My first few runs i used hempy buckets x with self watering buckets. They worked well but was not perfect had issues with fugus knats which turned me off of that. So i turned to DWC in the typical 5 gallon buckets although it was less stress because i didn’t have pest issues temperature issues along with ph swings have cost me a couple of runs. So now ive come to the conclusion that a bigger vessel to grow in will help my situation greatly both for temp and ph problems. I have a 10x10 grow room outfitted with a marshydro ts3000 and a hyhotonflux 4000 and a sun system 400 watt hps. To control temps and humidity i picked up the ac infinity 6 inch cloud 9 with the Bluetooth controller. For outside of the room i picked up 2 4x4 tents with 6 bloom plus lights in case i want to play with photos. Back to the room i pucked up 9 27 gallon totes the run is going to be 6 plants 2 runtz autos 2 Gdp autos 2 amnesia haze autos. Im going to basically do dwc but only with the same plants joined meaning ill be using 3 totes for each strain. I know it would be easier to join them all but we all know different strains like different stuff keeping them separated will dumb this down for me. Im running jacks 321 for nutes im thinking of running a sterile rez to avoid that damn root rot. Im going to run them all with the GH farm kit. If you read all this shit your wondering what the hell im looking for help with. Well its oxygen ive been searching for a reasonable way to oxygenate these totes im not going to lay out 2k for chillers being that each set of totes would need its own . Ive been looking at nanobubblers but i haven’t seen any growers really using them . So im kinda stuck using these big ass hot ass pumps. @doormat i see you have some ideas if you or anyone could give me some advice it would be greatly appreciated.
Welcome @Link224 to the forum.
I’ve been using Hydroguard to prevent the bacteria infections that you are experiencing.
For pH stabilization I use General Hydroponics Flora series nutrients.
I use hydroguard, Dr. Tims Waste Away fish tank bacteria, misquito dunks for gnats, barley staw extract for algae. and voodoo juice +. I hope that can help you to be successful. You might be able to get away without a chiller, some do. I built my own RDWC like you are, but mine are all connected. I agree with you on different strains being less tolerant than others, i like the challenge of trying and like the variety so 
.
Here is a pic of what i built if it can give you any ideas. 6 - 13 gallon stations connected with a 3" main drain and a 2" bypass. 3/4 to 1/2 in PVC return line with a 2000 gph pump in a 55 gallon resivor. Run a chiller though, and a 900 gph canister filter to keep it clean. I never change the water the entire grow unless there is a challenge.
Thank you for your time its truly appreciated. I have a few questions. What nutes are you running. How are you balancing the nutrients. I figured i could get away with not doing a weekly water change but figured id have to change during the transition phase of the ladies. Especially when going from veg to flower being that we generally have to use a pk booster. I ran the hydroguard and a host of beneficials im going to just run a sterile rez to avoid the bad stuff. I just need to learn to maintain a sterile rez properly. From what i learned h202 is going to be my best friend but as i understand it must be constantly added. Ill be insulating all the totes to try to keep the heat out of my totes my main concern is pumping heat in threw my air stones. I was seriously considering the grow O2 system but decided against it when i found out the cost of the replacement parts . But i loved levels disolved oxygen that are achieveable.
I agree hydrogaurd is a product I run in my dwc . Also a good product for fighting and preventing root rot is uc roots . I run 12 dwc 5 gallon buckets with each buck has its own 2” x 2” airstone. If you believe the air pump is heating your water move the air pump to outside the tent . Good call running each strain on their own rdwc mixing strains in a rdwc can lead to a nightmare, not saying it can’t be done it’s just not worth the hassle. I don’t run any coolers if a bucket temp gets warmer than I would like it I freeze water bottle to add to it which I only had to do to one out of 12 buckets.
What are your typical water temps. Im guessing your running a sterile rez.
So once a week either Friday or Saturday I do bucket changes. I pump water out of one bucket then fill with back up to desired level which is between 1 to 2” gap between bottom of net pot and water line. I add general hydroponics micro, grow, bloom, cal mag, hydrogaurd then ph to 5.8 during veg… during flower I also add liquid kool bloom. My bucket temps run 78 depending on temps it can hit 80 I’ve seen. Typically 68 to 70 is a good spot but I haven’t had any issues as long as I run hydrogaurd .
That’s one of my current ones godfather purple kush .
Seems happy to me with the temps
So if I’m reading this right, you’re just running bubble buckets with air stones and no reservoir? I purchased everything to run bubble buckets but then got to reading on here, and it was a pretty common opinion that I would run into temperature issues with my water. Also that the roots would overtake a 5 gallon bucket. If you’re not running a reservoir, it sure looks like you have the system dialed in. Your plants look incredible.
Some pictures of past grows . Yeah bubble buckets is all I use. I bought some rdwc systems just haven’t used them yet bc I like knowing exactly what each plant is getting. If done right yeah roots get big but also depends how long you veg for . You can always do root pruning plenty of videos on YouTube about dwc root pruning for cannabis. Me personally I’ve only pruned roots on one plant bc I wasn’t sure what I was doing but turned out perfectly fine.
Good to know that it can be done, I might have to give this a try here this spring. One more question, do you find it better to start a plant from seed or is using clones just as effective? The reason I ask is because I know a clone will not shoot a Tap Root Down like a seed plant will. I was curious of that taproot was critical for keeping the plant upright in the clay pellets.
So here’s how I start new strains I get a 1 gallon pot make sure has drain holes so you don’t over water. Fill with fox farm ocean forest soil . Now you can germinate the seed first or plant seed directly in soil either way I only plant seed deep as my first knuckle on my finger so bout 1” deep lightly cover with soil lightly water ph 6.0. Reason I say ph 6.0 is remember this is started in soil. The fox farm has enough nutrients in it to get the plant between 25 to 35 days old. During this time it gets plain ph 6.0 water as needed. Do not top or fimm or lst (low stress training) . Just let it grow. Now onto my next step. Once plant has grown and looking healthy you have two choices you can cut clones off her and put into a aeroponic cloner and start multiple clones from that plant . Then in 2 weeks you should have roots on clones then plant each clone into a bubble bucket… or other option is carefully rinse soil off the roots of the plant and then put plant in dwc bucket. Me personally I don’t like starting seeds in Rockwool or rapid cubes. I have but just not my thing . With cost of seeds I always keep a mother plant and do least 2 grows with her before letting her go to flower. So ideally me and my fiancé will have together total of 24 and 1 mother from 1 seed keep in mind that was 12 per grow lol
But in short whenever possible I like to run clones myself. But I’ve done from seed to with same great results
I use the complete grandmaster Advanced Nutrients line for plant food. The way i manage all the transitions from veg to flower, and also the changes in flower itself without ever changing the water is -
The res is incremented in 5 gallon increments. I did this by using a water flow meter and a paint marker. I fill it to about 95 gallons in early veg. I mix about 1 or 2 weeks before plants go in. PH goes nuts, and bacteria war takes place. Once all that stableizes i adjust the PH once, then add plants.
Early, as they drink i wont replace water, allowing it to drop and moderating that with size of plant. When i do replace water, i mix plant food and re-add in the 5 gallon increments i made.if i think ppm is to high, i will only add cal-mag, if i want it to go up ill mix heavier food mix and dump it in.
Week 3 of veg or when i think im a week out from 12/12 the plants drink about 5 gallons a day and total water has decreased to 65 gallons, so in 1 week the plants cycle 1/2 the total water volume.I start adding bloom food mix, then the following week flip lights, then plants change, and in 2 weeks its pretty much pure flower food.
Quick pic of my last grow.
I must have been doing something wrong my temps would never exceed 75. I was trying to run beneficials like recharge and hydroguard. I switched over to AP fugicide the bacillus count is 1000 percent higher at a fraction of the cost. This time around im going to loose the recharge. Im think of doing H2o2 every rez change.
I never run recharge in hydro . Does it stain the roots? I know liquid karma stains the roots bad .