DWC or RDWC questions......bring em here!?!?!!!

Discussion in 'Hydroponic Cultivation' started by CCrete, Dec 7, 2010.

  1. ScottyG420

    ScottyG420 Marijuana Handler

    Communication Breakdown


    I think that one of the big reasons people shy away from hydro is the vocabulary.


    I read some of these posts and I have no idea what people are talking about. Especially with some of the abbreviations.
     
  2. The Occultivationist

    The Occultivationist Veggy Stage

    sure does. thanx CC, sweet thread.
     
  3. jr215

    jr215 Caged hippie

    DWC and nutrients?


    I'm going to give hydro a try. The guy at the hydro store convinced me to get a DWC (Or is it RDWC?). There's have the air pump and a recirculating pump. Does that make it an RDWC? Anyway, I've heard a couple different stories on the nutrients. I think I'm going to stick with General Hydroponics, since I've had good luck using it in soil. One person told me you only need half to 3 quarters strength when in a DWC. Another person told me to use full strength. Can you veterans give me your opinion? Can you still use molasses and guano?


    Thanks!
     
  4. greenthumbwhitethumb

    greenthumbwhitethumb down w the moral majority

    you hit the nail on the head, Scotty. Plus, although there's tons of info on here about hydro, there's no step-by-step "dumbass" guide to it like there is with soil. Most people can relate to soil, because most people have flowers, or veggies, or at least seen their parents or girls grow stuff.


    I still don't know what DWC stands for....(something something water??? something something....)


    Or GH (until very recently) - I'm sticking with Groovy Hydroponics. So is Spink. Maybe even T6. Who's with me? LOL


    GTWT


    :XXhippylove:
     
  5. zog

    zog Developed Alternating Nodes

    I think DWC is deep water culture. So chris, can you do this style in a wal mart tote tubby thing? And if so, how do you go about draining,or the easiest way to drain? or if you want a six plant set up do i have to use six buckets? And im assumimg if you dont have seperate rooms you could veg and flower in these? thanks for listenin to my dumb ?'s. peace
     
  6. CCrete

    CCrete Mr. Poopyfacepeepeehead

    That would make it RDWC Jr..


    GH 3 part is what been my strong point of all my hydro grows


    Heres the best way to use the GH 3 part formula :


    http://www.growkind.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35174


    Its an advanced version of the normal GH 3 part feeding schedule, more like a high octane version, and yes you can use all supplements....jus read thru
     
  7. CCrete

    CCrete Mr. Poopyfacepeepeehead

    DWC = Deep Water Culture and RDWC is recirculating-DWC
     
  8. CCrete

    CCrete Mr. Poopyfacepeepeehead

    The beauty of DWC is that you can use ANYTHING for a container, as long as you understand that roots explode in this system and require decent amounts of room to get the full benefit of DWC style


    To drain, now heres a personel choice IMO....if you got a strong back, then just buy an extra tote or bucket, lift off the lid n plant, place in the TEMP container............then take said water and dump......................so people go and buy a plumning style or garden style spigot that you can mount to your container and then you just flick your wrist to drain, most you can hook a hose to............some pople use a mini aquarium pump that hooks to sinks or just goes down the drain


    ME personally, i went and got a portable submersable pump that hooks to a hose and i just drop it in my ressy....run the hose to the sink and plug er' in!!!.....5 mins later the system is clear and im back to filling it back up, no sweat!


    as for the design...thats up to you and your space.....but I have done this with success...you can make it to whatever size you need or can handle....i did learn that 12 was way to much....6 would be good if you ask me......


    http://www.growkind.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38376


    good luck Zog
     
  9. Hey chris, what have you found is the low limit on the temp? I am still dialing in the temps with all this damn cold weather, and my room and rez has been dipping down into the low 50's during dark time. Its seem to slow them down a bit.......
     
  10. CCrete

    CCrete Mr. Poopyfacepeepeehead

    yea thats pretty cold man...id try and keep em above 60 atleast
     
  11. zog

    zog Developed Alternating Nodes

    Hey Ravens hater lol, couple more ?'s fer ya on this DWC get up. If a dude wanted to start from seeds how would you go about that? Without out having to plant and wait for clones. And also, about these water temps, how do ya control those? Water temp eventually = room temp? Thanks bro, seriously thinkin on dis lol, might do all three, soil,hempy,and a DWC container of some sort.
     
  12. CCrete

    CCrete Mr. Poopyfacepeepeehead

    I actually dont hate the Ravens, its being a reincarnated Cleveland Brown that i hate, ROFL!


