Reservoir temperature

[heli2009]

Hello all,

 

just wondering what you hydro guys run to keep temps correct? 

 

I read some people need to heat the reservoir and some people chill theirs.

 

im planning on a Wilma 4 pot in a 1.2 tent in the garage. Am I best in investing in both and setting them up on thermostats? 

 

Thank you 

[stu914]

Hi bud,

Roots should be a couple of degrees either side of 20c, anything below 18c and plant growth slows, lower and it stops.

With drippers (Wilma) where the pots are on top of the res you should be ok with an aquarium style heater as this will keep the roots in the pots warm.

 

[Dirk-Diggler]

@heli2009 I have the same setup and as @stu914 says really, I have an aquarium heater (small one) in the res set to 19C

[heli2009]

@stu914 @Dirk_Diggler147 Thanks for the input guys! No chiller required then.

[badbillybob]

depends on your room temps, best bet is to try it first see how the temps go, insulate the pots to keep temps regulated will also help. chillers are quite dear, but needed if temps are higher than 22 degrees. 

[heli2009]

@badbillybob thanks for your input! The tent itself will be in a cold garage, even in summer it’s always in the shade so hopefully it won’t be too bad if I’m lucky in summer. The reason I posted was that I seen the price of chillers so was hoping that it wasn’t the norm to need one! I’ve ordered a 50w heater so hopefully that’ll keep it in the correct digits. Time will tell I guess.

[badbillybob]

I would stick a thermometer into the pots mate, will give a better idea of the true temps in there. 

and yes, chillers aren't cheap, but are worth every penny if they save your crop, but like you say, you might not need them

[stu914]

1 hour ago, badbillybob said:

you might not need them

 

Roots aren't in the res in this system so he should be safe without...he could end up with weed like yours bud, as long as it doesn't get heatstroke...  

[badbillybob]

oh right, my apologies, I thought he was in dwc. 

1. And yeah, if he is stuck, I know an expert who might be able to help you, he knows loadsa stuff about high temps, bleaching, pointy buds and all sortsa shit. hes never so much as posted a diary, or even a pic of a plant, but hes a fricken expert, oh yes. for sure

[Ranec]

 

You can run a warmer res but it needs to be sterile - last crop I had my nft res set at 24c giving a pretty constant 22c at the roots, I just stuck some Silver Bullet Roots in with each change and away she went 

 

Sterile is the way to go imo, I had temps touch 30c last summer and whilst she wasn't happy my girl pushed through with no sign of root rot 

 

[badbillybob]

silver bullet is hydrogen peroxide, heres some info on it.

Adding hydrogen peroxide is a common practice used by many hydroponic growers but is one that is seriously misunderstood. There are 2 forms of oxygen: O2, the diatomic form which can be absorbed by the plant roots, and O2-, the free radical form which is highly reactive. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) converts to H2O + O2- when added to water. The O2- that is formed is not desirable because it will indiscriminately oxidize or damage healthy living plant cells. Also, although adding hydrogen peroxide to a reservoir will result in an initial boost in DO levels, those gains are short lived. Hydrogen peroxide is best kept in a grower’s toolbox for cleaning equipment and treating bacterial and fungal infections.