How often to full res change DWC?

Nate_in_AK · Apr 14, 2020

Things have finally been going well enough (no major crisis at least) with my first grow that I have gone 2 weeks without a near death experience. Question is, how often is a full res change called for?

PH and PPM have been stable, and I am adding about 1-1.5 gallons of water/nute mix a week. It has been 2 weeks since my last full res changes.

I'm using 5 gallon buckets with bubblers and anti-fungal, figure about 3-3.5 gallons of water/nute mix per bucket, so they have had a near 50% change two weeks in a row. If everything is looking OK do I need to do a full res change once in a while anyway?

Plants just started flowering so I am slowly ramping the nute mix up. They are at about 600ppm for the weaker plant and 700ppm for the healthier lady.

It's been a wild ride, and I gotta keep these girls going for about 6 more weeks, I imagine...

AnselAdams · Apr 14, 2020

Nate_in_AK said:
Things have finally been going well enough (no major crisis at least) with my first grow that I have gone 2 weeks without a near death experience. Question is, how often is a full res change called for?

PH and PPM have been stable, and I am adding about 1-1.5 gallons of water/nute mix a week. It has been 2 weeks since my last full res changes.

I'm using 5 gallon buckets with bubblers and anti-fungal, figure about 3-3.5 gallons of water/nute mix per bucket, so they have had a near 50% change two weeks in a row. If everything is looking OK do I need to do a full res change once in a while anyway?

Plants just started flowering so I am slowly ramping the nute mix up. They are at about 600ppm for the weaker plant and 700ppm for the healthier lady.

It's been a wild ride, and I gotta keep these girls going for about 6 more weeks, I imagine...

are you treating now with hydroguard and/or an enzyme additive?

If everything is stable; why would you trash that balance you worked so hard to obtain, with a full rez change? Why not 50% and keep the good bugs to restock the new water?

Maybe this will help

Nate_in_AK · Apr 14, 2020

AnselAdams said:
are you treating now with hydroguard and/or an enzyme additive?

If everything is stable; why would you trash that balance you worked so hard to obtain, with a full rez change? Why not 50% and keep the good bugs to restock the new water?

Maybe this will help
View attachment 961751

Yes, using Southern AG antifungal in every refill. I was hoping it was ok to keep refilling the same bucket rather than full change, but there seem to be some different opinions on this around the internet, so wanted to run it by all you wonderful folks here, who have helped me keep my black thumb from killing my plants off.

Thank you!

AnselAdams · Apr 14, 2020

Nate_in_AK said:
Yes, using Southern AG antifungal in every refill. I was hoping it was ok to keep refilling the same bucket rather than full change, but there seem to be some different opinions on this around the internet, so wanted to run it by all you wonderful folks here, who have helped me keep my black thumb from killing my plants off.

Thank you!

If it ain't broke. . . WTF. over? lol

Nate_in_AK · Apr 14, 2020

AnselAdams said:
If it ain't broke; WTF. over? lol

Sometimes there is a fine line between "if it ain't broke" and "read the f#ing manual!"

AnselAdams · Apr 14, 2020

Nate_in_AK said:
Sometimes there is a fine line between "if it ain't broke" and "read the f#ing manual!"

Ain't that the friggin' TRUTH..... an awful lot of "problems" can be traced directly back to RTFM!!! I must say it at least a dozen times a day to our support techs. That and "google it, then come back and ask me your questions". Being an engineer, i am among the ranks of those who usually read the manual only when i have run into a roadblock and hopefully not totally F'd it up.

It has caused a few self inflected wounds throughout the years...

Mospeada · Apr 14, 2020

I run a RDWC system with 5 gal buckets. I usually dump the res when I lose control of the feed. For me that means a ppm increase daily. I don't use RO to dilute. My philosophy is to treat the water as a medium. So for my feed I aim to under feed every day...It doesn't matter if the solution drops by 1 ppm before feed the next day as long as it's a drop. I don't have any kind of beneficial bacteria like bennies. I think that looks too challenging for my tastes as I really like to have consistency on my grows and fine tuning something like that looks like a lot of work. That chart from Ansel looked handy. One day I would like to try a no res change grow or ultimately that may be my final goal.