    You can use rockwol or I use "Rapid Rooters" for my seeds, they're like little shot glass looking peat plugs with a hole on top for a seed or stem to go into to clone, i soak the seeds, wait till i get a taproot and plant them into the rooter, put into solo cup of soil, sex the plant, take some clones and do work! or you can just drop the rooter in the hydroton once you get roots from the bottom of the rapid rooter, i made a lil tupperware container to rest my rooters in till i got a root coming from the peat........then just make sure once the rooter or rockwool is in the hydroton that its getting a bit of moisture, you may even have to top hand water it till your root or roots reach the solution, DO NOT KEEP THE ROOTER SOAKED, just a bit moist


    You can transplant from soil, you just have to wash off the roots VERY VERY well but ive done it tons of times


    As for temps.....a concrete floor should do you right. if your on wood floor then a frozen bottle of water will do the trick if your going with a single bucket, jus gotta keep up with em, run your lights at night to help with the room temps, if ya go big, you need a chiller
     
  13. CCrete

    CCrete Mr. Poopyfacepeepeehead

    4k! woo
     
  14. Chiefblood

    Chiefblood Veggy Stage

    I got big plans for the GROW laboratory, and I will be using your wisdom, the goal is to run (2) 10 pot veg/flower rooms - perpetual, (1) 4 pot mother room, and a clone room.


    When the time is right, all glory be to chriscrete!


    :passsit:
     
  15. Lvstickybud

    Lvstickybud Bongmaster

    Ok, let's see if I got this...


    dwc... solo bucket, not connected to anything but the airstone pump. Each bucket is seperate.


    rdwc... buckets are connected to each other and to a res. and the airstone pumps.


    In dwc, when you change out the bucket every week, you use nutes every week? It doesn't switch, one week nutes, one week water?


    and with dwc I could try it with just one bucket while keeping my grows with soil or hempy going?


    As the roots get longer, do you use less water or keep the level close to net pot?


    When you rinse your roots out growing from seed in soil, how do you keep from damaging the roots? Just soak them in a bucket of water and kind of move them around till clean?


    Do you do anything to your plants? Top, LST, SOG, trim? I like to just let them grow. I love watching the branch buds.


    Sorry for so many questions but I'm really liking this idea and if I can swing it, I'd like bigger buds.
     
  16. CCrete

    CCrete Mr. Poopyfacepeepeehead

    sounds great Chief!


    one thing id change tho....put your moms into soil.......the RDWC has far to fast of a growth rate, your moms will get gigantic in 3 weeks time, let alone the cost of nute-ing just moms, but its your world sunshine....im jus tryin to live in it :rofl:
     
  17. CCrete

    CCrete Mr. Poopyfacepeepeehead

    ok you got DWC and RDWC figured out.....


    Yes you change out your ENTIRE bucket of solution each week........then you refill with clean fresh water, let it run clean (no nutes) for 1 day (18-24hr), then you reapply your nutes and do that for every week until your done


    AND yes thats the beauty of a DWC bucket, its basically just like a soil pot or hempy......it just sits solo


    Yes and no....the roots will displace a decent amount of water, this part is YOUR own personel learning curve, each plants root developement will determine how much water you need to use......simple way to figure it out (cuz youll have to know how much water can fit now you'll have larger roots) is to fill to your normal level, then take out the plant and figure out how much is left over after your take out the plant.....then you mix your nutes to that amount of water 2,3,4 gal etc....you'll start with around 4 gal and end up putting in 2,3 gal....it all depends on how large you want your plants cuz of their root mass


    I took my plant out of soil, got as much dirt off as possible....then i had 2 or 3 buckets of clean water.....id dunk the rootmass in there and massage them with my hands to get out the perlite and dirt....i just repeated that until i was satisfied..........you'll be suprised how durable the roots are, just dont be an animal about it, then weave a root or 2,3,4 in the netpot and your golden!


    I do some training.....mostly topping......i DO prune my lower branches tho.....and ive now started using trellis nets and tomato cages
     
  18. CCrete

    CCrete Mr. Poopyfacepeepeehead

    Something for any RDWC growers out there.....the ebb n flow drain covers get clogged easily, you either need to be very aware of this effect or create some kind of smaller opening of a mesh type cover, almost like a screen, something vinyl id say, it wont break down like metal screen and roots will tear up plastic


    I just walked into a 20 gallon mess cuz of ROOTS in my drain line in my 2nd row of 3pots.......thank god for floor drains! water was pouring out like a hose...lol
     
  19. hillbilly

    hillbilly Established Healthy Roots

    I've got a couple questions for you Chriscrete. I'm running a 4 pot RDWC setup using 5 gallon buckets, 8" netpot lids, a 5 gallon bucket reservoir with float valve and a 27 gallon controller. If I move up to 6 or 8 buckets should I change my reservoir to a tote or will the bucket work fine? Also have you ever tried the Lucas formula with GH 3 part in RDWC? I'm getting ready to run a test grow with Lucas formula instead of the Useless formula. Just wondering if you've tried it and if so, how your yield compared to the Useless formula. Thanks.
     
  20. CCrete

    CCrete Mr. Poopyfacepeepeehead

    Id go up to a larger ressy, your talkiing atleast a 15-25% jump in feeding, you'll need the extra solution.....unless you dont mind hand feeding the system, up to you


    ive never ran the lucus but i'd read thru the USELESS formula, i know its asked and answered in there from what i remember
     

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