Help planing a 6 bucket DWC recirculating system

[TipJar]

I have a pretty new 5x5 grow tent. In it, I am looking to put a 6 bucket DWC Recirculating System. I am only growing Auto's here with a 24 hour light schedule. Anyway, I have kinda drawn this out before and also 'borrowed' this foto from Amazon.

I guess what I am really trying to say is I plan on using a setup similar to the above, I am mostly wondering about fine-tuning it before I cut. For instance, would these fittings from this photo be good? I have seen where 2" pipe was just put into rubber grommets inside the buckets w/o any glue or fastening and wondering if this made the system easier to clean,...

Really anyone who has tips or photos, advice anything on how to build one of these please inform me, I only want to cut once,... lol ;- j

 

[Aqua Man]

I have a pretty new 5x5 grow tent. In it, I am looking to put a 6 bucket DWC Recirculating System. I am only growing Auto's here with a 24 hour light schedule. Anyway, I have kinda drawn this out before and also 'borrowed' this foto from Amazon.


View attachment 919739


I guess what I am really trying to say is I plan on using a setup similar to the above, I am mostly wondering about fine-tuning it before I cut. For instance, would these fittings from this photo be good? I have seen where 2" pipe was just put into rubber grommets inside the buckets w/o any glue or fastening and wondering if this made the system easier to clean,...

Really anyone who has tips or photos, advice anything on how to build one of these please inform me, I only want to cut once,... lol ;- j

6 site might be a bit ambitious for a 5x5. I build my own and can help ya but are you sure you want 6 sites?

 

[Aqua Man]

This is a 4x4

 

[TipJar]

Thank You,...

I see this is exactly what I am looking to do,.. Only difference is I'm thinking of using Gromets to seel the buckets instead of fittings,...

How big is your reservoir,...? Do you have any fotos of your pump setup if you have one,..?

& 6 is the legal flowering limit so I was thinking, like um yeah if'n I can,... lol

 

[ozarkgrey]

I have a pretty new 5x5 grow tent. In it, I am looking to put a 6 bucket DWC Recirculating System. I am only growing Auto's here with a 24 hour light schedule. Anyway, I have kinda drawn this out before and also 'borrowed' this foto from Amazon.


View attachment 919739


I guess what I am really trying to say is I plan on using a setup similar to the above, I am mostly wondering about fine-tuning it before I cut. For instance, would these fittings from this photo be good? I have seen where 2" pipe was just put into rubber grommets inside the buckets w/o any glue or fastening and wondering if this made the system easier to clean,...

Really anyone who has tips or photos, advice anything on how to build one of these please inform me, I only want to cut once,... lol ;- j

are you running the same strain in each pot? if not you may want to setup a system where each pot is separate yet running off one pump etc

OG

 

[Nugg]

I agree 6 plant would be tight..I like to run 6sqf.per plant..I run 4 plants in 6×6... Leaks would be your biggest concern with the gromets...I build my own and have found leaks in different types..I use clue and the bulkhead fittings have o ring washer...I use 110l air pump..350 gph water pump...2" return lines work best..

 

[Aqua Man]

4- 5gal sites with 20gal res and 180gph pump. I will sit down this afternoon and link all the parts so you can get an idea.

 

[Mickyjoker]

Hi . You’re grow looks great. I was wondering if anyone has ever thought of doing rdwc in reverse. By having the water pump pulling the water from the reservoir and sending it to the last bucket and linking the buckets with the water pipe at the desired water level, so that the water gets to that level and then goes to the next. This way the water level in the plant bucket always stays the same and the water level in the reservoir drops as the plants use it. Any advice please. Thanks

 

[Aqua Man]

Hi . You’re grow looks great. I was wondering if anyone has ever thought of doing rdwc in reverse. By having the water pump pulling the water from the reservoir and sending it to the last bucket and linking the buckets with the water pipe at the desired water level, so that the water gets to that level and then goes to the next. This way the water level in the plant bucket always stays the same and the water level in the reservoir drops as the plants use it. Any advice please. Thanks

Waterfall systems do that. Any adequate system the water level will always stay the same in each

 

[TipJar]

The point about what if I want to grow different strains during the same grow,... I realized I may as well just be better off using individual buckets,... I didn't want anyone having to put together a list since its probably not the direction I need to go,... I wanted to thank Nugg and Aqua though for their input,... ;- j

 

[FourthCity]

The point about what if I want to grow different strains during the same grow,... I realized I may as well just be better off using individual buckets,... I didn't want anyone having to put together a list since its probably not the direction I need to go,... I wanted to thank Nugg and Aqua though for their input,... ;- j

Nothing wrong with rdwc at all but for the reason you mentioned and many others, individual buckets are so much more flexible and in my opinion are generally the best all around option for home hydroponics. For someone wanting to do rdwc I would ask:

1. Are you ok with growing one strain at a time (per system)? Or ok with growing multiple strains but not to their full potential?

Rdwc works best and is the superior option when you are growing identical clones of the same plant because you can really dial everything in knowing that it should effect each clone the same way.

2. Are you ok with having a fixed number of same aged plants?

Not as much problem with the clone situation described above but if you ever need to pull males, herms, sick, or infected plants, you are left with a hole in your grow area that you cant fill with another younger plant because the nutrient ratios will most likely not be suitable. (not to mention you might be on a different light cycle)

3. How devastating would it be if all the water came out where your system is?

It shouldn't leak but what if it does?

4. Are you ok with the extra up front and monthly costs?

Fittings, piping, reservoirs, water pumps, and chillers are extra items not needed for dwc, they all add up and the last two will increase your monthly electric bill as well.


Some people really want to get to know a particular plant well, and continue to grow the same strain for many generations, you really can't beat rdwc in that situation. With individual reservoirs, dwc allows you to dial in each plant individually, it just requires a little more work. One of the nice things about dwc is that if you decide down the road that you still want to build a rdwc setup you already have half the parts you'll need.

 

[Mickyjoker]

Waterfall systems do that. Any adequate system the water level will always stay the same in each

Not a waterfall system, and I’m not talking about the water level staying the same I’m talking about as the water pump sends the water to the furthest bucket the water level in the reservoir drops because of the pipe connecting each bucket leading back to the reservoir is at the desired water level so it doesn’t drop. But the water level in the reservoir drops as the plants use it. I have started to use this, but this is my first grow. I also have a water pump pulling from the last two buckets ( or the first two that the water from the reservoir come across) and send it to the second row of buckets just so that I can utilise the Venturi effect.

 

[Indiva710]

Heres My old 4x4 setup too..Just all depends how u want to set up your system....I would consider using rectangle or square buckets instead of round once if your going to use 2in PVC ...In which clogging problems are gone with vs using hoses but can still get a screen for them etc...many ways to skin this cat that's for sure....so all up to u...
I wouldn't waste my time with uniseals and get bulkheads only for larger piping and current cultures 2in bulkheads are super nice and they have filters that fits on them too but only need them on the back buckets that your return goes too...

 

[DezmondG]

Very nice setups guys. I’m just in the starts of figuring what way to go as well. I want to try my hands at DWC or RDWC but with only one plant. Never done this before. Only grown in soil. Still doing a ton more f reading and watching videos. PPM, EC, TDC, STD’s, PH. There sure is a lot to learn. ;)