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Snype's Guide To RDWC - Part 1 - Featuring Chemdog Double Diesel & 2,000 Watts!

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Inspired333

Hey Snype,

Thanks for the help previously. I'm gettin the hang of topoffs and addbacks and even calculating nute addbacks. I'm also "chasing PH" less, which is awesome, if not just for the fact that I don't bother/worry about keeping it dead on 5.8-5.9 (though it stays stable on it's own).

I was just skimming your data points looking for a trend in liquid Kool Bloom usage but I couldn't discern one from that alone. I see you start at day 14. But I can't remember/find if you:

-use a certain amount (mL) of KB each time you add it, or go by "ppm's of it?

-when you add it; every top off, third top off or amount of water added back / every week or two weeks / or what?

-and if you back off your 'target' (base/lucas) ppm to make room for the added KB ppm's? BTW your target is what - 800 to 900?

Thanks for any help.

It's liking ~700ppm so I duno if I wanna bother jacking it up anymore. That said I'd like to add a lil Liquid KB starting week 3/day.
 
Hey, I have looked everywhere for the washers and called all over the country, checked ebay,etc

I am going to pickup some 5gal square buckets. Is it possible you could recommend a different piece and give me the size of the washers i could possibly use in place of them?
 
And btw I have read every post on this thread and the abundance of information and help is absolutely great. Thank you Snype, and everyone else
 

Stonefree69

Veg & Flower Station keeper
Veteran
Hey, I have looked everywhere for the washers and called all over the country, checked ebay,etc

I am going to pickup some 5gal square buckets. Is it possible you could recommend a different piece and give me the size of the washers i could possibly use in place of them?
If you use square buckets the 1/8" o-rings should work. I'm thinking similar lines on larger square buckets or using a bulkhead on a cooler inner liner which should also work with pvc conduit. Especially for o-rings the seal is important and that's achieved on the male flange of the pvc conduit used for the bulkhead. Supposedly the water can work it's way thru on the female end. I'm not sure. like Snype just seal both ends. Luckily I already have the 1/4" washers too. You could try HD or Lowes for the washers or o-rings I've had some luck but get the bulk stuff online, washers from Snype's source and o-rings at amazon.
 
I

Inspired333

Hey, I have looked everywhere for the washers and called all over the country, checked ebay,etc

I am going to pickup some 5gal square buckets. Is it possible you could recommend a different piece and give me the size of the washers i could possibly use in place of them?

Where did ya find 5gal square buckets - and are they black?

If you're using square containers it'd be easy to use uniseals, just fyi.
 

sahdgrower

Member
Uniseal are difficult to use. I don't like em at all. I have used them successfully on round buckets with no leaks but really hard to assemble multiple buckets with uniseals. You can find appropriately sized washers at Lowes but they are about 2$ each. Someone else I'm this thread located a company that will make them. Reliant rubber Co or reliable rubber. Not sure. When I get home I will search the threads and find the page.
 

Catatafish

Active member
Veteran
I guess not everyone looks at both threads....

Here ya go:

http://www.reliantrubberco.com/
[email protected]
Phone: (800) 875-7376

These are stupid cheap. Like 10-15 cents a piece, i cant find my invoice i think i shredded it already. So you will have lots of backups and more for expansions when needed. Minimum order is 250. Takes a couple days to make and a couple more to ship, its not overnight.

Washer 3/16" thickness x 1-7/8" ID x 2-1/4" OD Neoprene, Black in 50 durometer

Personally after using these washers of snypes/reliant, i couldn't image using uniseals, even if square buckets. But to each their own. It probably cheaper too even ordering 250, last i saw uniseals were a couple bucks a piece.
 

sahdgrower

Member
Thanks Catafish! Saved me the trouble of looking that up again. As I recall your invoice total was around 35$ for 250 pieces? I paid a little less than that for 10 uniseals. Enough to make a four bucket system, and let me tell you those uniseals fucking sucked! I am not a wimpy guy, in fact I am a carpenter by trade and I had a helluva time assembling my system with those uniseals. I may have not used the best lube, but I did lube them and it was still very difficult. Plus if I ever wanted to remove a bucket to replace or for wahtever reason I would have to fight that battle all over again. No thanks! I will pay for gaskets at any price over uniseals.
 

Snype

Active member
Veteran
You guys are so great for helping! I've been working on Part 2 of this thread. It will offer much information for you guys to really maximize your yield and quality from beginning to end. It will be so easy that even a monkey could run my systems or I failed. It seems that most of the growers around my circle are making the switch to my systems and techniques. Thanks to everyone for listening.
 

sahdgrower

Member
Really fatherearth??? Just go to page one and read. But to use up my time to save yours ( since yours is more precious) it is 1.5" pipe. Larger is better but difficult using anything larger on round 5 gallon buckets
 

romuros

Member
Hi
First wan't to thank you for such great tutorial. I am just finishing 3 10 site systems and also building separate veg room.
What lights are you using in your VEG-A stage? I saw you use 60 w cfl for clones but over botanic trays you have fluoro's. What wattage are they?

Thank again for all knowledge you share. It's making my life so much easier.
 

Snype

Active member
Veteran
Hi
First wan't to thank you for such great tutorial. I am just finishing 3 10 site systems and also building separate veg room.
What lights are you using in your VEG-A stage? I saw you use 60 w cfl for clones but over botanic trays you have fluoro's. What wattage are they?

Thank again for all knowledge you share. It's making my life so much easier.

6 bulb T5's which equals 330 watts per 2x4 tray.
 

med-man

The TRUMP of SKUNK: making skunk loud again!
Boutique Breeder
ICMag Donor
Veteran
wow snype

thanks for going thru the efffort

you are super dialed

med-man
 

Snype

Active member
Veteran
wow snype

thanks for going thru the efffort

you are super dialed

med-man

Thanks med-man. I've seen some of your work and you seem like you got some information in that head of yours as well. Hope you have a successful 2014.
 
Hey Snype,

Good to see you about.

I thought I would reach out here to see if anyone has any suggestions. I am on my second run using the nute regimen outlined in this thread. I screwed up on the first one by missing the KoolBloom until I was over 7 weeks into flower.

This time I had all of my ducks in a row. I have varied from the "formula" by using RO water and adding CalMag.

I started out at 700ppm (.5 scale) and TDS dropped steadily so I bumped to 800ppm and TDS continued to drop slowly. The plants started to show notable decline. It looked to me like Ca deficiency. I added CalMag. Plants continued to decline. I bumped TDS up to 1000.
I think I am at the high end on the nutes and am a bit stumped as to the continued decline.
Today I checked and one of the plants is showing weak stems. Several of the bud sites are drooping badly.

Someone suggested that I may be dealing with Root Mites. I checked several root & leaf samples under the microscope and could not see any sign of critters. I did see something I couldn't identify though. Pics here:https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=279465

1:1.5 ratio of Flora Micro:Flora Bloom
5gm/4gal Kool Bloom
1/2tsp/gal CalMag

Feeding:

2/6 - Added 1.4gal RO water (12.4gal since last flush), 30ml PHuP, 30ml Micro,45ml Bloom and 7.5gm KoolBloom
PH 6.0
TDS 1018
Water Level -3"

2/7 -
PH 5.8
TDS 1055
Water Level -3.25"
Added 1.25gal RO Water
PH 5.8
TDS 1013
Level -3"

2/8 -
PH 5.6
TDS 1029
Added 1.25gal RO Water, 30ml PHup
PH 6.0
TDS 998
Level -3"

2/9 -
PH 5.7
TDS 1020
Level -3.25
Added
Added 1.25gal RO Water, 30ml PHup
PH 6.0
TDS 988
Level -3"

2/10 -
PH 5.7
TDS 1010
Level -3.125
Added
Added .6gal RO Water, 30ml PHup
PH 6.1
TDS 998
Level -3"

2/11 -
PH 5.9
TDS 1035
Level -3.25
Added
Added 1.25gal RO Water
PH 6.0
TDS 930
Level -3"

