How to make my DIY waterfarms recirculating and other questions?

[NorCalFor20]

I just got some 5 gal buckets, some 10" netpots, some GH Farm Kits, and made my own diy waterfarms, my question now is how do I make them recirculating? I set up 6 buckets for my mother plants, but may end up using them in the future for complete grows if this system performs well, I just put some rooted clones into the system (the ones that will become mother plants)

They were transplanted directly into the diy waterfarms as soon as they were rooted in their in rapid rooter plugs. I am using an ecoplus commercial air 5 pump (88 lpm). I like the flow of nutrient solution, but would like to make it recirculating for sake of ease, ie. not having to fill up each individual bucket with 6 different bottles of stuff.How do I make this system recirculating? What do I need to do?

Also, I rinsed the hydroton rocks the best I could but after running the system with plain 0 ppm r/o water for 24 hrs it rose to 70 ppms (and the water is orange from the dripping clay rocks) I did rinse the rocks the best I can , I can only imagine they will just be like that for a while. I went ahead and added my nuterients since its only 70 ppms, Is this ok? Or should I dump the buckets and re-make the nute batch?

Thanks in advance for reading and advice.

 

[cyat]

take the level viewing tubes out and use that hole and run a hose from it to the res.. connect all the buckets

 

[Bigge]

To recirc...you need two holes at bottom of each bucket...connect buckets in a loop with 1/2 or 5/16 black tubing...use rubber grommet and plastic barbed 90 elbow to connect tube to each bucket in series...add a control bucket for adding water/nuts into the series of buckets. Inside of control bucket connnect tubing on return line (need a dual barbed connection into the bottom of the control bucket return hole) to an elbow...use an air siphon to pull water up and out of the return line at this elbow and up/out back into the control bucket..this will recirc with no pumps. Using pumps in waterfarm can cause iron deficiencies if magnetic pump.

 

[Bigge]

I found an easier and I think better way to effectively recirc the waterfarms....Add the dual reservoir with float valve/switch controlling flow (one on top of the other...a la Waterfarm reservoir) in serial with the other buckets. Then add a submersible pump to the bottom res with a hole drilled in lids for the hose running from bottom to the top...put the pump on a timer to pump bottom to the top (I do it once a day only). Once the res is added...now ensure the buckets are 2-3" above the reservoir. Adjust float height to get proper water height in grow buckets. Each drain cycle pulls water from grow buckets and mixes it up...when pump cycles off system refills. Gives ebb and flow benefits with Waterfarm growth.

Now all ph/feeding can be done in top reservoir while recirc/submersible pump is running....drop an air line into the top res and you've got it made.

 

[ydijadoit]

Big fan of the airlifter, for moving water in recirc system. I run two homemade lifters in mine, made from 1/2" PVC. It recirculates 30 gals in a couple hours, with no chance of flooding, and no heat build up in the solution.
This video will give you some ideas. It's cheap to play around with. For $5 you can get enough material to build ten of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9gj1ovEvj0
Regards

 

[Bigge]

Nice...I use this in my buckets...and previously recommended air lift....but my lift was to slow to drain entire system quickly enough since res is in serial with bucket loop and has no actual recirc line...maybe a bigger air pump would be needed. Agree though...air lifting is idea as it aerates the water even more.