Noob to DWC Trying to Figure it all Out

FreezerBoy · Aug 11, 2008

Pakalolovoodoo said:
how do i link the pics

I'd PM this but, you don't have enough posts to read them yet and that would be mean. Use POST REPLY rather than Quick Reply. Underneath the comment entry box will be your gallery. Click on a pic and it shows up at the bottom of the post. If you want pics at top or middle, you'll need to cut and paste.

Pakalolovoodoo · Aug 11, 2008

all i can say is this if my cab says its over 80 then i toss in two or three 1 litres that are frozen and my roots are as white as snow usualy towards end of grow maybe a little tan or tea colored I have never measured the temps in resevoir i change every week I just dont have problems. I currently have only a 4 inch inline 70 cfm exhausting. I will however be adding cool tube witha 6 inch 250 cfm shortly my house is usualy a cool 73 degrees except in my room with cab on hot days closer to 82 but of course like i said ice the rez and forget it till tomorrow

clowntown · Aug 11, 2008

Do you have any sort of thermometer? Even an outdoor version will suffice. I'd be willing to bet that your rez temps are not in the mid-70s, especially if it's sitting on (what appears to be) concrete floor, and not with frozen bottles thrown in.

Pakalolovoodoo · Aug 11, 2008

I keep a thermometer in the cab your looking at cab floor and it has flow underneath the cab floor it is made out of wood and my air intakes for cab are at ground level because cold air sinks the coldest air in drawn in at ground level and warm air is sucked out of cab at the top i have a themometer on walll of cab and i have another one i can stick in rez if i wanted to let me get some pics brb

Pakalolovoodoo · Aug 11, 2008

here you can see air intake

and some more pics sorry shitty camera but i got it for free

clowntown · Aug 11, 2008

Any rez temperature readings, yet?

Also... were these pictures taken with a camera phone? :chin:

Pakalolovoodoo · Aug 12, 2008

no justa crapy camera morning rez temps this moring acording to aquarium temp gauge was 72 degrees wall gauge re between 80-85 afternoon temp gauge was 77 degrees light cycle has been off for 20 minutes wall reads about 88

BIG BOY · Aug 12, 2008

hey clowntown are you a soil guy?

i am just kinda brainstorming on this thread really wanted to try out dwc on this run but maybe i just need to stick to soil until i can veg in a bigger area, i mean i could use grow bags in the veg box to stuff them in there and still have room for moms, i just really wanted to get away from soil because of all the waste, sure the soil is great in my garden outside to till in, but soil is a lot of work and and lot of hassle, plus fungus gnats are killing me, gnatrol is an added expense, so i think it is just more feesable (sp) and easier for me to setup a proper hydro system.

clowntown · Aug 12, 2008

No, I don't grow in soil. Why would you think that? Because I'm trying to discourage closet growers from going into the mess of DWC? :chin:

I'm very surprised that the rez readings came out to be above 70F, as I've never really heard of anyone (including myself) not running into root rot at those temperatures. At 77F, that's even worse and I would think you'd start seeing over-watering symptoms by then.

Odd, but obviously not impossible I suppose. How are you measuring the rez temps and what type of aquarium temperature gauge? The stick-on kind where you stick it onto the outside of the fish tank, or the dip-in kind? If dip-in kind, I'm really surprised.

BIG BOY · Aug 12, 2008

clowntown said:
No, I don't grow in soil. Why would you think that? Because I'm trying to discourage closet growers from going into the mess of DWC?

yes, well then what would you suggest?

clowntown · Aug 12, 2008

clowntown said:
If it has to be hydro, I would recommend E/F, top drip, or anything but DWC which is very sensitive to rez temperatures. If you can't get (and keep) it below 70F at all times, you're just asking for trouble... again, IMO/IME... (People with bio-buckets may tell you otherwise, but much above 70F and even they have problems.)

If you disagree, please chime in with your results: what temperatures did you maintain the rez at, how did the roots look, and how did they perform?

E/F will make your life a lot easier.

If you think soil is expensive, I think you have a lot of surprises ahead of you...

clowntown · Aug 12, 2008

Pharma Geddon said:
DWC pros:
With a big air pump it's just about impossible to kill the plants. (The one you're looking at is a good choice for the plants, won't be quiet though.) pH can be almost anywhere and still produce well.
...

I strongly disagree with this. A big air pump won't do any more than a small air pump when your rez temperatures are high. As for pH acceptable at any levels... that's the first time I've heard that statement from a DWC, or any hydro, grower.

Pharma Geddon said:
DWC cons:
...
pH swings like a drunken sailor, needs a HUGE res if you want pH stability.

A bit of a contradiction, don't you think? If pH isn't important, why would you worry about this?

BIG BOY · Aug 12, 2008

ok clowntown besides the rez temps, what kind of problems are so big that is gonna make it a problem for me? i dont see me having any problem controlling rez temps at all, sooo. . . what is the big deal.? not trying to be an azz or anything here just asking. thanks for your input too, a lot.

clowntown · Aug 12, 2008

Try it and you'll find out. I'm going to stop posting in these kinds of threads.

