DWC Vs RH?

[Chal]

Just now, stu sleeper 20vt said:

Hit me with your questions.

 

Early days yet, Stu; For the actual DWC stuff, anyway. I'm still just running around like a headless chicken, throwing money at any aspect that scares me. Got a pile of stuff, out in my back room. Little hoard of pumps, 'n chemicals 'n shit.

 

Would it suffice to say that I got caught up in Sirius' enthusiasm for " Bubbleponics ". Started working my way through a rather no holds barred shopping list, trying to cover as many eventualities. Made a gaff or two, no doubt. But, seem to have been doing okay.

 

Then, I got my hands on my first, very cheap and basic, RH meter. And, just like that; For a minute there, it looked like I was fucked!

 

Happily, I've found this place and am now far happier bunny! As I mentioned, earlier back in all this nonsense; I've basically got my head up my arse, with this other, major, project I've been crashing through.

 

Shumroom is showing me who and where else to read, on here. I'm just too knackered, at the ends of my days, to settle down and take much in yet. I can sit here and spew my own, endless, bollocks. Can only take it in in teaspoons though.

 

Get the weekend out of the way and I should be back in the saddle though

 

[zen-ken]

Just now, Shumroom said:

Are heat mats something that’s compatible with DWC?

 

Or is it more practical to use a water heater to keep that steady?

 

Atb

 

 

 

 

No.....if your environment is on point, keeping the water warm enough will be the very least of the problems on your list.......keeping them cool enough however......now thats a fuckery that requires money thrown at it.......

 

You have pots that are sat in tent at 25c plus.....your water cant go over 22c and ideally doesn't want to go over 20C......chiller or root rot is the option.

 

 

[stu914]

@Shumroom

 

Water heaters, never used heat mats but I doubt they would work too well...Eheim are a good make...

[zen-ken]

If this is your first rodeo .......I strongly suggest you dont go down the dark art of pure water culture.

 

Coco/rice husk/perlite mixes are so much more forgiving to cut your teeth on 

[Chal]

Just now, Shumroom said:

Is it more practical to use a water heater to keep that steady?

 

Got a nice water heater, sat in my kitchen! Glass one. So, useless around the creatures I keep now. But, just the job for laying, quietly, in the bottom of this bucket I've got Sorted it for that very purpose.

 

Shame I can't use my 'Post Image dot com' site here. (Not allowed, are we? Don't even know what a 'Hot Link' is, frankly) I love putting pix in my posts. Showing ye shit could help break up and lighten this barrage of verbal ear abuse I'm pouring out here!

 

'Swhy I can't do a 'Diary'. Pity. I'd Love to tell ye the story, and show all the photo's I've taken along the way. 'Lest We Forget' stuff. My doors are a fucking drama in themselves!

 

[stu914]

Just now, zen-ken said:

I strongly suggest you dont go down the dark art of pure water culture.

 

Agreed...

[nbenja3]

As zen ken mentioned, water should not be above 20c ideally, but a range of 18-22c will work fine. If the water is getting too cold i would suggest insulating underneath the tank with a bit of kingspan or something similar. If they are getting too warm wrap the tank in tinfoil

[Chal]

Just now, zen-ken said:

If this is your first rodeo .......

 

Not strictly, Ken. No. Like the rest of the known universe, I too had my south facing window sill well and truly paying for itself, over half a fucking century ago! If ye were 'There', ye'd know! Garden dirt and the only 'additives' I ever used were a bit of dried blood and what ever propriety, white crystal shit Fisons, or who ever, were knocking out.

 

Worked! (Against all odds) Didn't it? We got wrecked. But, no one talked of 'Bud' or even 'Flower', back then. HG was just dried, twisted bits of leaf.

 

Now? Dunno. Thought of fucking around with pots of carefully enriched compost. Messing with 'Run Off' and such? Scares me to death! Too 'Art', for me. Water? Sounds more Science. Do this. Stick to these parameters, as shown on these meters? All good.

 

I'm better ~ these days ~ at plodding along, following strict instructions. That's why I'm so happy to throw money at devices which do shit for me. I can follow instructions. Way too far over the learning curve to ever again master anything more feely :|

 

 

Nothing I fancy, on 'Flix, tonight. So, that's My evening up in the air then. You poor bastards are stuck with me! I can't half chatter!

 

[zen-ken]

Im gonna treat you to one of Kennys golden tips now:

 

If you find your DWC is overheating.....move the air pump so it draws colder air (cooler months only obviously)....I don't think I need to explain how hot or cold air going through the pump affects the water temperature.....

 

 

 

 

 

'try the veal.....im here all week'  

[Chal]

Just now, nbenja3 said:

 If they are getting too warm wrap the tank in tinfoil

 

That's a cool tip! Never heard of that before. Thanks!

 

Though, this place being what it is? I somehow don't think over heating will ever be a problem. I only ever heat This room. And, even in the most scorchio of summers, the walls keep everything inside on an even keel

[zen-ken]

Just now, Chal said:

 

Not strictly, Ken. No. Like the rest of the known universe, I too had my south facing window sill well and truly paying for itself, over half a fucking century ago! If ye were 'There', ye'd know! Garden dirt and the only 'additives' I ever used were a bit of dried blood and what ever propriety, white crystal shit Fisons, or who ever, were knocking out.

