Whats going on?
Starting a new journal because I am going to run a hydro system. My entire mmj career I have been a organic guy but I wanna try something new.
I am building a RDWC system using 8 - 27 gallon totes and a control hooked up to an RO/DI and float valve. I want to run big plants with at least 6-8 wks of veg.
I am going to set my system up different then most I have seen. Usually you see a pump at the end of the series chain and pushing back into the control. I understand it creates current but it lacks the ability to create an air lift like seen in AACT brewers.
My system I will be drawing out of the control with a submerged pump expelling water from the top down into each plant site. This should break surface tension creating much more dissolved o2 than air stones. The same holds true for AACT brewers, the concept is the same so I dont understand why most RDWC guys do it that way?
Anyway, my total water volume will be around 140 gallons so hopefully I can go about 20 or more days before needing a flush. The control will be hooked up to an RO/DI with a float valve and I will be running KISS or maxibloom stand alone.
I will have 1600w of lighting, 2 - 600w HPS and a 400w MH, the grow area around the bulbs will measure 9.8' long X 6.5' wide, did I mention this will be a vertical barebulb garden?
I want to make things as simple as possible so I plan on running plumbed drain lines and plumbed refill lines off the tap or RO/DI on a float valve, not sure yet.
The problem with RO/DI is I will need some 55gallon drums to fill and gravity feed back into the RDWC system when I flush because it will take a few days to drip 150 gallons from the RO/DI filter. So the question is, is it worth the hassle or should I just attach a hose to the tap and fill it that way? My tap is around 110ppm, my RO/DI is 0-7ppm.
I have an active organic garden as I speak so I will be transitioning to RDWC over the next 6 weeks.
I have 5 different strains:
Jack Flash
Pure Power Plant
Purple Kush (not purple at all)
White Widow X Big Bud
Critical Sensi Star
All these plants finish nice and ripe at 9 wks. All these strains have proven themselves to be heavy yielders. I hope to hit 2.5lb every 9 wks. It will be a harvest and reload design, so I will be vegging the new crop as the older crop is flowering.
Anyway, hopefully this shit works out for me.... I want it to be as simply as possible for an RDWC system. Dont be shy, give me all the criticism because I need this to be a success. Thanks for reading.
Here is the first three sites being mock setup because I plan on adding the sites in chunks every three weeks to cycle out my soil plants. That way I dont experience any down town on production:
I will attach all the totes together with 1.5" PVC and uniseals.
The supply line is 1/2" and feeds a manifold in each tote with two spouts. I dont know what size pump I will need to move enough water. I am thinking a 1000 or 1200 gpm pump. What do you think?
And here are a few from my current setup to leave on a good foot:
Starting a new journal because I am going to run a hydro system. My entire mmj career I have been a organic guy but I wanna try something new.
I am building a RDWC system using 8 - 27 gallon totes and a control hooked up to an RO/DI and float valve. I want to run big plants with at least 6-8 wks of veg.
I am going to set my system up different then most I have seen. Usually you see a pump at the end of the series chain and pushing back into the control. I understand it creates current but it lacks the ability to create an air lift like seen in AACT brewers.
My system I will be drawing out of the control with a submerged pump expelling water from the top down into each plant site. This should break surface tension creating much more dissolved o2 than air stones. The same holds true for AACT brewers, the concept is the same so I dont understand why most RDWC guys do it that way?
Anyway, my total water volume will be around 140 gallons so hopefully I can go about 20 or more days before needing a flush. The control will be hooked up to an RO/DI with a float valve and I will be running KISS or maxibloom stand alone.
I will have 1600w of lighting, 2 - 600w HPS and a 400w MH, the grow area around the bulbs will measure 9.8' long X 6.5' wide, did I mention this will be a vertical barebulb garden?
I want to make things as simple as possible so I plan on running plumbed drain lines and plumbed refill lines off the tap or RO/DI on a float valve, not sure yet.
The problem with RO/DI is I will need some 55gallon drums to fill and gravity feed back into the RDWC system when I flush because it will take a few days to drip 150 gallons from the RO/DI filter. So the question is, is it worth the hassle or should I just attach a hose to the tap and fill it that way? My tap is around 110ppm, my RO/DI is 0-7ppm.
I have an active organic garden as I speak so I will be transitioning to RDWC over the next 6 weeks.
I have 5 different strains:
Jack Flash
Pure Power Plant
Purple Kush (not purple at all)
White Widow X Big Bud
Critical Sensi Star
All these plants finish nice and ripe at 9 wks. All these strains have proven themselves to be heavy yielders. I hope to hit 2.5lb every 9 wks. It will be a harvest and reload design, so I will be vegging the new crop as the older crop is flowering.
Anyway, hopefully this shit works out for me.... I want it to be as simply as possible for an RDWC system. Dont be shy, give me all the criticism because I need this to be a success. Thanks for reading.
Here is the first three sites being mock setup because I plan on adding the sites in chunks every three weeks to cycle out my soil plants. That way I dont experience any down town on production:
I will attach all the totes together with 1.5" PVC and uniseals.
The supply line is 1/2" and feeds a manifold in each tote with two spouts. I dont know what size pump I will need to move enough water. I am thinking a 1000 or 1200 gpm pump. What do you think?
And here are a few from my current setup to leave on a good foot: