Pursuing first hydro grow with RDWC, help a noob.

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jaypru369

jaypru369

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First of i have grown in the soil before a few times, I'm a youngin and will admit, i don't know much about growing so bare with me.

Currently building a 6 site 5-gallon RDWC with a 27 gal res in a 5x7x8 room. I will be getting rooted clones from locals with great genetics in a starter cube, once i get them i will transfer them straight into 4 inch Rockwool cubes and into the net pots.

I am going with megacrop nutes but i was wondering if there is anything else i need to add with it when running megacrop? Any protective additives to run? I was hoping to find some cheaper alternatives to AD nutes additives like BIGBUD, so if you have much cheaper alternatives then please share them with me. I like simple and cheap so nothing complex.

i will ventilate through under the door with flat outlet that fits under the door, the rest of the door is fairly loose so hoping it will pull in enough air and won't have any pressure issues with the controller, but if so i will add a vent in the door. I will be wrapping the buckets is mylar, will be good for blocking out light? they're white so I was hoping mylar would block out all light and not heat up water. Hoping with setup and inline pumps that I will not encounter many hot water issues so hoping I won't need a chiller, but may get a small AC unit in room to control summer heat. Will build some kind of water catch or just get a hydro tub for floods. Also thinking of locating res right outside the door to avoid heat, good idea?

Gear I have now:
-6x 5 gal buckets
-30 gal res
-fans, extensions, timers
-carbon filter+hurricane inline fan+ducting
-speed controller
-led light 1000 watt
-air filter 60 watts + airlines
-7x 3 disc air stones
-inline pump 700ghp
-6 in net pots
-Rockwool + getting rooted clones (good genetics)
-ph+tds meter
-ph control kit
- I still need all the plumbing lines/connectors but waiting for a family member to come and help set that up so I will wait until then.

What else do I (need/need to know) for a successful and quality RDWC grow? thank you for the help!
 
threatco

threatco

594
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Hello. It looks like a nice set up you are planning.

35 sq ft is a big area to light. You will want 40-60 true watts per square foot. Some 260w LEDs advertise as 1000w replacements. What kind of light do you have exactly?

I would suggest reading into VPD, knowing your ranges can let you compensate for temp by adjusting humidity.

Minor things that stand out, putting those rooted cubes into expanded clay-filled net pots might be better than 4-inch Rockwool cubes. Keeping those at the right wetness is a pain while waiting for roots. Ymmv

If you are cutting holes then don't skip on quality hole cutting drills. A roll of plumbers tape is helpful there. Leaks suck.

Reservoirs outside are great if able to plumb it. Might want a bit bigger size in case you want to be able to leave it for a bit.

All my advice is from a noob perspective. So take whatever is useful.

Good luck!



1591683972239
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

26,480
638
May I suggest hydroton instead of 4" rockwool cubes... I have a feeling they will end up a soggy mess for you.

Also suggest slip bulkhead fittings for buckets and PVC not ABS for plumbing.

I find the 4x2" airstones work well. 1 per site and can do 1 in the res. They require about 10 lpm so about a 1000gph air pump would be needed.

What kind of environment will the system be in? Water temp may need to be looked at
 
Last edited:
jaypru369

jaypru369

108
43
Hello. It looks like a nice set up you are planning.

35 sq ft is a big area to light. You will want 40-60 true watts per square foot. Some 260w LEDs advertise as 1000w replacements. What kind of light do you have exactly?

I would suggest reading into VPD, knowing your ranges can let you compensate for temp by adjusting humidity.

Minor things that stand out, putting those rooted cubes into expanded clay-filled net pots might be better than 4-inch Rockwool cubes. Keeping those at the right wetness is a pain while waiting for roots. Ymmv

If you are cutting holes then don't skip on quality hole cutting drills. A roll of plumbers tape is helpful there. Leaks suck.

Reservoirs outside are great if able to plumb it. Might want a bit bigger size in case you want to be able to leave it for a bit.

All my advice is from a noob perspective. So take whatever is useful.

Good luck!



