Opinions NEEDED! Please Help.

[pftek]

What do you think of this set up? Any ideas to improve it? Any problems?

8'x8'x6"(depth) DWC with 128 plants. SOG style grow. Immediate clone to flower.

4 - 1000 watt cool tubes.

1 - 8" fan with carbon filter. 590 cfm.

1 - 10" fan 790 cfm to exhaust lights.

Question 1.) either 1 - 112 watt air pump or a few smaller 18 watt air pumps? which is better? same price. Do i really need that many bubbles??? Maybe 2 - 54 watt pumps?? or just 1 - 54 watt pump?

Question 2.)is 6" depth good enough? do I need more height? can I get away with less? this is 8 weeks of flower - that's it.

Question 3.) it's 8x8 - could i make it larger? 10x10? should i?

any reasons not to do this? i don't see anyone with a larger style DWC grow.

 

[Craven_au]

any reasons not to do this? i don't see anyone with a larger style DWC grow. 8x8x6 I think that is around 1200L or 317 US Gal one good reason.


i would get 2 112 watt air pumps just in case one die's or maybe them Aquarium Power Heads http://shop.ebay.com.au/?_from=R40&_nkw=powerhead&submit=Search

6'' depth is that all up or is that the nutrients depth? (what size net pots?)

8x8 is good at 62.6 watts per sq foot

10x10 = 40 watts

 

[hazydreams]

IMO you would be better served using air cooled hoods rather then the cooltubes. I have a cool tube and i have issues with hot spots for one. I like to keep the tube about 2-3 inches away from the canopy and i get spots that jsut burn where as all other spots show no discoloration or light bleaching. Im pretty sure its due to a convex peice of glass refracting the light at different insensity at different points along the tube.

Besides the hot spot issues your also going to deal with a crappy foot print. Cool tubes are great for enclosed grow rooms where too little space and too much heat is a major concern. with a space 8'x8' or so i would definatly lean towards a nice size hood with air cooling ability.

as far as air flow is concerned. there is no such thing as too much air in a DWC. my recommendation on that subject is to buy everything you need to build out the system. take stock of the cash you have left (haha 99% of the time it will be 0) and then buy all the air pumps stones and venturis that amount of money can buy.

just my 2 cents. ymmv but it looks like a great start.


hazy

 

[extreegrowerrr]

how big of buckets?

 

[pftek]

any reasons not to do this? i don't see anyone with a larger style DWC grow. 8x8x6 I think that is around 1200L or 317 US Gal one good reason.


i would get 2 112 watt air pumps just in case one die's or maybe them Aquarium Power Heads http://shop.ebay.com.au/?_from=R40&_nkw=powerhead&submit=Search

6'' depth is that all up or is that the nutrients depth? (what size net pots?)

8x8 is good at 62.6 watts per sq foot

10x10 = 40 watts

i see. well it's a 2" net pot. i want to minimize the size of the "pool" while still providing adequate water and nutrients. I was thinking of making the thing 8" in height and only filling water 6" in height or so. maybe even 5" of water.

i was even thinking going 12" in height and then only 6" in height in water (in case I needed more)...

 

[Craven_au]

Have u given any thought on how u would set it up.

I think the Raft, Raceway or Floating System would be best for such a big table or easiest the Styrofoam rafts would also help insulate the nutrients a water chiller may also be needed.

Some floating system i found & SWC
web
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs184
http://betterbuyhydroponics.com/index.php?pr=Hydroponic_Lettuce_3
http://pocketgrow.com/blog/hydroponic-how-tos/how-to-build-your-own-lettuce-raft-system/
http://allhydroponics.blogspot.com/2009/02/hydroponic-floating-system-for-lettuce.html

water chiller http://www.ehow.com/how_5041485_keep-temperatures-cool-increase-yields.html

Also cheek out youtube How Lettuces Are Grown Hydroponically...

icmag

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=22781&highlight=swc
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https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=40981&highlight=swc
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=29593&page=1
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=95338&highlight=swc