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks
 

Snype

Active member
Veteran
It makes perfect sense that you are having problems with the low pH levels that you are showing. Look at your TDS from 2/6 to 2/7. That decline is not enough. You either have an imbalance of nutrients or your PPM is too high or you have a root problem. You are not able to hold your pH which is a problem. You don't want to see it below 5.8 or you will have the problems that you are having. I've seen this before. When you need more magnesium, raise the pH to around 6.0 to grab more instead of adding Cal Mag. Try this:

Dump out your whole system. There will be remaining solution inside that you can't get. When you fill the system back up with water right after you dump it, dump it again. Now fill it back up with water. You needed to get out most of the nutrients that you can. Now switch formulas. Use your RO water and don't use the Cal Mag. Instead of using Kool Bloom, use only Micro and Bloom at the rate of 1 part Micro to 2 parts Bloom. Don't add the Kool Bloom. pH the system down to 6.0. Then add 1 drop of Bleach per 2 gallons of water and you should be all set. Set the PPM to 850 for the first day and we will take a look tomorrow at the data. The problem with me is that after tomorrow I may not be able to get back online for a while.
 
It makes perfect sense that you are having problems with the low pH levels that you are showing. Look at your TDS from 2/6 to 2/7. That decline is not enough. You either have an imbalance of nutrients or your PPM is too high or you have a root problem. You are not able to hold your pH which is a problem. You don't want to see it below 5.8 or you will have the problems that you are having. I've seen this before. When you need more magnesium, raise the pH to around 6.0 to grab more instead of adding Cal Mag. Try this:

Dump out your whole system. There will be remaining solution inside that you can't get. When you fill the system back up with water right after you dump it, dump it again. Now fill it back up with water. You needed to get out most of the nutrients that you can. Now switch formulas. Use your RO water and don't use the Cal Mag. Instead of using Kool Bloom, use only Micro and Bloom at the rate of 1 part Micro to 2 parts Bloom. Don't add the Kool Bloom. pH the system down to 6.0. Then add 1 drop of Bleach per 2 gallons of water and you should be all s hydrotonet. Set the PPM to 850 for the first day and we will take a look tomorrow at the data. The problem with me is that after tomorrow I may not be able to get back online for a while.

Will do.

One note: I was holding a steady @ PH 6.0-6.1 when this started. I was thinking that I may be locking out Ca so I dropped it to 5.8.
 

romuros

Member
Hi

I am starting today with VEG-A stage. I am starting from seeds as i don't have mothers jet ready.

I will have to veg them longer as you did from clones but everything else should be the same as in your's tutorial.

I am bit afraid of overgrow so i will not veg them any longer than 4 weeks.
I just got seeds yesterday from local shop. They are Great White Shark.
I have them once growing in soil and it was pretty sweet smoke but point is i got them for free so i didn't have any chance as to take them:).

When building the systems I followed your tutorial to point so all errors that may occur will be due to my lack of knowledge on rdwc.
Now i run ebb'n'flow system which give's me good results but i got new place where will be 3 your's 10 site systems.
Since i was little short on investment at the and i have to use lights that i already had.
So i have:
2 systems with 3 cool tube with 2x600w and 1x400w.
1 system with 3 cool tubes with 3x600w.

The systems are set to get also light from other system so i hope it will be enough light.
I will replace next round those 400's with 600'.

I am getting my part list and fothos in order so i can open a thread to show what i did but with two little kids and regular job i just can't find the time.

I am from Europe from very small country so i wasn't able to buy almost nothing in my local shop so all parts was bought by ebay, online shops etc.

Also parts are made different for EU market so i had to find parts equivalent to yours specifications.
I got Alita pumps from Hungary, a lot of parts was bought from Spain. Nutrients and lights was ordered from germay since my local store only holds 400w:laughing:
But i found out that shipping cost within EU are realy low.
For 70 kgs from Spain that is almast 1000 km away i paid 20 usd.
Not to mention that only 10 l GH flora micro was cheaper for 10 usd than local.

So any EUROPEAN user who need eu source for parts in snypes tutorial can contact me.
 
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