The Farmhouse

[farmhouse cat]

Holy, you're going to stack four of those high? That's impressive as hell. Do you anticipate any issues from cascading water across four sets of roots and then recirculating it?

Good point Kit. But i don't see a problem. Iv'e been recirculating aero roots through each other for a few years with no ill affects. (see a couple posts up). Those are all cramed together inside a narrow tube so i think with the container size and the roots being able to hang down there should be no problems..also..Each root structure/container will have 2 misters supplying feed.

There is also the idea of not using a drain between the stacks but just an open hole (doable with the desigh of these containers) so roots will not puddle up and or clog the drain below.

 

[Hydrosun]

costco sells those pet food containers at some stores. I have worked with a non angled version for years holding dog food. Pretty sure the plastic is thick enough to be light proof, and the lid has no problem on and off two times a day to feed the dog. Bet it works great.

 

[farmhouse cat]

I don't think there is any reason to say that it won't work.

*Are the containers light proof? May have to paint them*

The real question I have- Is it going to be worth it?

I would figure out exactly how many high I wanted to stack them, so I could compare how many plants I would be putting in. The more plants does equate to less veg, so you will save some time on the cycle there.

I would look at the new plant count, and see how much you think you would need to yield per plant, to offset the expenses of buying new containers and such. You'll want the total yield to go up obviously, even though the per plant weight may go down. Then you will have an idea of how long you will have to run the system to pay for the new containers.

This is assuming all that matters is the money. I know the feeling of wanting to improve/build something. Maybe you will be the next heath after you create this system? Maybe after building it, you will be able to sleep at night! That alone, may make it worth it

Sometimes you just gotta do things, isn't always about the money!

Right on hempy! Guess how many you can stack with a standard 8ft ceiling? 5 and still have 2ft of head room above the top bucket. The pic only shows 4 because i ran out of room.

Thats 80 !

This is what makes this so appealing to me...

The buckets will need to be painted or wrapped with reflectix. But I envision a frame built around each wall (nothing fancy) something to just staple reflectix to and have the round cut outs for the lids.

 

[farmhouse cat]

costco sells those pet food containers at some stores. I have worked with a non angled version for years holding dog food. Pretty sure the plastic is thick enough to be light proof, and the lid has no problem on and off two times a day to feed the dog. Bet it works great.

I was just testing the lightproof this morning and they will need to be painted or wrapped.

Also i didnt add the airstones to the bottom undercurrent in the pic. But i may not need them if i get that waterfall effect from the drainage above? still debating.

 

[hempyftw]

HMmmm

HMmmm

Yep I think anyone who's done a lil reading around here can tell ya, "Plant count, dictates yield- baby shit" - hehe

Upping the plants to 80 would certainly be nice! You need to find someone with a bunch of dogs who can use that food haha.

I would get as big of a hole as you can in those containers, without weakening the strength of them, or loosing that lip they have to stack and seal up. That will allow roots from top plants to hang down and get misted in each container.

I think as long as you have a nice flow in the UC, you don't need an air stone right? The system will be getting aerated water from the waterfall effect, every time you mist. "Overkill is often underrated" - comes to mind. I think it's overkill though.

Can't believe your still trying to top your aero vert design, which is already legit!

 

[farmhouse cat]

Yep I think anyone who's done a lil reading around here can tell ya, "Plant count, dictates yield- baby shit" - hehe

Upping the plants to 80 would certainly be nice! You need to find someone with a bunch of dogs who can use that food haha.

I would get as big of a hole as you can in those containers, without weakening the strength of them, or loosing that lip they have to stack and seal up. That will allow roots from top plants to hang down and get misted in each container.

I think as long as you have a nice flow in the UC, you don't need an air stone right? The system will be getting aerated water from the waterfall effect, every time you mist. "Overkill is often underrated" - comes to mind. I think it's overkill though.

Can't believe your still trying to top your aero vert design, which is already legit!

the top and bottom. See how they stack. It would be simple to cut a square out.

My current system is ok , but like most of us we want to improve and make better.

 

[DHF]

I guess my biggest concerns are based on RDWC versus the Aero containers above , in that if you`re only able to fill X amount of sideways canopy anyways .........

I don`t understand why the bottom containers couldn`t be Aero as well and just raised up off the floor enough for drain plumbin back to rez to be recirculated , so on and so forth.......I`m just sayin.....

