Evaporative Cooling on the Resivoir

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AtlaTeryx

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Anyone doing evaporative cooling on RDWC resivoir? Was wondering if it can be done. I use to do evap cooling on aquarium sumps and I want to try to incorporate it in res somehow 🤔. My concern is light leaks and nutrient fluctuations. Anyone doing something like this?
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

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Anyone doing evaporative cooling on RDWC resivoir? Was wondering if it can be done. I use to do evap cooling on aquarium sumps and I want to try to incorporate it in res somehow 🤔. My concern is light leaks and nutrient fluctuations. Anyone doing something like this?
It all depends on the temp difference your trying to achieve. but yea in some cases it will work in others it won’t.
 
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AtlaTeryx

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It all depends on the temp difference your trying to achieve. but yea in some cases it will work in others it won’t.
Just looking for small temp relief on hotter days. Doesn't get very hot here, I'm in zone 4. Heck...I'm probably going to have to run a heater in the res 😅
 
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AtlaTeryx

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Just stoned spit balling here but, what if I ran a fan Pushing through 4inch duct hose (light proof), into top of res hitting water, then exiting res into another 4inch duct hose (light proof)? I wonder how that would affect water quality and parameters. Say, into a 28g rubbermaid brute res. Maybe I'm too stoned, maybe not enough, but fuckin A it's lunch break and I'm fucked 🤣
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

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Just stoned spit balling here but, what if I ran a fan Pushing through 4inch duct hose (light proof), into top of res hitting water, then exiting res into another 4inch duct hose (light proof)? I wonder how that would affect water quality and parameters. Say, into a 28g rubbermaid brute res. Maybe I'm too stoned, maybe not enough, but fuckin A it's lunch break and I'm fucked 🤣
Will raise humidity quite a bit… something to think about
 
Moe.Red

Moe.Red

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I'll be honest, I leave my res open to the air 24x7. I see a lot of folks working to keep light leaks out, which I don't even try to do. I think people are worried about algae or something like that - I have even read that root rot comes from light leaks. Man if that is the case, I'm doing it wrong but don't tell my roots because they are pretty damned happy with the ignorance.

I jest of course, but maybe don't try to keep a lid on it and see if passively it sheds enough heat to be good? Also if you are bubbling, I suggest a diaphragm pump over a piston style, the piston will push huge amounts of heat into your air stones.
 
A

AtlaTeryx

47
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I'll be honest, I leave my res open to the air 24x7. I see a lot of folks working to keep light leaks out, which I don't even try to do. I think people are worried about algae or something like that - I have even read that root rot comes from light leaks. Man if that is the case, I'm doing it wrong but don't tell my roots because they are pretty damned happy with the ignorance.

I jest of course, but maybe don't try to keep a lid on it and see if passively it sheds enough heat to be good? Also if you are bubbling, I suggest a diaphragm pump over a piston style, the piston will push huge amounts of heat into your air stones.
Interesting to know. I think I'm going to run venturis and no air pumps. I'm just concerned with dying and decaying algae if it happens. I dunno, I'm totally new to indoor and hydro. I have 2 successful grows under my belt outdoors, but decided to move things inside to be secure. Do you run a medium with nitrifying bacteria in your res?
 
Moe.Red

Moe.Red

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Interesting to know. I think I'm going to run venturis and no air pumps. I'm just concerned with dying and decaying algae if it happens. I dunno, I'm totally new to indoor and hydro. I have 2 successful grows under my belt outdoors, but decided to move things inside to be secure. Do you run a medium with nitrifying bacteria in your res?
Well this is not about me, but you can see one of my systems in the video here


That res that feeds the 4x8 is open to atmosphere all the time. I turn off the room lights when I leave the area, I do not get algae. To much good stuff competing in there, and not enough light to make them the dominant species.

As far as the beneficials, yes I run them all. Mycelium, bacteria, and enzymes from time to time. And yes, nitro bacteria are in the system naturally, like an aquarium.
 
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AtlaTeryx

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Well this is not about me, but you can see one of my systems in the video here


That res that feeds the 4x8 is open to atmosphere all the time. I turn off the room lights when I leave the area, I do not get algae. To much good stuff competing in there, and not enough light to make them the dominant species.

As far as the beneficials, yes I run them all. Mycelium, bacteria, and enzymes from time to time. And yes, nitro bacteria are in the system naturally, like an aquarium.
Ahhh, I see that media in there. Def great air churn in that res. Hmmm, thanks for posting that.
 
smokedareefer

smokedareefer

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I'll be honest, I leave my res open to the air 24x7. I see a lot of folks working to keep light leaks out, which I don't even try to do. I think people are worried about algae or something like that - I have even read that root rot comes from light leaks. Man if that is the case, I'm doing it wrong but don't tell my roots because they are pretty damned happy with the ignorance.

