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First DWC grow - how am I looking?

JP12345

New member
GROW ENVIRONMENT
4x4x6 tent
2x240W LED lights w/timer and contactor
Hyperfresh V2
Hygrometer
12" desk fan for under canopy
2x9" fans for above
SCROG frame with 100lb fishwire
2x84L Totes
4x6 inch net pots
1800L/H airpump
6 air stones (3 per res)
Cheap pH and EC meters (but with calibration solution for both - I've played around with them and understand how they work)
Water temp thermometer
Water pump to drain reservoirs

PROPAGATION
Propagation dome
Rootit cubes
SweetZZ seeds
Syringe

NUTES:
Maxibloom (going for KISS method)
CalMag (Vitalink)
Liquid Silicon (Growth Tech)

Not sure if I should buy (advice needed):
Beastie Bloomz
Hydroguard
Lux Meter
 

tobedetermined

Well-known member
Premium user
ICMag Donor
Treat this with a grain of salt . . . I started in a udwc & moved to coco after 1 1/2 grows . . .

The biggest hurtle with dwc is temperature. Air temp can be solved with intake vents & fans & a nice big exhaust fan running on low. Water temps are another matter. My setup was house temperature & I battled to get the res & totes cool enough. So, your next purchase should be a water chiller. Just my opinion . . .

Btw . . . for the nutes, go slow & easy.
 

JP12345

New member
Thanks man!



Res temps are definitely something I've read a lot about, but afaik you can't use a chiller within a standalone dwc system...


I have a black res with a white lid and if I have to I'll shove some frozen bottles in there. I plan to run some tests this week to see how it fluctuates!
 

tobedetermined

Well-known member
Premium user
ICMag Donor
No res does simplify things in some ways. I used frozen water bottles as well. A pain, but they worked.
 

Fixer

Active member
Treat this with a grain of salt . . . I started in a udwc & moved to coco after 1 1/2 grows . . .

The biggest hurtle with dwc is temperature. Air temp can be solved with intake vents & fans & a nice big exhaust fan running on low. Water temps are another matter. My setup was house temperature & I battled to get the res & totes cool enough. So, your next purchase should be a water chiller. Just my opinion . . .

Btw . . . for the nutes, go slow & easy.


I too grow in coco. I love DWC but I'm with tobedetermined controlling the res temp was always an issue without using a chiller. If you want to continue with DWC you need either Clear Res (chem grow) OR something like HydroGuard (microbes) and a chiller will help sort all of the problems you'll have with your roots. You can cool a stand alone res with an Ice Probe. See https://www.amazon.com/IceProbe-Thermoelectric-Aquarium-Chiller/dp/B001JSVLBO
 
I ditched the tent to get rid of heat. My buckets are right on the cement in the basement...kept water temps to around 72. Never had any algae or rot.

My plants got really sensitive to nutes during flowering...just sayin.
 

alpo

Active member
I ditched the tent to get rid of heat. My buckets are right on the cement in the basement...kept water temps to around 72. Never had any algae or rot.

My plants got really sensitive to nutes during flowering...just sayin.

what kind of difference did you see between your room temp and inside your tent temperature
 
what kind of difference did you see between your room temp and inside your tent temperature

Inside the tent is just worse. Probably at least four degrees or more. I'm running 1k watt halide with a 4 module RDWC system. No room in a tent either. Was thinking about a chiller but haven't had any problems. I use UC roots as well.
 

JP12345

New member
Okay, so I have everything I need now and I am ready to germinate.

Should I germinate under my lights though, or will somewhere in the house do? I have a propagation dome but no heat mat. It's too big to put on top of my modem which is in a drawer somewhere...
 

Mr. J

Well-known member
Okay, so I have everything I need now and I am ready to germinate.

Should I germinate under my lights though, or will somewhere in the house do? I have a propagation dome but no heat mat. It's too big to put on top of my modem which is in a drawer somewhere...
Probably shoulda figured out how to germinate a seed before deciding to go with the most problem prone growing system there is, for your first grow I'm assuming? This is not a question that you want to be asking right as you dive into the deep end of the bucket. Just saying. Good luck.
 

JP12345

New member
Probably shoulda figured out how to germinate a seed before deciding to go with the most problem prone growing system there is, for your first grow I'm assuming? This is not a question that you want to be asking right as you dive into the deep end of the bucket. Just saying. Good luck.

I know all of the methods of germination and tbh I'm just being picky over the finer points.

There's a million and one different germination methods and quirks that people like so I was just checking what people here do.

I personally think LED lights are too strong for germinating seeds, but there's someone on YT who is doing that, hence my question.
 

alpo

Active member
Probably shoulda figured out how to germinate a seed before deciding to go with the most problem prone growing system there is, for your first grow I'm assuming? This is not a question that you want to be asking right as you dive into the deep end of the bucket. Just saying. Good luck.

what makes DWC the most problem prone growing system besides water temperature
 
I germinate my seeds right in my livingroom. Paper towel and a plate.

No heat mat no light no nothing. If the seeds are fresh and healthy...they'll pop soon.
 
what makes DWC the most problem prone growing system besides water temperature

If you're not using a chiller (and even if you are) it's good to use UC roots. It helps to prevent biofilms(slime), rot, etc. I just did a full run with it...with no chiller and roots were nice and healthy till the end. No slime, no rot...no nothing formed. I used a capful or two per 5 gallon pail. When I cut them down...i pulled the roots out and smelled them. They smelled fresh. I called their tech support and the tech recommended using it chiller or not. So besides water temps DWC can have problems with rot, slime, etc. It's best to keep your water temps the late 60's to early 70's. Having no tent (to trap heat) and your modules on cement helps if not using a chiller. If you have a tent on carpet...I would definitely use a chiller as this would cause higher water temps. Biofilms and other bad stuff are more likely to form in higher water temps.
 
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alpo

Active member
If you're not using a chiller (and even if you are) it's good to use UC roots. It helps to prevent biofilms(slime), rot, etc. I just did a full run with it...with no chiller and roots were nice and healthy till the end. No slime, no rot...no nothing formed. I used a capful or two per 5 gallon pail. When I cut them down...i pulled the roots out and smelled them. They smelled fresh. I called their tech support and the tech recommended using it chiller or not. So besides water temps DWC can have problems with rot, slime, etc. It's best to keep your water temps the late 60's to early 70's. Having no tent (to trap heat) and your modules on cement helps if not using a chiller. If you have a tent on carpet...I would definitely use a chiller as this would cause higher water temps. Biofilms and other bad stuff are more likely to form in higher water temps.

Do you prune your roots too? I see they recommend that also
 
Do you prune your roots too? I see they recommend that also


No. I don't prune them. I grow in 5 gallon buckets...like many do. After 3-4 months they weren't really big enough anyway. They filled the bucket and everything was ok.

I really don't like to mess with roots unless there's a reason.
 
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JP12345

New member
UPDATE:



Everything seems to be going well - though I'm unsure about the one in the back right corner - it seems to be curled up. It's not the same one as the one above which sprouted fine. Any ideas?





 
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