View attachment 983724
just got rid of led light bc it was weak, another member here suggested i go with CMH lights and thats what im going to do, 2x 315 cmh's and i heard there are remote pieces i can get for the CMH to keep heat out, im not sure what im really talking about but swear i saw something on that.

What is VPD?

okay ihavent gotten all this yet but was planning on it this week, so ill get clay instead, is there certain types that are more quality?

the rooted clones are coming in 1.5 inch starter cube if this makes a difference but they are fairly good sized clones.

My unc is an engineer and built his own legit ass system and hes coming out to help so going to let him do all the holes and plumbing lol, hes a little more detailed than me. but thanks for the tape idea.

i think i can i place the res right outside the room, but your saying get a bigger res to change the water less?
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

26,480
638
just got rid of led light bc it was weak, another member here suggested i go with CMH lights and thats what im going to do, 2x 315 cmh's and i heard there are remote pieces i can get for the CMH to keep heat out, im not sure what im really talking about but swear i saw something on that.

What is VPD?

okay ihavent gotten all this yet but was planning on it this week, so ill get clay instead, is there certain types that are more quality?

the rooted clones are coming in 1.5 inch starter cube if this makes a difference but they are fairly good sized clones.

My unc is an engineer and built his own legit ass system and hes coming out to help so going to let him do all the holes and plumbing lol, hes a little more detailed than me. but thanks for the tape idea.

i think i can i place the res right outside the room, but your saying get a bigger res to change the water less?
 
jaypru369

jaypru369

108
43
May I suggest hydroton instead of 4" Rockwool cubes... I have a feeling they will end up a soggy mess for you.

Also suggest slip bulkhead fittings for buckets and PVC not ABS for plumbing.

I find the 4x2" airstones work well. 1 per site and can do 1 in the res. They require about 10 lpm so about a 1000gph air pump would be needed.

What kind of environment will the system be in? Water temp may need to be looked at

i am completely opened to anything haha! but what's the diff between hydroton and clay?

Noted, how do i figure out sizes for piping and air hoses?

What do you mean environment? like what state am i in or where is the system growing specifically? Socal, walk-in closet ( one door/no window / no ventilation )

4x2, are those rectangles or discs? I was under the impression that disc air stones are better than the other shapes.

For water temp, i was hoping with remote res and remote CMH light equipment ( if possible saw something about this on some forum ) outside and adding a small ac unit would keep my temps under control, I am also wrapping the buckets and any water with mylar.
 
jaypru369

jaypru369

108
43
Chiller and RO unit unless you have golden water
i dont think my water is good so i was hoping maybe 50/50 with filtered water from those water dispensers, I really dont wanna have to get or build a chiller unless a killer deal.
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

26,480
638
just got rid of led light bc it was weak, another member here suggested i go with CMH lights and thats what im going to do, 2x 315 cmh's and i heard there are remote pieces i can get for the CMH to keep heat out, im not sure what im really talking about but swear i saw something on that.

What is VPD?

okay ihavent gotten all this yet but was planning on it this week, so ill get clay instead, is there certain types that are more quality?

the rooted clones are coming in 1.5 inch starter cube if this makes a difference but they are fairly good sized clones.

My unc is an engineer and built his own legit ass system and hes coming out to help so going to let him do all the holes and plumbing lol, hes a little more detailed than me. but thanks for the tape idea.

i think i can i place the res right outside the room, but your saying get a bigger res to change the water less?
Keep the res outside the room and you may get away without a chiller. If it's in the basement right on the concrete. I know ppl say don't do it but IMO a $50 aquarium heater is a shitload cheaper than a chiller
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

26,480
638
i am completely opened to anything haha! but what's the diff between hydroton and clay?

Noted, how do i figure out sizes for piping and air hoses?

What do you mean environment? like what state am i in or where is the system growing specifically? Socal, walk-in closet ( one door/no window / no ventilation )

4x2, are those rectangles or discs? I was under the impression that disc air stones are better than the other shapes.

