Snype's Guide To RDWC - Part 1 - Featuring Chemdog Double Diesel & 2,000 Watts!

[Tropical Rain]

Not going to touch the chiller thing as I've formed my own opinion after plenty research.

There is also a particular rubber washer more then likely sold at someone's local hardware stores that I know for a fact will work.

Yet I will not distract from the build on this thread which used very specific parts.



That is a lot of systems btw if all have sold out, indeed.

TR

 

[Snype]

Not going to touch the chiller thing as I've formed my own opinion after plenty research.

There is also a particular rubber washer more then likely sold at someone's local hardware stores that I know for a fact will work.

Yet I will not distract from the build on this thread which used very specific parts.



That is a lot of systems btw if all have sold out, indeed.

TR

You are probably right about the hardware store but they may be more expensive and not fit the same way. Now lets say that the washers at the hardware store will work. Someone else said they were $2 each which would be over $100 in washers for a 12 plant system. That doesnt make much sense to me. The washers are most likely sold out by now and thats not a lot at all. Each bucket takes 4 washers. There are 13 buckets in a 12 plant system which would mean that 1000 washers is only good for 19 systems. Thats not a lot of systems to me. Also this thread is not the tutorial.

 

[olddirtybastard]

great writeup! i dont use a chiller and have never had a root problem at 85-90*ambient, its all about water exchange rates, insulation of res and pipes helps too. maybe i missed it in here but do you use CO2?

 

[Snype]

great writeup! i dont use a chiller and have never had a root problem at 85-90*ambient, its all about water exchange rates, insulation of res and pipes helps too. maybe i missed it in here but do you use CO2?

I guess some people dont understand why you dont really need a chiller if you have the right conditions. Some people probably had poor experiences in the past but they obviously didnt use chlorine, didnt circulate fast enough, used too much nutrients, didnt have enough air, etc. All these variables really do matter.

As to your question, I do use CO2 and all that information is contained in my data. I usually try to stay around 600 PPM.

 

[Stonefree69]

I guess some people dont understand why you dont really need a chiller if you have the right conditions. Some people probably had poor experiences in the past but they obviously didnt use chlorine, didnt circulate fast enough, used too much nutrients, didnt have enough air, etc. All these variables really do matter.

As to your question, I do use CO2 and all that information is contained in my data. I usually try to stay around 600 PPM.

I get your point Skype. Grew up and worked in a pansy farm when I was 12. The 30' by 100' greenhouses were like 100 degrees F and 80-100% humidity & plants loved it. Was a shock to 1st walk in but I liked the smell and usually hung out by the misters. So yes plants won't think they're on Venus if your temps go above 80-90 degrees depending on other conditions.

Speaking of chillers, here's a cheap way to do it (guess would add DO too because of the flooming/top layer disturbance effect on water):

 

[doneit]

One HELL of of a thread...

One of the best i have seen in my 10yr forum reads.

RESPECT!

 

[silver hawaiian]

Great thread Snype

 

[Snype]

Glad you guys enjoy the thread! As time goes on my threads will only get more informative and more detailed. There are still so many more subjects to cover in RDWC and a little more testing that I have to do to be sure what I say is correct.

 

[alilderanged]

Quick question

Quick question

Top leaves and new growth hot dog bunning with tips pointing down and very bottom leaves yellowing using your formula but had the same problem with h&g in the rdwc pH goes between 5.5/5.8 any help would be greatly greatly appreciated

 

[doneit]

Top leaves and new growth hot dog bunning with tips pointing down and very bottom leaves yellowing using your formula but had the same problem with h&g in the rdwc pH goes between 5.5/5.8 any help would be greatly greatly appreciated

All starts with the roots. check em quickly

 

[alilderanged]

roots are fine thick and white same as with the last grow

 

[Snype]

Top leaves and new growth hot dog bunning with tips pointing down and very bottom leaves yellowing using your formula but had the same problem with h&g in the rdwc pH goes between 5.5/5.8 any help would be greatly greatly appreciated

My formula changes depending on what strain or pheno that I am growing. As stated in the first page of this log:

"Feeding
Variety of strains requires different amounts of nutrient levels. This is why you wouldn’t want to grow multiple types of strains in the same system at the same time. If you have some heavy feeding strains mixed with underfeeding strains, it would be impossible to meet the needs of both types at once. For this purpose, it is always best to have all your plants in each system from the same mom in clone form. Of course you can grow similar feeding strains together but you would not maximize the yield of the grow and this is about maximizing your grow.

Overfeeding can cause lack of flavor in your final product and usually does. I will explain how to learn what your plants want by using your EC/TDS/PPM meter. Having one of these meters is a necessity when growing hydroponically and if you don’t have one you are flying blind. Always make sure that your meter is calibrated and that you check re-calibrate the meter every 2 weeks and when you see potential problems going on. Most grow shop meters are made with cheap components and are not lab grade so reading can be off frequently throughout your grow.

