Anyone run flooded vertical tube?

[Avinash.miles]

cant seem to find the thread now...
but Gmax dream system
multiple vert pvc tubes.....

im about to do a run w a long custom "media tube" made by square root grow bag, similar idea, vertical tube of media or no media (im thinkn perlite)
kinda the concept behind my cup coloseum, but yall talkin hydro nft/dwc.

i've always evnisioned a tube setting right over the reservoir, so roots can grow thru the tube and if needed into an aerated DWC style res just beneath the tube.
im wondering why yall dont want rigid material>

 

[FlowerFarmer]

Its big and awkward.

I ran my SWC stadium once before having to switch locations. Hauling around 4 10' sections of 8" PVC was not fun... even more so once net cup holes, etc where drilled into it.

For anyone paying attention.. it looks like a hydroponic system. It went into storage somewhere and I havnt had the balls to sneak it into a new place. (not too many attached garages around here).

 

[DHF]

How many times over the yrs have I told folks ta rent U-Haul trucks for equipment takedown and re-setup at new locations to prevent putting yer dick on da choppin block with pipes and all manners of grow equipment in the bed of a pickup truck......sheesh........and guys.....

Flex PVC/PDFE comes in bigger sizes disguised as foundation "corrugated" pipe , and trust me.....

The 6" stuff is whatchas need for that "Helix" type setup to prevent imminent clogging that NFT setups are prone to.......Smaller pipe`s an accident waiting to happen CF , no offense......just tryin to help.......

Constant dissolved O2 in solution is where Heath used to excel with his oversized pumps and a bypass right above the pump to blast juice back down into the rez as feed was forced upward and flowing back to rez for rinse and repeat.....

I used "thru-hull" bait aerators in my bigass ebb and flow bucket rez`s that kept millions of microscopic bubbles suspended in solution constantly, but .......

When I went with my version of Heath`s vertical racks I employed the very same bypass with a "Tee" bout a ft above juice level , and had a 90 degree elbow blastin solution hard to do that "surface breakage/ constant stirring" Heath always preached , along with a powerhead pump runnin 24/7 to keep shit stirred up till next DTW feed sequence........bottom line......

Recirculating tube setups are prone to clogging due to roots constantly following solution flow , as to where vertical setups like Gmax`s tubes and Farmhousecat`s racks with timed "low pressure" aero sprayers keeping just enough rootmass to supply the plant`s needs and no more seem to be the most "failsafe" ways ta dial increased plant numbers from what I`ve seen over the yrs........that is.....

If yas`re gonna go full out fast hydro.....All setups have a learning curve till yas get it and shit falls into place , but without a clone factory in place to feed the beast on any increased plant number system .....

You`re destined for disappointment unless yas can take 3 times as many cuts as needed for each run to find the best of the best that root and grow similarly BEFORE goin in the bloom rooms.......anyways .....

My 2 cents from all them yrs.....

Peace....DHF...........

 

[CannabisFox]

Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate every word from you DHF.

If yas`re gonna go full out fast hydro.....All setups have a learning curve till yas get it and shit falls into place , but without a clone factory in place to feed the beast on any increased plant number system .....

Yes! 1-Managing the clones in large numbers with nice SOG genetics 2-getting flower chambers online 3-dial environment
simple babyshit............. but
I cant wait to make my large scale experience. still young and dumb. lol

 

[DHF]

Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate every word from you DHF.



Yes! 1-Managing the clones in large numbers with nice SOG genetics 2-getting flower chambers online 3-dial environment
simple babyshit............. but
I cant wait to make my large scale experience. still young and dumb. lol

Set goals.....Make shit happen......Perpetual setups staggered a month or so apart in age with dialed setups pull more Harvey`s per yr for bottom line returns on investment....

Holler if I can help......

Peace....DHF.......

 

[CannabisFox]

Of course SWC translates to NFT. I haven't read that much about the differences of those techniques but they are very important when it comes to flooded tubes.