Been thinkin bout this since yas first posted bout them assload expensive containers , and I just can`t wrap my head around the need for the UC setup in the bottom when yas got a 40 gal rez and topoffs from float valves is babyshit for more rez capacity to feed the beast..........

Maybe I`m missin somethin.....dunno.......But.........This is YO show so yas fuck this mule anyways yas see fit Bro........Just tryin ta help save yas from unneeded added expense.......regardless........

Concept will prolly work........but why........if all the plants are the same age when put in the bloom room , guaranteed the aero plants`ll outgrow the uc`s on the floor , so again.....

Scratchin my old head over here......Guess I`m missin somethin........

Peace.....Freds...........

 

[farmhouse cat]

I thought a lot about that problem myself fred. And it's still open and changeable. The reason i went with the UC on the bottom row is i didn't want to sacrifice that space for drainage (like in my current setup). My first thought was to make all the containers aero, but then i needed to figure a way to drain the bottom row (without sacrificing that space) I then thought of a pipping system underneath to catch all the water and pump it back to the res. (again lots of wasted space)

Then the lightbulb went off. "why not just make the bottom row part of the reservoir itself" ergo Undercurrent. Self contained and solves the problem. To me the undercurrent system really is just thereservoir. But if there is a way to drain without messin with the whole UC aspect then i would much rather do it. I would need some sort of low profile catch (like 4 inches at most) underneath each wall and connected to all 4 walls. And maybe a condensate pump ?

Does that make sense? But i will absolutely take any ideas into consideration.

 

[papagallo]

This collection of misfits in this sub-forum are some of the smartest and most ingenuitive mofo's on God's green earth. I love this place!

 

[DHF]

All that runoff can be plumbed to a "sump rez" as Heath used ta call em , and when solution hit`s a certain level a float switch kicks a pump on and shoots all the used juice back to the main rez to be recirculated and reused next feed sequence........but......

EC/PPM`s and PH will haveta be dialed with used juice bein re-mixed with new juice.......Or maybe yas`re doin that already ?.......anyways.........

I plumbed all my runoff in my Coco DTW vert racks to a sump rez that went back to a bigass Rubbermaid cattle trough to be recycled and remixed later on cuz ........

I`m a tight ass and didn`t like wastin juice down the drains with the runoff I was usin before Dripclean back in the day......

You know I`m gonna say it........Many ways ta skin a mule..but this is yo show and not tryin ta tell yas what ta do.......so......Holler if I can help......

Peace....Freds.........

 

[farmhouse cat]

This collection of misfits in this sub-forum are some of the smartest and most ingenuitive mofo's on God's green earth. I love this place!

LOL I too love this place!

 

[farmhouse cat]

All that runoff can be plumbed to a "sump rez" as Heath used ta call em , and when solution hit`s a certain level a float switch kicks a pump on and shoots all the used juice back to the main rez to be recirculated and reused next feed sequence........but......

EC/PPM`s and PH will haveta be dialed with used juice bein re-mixed with new juice.......Or maybe yas`re doin that already ?.......anyways.........

I plumbed all my runoff in my Coco DTW vert racks to a sump rez that went back to a bigass Rubbermaid cattle trough to be recycled and remixed later on cuz ........

I`m a tight ass and didn`t like wastin juice down the drains with the runoff I was usin before Dripclean back in the day......

You know I`m gonna say it........Many ways ta skin a mule..but this is yo show and not tryin ta tell yas what ta do.......so......Holler if I can help......

Peace....Freds.........

Thats exactly what i do now. Having to plumb everything to a sump res (like my current setup) requires gravity and angled plumbing on 4 walls to drain to that sump (lots of wasted space) .

With the UC on the bottom it will act as the res itself. Many a nights i have thought this out.

But your right... many ways to skin a mule for sure!

 

[hempyftw]

Something to think about.

Something to think about.

You should probably try and figure out the height of the plumping on the UC buckets.

I would think you want to maximize the height of the water the best you can, without having it possibly be an issue.

Once you get it figured out though, you can calculate how much extra "rez" area you will have in the UC. I'm sure there is some type of rating for UC out there, to have so much flow/gallon of water. You'll wanna make sure you get a properly sized pump to keep it moving fast enough.

I like the way you think, trying to avoid wasted space for draining an such.

Can't wait to see what ya do with this idea.

 

[Anti]

I really wish we could upload videos straight to IC. I would *LOVE* to see people's setups in operation. I'm sure a lot of things would "click" for me if could just see someone explaining it while I was SEEING it.

(I fully understand why people don't want to share stuff on Youtube.)

 

[DHF]

Ok.......If that`s what it takes to allow more plants and increase the bottom line , then so be it........Didn`t know or rather remember yas were already usin a sump rez Bro........

Must be my Oldtimer`s disease.......so....I`ll be over here on my bucket waitin fer it ta take shape and watch dialage in progress.......

I see you`ve done your homework so ........Hope the new hybrid setup hoons and produces.......but.....

I`d still cover them containers in reflectix for rootzone/ bottom container temp insulation as well as lightproofin ftw.........and........

When yas cut the bottoms outta those containers , I`d be concerned with the structural integrity of stacked levels ......but time will tell.......

Every new setup has a learnin curve.......Hope your`s is shorter and sweeter........

Peace....Freds.............

 

[farmhouse cat]

You should probably try and figure out the height of the plumping on the UC buckets.

I would think you want to maximize the height of the water the best you can, without having it possibly be an issue.

Once you get it figured out though, you can calculate how much extra "rez" area you will have in the UC. I'm sure there is some type of rating for UC out there, to have so much flow/gallon of water. You'll wanna make sure you get a properly sized pump to keep it moving fast enough.

I like the way you think, trying to avoid wasted space for draining an such.

Can't wait to see what ya do with this idea.

Already got it figured. Each pet container will hold 5 gallons of water before it reaches the threads on the lid. 16 UC pods on bottom. Thats 80 gallons of water in the bottom row not counting the epicinter res (another 40 gallons). so 120 gallons of water total not counting the tubes etc. Also..(not discussed before but) the UC container will also have misters to account for the space between the water level and the upper roots. (keep them fluffy and avoid the thick tap roots)

The undercurrent store bought systems hold 8 gallons per pod. And go up to 13 gallon. They also have systems that go as high as 24 pods or more. So the UC pump is not gonna be difficult to find. Even if you need two.

I know it will work. The problem is the buildout. I here working with uniseals going from container to container can be a nightmare. Leaks etc.

 

[hempyftw]

Already got it figured. Each pet container will hold 5 gallons of water before it reaches the threads on the lid. 16 UC pods on bottom. Thats 80 gallons of water in the bottom row not counting the epicinter res (another 40 gallons). so 120 gallons of water total not counting the tubes etc. Also..(not discussed before but) the UC container will also have misters to account for the space between the water level and the upper roots. (keep them fluffy and avoid the thick tap roots)

The undercurrent store bought systems hold 8 gallons per pod. And go up to 13 gallon. They also have systems that go as high as 24 pods or more. So the UC pump is not gonna be difficult to find. Even if you need two.

I know it will work. The problem is the buildout. I here working with uniseals going from container to container can be a nightmare. Leaks etc.

It certainly won't be hard to find a pump, I wasn't inferring that. Just saying your going to want it properly sized. I'm sure someone has a suggested rating to use, although it will all depend on the total water, tubing, etc...

Would you want the bottom of the water line to be even with the threads? Depending on how much flow there is in the buckets, it could cause some turbulence, I might leave some room.

I'm not nay saying one bit, just trying to think of all the factors.

 

[farmhouse cat]

OH..i see. Yea sizing the pump is easy. And actually these containers and lids are water tight. I filled the one up and tightend the lid and held it upside down, over my head, and break danced with it and not a drop. So i could even go higher inside if i wanted. But, then why go any higher anyway. just up to the lid i think is enough.

Just wait till ya see my next contraption ive been dreaming up.

 

[Avinash.miles]

fhc.... u crazy....
that's a killer idea for a setup, seriously inspiring...

i feel like you grow enough, lurk the forums long enough, everyday items start frankenstiening into grow systems in your mind.....

 

[farmhouse cat]

fhc.... u crazy....
that's a killer idea for a setup, seriously inspiring...

i feel like you grow enough, lurk the forums long enough, everyday items start frankenstiening into grow systems in your mind.....

You got that right! It kinda sucks. But when your in between harvests and nothin to do except drink or hunt, i always find myself studying and coming up with hairbrained ideas.