recirculating shallow water culture

[Hiddenjems]

What am I looking at here? Does the water come up until it overflows. Forming a siphon that lowers the water back down again?

I'm always a bit hesitant with my drains. I have lost a number of plants over the years. Generally where roots grow down the pipes and fill them. First you know is the yellowing, telling you it's too late.

I'm build a bucket system today. My sealing approach might be adaptable.

View attachment 18854273
Typical pot in a pot for me. Bottom one is drilled to take a black rubber grommet. I then put some green hosepipe over a T-piece. Then with a little wetting agent, slid the hose into the grommet. The hose extends to the center, as roots tend to circle at first. The hose is slash cut, to stop roots dropping straight in. Generally a bit of hose has a curve to it, so I will use the curve to have the slash cut end, pushing up on the inner bucket. Each measure is to delay the roots from making their entrance. While the hose over the T takes on the T's barbed shape. So it's snug in the grommet. F&D doesn't make enough pressure to leak, even moving them about, or booting them by mistake. If it's just for drain, a warmed hosepipe will just cram into a tight hole in most cases.
View attachment 18854284
Stuff in through past the pinch, and the pinch will open up to being round again. I did 29 such drains, and not one weeped at all.

I think I'm looking at hard pipe through a hard bucket in your pics, which isn't a working solution.


Plants look nice

I learned the hard way to only use 2” pipe bulkhead fittings and pvc back to the Rez for rdwc.

Dead plants and flooded floors with smaller drains.

 

[Ca++]

I learned the hard way to only use 2” pipe bulkhead fittings and pvc back to the Rez for rdwc.

Dead plants and flooded floors with smaller drains.

I have thought about the flow rate of such systems a few times. With gravity being the force that motivates movement between some buckets, you could never get the flow through a 1/2" hose, that the pump does.

I would struggle for decent sized pipe here. Most cheaper stuff with a host of fittings available, is for waste. Not really suitable for consumption. I have to watch my hosepipe also. The plasticisers in PVC hose, are often things like lead.

 

[Hiddenjems]

I have thought about the flow rate of such systems a few times. With gravity being the force that motivates movement between some buckets, you could never get the flow through a 1/2" hose, that the pump does.

I would struggle for decent sized pipe here. Most cheaper stuff with a host of fittings available, is for waste. Not really suitable for consumption. I have to watch my hosepipe also. The plasticisers in PVC hose, are often things like lead.

I use all indoor plumbing fittings and pipe. No flexible drains, just big pipes back to the res.

 

[Ca++]

I use all indoor plumbing fittings and pipe. No flexible drains, just big pipes back to the res.

Pipework here, is only suitable if it's for drinking water. All other pipes, such as the bottom of your sink, are not for drinking water. Typically grey pipe, around 38-40mm. We can get it in blue for water mains, but the fitting choice is limited.

Many people just see pipe as pipe. They will even drink from the garden hose, despite it actually tasting funny. There have been some interesting reports about water stood in garden hose, in various weather. Lead is banned here now, but other plasticisers can be pretty toxic. These reports are done because we know people do it. Reports on fixed installations are not readily available. It's for plumbers to know what you can and can't use. Even then, the pipe for radiators can usually carry drinking water, to stop any mixing of types.

I think blue and grey can be the same sizes, but blue is hdpe and grey is abs (once pvc) as it can be solvent welded. Though it might be a new group, I did read something odd like that.

Obvious we could get tank connectors used in overflow systems, and plumb buckets together in a physical sense. We just couldn't smoke the plants.


There must be someone making suitable bits for our market though. Perhaps I should look beyond plumbing-bobs.

 

[Hiddenjems]

Pipework here, is only suitable if it's for drinking water. All other pipes, such as the bottom of your sink, are not for drinking water. Typically grey pipe, around 38-40mm. We can get it in blue for water mains, but the fitting choice is limited.

Many people just see pipe as pipe. They will even drink from the garden hose, despite it actually tasting funny. There have been some interesting reports about water stood in garden hose, in various weather. Lead is banned here now, but other plasticisers can be pretty toxic. These reports are done because we know people do it. Reports on fixed installations are not readily available. It's for plumbers to know what you can and can't use. Even then, the pipe for radiators can usually carry drinking water, to stop any mixing of types.

I think blue and grey can be the same sizes, but blue is hdpe and grey is abs (once pvc) as it can be solvent welded. Though it might be a new group, I did read something odd like that.

Obvious we could get tank connectors used in overflow systems, and plumb buckets together in a physical sense. We just couldn't smoke the plants.


There must be someone making suitable bits for our market though. Perhaps I should look beyond plumbing-bobs.

The world is a strange place I pretty much live in the middle of nowhere in rural America, and I can have damn near anything I want delivered in days.

I could buy 36” municipal water main pipe if I want.

 

[alpo]

 

[G.O. Joe]

> The plasticisers in PVC hose, are often things like lead.

Not in this universe/dimension. Even if it was arsenic, the amount leached by a connector would be probably less than traces in ferts.

Instead of using a big, short res in a weird, expensive size, I connect small $3 tubs to each other with the same 3/8" (1/4" ID) clear PVC hose used to carry runoff to the 1/2" ID PVC gutter system. No problems with flow either.

 

[Ca++]

> The plasticisers in PVC hose, are often things like lead.

Not in this universe/dimension. Even if it was arsenic, the amount leached by a connector would be probably less than traces in ferts.

