Help with new RDWC build

Substitute · Apr 6, 2020

Hey guys. This is my first dwc and i'm figuring out where to put the pump. I've decided I think to make this a drip feed system. At first I was gonna connect a hose to the fitting at the back of the system and then to the pump and pump into the pail. Now, i'm thinking I should put a plug in the fitting at the back and instead put the pump into the control reservoir and pump out to my drip feeders.

I thought I would ask anyone with experience with these systems which way is best to pump the water. I figured pumping out of the reservoir to my drip feeders in each pail would get the nutrients into each pale quicker and more evenly.

Where would you put the pump?

Cheers!

Substitute · Apr 6, 2020

OK...i think i'm going to do away with drip all together and put the pump on the centre line pumping back into the res...like I was originally going to do. For some reason I was thinking I would need to disperse the nutrients from the res with drip...but if forgot that if I premix the nutrients (with water before adding to system) there's no need to worry about it. All the nutrients are evenly mixed.

Sry..new to hydroponics.

I think that's the best way to go...

SJ_Distiller · Apr 11, 2020

I would get an air pump with four outlets and put airstones in each bucket. You don't need to pump the liquid.

dreaded · Apr 11, 2020

I would do what you said the second time. Put the pump bye the reservoir & make a return line. You do need a air pump to pump in each bucket also...... happy growing.

PurplePotion · Apr 12, 2020

Keep in mind both pumps will introduce heat into the nutrient solution and you will need to keep it cool, especially running DWC. Reservoir temps need to stay 72 or under at all times, or you’ll need to get creative with chlorine or a product like Dutch master zone. Chiller is the best way.

Ganoderma · Apr 12, 2020

Make a water distributor to attach onto your pump. set it up with how ever many feed lines you'd like.

I drilled a hole into the top of the bucket to put the feed line into it. I then add an L-barbed fitting to keep the line from being pulled out of the bucket.

Substitute · Apr 13, 2020

Hey Guys. Thanks for all the responses.

I don't think I'm going to use a top feed/drip system at all. I read another RDWC thread which said you don't need drip with dwc. The bottom of my net pots should be about an inch under water...and I can hand feed if I need drip in the beginning.

My pump is going to be inline...outside of the res. My res will have make up water line attached and a float valve...as I don't feel like topping up the water after 3 or 4 days.

I don't think I'll need a chiller. My old buddy ran huge, potent plants with no chiller so hoping I won't need one.

Substitute · Apr 13, 2020

SJ_Distiller said:
I would get an air pump with four outlets and put airstones in each bucket. You don't need to pump the liquid.

Yep. I have a nice air pump. Just isn't in the picture.

Substitute · Apr 13, 2020

SJ_Distiller said:
I would get an air pump with four outlets and put airstones in each bucket. You don't need to pump the liquid.

I prefer to recirculate the nutrient solution while at the same time having a master resoviour for easier water changes, etc. Water changes from one bucket.

PurplePotion · Apr 13, 2020

Substitute said:
Hey Guys. Thanks for all the responses.

I don't think I'm going to use a top feed/drip system at all. I read another RDWC thread which said you don't need drip with dwc. The bottom of my net pots should be about an inch under water...and I can hand feed if I need drip in the beginning.

My pump is going to be inline...outside of the res. My res will have make up water line attached and a float valve...as I don't feel like topping up the water after 3 or 4 days.

I don't think I'll need a chiller. My old buddy ran huge, potent plants with no chiller so hoping I won't need one.

Far from perfect but it can be done, fingers crossed you don’t have any issues. Keep in mind, because it works doesn’t mean it’s optimal. Doesn’t mean it’s not optimal either, but my recommendations above are based on maintaining optimal conditions (which will consistently provide the best product). Be careful with your nute selection; I wouldn’t get too crazy as it sounds like you’re going to have to do a lot of random nutrient add backs the way you’ll be running. Don’t think I’d use much more than cal mag and a 2 part to keep things simple.

Substitute · Apr 14, 2020

PurplePotion said:
Far from perfect but it can be done, fingers crossed you don’t have any issues. Keep in mind, because it works doesn’t mean it’s optimal. Doesn’t mean it’s not optimal either, but my recommendations above are based on maintaining optimal conditions (which will consistently provide the best product). Be careful with your nute selection; I wouldn’t get too crazy as it sounds like you’re going to have to do a lot of random nutrient add backs the way you’ll be running. Don’t think I’d use much more than cal mag and a 2 part to keep things simple.