Mospeada · Apr 15, 2020

AnselAdams said:
are you treating now with hydroguard and/or an enzyme additive?

If everything is stable; why would you trash that balance you worked so hard to obtain, with a full rez change? Why not 50% and keep the good bugs to restock the new water?

Maybe this will help
View attachment 961751

Where was this chart from? I'd be interested in the other info that it's apart of.

AnselAdams · Apr 15, 2020

Mospeada said:
I run a RDWC system with 5 gal buckets. I usually dump the res when I lose control of the feed. For me that means a ppm increase daily. I don't use RO to dilute. My philosophy is to treat the water as a medium. So for my feed I aim to under feed every day...It doesn't matter if the solution drops by 1 ppm before feed the next day as long as it's a drop. I don't have any kind of beneficial bacteria like bennies. I think that looks too challenging for my tastes as I really like to have consistency on my grows and fine tuning something like that looks like a lot of work. That chart from Ansel looked handy. One day I would like to try a no res change grow or ultimately that may be my final goal.

Enzymes & bennies are easy. Leave and forget them. I use a product called PlusLife. Reasonably priced and well worth the semi-monthly effort of adding a small 1/4 tsp to your rez at the beginning and flip (or flower for Autos) and you are good to go. I also keep up with my hydroguard which is also dirt cheap for the outcome. Check out several of the grows listed in my signature and you will see what I'm talking about.

Good Luck & Happy Growing

AnselAdams · Apr 15, 2020

Mospeada said:
Where was this chart from? I'd be interested in the other info that it's apart of.

Here is another i have grown very fond of....

PhatNuggz · Apr 15, 2020

Nate_in_AK said:
Things have finally been going well enough (no major crisis at least) with my first grow that I have gone 2 weeks without a near death experience. Question is, how often is a full res change called for?

PH and PPM have been stable, and I am adding about 1-1.5 gallons of water/nute mix a week. It has been 2 weeks since my last full res changes.

I'm using 5 gallon buckets with bubblers and anti-fungal, figure about 3-3.5 gallons of water/nute mix per bucket, so they have had a near 50% change two weeks in a row. If everything is looking OK do I need to do a full res change once in a while anyway?

Plants just started flowering so I am slowly ramping the nute mix up. They are at about 600ppm for the weaker plant and 700ppm for the healthier lady.

It's been a wild ride, and I gotta keep these girls going for about 6 more weeks, I imagine...

the simple answer to often to do a full nute change is: it depends on how big the plants are, and therefor the roots. It's much harder to peek under the hood in most DWC totes/buckets as the plant is in the way and must be disturbed to see

Consider replacing DWC with a simple F & D

AnselAdams · Apr 15, 2020

PhatNuggz said:
the simple answer to often to do a full nute change is: it depends on how big the plants are, and therefor the roots. It's much harder to peek under the hood in most DWC totes/buckets as the plant is in the way and must be disturbed to see

Consider replacing DWC with a simple F & D

Yes, I must admit that i am a bit biased. You see i have a pair of 40 gallon rez'z that hold 2 plants each; so it is possible for me to do a full run with out a change. I usually start from scratch or dilute with RO until my ppms are 200-250 and can safely take the babies without burning the shit out of them.

PipeCarver · Apr 15, 2020

AnselAdams said:
Ain't that the friggin' TRUTH..... an awful lot of "problems" can be traced directly back to RTFM!!! I must say it at least a dozen times a day to our support techs. That and "google it, then come back and ask me your questions". Being an engineer, i am among the ranks of those who usually read the manual only when i have run into a roadblock and hopefully not totally F'd it up. It has caused a few self inflected wounds throughout the years...