Instead of using a big, short res in a weird, expensive size, I connect small $3 tubs to each other with the same 3/8" (1/4" ID) clear PVC hose used to carry runoff to the 1/2" ID PVC gutter system. No problems with flow either.

If you want to stick your fingers in your ears, and grow toxic weed, there is not much I can do. However, telling everyone I'm wrong, without actually having a clue, is a wank fest. So tissues at the ready.

Garden Hose Study 2016

Executive Summary Background of the study In 2011, 2012 and 2013, the Ecology Center tested over 200 garden hoses from national retailers. The hoses were tested for hazardous metals and bromine, an indicator of brominated flame retardants, and a subset were tested for phthalates. In 2012 and...

www.ecocenter.org

In your face.

 

[Hiddenjems]

If you want to stick your fingers in your ears, and grow toxic weed, there is not much I can do. However, telling everyone I'm wrong, without actually having a clue, is a wank fest. So tissues at the ready.

Garden Hose Study 2016

Executive Summary Background of the study In 2011, 2012 and 2013, the Ecology Center tested over 200 garden hoses from national retailers. The hoses were tested for hazardous metals and bromine, an indicator of brominated flame retardants, and a subset were tested for phthalates. In 2012 and...

www.ecocenter.org

In your face.

It may not sound like a big deal because the quantities are small, but cannabis is an accumulator.

For that reason I only use concentrates I made myself or are tested from a dispensary. It’s also the reason I prefer hydro to organic.
My ro water and lab tested nutes are heavy metal free, that can’t be said for natural organic fertilizers. They have low numbers, but never zero.

 

[Ca++]

Still playing? okay..

Ca++ says "I have to watch my hosepipe also. The plasticisers in PVC hose, are often things like lead"

G.O. Joe says "Not in this universe/dimension"

Survey says, of 200 hoses, 30% contained lead as high as 2000ppm.

G.O. Joe says " but I use clear pvc tube, that looks like every other, and some is food safe"

I like seeing your posts. I know you have grown quite a few, over quite some time. Enough to get the job done, with what the local store had in the 70s. I'm a decade behind, and went through the 3" blocks in household pvc guttering phase. About the beginning of time, by the internet generations clock. It's since then that a wealth of papers has appeared on our green screens, that we would of otherwise missed entirely. I'm not going to drop any of them on you. I'm going to ask that you take me seriously enough to actually look up what I say, before saying it's outlandish. Because I think we are all due a bit of respect.


Not everyone is going to know about the hazards of using the wrong plastics, at all. I'm not talking mad science, like the ion exchange increase through our use of salts. Or even the pH/exposure time/temperature/IR degradation. It's just a matter of parts fit for potable water. In California if possible, as they have the toughest standards to meet.

In 2021 the US decided all the lead mains must be changed. They gave no guidance as to what should be used. In 2023 the people with some noddle are stepping forward, and saying all that new PVC needs to come back out.

New report warns about human health risks from PVC pipes used in drinking water systems

The report raises concerns about chemicals in PVC leaching into the drinking water and says communities should use stainless steel or copper.

eu.usatoday.com

PVC waste pipe isn't made to drinking water standards. It's made to a cost. It isn't certified, and even if it is, it's not our use of it. This link above highlights how even certified plastics are not great. Just like the plastic bottled water debate. So we really must look at what we are using. Waste pipe isn't suitable, is my point. Though the wider picture deserves a good look at to.

 

[G.O. Joe]

> Still playing? okay..

You said lead is used as a plasticizer. I said it isn't. You respond with bla bla bla bla bla.

Feel free to actually produce any reference of any kind saying that lead is used as a PVC plasticizer, or just for fun, anything that says that the few inches of hose likely containing phthalates such as in my system causes any problems of any kind in practice.

+

> PVC waste pipe isn't made to drinking water standards.

The PVC pipe at the store and used as I mentioned is for the record known as "schedule 40" PVC and is hardly a threat to anyone who likes facts.

 

[StickyBandit]

Me Rainbowcakes are coming along. I'm getting used to the nutes slowly

 

[StickyBandit]

Almost 3 months to the day since rinsing the dirt off the young Rainbowcakes and turning on the tap
I'll probably chop them next weekend. Looks like some good weight and they smell nice and fruity
Thanks for the idea @alpo

 

[alpo]

looks good.
I did a grow like that before with free flowing pots and I couldn't give them enough water later in flowering. I used 50/50 rockwool chunks / clay pebbles

 

[StickyBandit]

@alpo Thanks heaps for the idea bud, works a treat Sorry to hijack your thread
Ended up getting 11-1/2oz from the 2 plants. Smoke and stickiness is top notch!
Will be running this method again for sure

 

[alpo]

i started another grow

Tent 1: Mars Hydro FC3000 300watt Light

Tent 2: ACInfinity EVO4 300watt Light

the same reservoir for both tents 3ft x 2ft
HydroCrunch Clay Pebbles
Canna Aqua Nutrients

 

[alpo]

these are some plants i just chopped in here. I used canna nutes but i have jacks and i will try for this current grow.

 

[alpo]

i just remembered that they were out of Jacks Epsom Salt back when I ordered. Can I use any Epsom Salt from Amazon?

 

[Ca++]

Just about any...
There are a few common agricultural brands though. Yara perhaps?
If it's just being punted as bath salts, I would be cautious. However, cutting stuff into such a cheap product, isn't very likely. The numbers would also change, giving a good indication, it's not what it should be.

 

[alpo]

thanks. i got this one off amazon. 25 ppm Mg @ 1g per Gal. vs Jacks 23 ppm Mg @ 0.99g per Gal.