RDWC Build guide

[ursus1000]

top-notch! looking forward to seeing the trees grown in this! ATB mate.

[badbillybob]

There has been some "development" issues shall we say.

ive had to bin the spray bars, they were just too noisy for my location. I also tried just plain 90 degree bends into the water, but again too loud.

So ive settled on removing the sprayers, and just putting in 2 airstones per tote, with a 600l/min pump into the res, with a hose up the return pipes, to try and circulate the system.

Not what I wanted, but better than nothing.

It was the sound of the falling water that did it, I could hear it about 10 feet from my grow room, so it had to go. too much of a security risk. The net pots in this system are probably only a couple of inches deeper than the 200mm ones I used in my last set up, but the water splashing  sound was way more than before.

 

Every day is a school day.

[ursus1000]

Indeed,splashing water can easily draw attention,especially during the night.

[zen-ken]

Gutted bro.....that system would have grown triffids !

 

im restricted by decibels......maybe put a water feature in the garden to cover the noise ?

[eXistenZ]

Leave the spray bar in on a tap to isolate it until the roots grow then turn on slowly until you just start to hear it job done

[badbillybob]

Quote

 

the spray bars are no more, I cut them out with the grinder.,i couldn't use them in the location no way too loud.

but I previously grew inside, using 200mm net pots and 25mm celotex insulation to surround the totes,taped corners and lid and it was no where near as noisy as this was. 

[badbillybob]

Well, lookout for episode 2- Return of the spray bars.

I set this up in the garage but it was way too loud so cut out the sprayers.

ive decided to go back to thehouse, so decided to resurrect them. 

had to make up a 1-4 manifold but got it sorted yesterday, and tried it out today.

I also insulated the pot lids to help with temps, as I don't have a chiller................yet.

heres some pics. I'm just running a bit of bleached water thru it to kill anything nasty, before I dump it out and fill it with nutes.

looks like a fair amount of dissolved oxygen , but  a bigger pump would obviously create more. (this is just 3000l/min) one .

 

water level will be higher when pots in place.

 I might just try no airstones, see how it goes, but if water temps are a bit high, the extra DO from airstones will help  prevent root issues..

I will keep u informed

[doobie01]

keep it up mate im watching with interest as i have the chiller but the smallest tubs i got are 145 ltr each which are just a bit too big  so you perfect the spray bars etc and i will just clone your system

[badbillybob]

. I find that I always get mag deficience about 3 weeks in, so add it as a preventionyou could always sink 2 net pots into that big res, would work, but if one plant gets issues, they both suffer,

 

 

NUTRIENTS/ FEED

I will add a bit on nutrients, since it hasn't been mentioned.

my background EC is 0.2, which is classed as soft water. this is not taken into account when I provide readings of what I use, so if I say 0.6, the meter would actually read 0.8 (background 0.2 plus feed of 0.6, hope this makes sense.

 

so feeding time. the amounts stated are a VERY ROUGH GUIDE only. I use Ionic nutrients, but others are available. Because the water is super oxygenated you don't need as much feed or as high EC as a lot of other methods of growing. I also use minimal nutes, just grow, bloom, silicone, PK, that's it,  there are lots and lots of additives out there, but most make zero difference IME

A lot depends on strain, how much they are feeding etc, so if your ec is falling like a stone, don't keep adding the same feed, as the plant is telling you it wants more, etc

SILICONE

i first start by adding silicone into the res. add this first to the res to prevent reaction with the nutrients, as some brands of nutrient can go cloudy if the silicone is  added mid way or last

from seed sprouting to 2 weeks I use silicone  at 0.5ml per litre. From week 2-5,  I add silicone at 1 ml per litre. The silicone will raise your ph, but the ph I always adjust last.

GROW NUTRIENT.

if you have an A and B style nutrient (canna etc), then after putting in the silicone, add the A part, stir in the nutrient mix, leave for 5 minutes then add the B part. 

Ionic are one part so just put in the grow nutrient. Once I reach the desired EC, I then add PH down, till I reach the desired PH level. (I tend to go between PH 5.8-6.1 in veg, 5.6-5.9 in bloom).

 

As a guide I would start feeding at 0.4EC, for the first couple of weeks. if the plant tells you it wants more, add more

weeks 2-5 of veg, say once you have 5 nodes or more I would usually feed  between 0.5 and 0.8EC. I would also top the plants at 5 nodes. 

When I flip to 12/12, I keep them on grow nutes for a week to 10 days, then ease into bloom nutes .I also keep the metal halide lamps on during this period to help reduce stretch.

 

BLOOM NUTRIENT.

I will start these at 0.8EC generally, and ramp it up to 1.2/1.4 max throughout the bloom phase. I stop adding silicone by about week 4 of bloom. The ECs given include any boosters by the way.

I find that you don't really need boosters or PK, they grow fine without them.

 

CAL MAG.

