NIppie, It's dangerous to adjust like that. What formula are you using? Keep this in mind I have found that if I have to use more than 8 ml. ph down per 25 gallons in circulation the solution is too weak. If you are using the Useless recipe I find that +3/4 gallons over what is actually in circulation is about right regardless of total amount. Basically I have a 6 bucket system with about 26 gal in it and I measure for 30 gallons. In a 4 bucket with about 16 gal circulating I mix for 20 gallons. In the 6 I use 5-7 ml PH down and hit 5.8-6.0 it sits dead flat all week till DnF. The 4 takes 3-5 ml to do the same thing. Captain Crete ditches the whole setup minus the net lids every harvest. I pressure wash my shit and replace all tubing every reset. Use Stainless Steel hose clamps they'll last forever and never leak. Invest in whatever return/fill line size you use. I think I bought a 100ft roll of 3/4" for $60. I use it up every 4 or 5 resets. Takes me about 3 hrs to drain the old system rinse the Hydroton. Break it down, spray the buckets and res out reassemble and plant clones. As far as airstones I used to use them, anymore I just weigh down a piece of 1/4" tubing to the bottom of the bucket with the lead rod out of some flexible airstones I ripped apart. If you have 2 outlets per that's plenty of air and once the roots grow in they will break up the bubbles. Cheap and easy and NEVER clogs. Just my thoughts...Steelcity
Steel, Useless formula PH has stabilized, it did go from up to 6.2 I phd down to 5.8 and its steady. I need to water change tom, so do you run 1 day no nutes, and if you do after that day can I just add nutes to the water in there?? Will that fuck ith PH? Also when running RDWC, how the fuck do you get water out of your system for weekly nute in useless formula?? Do you actually drain the whole system?? Thinking about upgrading in a few weeks just kinda of gun shy at the moment If I wanted to upgrade to RDWC can you suggest a pump and tubing size and show me some pix on how to set it up?? Thanks
Just adding my 2 cents on what I do, might work for you also. Each Thurs (today) It is nute day. two of my control buckets I have to disconnect the hose that top feeds from the pump and connect a hose to pump to waste. Which empties pretty quickly but not all the way. Than from that level I have to take a shop vac and get the rest. The latest 18 bucket 1200 watt grow tunnel is the cats meow...:thumbs-up: I made it with simplicity in mind. I turn one switch off that has air, water pumps and chiller connected. Than turn one 3/4" ball valve on the bottom of the control bucket which drains the whole 75 gal system in about 15 mins. I then take the shop vac to suck up the remaining gal or so. (I am anal about that) Fill each control bucket to the mark and top off the rez and I am good to go. All the while filling up I dump each nute in, check the next day for PH and adjust. I have been following you in this thread and it looks like you are doing right But remember the basic concept is there but each system people build will have different aspects to accommodate themselves. :thumbs-up:
do you guys run chillers on rdwc? love useless formula, but would lucas be a better option if I wanted to run two lights 1 mth apart with same ressy? could I run moab once mth (week1 on groupA/week 5 on group B) and still be able to run useless, or is that a question for useless? if I wanted to just run 4/5 gals what size ressy and and pump would I need? Can someone help me either here or through pm?
I wouldn't run them on the same rez. IMO I would get a 2-300 gph to run 4. again MO I also love Useless's formula. I run a chiller only on my 18 bucket system. The other 2 are on the floor so the temps stay pretty cool. Running 4 5 gal bucket system I would either use a 27 gal tote for control bucket and no rez. (What I found) or run a 5 gal as your control bucket with a rez. depending if you are going to grow trees or bushes. IMO:thumbs-up:
Yep, 1 day no nutes, adjusted ph to about 5.8. I empty the water figuring that all the salts and crap that was washed off the roots are in the water. I could be wrong and wasting a hellava lot of water every week, but I rinse and scrub them again before filling, just to make sure they're clean. I'll be following the responses for the RDWC since I want to head in the direction also. Oh yeah, if you like them in veg, just wait till you see them flowering!!! :thumbs-up:
Thanks again for the comments and help everyone.. So if I keep my 4 /5 gal buckets what size pump do I need and do I just put that inside a 5th bucket?? How does the returns work and is there a standard formula for Length of everything and GPH needed? Was thinking about a little longer line so I can move my ressy away from light to help with temps (no problems yet, just worried once pump is working in the water it'll heat things up). Also is there a step by step plumbing instructions w/pix any where? And what about heighth of return and pump lines? Does it matter, I think I read you need a bigger return than pump line but is there a ratio than I need to abid by? Can you accidently flood a bucket if it's not done right? How do you manage water levels (in growing buckets) or is it even needed Finally How can you be sure your shit is circulating and all buckets are getting even flow??
You cant run 2 systems on the same res at the same time when they are offset like that. My formula or the Lucas formula. You still to flush before harvest. That would be a no on the MOAB.
