RDWC without air stones........

[Bennyweed1]

I been growing organic for the longest time and now I want to try a hydro run.

I love organic growing, it is easy but I am sick of cleaning up the mess soil creates, especially when your constantly mixing it and recycling it.

What I want to do is build a 12 plant RDWC system that does not need air stones but I dont know if the plan I' m considering will physically work.

Here is what I want to do...

Connect all 12 - 5gallon (including the control bucket) buckets at the base using no less then a 1" diameter hose.

So naturally everything will level out....but tell me what you think about this.

I have a inline 2.05gpm @ 40psi shurflo pump......what I want to do is run a PVC manifold supply line off the control bucket. From the manifold ill run 1/4" pressure lines into each plant bucket spraying down.

These shurflo pumps are made to deliver constant pressure, so if I take that 35-40psi of line pressure and point it down it shoud oxygenate the water in each bucket by breaking the water surface tension and creating pretty good agitation.

What I really want to know is if gravity will be able to keep up and keep a level water line in all the buckets including the control bucket?

 

[Mister_D]

RDWC without air stones is generally speaking, a really bad idea. Also your idea of using the pump is sound in principal, but I doubt would work well in practical application. Once the bucket fills with roots, you wouldn't get much agitation. Not to mention shooting 40-60 psi water at the roots would likely damage them. There is a member here on icmag (can't remember his handle atm) that runs what he refers to as a hybrid between an under current, and a bio bucket, that uses no air stones. Basically the design is the same as a UC, but the return line to the control bucket is setup to waterfall 4ft instead of being dumped only a few inches above the water line. The waterfall supposedly adds enough dissolved oxygen that you don't need air stones. I have never tried so I can't speak to it's efficacy, but the idea definitely has merit.

 

[BagAppeal]

I have read, and seen one example of a rdwc with no air stones as Mister D said.
It was like the system made from current culture(important, or you wont get the water moving enough)gravity will not keep water level, and this will be a bitch to deal with, unless you make it under current. MAKE IT UNDER CURRENT! only at the reservoir there was another reservoir above it with water beeing pumped into it creating a water fall, there was also volcanic rock in the top reservoir to create a zone for bacteria needed to grow for this type of setup. I dont recall all the details, but you will have to have a decent drop from the one res to the other to get the water oxygenated.Also, the bacteria needed for this setup will have to build up before you can start it up, takes about one week, once there is enough bacteria in the system,and they have the volcanic rocks to live in, these bacteria will help maintain a healthy root zone throughout the grow.
I think there is a video on youtube..
Hope this can help
All the best
BagAppeal

 

[Bennyweed1]

well I had to test my idea on a smaller scale so I set up a 2 site system. Everything is actually working well it seems and the water level is even

Here is a little mock trial im gonna run under LED

Here is 1/2" bottom lines and 1/8" pressure lines at the top

Each bucket is getting plenty of o2 it appears so far

And here is the control bucket or whatever its called

 

[overbudjet]

RDWC without air stones is generally speaking, a really bad idea. Also your idea of using the pump is sound in principal, but I doubt would work well in practical application. Once the bucket fills with roots, you wouldn't get much agitation. Not to mention shooting 40-60 psi water at the roots would likely damage them. There is a member here on icmag (can't remember his handle atm) that runs what he refers to as a hybrid between an under current, and a bio bucket, that uses no air stones. Basically the design is the same as a UC, but the return line to the control bucket is setup to waterfall 4ft instead of being dumped only a few inches above the water line. The waterfall supposedly adds enough dissolved oxygen that you don't need air stones. I have never tried so I can't speak to it's efficacy, but the idea definitely has merit.

Agree on most part

 

[overbudjet]

I have read, and seen one example of a rdwc with no air stones as Mister D said.
It was like the system made from current culture(important, or you wont get the water moving enough)gravity will not keep water level, and this will be a bitch to deal with, unless you make it under current. MAKE IT UNDER CURRENT! only at the reservoir there was another reservoir above it with water beeing pumped into it creating a water fall, there was also volcanic rock in the top reservoir to create a zone for bacteria needed to grow for this type of setup. I dont recall all the details, but you will have to have a decent drop from the one res to the other to get the water oxygenated.Also, the bacteria needed for this setup will have to build up before you can start it up, takes about one week, once there is enough bacteria in the system,and they have the volcanic rocks to live in, these bacteria will help maintain a healthy root zone throughout the grow.
I think there is a video on youtube..
Hope this can help
All the best
BagAppeal

