HOT water DWC - 80ºF+

[zenoonez]

it actually is a death sentence, literally a matter of time before that water smells like a blueboy and your tossin that plant

I have a friend that does DWC on a small scale, 1-2 plants at a time and he doesn't cool his res at all. His grow sits in his 90-95 degree garage. He has never had a problem with root rot or algae. He simply ups the peroxide once a week or so and makes sure the root zone is getting tons of fresh air. As for putting the air pump below the water level, it can be done you just have to get one of those backflow preventers to go between the pump and the res. Here one of these badboys http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752253&lmdn=Fish

 

[Ipsissimus]

warm water holds less oxygen too..really gotta blow up the aeration.

 

[FreezerBoy]

it actually is a death sentence, literally a matter of time before that water smells like a blueboy and your tossin that plant

Actually, you're wrong. There's no death involved. Tank is as clean as new fallen snow. Granted these conditions aren't optimal but, there's no earthly reason to toss this just because it went 4 months in near 90º water with no death or slime.

 

[FreezerBoy]

Weekend Update or RIP Hot Water DWC

Weekend Update or RIP Hot Water DWC

Since the last report, temps have registered at 78-75-77-77-76-78-77-76. If I can't maintain the point of the thread, it's no different than the Destroyer diary I've already done.

One last look ... (colors a little HPS funky. My CMH blew )



Maybe next summer ...

 

[mrdizzle]

are you saying that, that pic is of a 4 month vegged plant? if no , never mind

if yes, than the plant isnt dead its just playing dead. cuz a 4 month dwc veg should be 20x that size

 

[FreezerBoy]

The plant went 4 months but the shot is around 1 1/2. Just after announcing sex.

 

[ItsAllOver]

Chaching

Chaching

I'm using the GH 3 part system, but also using an EWC tea to inoculate and keeps things stable. EWC tea has the necessary beneficial microbes to keep the slime away. Only adding a cup of it to my 18 gallon reservoir, not really using it to feed my plant.

I definitely think the beneficials are key in keeping pythium at bay in DWC for hot temps. Are you thinking about making a thread for that grow? You might be able to overturn common knowledge with a little experimentation in that direction. Shit man people spend a lot of money/work maintaining their low res temps, and this could make it just a bit easier to avoid root rot, especially when temp controlling measures are unavailable.

FB, what kind of nutrients are you using? Sorry if you've answered this already, been a while since I read the first part of the thread...

Peace, and happy bubbling

 

[Quazi]

Since the last report, temps have registered at 78-75-77-77-76-78-77-76. If I can't maintain the point of the thread, it's no different than the Destroyer diary I've already done.

One last look ... (colors a little HPS funky. My CMH blew )



Maybe next summer ...

Damn - sorry to hear about the CMH

Sorry to hear about the temps not doing what you wanted either. Thanks for trying anyway!

-Q

 

[LessIsMore]

Run a very small computer fan into your res!! Thru a 2.5 hole, add another 2-3 3/4" holes on the other side of the res lid, This will create a small water chiller, Res temps will drop by 5-10 degrees, You will evaporate a little faster which will raise ppm's, So once its hooked up watch the res. Topping with straight R/O should be fine.
I always hang my air pumps up high in the room and run hoses down from there, If its hot its eaither out of the room or up at the ceiling where all the heat goes.

Also frozen ice bottle work but are a pita and not KISS.

 

[Haps]

FB, I have been giving this some thought, cause it bothers me, your results are not compatible with my own. Why? In my first year, I had temps in the 75-78, and it always caused root problems, although it did not kill the plants because I was suppying a lot of DO.

The factors I think are at play here are low metabolism because of the 250, I need that much light to shave, and clean environment. I am betting the chlorine is a major factor in preventing rrot beginning, but that is just a guess.

My concern is that newbies will follow your example instead of dealing with their environment when they plan their grow. Then spend a year or two fixing it. I got bad advise when I started and it cost me hundreds of bucks, lost yeild, and a lot of work to retool down the road. It is better to prevent the heat from the start.
H

 

[ItsAllOver]

I DO NOT RECOMMEND high temp DWC !

...

 

[FreezerBoy]

Haps, thanks for an experienced, opposing viewpoint. I really do think the chlorine comes into play, even if its only added every other week or so. Your lamp comment has me thinking. It's been years since I ran an aquarium so some of this will be more question than answer. I remember that green algae enjoyed strong light and could compete with plant life. I seem to recall lower forms of algae, black, brown, red preferred less light and that they could choke unhealthy plants but were not very good at competing with healthy plants but, that's a vague "memory" from the 70s.

Your closing point is well taken. While I wanted to share info that seemed to sneer at conventional wisdom, again, this is not a recommended method to strive for. My plants are MUCH happier in cool water. This may be better than a sharp stick to the eye but, what isn't?

 

[headfortrinity]

It's like Freezerboy says, it can be done successfully. I run hydro outdoors in a greenhouse where ambient temp gets up to 110 and res temps in the 90's. I've done nft, dwc, and recirculating perlite drip under these conditions and I have found that using synthetic nutrients is the key. The GH dry ferts are great for this. If you do start to get root problems, lower the EC a little, add some AN voodoo juice and the roots will explode with new growth. I used to just use H2O2 which works to keep rot away, but the voodoo juice does that and adds beneficials to the root zone.

 

[headfortrinity]

take a look in my vegetable grow album you'll see my results.

 

[sirripalot]

so am i wasting my money running my water chiller keeping my temps at a frisky 68F

 

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

Thats crazy freezerboy! I know from biology class that dissolved oxygen is most abundant and available at 58F. Each degree up you lose some effectivness, so even though your not having algea problems, or root rot issues, you would have much better results with cooler water since more DO is available to the roots, and an increase in oxygen in a DWC system is night and day. Either way interesting, good luck

 

[FreezerBoy]

so am i wasting my money running my water chiller keeping my temps at a frisky 68F

I don't believe so. I will say categorically that the same strain in sub 70s temps was denser, tighter, larger. What's that worth?

How long does a chiller last? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? Even at 5 years, thats $100 a year or less. If they last 10-20, it starts to become a non-issue. I just don't have the space.

 

[Haps]

The question that comes to my mind now is, what if all of the folks who use hydrogen peroxide or other stuff in their reses, could just use fresh chlorinated water instead? This could become a new solution for some of the problems small growers face. Interesting stuff FB.
H