thick Styrofoam dwc tubs!?!

[Red Stripe]

concerns?

 

[ssteely71]

I'm just studying DWC since my best friend is hooked on it. Is it foam to help keep it cool or for cost ???

Unrelated. I'm hammering a Red Stripe this very moment. Lol.

 

[MrRightBrain]

Lots of concerns, straight off the nutrients eating the foam away, also parts of the foam getting into your system. I think the inside is very thick and your not getting as much soace as it would seem.
Honesrly bro, id just go buy a rubbermade tub, prime it and spry it and call it good.

just my two cents. GL.

 

[Red Stripe]

I'm just studying DWC since my best friend is hooked on it. Is it foam to help keep it cool or for cost ???

Unrelated. I'm hammering a Red Stripe this very moment. Lol. View attachment 399184

both! They dont recycle styrofoam and have a few of these lying around.red stripe rules!

 

[Natural]

line it with plastic and make a stand alone dwc bubble bucket

 

[Red Stripe]

Lots of concerns, straight off the nutrients eating the foam away, also parts of the foam getting into your system. I think the inside is very thick and your not getting as much soace as it would seem.
Honesrly bro, id just go buy a rubbermade tub, prime it and spry it and call it good.

just my two cents. GL.

thanks for chiming in! I honestly need all the input before I move forward. nutrients can eat foam? it wont be a rcdwc so no tubing besides air input to get clogged.the thickness is why its even a consideration. you are correct about cubic footage..should be considered a SWC.here are the net plots i was considering using in this.

 

[Red Stripe]

line it with plastic and make a stand alone dwc bubble bucket

yea it was to be stand alone why the plastic though?

 

[Natural]

I'm liking what MrRightBrain was sayin about reaction with nutes. I don't know about it eating styro..but it would certainly do something similar to degradation I would think. Might even leach a chem..but I couldn't say for sure. ?? Plastic liner would solve that...if it's really a problem.

 

[Red Stripe]

I'm liking what MrRightBrain was sayin about reaction with nutes. I don't know about it eating styro..but it would certainly do something similar to degradation I would think. Might even leach a chem..but I couldn't say for sure. ?? Plastic liner would solve that...if it's really a problem.

yea off gassing VOC's etc.hmmmm im going to have to research more. hell it may be easier just installing liner than researching potential dangers?!

 

[Natural]

well one thing the plastic would keep it clean and easy to replace..lol.
all I could find was articles on using packing peanuts..lol. Epcot had a project with styro dirt planters. seems the styrene is the bad shit..but nobody knows how long 100 years a 1000 years. no mention of other chemicals/salts reacting with it. will let you know if i can find anything

 

[eselkopf1]

I have temperature problems this looks like a great idea, where did you get that? Looks like something from a hospital or lab or something. I would consider lining the inside with some kind of food grade poly. I know they make the stuff for food processing and ponds. The reason being the Styrofoam
is so porous that i may hold and trap things like nutes or bleach from your cleanings at res change, may also provide a safe haven for some of the nasties you might get in the water if you accidentally let the temps climb too high. Some spray glue and some heavy food grade plastic would make this pretty sweet for us in the hotter parts of the world.

 

[alligator]

Don't do it.
I've had Rubbermaid totes split, no way Styrofoam will hold. The chemicals eating thru it & off gassing are valid concerns too.

@eselkopf1 try a hard cooler. But if your water temps are too high, your better off getting a better AC. Go straight to the source of the problem rather than trying to use bandaids.

For anyone else wanting to do big dwc,

These are the best 'small' size containers(15gal of nutes)-


And these are the best large size containers(30gal of nutes)-
http://www.walmart.com/ip/SmartBin-Storage-Bin-50gal/16795319

Another solid, cool option for a 4x4 space is use a reservoir like this(and drill your holes in the lid)


Or find an industrial plastics company.

I repeat- any use of cheap big totes will result in flooding after 1 or 2 runs with em. Small sizes are ok but for big stuff- if you cant stand on em they probably won't work in the long run. 30gal of water is 210lbs. I've been doing big dwc style for over 10 years and have tried just about every big container found in home improvement stores. I've even tried doubling up the totes & duct taping it to keep from
bulging.
They WILL bulge & they WILL split.

 

[KiLoEleMeNt]

I would like to put my five cents in, I have heard many people suggest painting your tub with spray paint DO NOT DO THIS, first off the over spray gets into the inside of your rez and slowly work off into your nutes, not unlike the Styrofoam. but it also flakes off and get everywhere in your grow area, how ever you do need to stop the light and as some have said here for protection of foam I say put a black plastic yard waste bag inside or outside your rez your choice this is plenty to do the job of light blockage not sure if this will help any but hope it helps someone

 

[fishwhistle]

Styrofoam is kind of a dirty product anyways and the EPA is studying it right now as a possible human carcinogen,plenty of other better products to grow in.

 

[KiLoEleMeNt]

holy crap news flash^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[alligator]

I would like to put my five cents in, I have heard many people suggest painting your tub with spray paint DO NOT DO THIS, first off the over spray gets into the inside of your rez and slowly work off into your nutes, not unlike the Styrofoam. but it also flakes off and get everywhere in your grow area, how ever you do need to stop the light and as some have said here for protection of foam I say put a black plastic yard waste bag inside or outside your rez your choice this is plenty to do the job of light blockage not sure if this will help any but hope it helps someone

We're building Dwc tanks by putting garbage
bags inside of Styrofoam coolers?
Jesus Christ... that might be the most ghetto hydro setup I've ever heard of.
For anyone else reading this down the road- do NOT do this.

Stop being cheap and drop $50 on a container that won't fuck you over after 6-9 months.