buckets with the black/white poly.
I also got those foam tubes of pipe insulation. Under a buck each at hardware store in like 4' lengths. all that yellow tubing is grey because it is in the foam tubes. Just trying to keep the water cool.
You can get netpots or netlids at the growshop but for my second set of 4 pails I just got "pen baskets"? from the dollar store. 4 for a buck. They're like 6" netpots but a bit taller and no holes in the bottom. I drilled a bunch in them.

I got a 55W commercial airpump on ebay for $30 and my 160gph submersible pumps on ebay for $16ea.

I also got, on ebay, and you can too..a 22" charcoal can WITH 440cfm fan AND 30' of ali 8" ducting for under $175 SHIPPED!!
Same seller has 600 and 1K electronic ballast kits WITH yoyos, timer, HPS AND MH bulb AND cooltube reflectors. I got a few of each over the past month or two for just over $200ea shipped. They're LUMA brand and I've had NO problems. Early still but..yeah.

Got the rubbermaild res at the hardware store.

Nutes I've been using for quite a while now ate Plantlife's Holland's Secret 3 part. NO additives or boosters or sweeteners or flushes. It's even cheaper than GH and is AWESOME!!!

I also run SM90 or DMZone. I had some minor fungus gnats when I switched to RDWC from soiless. the SM90 wiped them out and keeps my roots WHITE.

Oh..this is kinda cheesey but..the fans on my cooltubes are just 50CFM bathroom "blower" fans for 17 bucks each on sale at the hardware store. I'm pulling the air through my cooltubes (backwards..I'll change that one day) and they blow hot air. They work. I had to make a cardboard "adaptor" to make the ducting "fit" them but...

Oh...AND...I got my PH and TDS sticks/meters from ebay for under $10 each STRAIGHT from HongKong. Work like a hot damn!

I think that's (completely) everything.

 

[spider125]

Did ya take any pics while you were putting it all together? I just went and got a bunch of nutes today from my local (26 miles away) hydro store. what size rez are you using? are you putting in any air stones? if so in each bucket or just the rez or both? Thanks for the list too!

 

[smokestack23]

hey spidey...I would post pics...if I took some...but..not gonna. Please read my "WARNING" thread.

OK..back on subject. Yes...an airstone in each bucket. I dont have any oxygenation in my res. I do have an extra airpump and waterpump..I could use them in the res for aeration but I seriously can't handle any more stupid growth. I wasn't ready for this. They're on 42" centers. Flowered at about 24" tall and now I can't get between them and they still have 5 weeks to go.
Of course, if they start asking for air I'll add some but for now..not necessary. It IS a great idea to add as much air as possible though. NEVER a bad thing I don't think. Keeps shit stirred-up, prevents some pathogens and will make your plants grow like CRAZY.

If you like, I can send you links to the ebay sellers from whom I bought and buy stuff. I'm not affiliated and don't get commission or freebies or ANYTHING from them. I don't know them personally. I'd LOVE to just post that info but I know that isnt cool.

My wife won't let me take photos and definitely wouldnt let me post any in a thread...I've wanted to for weeks..to show-off my ladies but...now (again, read my WARNING thread) I'm sure glad she didnt let me...or more accurately...good thing I didn't do it ANYWAY (like I usually do when she tells me not to do something lol).

Maybe I can use MS Paint and draw you a little explanation.

even though my system is pretty welfare or ghetto or whatever...I mean I'm sure that an actual UC or MPB system provided more flow and having your drains up high on the pails is better than on the bottom...but then I'd have to feed from the bottom...All that means more parts, bigger pumps..essentially...MO MONEY.

Like I said...this system is blowing me away. I HONESTLY can not handle more or faster growth. This time at least. Next time will be different. I mean, I'm gonna build another 4 pod system..exactly the same (well..larger drains but..). I'm just gonna flower a bit earlier.