Seems like I'm constantly repeating stuff over and over and no one's ever listening.

BIG BOY · Aug 12, 2008

dude i am knew to this particular forum havent been lurking the hydro forums like i have the soil ones, i am just trying to figure out what you are saying besides the rez temp situation, that is all. just speak your mind about it bro you are not going to hurt my feelings.

clowntown · Aug 13, 2008

Nomanishere · Aug 13, 2008

Res temp billy-rig solution #1 - Ice packs/plastic bottles/whatever....it takes a while to figure out the right balance of cold....get one of those cheapo aquarium thermometers that floats or sticks to the side (helps to keep it out of the roots). Once (or twice/thrice in the heat wave) throw a fresh frozen soda bottle (closed of course) into your rez (also helps to artificially raise water levels!) Just be careful of the roots again!

Res temp billy-rig solution #2 - put your res in a bigger res! Like if you are running a 10 gallon rubbermaid, put some cold water (not much, displacement is a mother) in a 20 gallon rubbermaid and then put your res into the larger container. Aluminum foil tape is a detriment to this method, but desperate people do desperate things!

I had to learn the hard way, clowntown makes some good points but the best thing to do is just see for yourself.

PH is important by the way (not acceptable at ANY level), but if you can keep it somewhere between 5 and 7 with it around 6 80% of the time you should be okay depending on strain and 100's of other variable factors (like usual).

As for your veg situation, your best bet would probably be to do a mini ebb and flow type using rockwool and then you could transfer the rockwool to the bubbler net-pots after you vegged a couple of weeks.

I think if I was trying to do what you are I would separate a corner of that grow area with some kind of structure and use the CFL's and rockwool cubes in a nursery tray or something and then set the newer (younger) plants on top of this structure to put them closer to the light and then as the plants get larger and grow into the light you can set them to the side of the structure.

Also with the smaller veg area you will probably have to "rotate mothers" unless you are better at keeping moms then some. It will take a lot of work to keep the mother small enough to work in your area so it would be better to rotate them out after revegging and then using one of the clones for the new mother.

Just my 3 1/2 cents!

MeltingPot · Aug 13, 2008

What he/she said ^

If you are only growing 1 or 2 strains, I would suggest using bigger buckets, and 2 monster plants, rotating harvest every 30-40 days. Give the plants and their roots room to go crazy.
You'll figure out the DWC and it'll be well worth it.
MP

BIG BOY · Aug 13, 2008

Nomanishere said:
Res temp billy-rig solution #1 - Ice packs/plastic bottles/whatever....it takes a while to figure out the right balance of cold....get one of those cheapo aquarium thermometers that floats or sticks to the side (helps to keep it out of the roots). Once (or twice/thrice in the heat wave) throw a fresh frozen soda bottle (closed of course) into your rez (also helps to artificially raise water levels!) Just be careful of the roots again!

Res temp billy-rig solution #2 - put your res in a bigger res! Like if you are running a 10 gallon rubbermaid, put some cold water (not much, displacement is a mother) in a 20 gallon rubbermaid and then put your res into the larger container. Aluminum foil tape is a detriment to this method, but desperate people do desperate things!

I had to learn the hard way, clowntown makes some good points but the best thing to do is just see for yourself.

PH is important by the way (not acceptable at ANY level), but if you can keep it somewhere between 5 and 7 with it around 6 80% of the time you should be okay depending on strain and 100's of other variable factors (like usual).

As for your veg situation, your best bet would probably be to do a mini ebb and flow type using rockwool and then you could transfer the rockwool to the bubbler net-pots after you vegged a couple of weeks.

I think if I was trying to do what you are I would separate a corner of that grow area with some kind of structure and use the CFL's and rockwool cubes in a nursery tray or something and then set the newer (younger) plants on top of this structure to put them closer to the light and then as the plants get larger and grow into the light you can set them to the side of the structure.

Also with the smaller veg area you will probably have to "rotate mothers" unless you are better at keeping moms then some. It will take a lot of work to keep the mother small enough to work in your area so it would be better to rotate them out after revegging and then using one of the clones for the new mother.

Just my 3 1/2 cents!

Now thats the kind of answers i am looking for. THANK YOU. i dont know how this thread got off on rez temps and root rot because i just wanted some opinions on how to veg my plants for dwc in my small veg space.

THANK YOU :jump:

Nomanishere · Aug 13, 2008

you can also start in dirt and then wash the roots off, put them in the baskets and hope it works....but I have never tried it and wouldn't recommend it.

Rez temps and root rot can be a real headache though once you get some plants going. It is far more stressful to start losing plants when they are large and you can smell the beginnings of something greater....if you know what I mean. So I think what everybody is getting at is to make sure you know what you are getting into before you get into it. People on the forums are good at that. Unfortunately, the only way you really learn anything is by DOING IT. The biggest step is the first one, once you are moving forward it is easier to see the path as your options become more and more limited.

My first DWC "experiment" was not what I expected it to be. What I expected to be easy was hard, and what I expected to be hard was easy. Take that for what it's worth.

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