Agree

 

[BagAppeal]

Dear Bennyweed 1
I can see that the water is level with a small system, but I believe you will experience some difficulties once it becomes bigger. I ran a 48 pot 5 gallon rdwc myself, and had to modify everything to under current after many failed attempts with other designs. Look forward to hear your end results and wish you the best of success.
All the best
BagAppeal

 

[PetFlora]

After 5 attempts to post more than 2 pics (FF photo folder keeps locking up/not responding), I am only posting 2 pics. you can go to my completed thread to see more


View attachment 238380 View attachment 238381

 

[chileno1978]

Looks like an Hybrid betwen ebb&flow and DWC

With that setup I will go for ebb&flow, just a timer for the pump and the hose to the rockwool & you are good to go.

Regarding your setup, If you have enough presure, it should work tho.

 

[green_thumb...]

RDWC without air stones is generally speaking, a really bad idea. Also your idea of using the pump is sound in principal, but I doubt would work well in practical application. Once the bucket fills with roots, you wouldn't get much agitation. Not to mention shooting 40-60 psi water at the roots would likely damage them. There is a member here on icmag (can't remember his handle atm) that runs what he refers to as a hybrid between an under current, and a bio bucket, that uses no air stones. Basically the design is the same as a UC, but the return line to the control bucket is setup to waterfall 4ft instead of being dumped only a few inches above the water line. The waterfall supposedly adds enough dissolved oxygen that you don't need air stones. I have never tried so I can't speak to it's efficacy, but the idea definitely has merit.

Thats it. You have to have a sufficient amount of disolved oxygen and tha mostly happens at the surface of the water with disruption.

The waterfall effect is the best method for DO, no added heat from air pumps and easy to incorporate into most hydro systems it also helps mixing the nutes too.

Your. 1/4 lines spraying down are good but you dont want too much pressure as they will cut roots As mentioned above.

I used 1/2" poly tubing and a tee make a circle the diam. Of
the inside of your buckets and then I poked hiles for 1/4" straits to go into and had one in each bucket all tied into the feed line with a 633gph pump. Have 1" drains and micro pore H style airstones in each bucket and a larger one in the rez.

If I had height I would eliminate the stones and make the drains waterfall into the rez.

Also blazeoneups tutorial is a great read and lots of good knowledge on rdwc.

 

[cyat]

Just look at Heaths rdwc, no air stones, one water pump... works very well if done right.

Ive done it and it works great but rocks are used not rockwool

 

[PetFlora]

gonna try to post pic of my 'tray', which is the lid from a $14 storage tote from Lowes/HD

One month ago

View attachment 238395 View attachment 238396

Today
View attachment 238397 View attachment 238398

 

[Bennyweed1]

I modified the small scale system. I added 1.5" PVC at the bottom and got some proper fittings. I also made some proper manifolds inside each bucket. I think this will work well.....only time will tell.....

And the manifolds

Now all I have to do is experiment with nutrients to find one the buffers well in the 5.8-6.0 range. Any suggestions?

 

[BagAppeal]

I have ran the A.N, 2 part series with great success. Thats all you need then..
You can do it easy 2ml pr liter, or by ec..
All the best
BagAppeal

 

[Bennyweed1]

I have ran the A.N, 2 part series with great success. Thats all you need then..
You can do it easy 2ml pr liter, or by ec..
All the best
BagAppeal

have you tried the prefect pH stuff they offer or is it all the same?

I have some original grow and micro but it doesnt claim to have the pH perfect stuff going on.

 

[green_thumb...]

I ran the an 2part grow and bloom with calmag+, big bud, bud candy, Nirvana,Aquashield and got some primo buds that dried to be the size of my 360 controller.

P.S. You always want to check and adjust your pH, you want a ph swing is your plants can uptake all the nutes and bennies if you choose to use any.some of my ladies like to swing from 5.3ish up to 6.0 by the time I need to add more nutes to the rez and more water so ph get adjusted aswell.


And you can stay organic for the most part using botanicare pure blend pro grow and bloom with calmag and liquid karma. And AN big bud has become a standard in my bloom garden reguardless of which medium I use, it just kicks ass.