I jest of course, but maybe don't try to keep a lid on it and see if passively it sheds enough heat to be good? Also if you are bubbling, I suggest a diaphragm pump over a piston style, the piston will push huge amounts of heat into your air stones.
Pumping hot air into your airstones may also be another myth. At least it appears to be in my system.
Edit, i run chillers
 
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Cashmeh

Cashmeh

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I'll be honest, I leave my res open to the air 24x7. I see a lot of folks working to keep light leaks out, which I don't even try to do. I think people are worried about algae or something like that - I have even read that root rot comes from light leaks. Man if that is the case, I'm doing it wrong but don't tell my roots because they are pretty damned happy with the ignorance.
Might as well use clear totes then.
I'm also constantly hearing that light getting thru the 3" PVC returns is a big issue too. It's just not.
Have you done the flashlight test? I mean I wouldn't say its a big issue, but they should be black instead of white.

If you showed a picture of what your open res looked like while running, theres a reason your able to sustain enough o2. Like if there is no corrosives like h202 your adding, and your strictly running bbs, not worried about light, you will have algae reprocessing your nutrients. Those nutrients will now need enzymes and eventually you will need to dump the res.
Anyone doing evaporative cooling on RDWC resivoir? Was wondering if it can be done. I use to do evap cooling on aquarium sumps and I want to try to incorporate it in res somehow 🤔. My concern is light leaks and nutrient fluctuations. Anyone doing something like this?
You can do it, but I would suggest studying systems that do it successfully first. Moe has a good one but it seems a little complex, not saying it wont work. I always suggest discouraging algae growth by stopping light leaks. Also the venturi you mentioned will help keep a high flow rate in your res and keep the 02 levels high enough where what little algea there is, it wont be able to stick underwater. In plumbing lines where they are joined, you will find buildup that is pretty difficult to get out and yea, im not a fan of external plumbing, not saying im not about to use my system again :( But soon perhaps ill have a better 4 plant single tote system than the one I currently have.
I havnt seen your system, but you can move your airpump out of the grow room and suck in air that isnt as warm. I have a large piston pump I use to run up to 6 systems, it sits in 72f and blows 72f air into my res, ironically my res stays at 72f lol. . imagine that
 
Moe.Red

Moe.Red

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Might as well use clear totes then.

Have you done the flashlight test? I mean I wouldn't say its a big issue, but they should be black instead of white.

If you showed a picture of what your open res looked like while running, theres a reason your able to sustain enough o2. Like if there is no corrosives like h202 your adding, and your strictly running bbs, not worried about light, you will have algae reprocessing your nutrients. Those nutrients will now need enzymes and eventually you will need to dump the res.

I have cut out PVC that has been used for years to reconfigure from 6 pots to 2. The PVC was still white inside, no slime. No algae.

I don't know what to tell you man, but I'm having good results. No algae anywhere. My plants are very happy.

I would not use clear totes not because they are clear, but because they are a different plastic that is weak and shatters compared to the black thick ones. This of course is the outside the tent res - inside the tent you want no light in the roots. But I realize you didn't mean that, you were just trying to poke me in the eye. Good thing I am wearing glasses.
 
Moe.Red

Moe.Red

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313
Pumping hot air into your airstones may also be another myth. At least it appears to be in my system.
Edit, i run chillers

Would you know if you are running a chiller?

Before I added my chillers, I was running the piston pumps. I still have them collecting dust. They get as hot as a pistol when you run them 24x7. Like too hot to touch. You would have a hard time convincing me that removing those from the system was not a temp benefit. But no, I have not done a bench test to determine how much heat energy is transferred to the res. I'm convinced they do, but I could be wrong, I just don't see it.

The diaphragm pumps create almost no heat, they do not even have cooling fins or any need for them.

Are we talking about the same thing?
 
Cashmeh

Cashmeh

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263
I have cut out PVC that has been used for years to reconfigure from 6 pots to 2. The PVC was still white inside, no slime. No algae.

I don't know what to tell you man, but I'm having good results. No algae anywhere. My plants are very happy.

I would not use clear totes not because they are clear, but because they are a different plastic that is weak and shatters compared to the black thick ones. This of course is the outside the tent res - inside the tent you want no light in the roots. But I realize you didn't mean that, you were just trying to poke me in the eye. Good thing I am wearing glasses.
So the conjoining tube say 3 inch return line, that can reflect light from res and from inside tent back into the root area, do u suggest white or black, since half is inside and half is outside.

I was under the impression whatever logic is applied to an external res should be applied to an internal one. I mean with our without roots in them I guess matters. I guess ill concede and say my logic wouldnt apply to the external res IF the light wasnt reflected into the root res. I use single tote more than external res, i should have read more. I just was getting the impression it doesnt matter in either I guess and im sure others were too.
 
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