Hi. Yeah...I already have CalMag Plus, just need the main nutes. Was going to go with General Hydroponics 3 part.

PurplePotion · Apr 14, 2020

Substitute said:
Hi. Yeah...I already have CalMag Plus, just need the main nutes. Was going to go with General Hydroponics 3 part.

You could probably get away with just the bloom and micro and use some form of the “lucas formula”. Search it if you don’t know.

Substitute · Apr 15, 2020

Thanks for the suggestion!

overbudjet · Apr 21, 2020

Hi there
I ran RDWC for almost 4 years ,imho air pump is not the best to put O2 in water(inject lot of heat/pathogen/mold/Co2 cause ph to drop)
You may try waterfall effect .Mimic mother nature way to mix O2(dump the output of the water pump from around 12-18 inchs over water in rez ). Also less noise and more mixing of the nute.

overbudjet · Apr 21, 2020

You may also try this for max O2 and beneficial also help dissipate heat (oxybucket connect to rez)

Substitute · May 1, 2020

Well... Thanks to all for the suggestions.

I've started up the system to see how it's all working. It's a 5 bucket system (25 gallons) including the res, with a 250 GPH Danner pump. Filled er up to see if I have any leaks and I do. One med leak at a bulkhead. Luckily I built a bunch of unions into the system, so it shouldn't be too hard to drain and take it apart to get it to seal better. Getting things to seal isn't easy in Hydro, as I've discovered.

I keep looking at Billybob's system. Square buckets..not round. Chiller with a pump top feed to sprayer bars. Hmm. Next time.

Have to deal with this for now.

edit - *uck it...i'm siliconing the outside of the bulkheads. I've screwed around with them enough. Deal with it once and be done.

edit2 - Silicone doesn't work. Since then I've been using Gorilla construction adhesive. It cures stronger, sticks better and seems to be holding.

Substitute · May 3, 2020

Ok. System is leak proof. Yay. A week of messing around with that, over. Now comes a few days of test run under the 1k light to see water temp, etc....before any plants get put in. I figured I may as well keep this same thread as my grow journal instead of creating a new thread.

Plants will be under 1k metal halide (3600-3800k) with a parabolic shade. Still waiting on air hose. I got some nice air diffusers from china that should work great. In the one pic, is a large water reservoir where I'll hold chlorinated water to come up to temperature. There will be a pump and air stone in the storage tank. When I remove the water for use in the system, i'll use a quarter Campden tablet per 5 gallon pail to dechlorinate and sterilize the water.

I have RO water here fairly accessible, but it's a huge pain to haul it back and forth...and I kinda see the process as fairly wasteful. I'm running General Hydroponics Flora series and my water is 213 ppm TDS. General hydroponics recommends 200 and below for their normal Flora series. Anything above 200ppm TDS should use their Hardwater series Floramicro. I should probably be using it, but some great products that are available in the States aren't available in Canada. Oh well. I'm just on the cusp, but hopefully everything works out. I plan to use UC roots to help with the root zone.

System is quick to disassemble because of the unions. So glad I went rigid pipe and unions for this project.

Substitute · May 5, 2020

Ok. 24 hours later and water temps aren't too bad (of course there's no plants in yet). Woke up this morning and light has been on 3 hours and water temps are 69-70F. Based on yesterday it climbs a bit more throughout the day...then cools down a few degrees during night time. I think I can live with that for now...as long as it stays fairly close to that.

Also picked up UC roots which sounds good (a little bleach and a little descaler designed for roots)...plus got lucky and found a Canadian source for the Hardwater series Floramicro. So ordered that as well. In the meantime...system is still leak free...and temps not too shabby. Stuff is recommended if you have water over 200 ppm hardness.

Substitute · May 6, 2020

Here's a pic of the air diffusers that I mentioned were from china...I was wrong, they're from Germany. They're heavy with what seems like a metal interior (or something flexible with weight). Very fine holes...so small bubbles. I think they weren't cheap. They are double ended so I used a tee to form a circle.

Lots of evenly dispersed small bubbles.

Pump

overbudjet · May 6, 2020

You may want to exchange those clear plastic hose for some dark (no light pass )they will (clear hose)allow algea to grow in your system . :tiphat:

Help with new RDWC build

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