Shit I didn't even think about that.:not-worthy: that would've been noob mistake!! Do you have opin on pump size? Scared of going big and damaging roots and still looking for an ez dyi on this. Everything looks overly complicated and I know it can't be that hard. I'm just kinda stuck on how the pump connects to ressy and the returns. Sizes of pipes and what not Im scared that all nutes will goto one bucket and flood my shit:roffl:
http://www.growkind.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40700 This is the only one on GK I could find that had pics other than mine. The links over to IC are gone for some reason. Look, research and ask (but only after you do the first 2) Also Youtube has some set ups to get an idea. CCrete's 9 pot site use to have great pics but the pics are gone. EDIT: Found this one http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=192667
Can you explan a little more or throw up pictures? 600 Gph for 4 buckets seems like its alot but once again, i'm a moron when it comes to this system and appreciate the input from you guys
Ha, you posted while I was typoing Blah, Great link thank you. I have to spread it around before you get some more lol:thumbs-up: edit.. Yea I think I have something figured out... If I grab an extra bucket get sump fountain pump 170-300 gph run it to the tops of the buckets and then have 1" return at the bottom this would create RDWC.. I'm thinking about doing an inline pump and not using extra bucket but then I'm not sure I want to deal with ph' and nutes directly into system without some type of check and balance measure short of making nutes up in tote then introducing into system. I was looking at useless uc thread but I'm not sure whats the big differnce between UC, RDWC, or if it even matters. Steel or anyone else for that matter, I know switching to DWC should increase yeild, but is RDWC or UC going to increase yeild from DWC? Or is it just easier as you dont fuck 100 buckets?
From what I gathered from CCrete and SteelCity, yes, your yeilds will be bigger. Haven't found out myself, but I believe them.:roffl:
These are some pics from the 18 bucket. I meant to use anywhere from a 200-300gph pump not 600. I did mine hard pipe, cause I am anal. and the 2" hard pipe on the top is a manifold for air to come up form the bottom distributing evenly. Even though mine is elevated in a cabinet there is still a control bucket in the far right hand corner of the picture. For following Useless's formula just take the gals in your system and X it by the mil. of each nute per gal. This is from another RDWC/mpb system but the yields from this will give you an idea. my biggest one has been 1.3#'s with a room total (6 plants) 3.3#'s. My next system will be an UC system like Useless's. DIY
God damn!!!!!!!! Nice set up, what fittings did you get for the buckets?? Was just at Lowes looking at pumps and fittings and couldn't find anything to put into round bucket that wouldn't leak, so I didn't buy and figured I'd wait until next hydro shop visit. Do you have a formula for gallons used in system = pump size? Looking for something like carbon scrubbers should replace air in 5 min.. just so i don't go to big, flood buckets and burn up a pump. I see your system looks like ressy underneath so prob not an issue, but my ressy will be same level as buckets.
The fittings for the buckets are the cheap ebb&flow fill/drain fittings. They come with a rubber gasket. I also used a lot of the fittings for plastic water piping in plumbing dept at lowes and HD. This is where you can use your imagination. What ever you do go with the Lowes buckets....they are a lot more light proof than the HD buckets. (Yes CC you are right) My control bucket is level like you want it with the other buckets.....I don't know if you are high or.......:mashed: second pics you can see it in the back right of the cabinet (black tote). This system is 75 gals so for example using Useless's formula. week one flower is 10ml of bloom per gal. so I multiply 10ml's by # of gals (75) and presto I give 750ml's of bloom per 75 gal of water. Follow that principle for each nute.
BLah, can you find those at lowes or depot (ebb fittings, or something that can be used for them anyways. Everyone else, WTF am i doing wrong, switched water last night and it was 5.8 this morning it 7.0!!!! This happened last time and I ph'd back down and the second time it ran 5 days with flux, why am is flus some bad first day?
On way to store now, the said the biggest they have is 1/2 " return because it;s industry standard. Going to check the ebb and flo fittings while there. Smallest pump is 130 gph, hopefully it's not to large for a small scale set up. Hopefully this fixes my problems, I have a plan for flower but right now it's filled with hempys. Think I'm going to make a total switch to hydro once they are gone. Sux I have like 30 buckets at my house but they are all drilled out for hempy.. wife is pissed!! "Better not come home with another fucking bucket!!" lol
Ive been a brainmess this week, I know you pm'd me Nipp.....sorry but I erased it with them all at once, my bad So whats the topics in question here a-t-m????
Well I got about an 1/2 hour til I leave, is a 130ish GPH pump to much for a 4 /5 gal set up? What fittings did you use so buckets didn't leak? Does the return have to be larger than pump line? And CC what maint do you do on your system (i.e. weekly, mthly) and do you 6 days nute 1 ph water before switching to new nutes?