I believe in growing in sterile growing systems at all times. This doesn’t mean that growers who do use live nutrients or suppliments are wrong but this isn’t what this manual is about. Things can go wrong real fast in hydroponics and potentially kill your whole crop within days. Because of this I use refined nutrients and the brand that I like to use is General Hydroponic Flora Series. I enjoy the results that I get with this product but I mainly use it because I can keep my pH more stable with it compared to some other brands. Whatever brand you choose you will notice how the pH acts and if it swings too much you can try another brand and see what works for you. When I use GH Flora, I only use the Micro and the Bloom. The Micro has all the nitrogen that you need in your grow. In my grows it doesn’t matter if I’m in Veg or Flower, I use the Flora series in the exact same rates but if you choose to use another brand then you will have to experiment until you find the right rates that work for you. The rates that I use for GH flora series is 1 part micro to 1.5 parts bloom. You will first have to test all your clones in the same system to see how these plants eat so you can maximize the yield without burning them and ruining your flavor. The way that I do this with my nutrients is once I have roots, I start with a low PPM around 300. I keep data and write down what the PPM is every day once I top off the rez to the same point that it was when I first put the nutes in when it was 300. What I want to see is the PPM come down but not real fast. If your meter is reading 240 in 3 days then I would raise the solution to 360 and continue to record this data. I know that I am where I want to be when the meter is only going down 010 ppm per day. I like to look over a 3 day period cause it is hard to see 10-20 PPm per day as opposed to 60 ppm over a 3 day period. If the PPM is not going down then you are too high so when you raise it you don’t want to go too high or you’ll have to change out your system and nute at a lower level. As your plants are growing, you are recording the data that you get and when it reaches the levels of 10-20ppm of a decrees per day, then you know how much to use on your future grows with that pheno.

Throughout the years I’ve learned to keep it as simple as possible and don’t be fooled by variety of high priced snake oils that the grow shop has to offer. Cannabis doesn’t require as much as most growers think and a lot of new growers and even people who have years of growing experience make the mistake of following the directions on nutrient bottles. This can fry your plants. "

So I stated in this thread that I use 1 part GH Micro to 1.5 parts GH Bloom but it is up to you to find how high the PPM should be by starting very low and working your way up.

It sounds to me that you either have small plants, pH problems (I don't go below 5.8 and you are at 5.5), or root pathogen problems. Like the other poster above me stated, "check your roots". Then check your pH and PPM. If your roots look nice, then get your pH between 5.8-6.2. Maybe you don't have enough air in your system from a small air pump. I would love to hear more about your system including how many buckets and what size pumps are you running. I'm more interested in the air pump.

 

[Clean600]

How would I gain access to your washers? I am in R&D mode and could use 8 of them for testing purposes.

 

[Snype]

How would I gain access to your washers? I am in R&D mode and could use 8 of them for testing purposes.

Trying to get these washers to you guys is really a pain in the ass. I've dealt with multiple stores in the past but I will have to find another. I will know something soon and update the thread. Hopefully I can find a store for you this week.

 

[merrblah]

Wow, seriously impressed. I may have to give RDWC a try in the future...

One question for you: what kind of meters (pH/PPM) do you use/recommend?

 

[Snype]

Wow, seriously impressed. I may have to give RDWC a try in the future...

One question for you: what kind of meters (pH/PPM) do you use/recommend?

Which ever ones work. I use Blue Lab and Nutradip.

 

[Stonefree69]

Which ever ones work. I use Blue Lab and Nutradip.

Ditto for Bluelab - The Guardian is their best one, you can see pH, temp and TDS at a glance. Also HM Digital is on my high-end Spectrapure RO unit. They make good meters too.

 

[Snype]

Ditto for Bluelab - The Guardian is their best one, you can see pH, temp and TDS at a glance. Also HM Digital is on my high-end Spectrapure RO unit. They make good meters too.

Honestly, I can't stand the Blue Lab Guardian because it measures in 50's instead of 10's. I prefer the Nutradip Tri-Meter instead but I like Blue Labs pH meter.

 

[merrblah]

So I get the preference for higher accuracy with the EC/TDS, however the resolutions & accuracy of the Guardian, the BlueLab pH meter, and the TriMeter are all +/- 0.1 for pH...

Could you elaborate on what you like about the BlueLab pH meter/could I get by with Nutradip TriMeter for EC/TDS AND pH?

 

[Snypette]

So I get the preference for higher accuracy with the EC/TDS, however the resolutions & accuracy of the Guardian, the BlueLab pH meter, and the TriMeter are all +/- 0.1 for pH...

Could you elaborate on what you like about the BlueLab pH meter/could I get by with Nutradip TriMeter for EC/TDS AND pH?

Blue Lab is better quality but I just dont like the increments of 50 on the ppm side. Everything else about them is great. I love the Nutra Dip but they get all fucked up due to rF interference from other things in a grow. i have 10 Nutradip tri-meters. ive called the company many times to complain about this problem and they sent me all new meters twice which all have the exact same problem. The Blue Labs dont have that problem but i dont use them anymore because of the increments of 50 is too hard to figure out what is going on in the solution. When using a Nutradip, always be careful to check for rF interference. its not just ballasts that affect the reading.