Without a dam and with a helix it is all about the slope which should be at 1:30 for NFT.
I doubt that it is possible to make it that narrow for this kind of vertical system.
Which concludes in the question:
Does NFT makes sense with a slope around 1:5 or 1:10 (hard to guess ... lol) (check out the attachement for overview of slope expression).


Also it is a question if it makes a difference that the tube has (ofcourse) a round and not a flat bottom ...

What I mean is.... it is hard for me to imagine that this(pic below) is possible in a vertical helix system

 

[CannabisFox]

Source:
http://www.420magazine.com/forums/completed-journals/142179-datrippps-lemon-skunk-aero-nft-grow.html



I am just collecting some data here ...

 

[pip313]

Flexable tubes were recomended against by heath, hard to clean and prone to sediment and bacteria.

 

[DHF]

Flexable tubes were recomended against by heath, hard to clean and prone to sediment and bacteria.

Agreed Pip.......Water weighs 8 lbs per gal , and to support any size flex pipe even foundation drain would be more labor intensive and costly than to just hard pipe it and be done......and yes....

Although sediment forming in the dips in flexpipe with a fast hydro setup is unlikely unless shit precipitates and falls outta suspension , I see potential breakdown and cleanup between runs problematic at best......but......

Stoner ingenuity prevails from time to time , and far be it from me to squash the idea process , so good luck guys and girls.....Holler if I can help......

Peace....DHF...........

 

[BldSwtTrs]

Eh I would say don't do it TBH...

Have ran thousands of plants worth of the flooded tube and like all of my current setups better.

If you do decide to do it though figure out how to make each level independent from the other. Trust me when I say it makes a huge difference.

Also make sure you have reflection figured out. Makes a pretty massive difference.

I recommend actually cementing the pieces together instead of lubing them like heath. Just trust me when I say it will be a huge pain in the ass later down the road.

Also just consider how many cuts you will need to actually run this thing. It gets to be a pain in the ass to take 1000s of cuts...

If you do plan to do it, take a look at these pics. This was like the 5th evolution of my design and I can honestly say it was pretty solid. All the kinks were worked out for practical use.

Barebones style. Notice the frame is self contained and can be rolled around on castors.

Outside looking in with the removeable reflective panels out.

Reflection makes a huge difference...

Pic inside. Use a scrog or you will be fucked. Training the plants in these things is the real battle here. Once you have that down it is easy. Once you get the timing to flip down they are easy, but that will take you a few runs.

GL

 

[DHF]

Now that boys and girls is how it`s done.........

Respect Bro......Been thinkin boutchas......

Your DIY skills speak volumes on the "been there done that" end of things......but.....

Intermediate setups require runs under yer belt WITH attention to detail in fast hydro........bet on it.....

Peace....DHF..........

 

[pip313]

Those tubes look like they dont have a spot to control level of water are there dams in the tubes or is that setup a nft?

If there is dams are they adjustable?


Nice idea with the castors.

 

[DaveTheNewbie]

ahh it was BST not the architect that had done it before. I knew there was someone lurking about who had lots of experience with these things

 

[CannabisFox]

Yep, the simple fact that they are movable reveals the genius behind them ...

 

[BldSwtTrs]

Those tubes look like they dont have a spot to control level of water are there dams in the tubes or is that setup a nft?

If there is dams are they adjustable?


Nice idea with the castors.

Each individual level is independently adjustable. Its quite simple. Also, the design adds tons of DO to the system due to the waterfall effect. Look closer.

Also, if you build each level independently it makes installation MUCH MUCH MUCH easier. Trust me.

 

[BldSwtTrs]

Yep, the simple fact that they are movable reveals the genius behind them ...

Best part about it is the resovoirs are on castors attached to the system itself so you can move the whole unit without worrying about your drain/feeds.

 

[Airnut]

Might seem like a odd question, but why move it around?

 

[BldSwtTrs]

Ran 4 of them in a relatively small room. I wanted to be able to access all sides and still have room to walk around/move equipment in the room.