For water temp, i was hoping with remote res and remote CMH light equipment ( if possible saw something about this on some forum ) outside and adding a small ac unit would keep my temps under control, I am also wrapping the buckets and any water with mylar.
Use bubble wrap insulation for buckets.. much better than mylar. Can find it at most hardware stores.

4x2" cylinder air stone. Your system would be good with a 1000gph air pump with 7 stones.
https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Ston...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

You either need ventilation or you will have to add a dehuy, AC, temp and humidity controllers and CO2 supplementation. Ventilation is much cheaper.
 
jaypru369

jaypru369

108
43
Keep the res outside the room and you may get away without a chiller. If it's in the basement right on the concrete. I know ppl say don't do it but IMO a $50 aquarium heater is a shitload cheaper than a chiller
The ground is cheap vinyl on concrete with thin floor padding its usually cold.

Why do they say not to do it? but why would i need a water heater?
 
threatco

threatco

594
93
just got rid of led light bc it was weak, another member here suggested i go with CMH lights and thats what im going to do, 2x 315 cmh's and i heard there are remote pieces i can get for the CMH to keep heat out, im not sure what im really talking about but swear i saw something on that.

What is VPD?

okay ihavent gotten all this yet but was planning on it this week, so ill get clay instead, is there certain types that are more quality?

the rooted clones are coming in 1.5 inch starter cube if this makes a difference but they are fairly good sized clones.

My unc is an engineer and built his own legit ass system and hes coming out to help so going to let him do all the holes and plumbing lol, hes a little more detailed than me. but thanks for the tape idea.

i think i can i place the res right outside the room, but your saying get a bigger res to change the water less?

The most important thing is light.

A remote CMH involves putting the ballast (metal power box thing) outside the room. But those bulbs are still very hot and would need its own dedicated enclosed hood with 4-inch vent hose on either side cooling it.

I would heavily suggest you go with Quantum boards for this situation.

You need efficiency to reduce heat. And the newer QB LEDs are the sweet spot right now. Use the 40-60 watt per sq foot as a guide to know how many you need. It can be multiple separate lights, that is better for spreading out light distribution. Look at a Spider Farmer 2000 on amazon to get an idea, then there are a lot of DIY options or Chinese stores to get the same thing cheaper.

The light situation is definitely the most important to sort out and the second and related would be the ventilation. The good thing is you can start with just the under door thing you suggested because the clone won't need full power light at first and you can add more ventilation options or go with cutting a hole in the door if you need to later on after you do some testing.

I think hydroton is just a name brand or way to describe the generic term which is expanded clay pellets.

I've never heard of there being any sort of quality difference between different sources if it looks like hydroton clay then it's good.

Aquaman really knows his stuff so I would certainly take his advice



Hope my noob perspective is helpful
 
Last edited:
threatco

threatco

594
93
Heater is there because cold water is deadly and the floor on a chilly day it might cool it too much. Hot water is only a problem for microbial and a lack of oxygen which can be made up for with more oxygenation to a point and cleaning out your Reservoir occasionally.

I could be way off on that one though
 
jaypru369

jaypru369

108
43
Use bubble wrap insulation for buckets.. much better than mylar. Can find it at most hardware stores.

4x2" cylinder air stone. Your system would be good with a 1000gph air pump with 7 stones.
https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Ston...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

You either need ventilation or you will have to add a dehuy, AC, temp and humidity controllers and CO2 supplementation. Ventilation is much cheaper.
okay ill use bub wrap on the plants and water but my walls im using mylar.

why are the cylinders better?

right, so ill add the intake exhaust system fersure then. might still get a small ac unit or/and dehum after reading your post on vpd.
 
jaypru369

jaypru369

108
43
The most important thing is light.

A remove CMH involves putting the ballast (metal ppwer box thing) outside room. But those bulbs are still very hot and would need its owm dedicated enclosed hood with 4 inch vent hose on either side cooling it.

I would heavily suggest you go with Quantum boards for this situation.

You need efficiency to reduce heat. And the newer QB leds are the sweet spot right now. Use the 40-60 watt per sq foot as a guide to know how many you need. Can be multiple seperate lights, that is better for spreading out light distribution. Look at a Spider Farmer 2000 on amazon to get an idea, then there are lot of diy options or chinese stores to get same thing cheaper.