BEWARE of certain cal mags in rdwc. Ionic cal mag, for example has humic and seaweed extract in it, which is no use to me, as I avoid all organic nutes in rwdc. I have found over many years of doing this that organic plus recirculating hydro systems simply causes me problems, so I use the mono stuff, which is chemical based. I find I usually get mag deficiency about 3 weeks in, so add it as a preventative measure.

 

PK/ BOOST.

again tread lightly with boosts. I use them very sparingly. I would add 0.5ml/litre week 5 of bloom, 1ml /l week 6 bloom then 0.5ml/l week 7 bloom, then I stop, on a typical 8 week strain.

 

Hope that this a) Makes sense and b) is of some use.

cheers

Edited May 8, 2018 by badbillybob

[GSZZ]

Thanks for posting these mate its nice to see how others do DWC and RDWC. It's not the system for me but it certainly looks the part, especially if you like plumbing  

[potato1356]

This is similar to a dutch bucket system, though it will be less effective and noisier due to small pipe and more corners - I'd recommend larger diameter pipe and don't bother with the squares inside the pots of piping - one long pipe run works far better. 

 

[badbillybob]

 

1 hour ago, potato1356 said:

This is similar to a dutch bucket system, though it will be less effective and noisier due to small pipe and more corners - I'd recommend larger diameter pipe and don't bother with the squares inside the pots of piping - one long pipe run works far better. 

 

Less effective and noisier. What are you on about?

The noise of the the system  has no relation to the diameter of the pipes used or the amount of corners. ?

I also realise that straight runs of pipe are more effective, I mentioned it on the last page, in the pump post. - as there is less restriction on the flow, and I have previously used straight pipe runs on my old system, (see previous page) but couldn't use them in this due to the hinged lids, and shape of the buckets.

 

Thanks for the recommendation on larger diameter pipes, but with all due respect, I have used 40mm returns and 21.5mm feeds for my past 5 systems, without any issues. 

 

Feel free to add to the thread, and  post some pics/ details  of your own current RDWC system, along with your previous systems and findings  to back up your presumptions

Nothing is perfect, its all a compromise, down to cost etc.

[potato1356]

On 5/8/2018 at 7:29 PM, badbillybob said:

 

Less effective and noisier. What are you on about?

The noise of the the system  has no relation to the diameter of the pipes used or the amount of corners. ?

I also realise that straight runs of pipe are more effective, I mentioned it on the last page, in the pump post. - as there is less restriction on the flow, and I have previously used straight pipe runs on my old system, (see previous page) but couldn't use them in this due to the hinged lids, and shape of the buckets.

 

Thanks for the recommendation on larger diameter pipes, but with all due respect, I have used 40mm returns and 21.5mm feeds for my past 5 systems, without any issues. 

 

Feel free to add to the thread, and  post some pics/ details  of your own current RDWC system, along with your previous systems and findings  to back up your presumptions

Nothing is perfect, its all a compromise, down to cost etc.

It really, really does though. Bigger pipes and less corners = more efficient flow and therefore less back pressure on the pump meaning less vibration and heat from said pump. 

I'm not trying to stomp all over your system, it's good! Just suggesting how it could be improved....

However, that's the beauty of growing innit - everyone has their own ways of doing things....

I'll be making a little system in my new diary so will post up pictures as it progresses  I don't currently have an RDWC system up and running, as I simply have no need (I grow in just over 3m2 and I'm playing with seeds this year) - RDWC is better suited to clone runs really. 

I've built loads of them over the years, Here's one of the first ones I built while living in the Netherlands a few years back - 



50mm pipework connecting standard buckets, rows of 7 plants, 14 plants per re-circulating pump (7000lph), 2 re-circ pumps, 2 air pumps (120lpm + 80lpm), and 28 plants total with an auto top up of RO water from the opticlimate, a 500L chiller, external Res of 200L, and 13mm pipework throughout for drainage if necessary. Oh and I sprayed the lids matte white. 

Very crude to look at, but in 6 weeks it looked like this....



All the best to you bro, I'm sure you'll grow monsters in the new buckets 

Edited May 10, 2018 by Golden Syrup
Sorry mate

[zen-ken]

On 08/05/2018 at 9:18 PM, potato1356 said:

 RDWC is better suited to clone runs really. 
 

 

So agree with this due to the nature of RDWC.....read people doing multiple strains with different finishing times in these systems and they are by far a braver and better grower than me.

 

(I can never learn enough about RDWC  its addictive as hell)

 

My best results have come from clones in RDWC the few chances I have had the chance to test it.

[zen-ken]

Although the straight runs are more efficient I thought the reason for the 'squares' was to offer a more even distribution of disruption to the water.

Allowing it to disrupt more of the surface to take more DO without damaging the roots ? (i.e too much pressure from spray bars)

 

My thirst for your knowledge on these systems @badbillybob and @potato1356 is insatiable....Ive never had anyone to talk to about them before as everyone I know loves the coco so please excuse my childish enthusiasm ......man just wants to perfect it.

 

Cheers guys 

Edited May 10, 2018 by zen-ken