 

Worked! (Against all odds) Didn't it? We got wrecked. But, no one talked of 'Bud' or even 'Flower', back then. HG was just dried, twisted bits of leaf.

 

Now? Dunno. Thought of fucking around with pots of carefully enriched compost. Messing with 'Run Off' and such? Scares me to death! Too 'Art', for me. Water? Sounds more Science. Do this. Stick to these parameters, as shown on these meters? All good.

 

I'm better ~ these days ~ at plodding along, following strict instructions. That's why I'm so happy to throw money at devices which do shit for me. I can follow instructions. Way too far over the learning curve to ever again master anything more feely :|

 

 

Nothing I fancy, on 'Flix, tonight. So, that's My evening up in the air then. You poor bastards are stuck with me! I can't half chatter!

 

 

 

 

Im gonna be honest and blunt.....if you ain't done hydro before.....this is your first rodeo.....chucking seeds in and forgetting about them, DWC is not.......if you want a plug and play DWC system go for a R-DWC system.....plug it in and walk away.....you can literally automate the entire thing.

 

I left mine for ten days last December to go to Mexico......fucking things looked better than they would have had I have been here  

[zen-ken]

Your main problem in DWC imho (heat aside) is always going to be the buffering capacity.....when the pot fills with root there ain't much room left for water.

That water will unbalance in hours when at full chat....R-DWC gives you a huge res to protect from big swings in EC and PH 

 

Either that or do DWC with a fucking great tank and problem solved 

[zen-ken]

CCH2O (beautiful systems - need plenty of dollar to shop with these guys)

Hydraunlimted (pucker idea - messed around with it myself - Venturi - lovely system....shit for low headspace)

Alien hydropoincs (what im using atm...Im still on the old pro system...Like the V system but it has flaws)

@badbillybob system....cheap as fook.....works just as well and can adjusted to spray bars.....noise depending

 

[Chal]

Sorry, Ken. Disappeared for a minute there. Was just checking out what R DWC was. Then, creatures supper time.

 

Yeah; Dunno where ye got the idea I was looking for 'plug 'n play'? (Old mate did start calling me " Inspector Gadget " though! Never was sure why!) No, like I say, I'm just happier that we can now buy things that take all the old witchcraft out of shit.

 

I'd have a nervous breakdown, trying to Feel the soil, like I used to. All that Eye and Judgement shit. Nah! I'll go with Meters and Probes   Let Gear take away the Guess work. That's all I'm after.

 

I won't be off to Mexico. Only leave this place for a few hours a week, truth be told. And I like Routine   I have a clip board and safety glasses. I can soon grab a white hard hat and coat, off Amazon. Then I'll be all set, look.

 

Spend my days and night making on the dot patrols. Tapping things with my pen and jotting shit down on my board. Like I say; I can Do that. Keep a beady eye on what control panels are telling me. Alter anything that calls for it.

 

I guess, basically, I want to take the Judgement out of it. I don't Want to have to (re)develop a Feel for the plant. My thumbs are as they are. I don't aspire, or Want, to become a 'Master Craftsman Of The Weed'. Calling newcomers 'Grasshopper'. I just want to follow a list of proven instructions. A, B, C, Dope plant

 

I've done my time. Looked into what's going on, today. Watched how the politics shifts and who we're mean't to sneer at. I don't let being sneered at eat me up. The bucket of dirt boys look down on the buckets of water. Auto plants?! Well, dear god! That's hardly worthy of being Called 'Growing'!

 

Is This the face of a worried man?

 

I have a fucking great barrel here too, as it happens. Should I ever decide to try adding that R to my DWC. I checked R DWC. On the face of it then? The exact same buckets as I have one of. Only, ye have to have six or a dozen of them. All linked together. And, as ye say, a fucking great barrel.

 

Interestingly; I Have this FGB because I used to drink. And, following the same instinct that brought me to where I am now, I decided: Fuck this! I'll produce my own beer. And I did. But, never mind all that 'Sparging ye wort' and waffling on about grain, shit. I looked for the quick and, relatively, simple route.

 

I then worked at simplifying That. Blah, blah, blah.  What I produced, and the way I produced it became the stuff of legend. There's a thread, the size of a small forum, dedicated to it, to this day, as far as I'm aware.

 

But, that FGB: I got that because it occurred to me how handy it might be to knock up like Several kits as once. Save repeating the same old rigmarole, five gallons at a time. Do fifty, all at once!

 

Then, it hit me. Fuck up five gallons? Boo hoo! Sling it down the drain and be more careful next time. Fuck up Fifty?! Kill ye fucking self!

 

And That's a very large part indeed of why I'm working on such a small scale. One bucket. Dinky little tent. Using about the Least intuitive method out there. Only, backed up by all the knobs and whistles I can find.

 

I want to be a Machine Minder, mate. Not a Master Grower. And there's a world of people out there, doing it, in the sort of bucket I have. Only, without half the back up kit. Now, I'm gonna have a go. Only thing that's stood in my way, thus far, has been this Fucking RH question.

 

Now the good peeps of here have talked me through that? I just need to buy the rest of the gear to take any remaining guess work out of it. Then, I'll follow the well trodden path I've been watching others tread.

 

One plant, Ken. One little plant at a time shall have My undivided attention. Backed up by a bank of automation and alarm systems.

 

How many flies?

 

[stu sleeper 20vt]

Fishtank style water heater all day mate