@AnselAdams I grow in a Promix type peat based soil but I'd like to go DWC eventually. Prices for kits are high but I found this set up pretty reasonable. Any comments you could make on this system would help. TKS

AnselAdams · Apr 15, 2020

PipeCarver said:
@AnselAdams I grow in a Promix type peat based soil but I'd like to go DWC eventually. Prices for kits are high but I found this set up pretty reasonable. Any comments you could make on this system would help. TKS

I am not truly a DWC person. What i am doing is called deep-water something or other because my very large 40 gallon rez's. The principals are the same just on a different scale. IMHO those buckets are a bit small. I see most folks using at least 5 gallon HD buckets which are very cheap. I have also seen 3 gallons used as well as various sized totes. Along with a 6" hole saw from HD you can make a better system then you can buy for the same $$$. Detailed instructions are everywhere. Even on The Farm. You can start small and grow it as your experience grows.

I'll leave the specifics of setup and sizing to @chemistry or @Dirtbag I'm sure they and may others can help you get started.

Good Luck & Happy Growing

PipeCarver · Apr 15, 2020

AnselAdams said:
I am not truly a DWC person. What i am doing is called deep-water something or other because my very large 40 gallon rez's. The principals are the same just on a different scale. IMHO those buckets are a bit small. I see most folks using at least 5 gallon HD buckets which are very cheap. I have also seen 3 gallons used as well as various sized totes. Along with a 6" hole saw from HD you can make a better system then you can buy for the same $$$. Detailed instructions are everywhere. Even on The Farm. You can start small and grow it as your experience grows.

I'll leave the specifics of setup and sizing to @chemistry or @Dirtbag I'm sure they and may others can help you get started.

Good Luck & Happy Growing

If I go the diy way i'll never get it going, not that I couldn't but with my potcrastination syndrome It would take years A small a kit would give me the basics to help me through the learning curve. I read the chart on post #2 and there's more to it than water fuel and lights.
Starting with the correct sized equipment for the task and not hob nobbed together to make it work ( that I can do electrically because of my background) is a disaster I'm not wanting to go through.

Dirtbag · Apr 15, 2020

AnselAdams said:
I am not truly a DWC person. What i am doing is called deep-water something or other because my very large 40 gallon rez's. The principals are the same just on a different scale. IMHO those buckets are a bit small. I see most folks using at least 5 gallon HD buckets which are very cheap. I have also seen 3 gallons used as well as various sized totes. Along with a 6" hole saw from HD you can make a better system then you can buy for the same $$$. Detailed instructions are everywhere. Even on The Farm. You can start small and grow it as your experience grows.

I'll leave the specifics of setup and sizing to @chemistry or @Dirtbag I'm sure they and may others can help you get started.

Good Luck & Happy Growing

Shame Aqua Man is gone, this is his territory. I'm not a DWC guy at all..

AnselAdams · Apr 15, 2020

Dirtbag said:
Shame Aqua Man is gone, this is his territory. I'm not a DWC guy at all..

Damn Skippy! his turf for sure

Speaking of whom... any word on his father-in-laws status? I'm sure his wife is a wreck.

AnselAdams · Apr 15, 2020

PipeCarver said:
If I go the diy way i'll never get it going, not that I couldn't but with my potcrastination syndrome It would take years A small a kit would give me the basics to help me through the learning curve. I read the chart on post #2 and there's more to it than water fuel and lights.
Starting with the correct sized equipment for the task and not hob nobbed together to make it work ( that I can do electrically because of my background) is a disaster I'm not wanting to go through.

I hear ya there. I did the same thing start small learn the basics and keep growing. All of my grows are shown below in my signature. Newest is at the top. Hopefully you will find something useful from my mistakes.

chemistry · Apr 15, 2020

Pick an area in water growing you fancy, be it deep water, flood n drain, re-circulating, and there is an expert here to bail you out, I can help on all points, but there are experts on certain systems on here who know their stuff. Just start a grow diary, and folk will pitch in and help.

Nate_in_AK · Apr 16, 2020

PipeCarver said:
If I go the diy way i'll never get it going, not that I couldn't but with my potcrastination syndrome It would take years A small a kit would give me the basics to help me through the learning curve. I read the chart on post #2 and there's more to it than water fuel and lights.
Starting with the correct sized equipment for the task and not hob nobbed together to make it work ( that I can do electrically because of my background) is a disaster I'm not wanting to go through.

+++++ for "procrastination syndrome"!!! I have a terrible case of it myself.

How often to full res change DWC?

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