The light situation is definitely the most important to sort out and the second and related would be the ventilation. The good thing is you can start with just the under door thing you suggested because the clone won't need full power light at first and you can add more ventilation options or go with cutting a hole in the door if you need to later on after you do some testing.

I think hydroton is just a name brand or way to describe the generic term which is expanded clay pellets.

I've never heard of there being any sort of quality difference between different sources if it looks like hydroton clay then it's good.

Aquaman really knows his stuff so I would certainly take his advice



Hope my noob perspective is helpful
okay, i was looking at those spider farms but aquaman suggested CMH lights at the end of the day they might come out to the same price or close to it. i have another thread on lights i was looking at, see here mate: https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/need-help-lighting-5x7-room-with-6-plant-rdwc.113691/#post-2431552

would i need two of those SF-2000 boards for my situation?

yeah good idea. will see how it goes, but deeper in i may have to add the vent in door.
 
jaypru369

jaypru369

108
43
Heater is there because cold water is deadly and the floor on a chilly day it might cool it too much. Hot water is only a problem for microbial and a lack of oxygen which can be made up for with more oxygenation to a point and cleaning out your Reservoir occasionally.

I could be way off on that one though
okay wow i thought colder water was better, is there a guide on water temps for RDWC throughout the cycle?

i see some people say you can change every 14 days some say every 7 days, is there a right answer to that?
 
cemchris

cemchris

Supporter
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I wouldnt go the aircooled route with CMH. The hoods specifically for that that are indirect airflow will usually run you more with a fan then a small A/C unit. You shouldn't directly aircool them or they end up shortening bulb life and using more power. The ramp the wattage trying to keep the bulb in an operating temp range. This is true for DE systems and from what I understand the same for CMH. You would also need 2 of them for that area. 315's = 3x3 max really.

I don't know what that ends up being price wise for you and can't comment on boards, since i've never run them, but 315's and 630's are the truth.
 
jaypru369

jaypru369

108
43
I wouldnt go the aircooled route with CMH. The hoods specifically for that that are indirect airflow will usually run you more with a fan then a small A/C unit. You shouldn't directly aircool them or they end up shortening bulb life and using more power. The ramp the wattage trying to keep the bulb in an operating temp range. This is true for DE systems and from what I understand the same for CMH. You would also need 2 of them for that area. 315's = 3x3 max really.

I don't know what that ends up being price wise for you and can't comment on boards, since i've never run them, but 315's and 630's are the truth.
thanks for the insight, i knew i needed at least two 315's. How do you cool them then or you dont you just cool the rest of the room? Its almost loolking going cmh will be more or the same as LEDs with all the necessary equip but i may be wrong
 
jaypru369

jaypru369

108
43
May I suggest hydroton instead of 4" rockwool cubes... I have a feeling they will end up a soggy mess for you.

Also suggest slip bulkhead fittings for buckets and PVC not ABS for plumbing.

I find the 4x2" airstones work well. 1 per site and can do 1 in the res. They require about 10 lpm so about a 1000gph air pump would be needed.

What kind of environment will the system be in? Water temp may need to be looked at
how many liters or lbs of clay pebbles i need for 6X 6" net pots? curious can they be reused?
 
cemchris

cemchris

Supporter
3,346
263
thanks for the insight, i knew i needed at least two 315's. How do you cool them then or you dont you just cool the rest of the room? Its almost loolking going cmh will be more or the same as LEDs with all the necessary equip but i may be wrong

Yeah generally you move air in the space and/or use AC. Only thing to consider is ceiling height and plant height when using them. You are already going to lose some height with buckets and DWC is going to explode so all going to depend on how you plan to grow them and the approach. My 2 630's in a 4x8 can pull at least 3 lbs without even going tryhard mode most of the time, depending on the strain, with small plants because of height restriction of then tent and table vs my rooms. I will say def couldn't have 4 - 315's in that space without A/C tho.
 
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