New Indoor grower, help on size, ventilation, etc

Just keep in mind that with a rdwc set up, 1 plant with an issue could turn into multiple issues with the others. If they are in their own isolated bucket the issue can be comtained to 1 plant. Hope this helps

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@Hawkeye_diesel that is very true but I was thinking it may be easier to maintain since there would only be the 1 reservoir instead of having to fiddle with 4 individually. But thatā€™s why Iā€™m asking for others years of experience.

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They both have their own pros and cons, I guess just weigh it out and take the good with the bad. Iā€™m glad I decided to use individual buckets for my first hydro grow

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@Radnelac If you intend on growing only one strain at a time, RDWC will work fine. Be very mindful of what @Hawkeye_diesel said though. One monkey wrench gets thrown in and all your ladies will feel it. I personally use individual site DWC and prefer it because:

  1. I can experiment with nutrient levels and boosters without affecting everything
  2. I spend more time in my room with my ladies.

My plants are like my children: we both benefit immensely from each otherā€™s presence and interaction.

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Thanks for the advice @DissidentPriest I guess Iā€™m naive & was thinking it would be a simpler setup & easier to monitor. Yep I am only looking at growing 1 strain at a time for now, slow & simple to start for me. I would rather get the handle in the basics before i start experimenting with nutrient levels & boosters.

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I know you want to use a flat white paint you donā€™t want to use a gloss depending on your temperatures outside would be that insulation answer for gets cold out I would insulate it you always have the option of going with a grow tent and spending $100 possibly more depending on size you want but they work very well and usually a lot cheaper than building a room depending on how big and bad youā€™re going to make your Grow

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Thanks @Hogmaster I have a grow tent but have to build a room outside to put it in. I may look at insulation later on but for now it should be OK as just a timber shack

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We did RDWC back in the co-op just for time management reasons. It is much quicker to monitor the 2 reservoirs than 90 individual sites. But, we did make it a practice of every 10-14 days of popping open the buckets and inspecting and spot testing.

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@DissidentPriest what size bucket/pail do you use for DWC?

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If space and money permit it I recommend using single site 5 gallon buckets. But, with my limited space and funding I went with a 4 site 5 gallon bucket that I have 2 in (it will turn into my mother site next rotation), and 4 3 gallon buckets (got a sweet deal on eBay, all 4 for $100 plus pump, nutes, etc). In my experience 3 gallons are the smallest you want to go, and 5 gallons are the best. I save some $ by buying simple buckets (just bucket, lid, net pot, air hose ports), then modify them myself to add drain valves, level indicators, and fill ports. I wonder if thereā€™s a tek on here about doing that? If notā€¦ Maybe I should write one up.

I love writing! It helps pay the billsā€¦ Some days. :slight_smile:

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Cheers @DissidentPriest Iā€™m glad I was thinking the right size bucket at least. Iā€™ve got the tools that I can make the mods for all the holes myself. How do make a level indicator?

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2 pvc to flex hose nipples, one at top and one at bottom of bucket, and a piece of UV resistant tubing connecting them. Give me a second and Iā€™ll post a pic of one.

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Something like this?

I used clear tube because I am johnny-on-the-spot giving my girls fresh water (every 7 days), so I have no algae issues. If you are going to let them soak longer, use a light resistant tube like the one in the picture you posted.

I was hoping I still had enough material to make up another bucket, but, alas, I am missing the 90 degree elbow fitting, the ball valve, and the plug. I also forgot to photograph the O-rings.

All fittings are 1/2" and the holes for those fittings are 3/4". The male adapters will thread right in. I use 1/2"x1/8"x1/8" O-ring to seal, and some electrical tape for backup.

Hope this helps!

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Cheers @DissidentPriest that does help. Iā€™ll be referring back to all this when I finally get to build stage on my room

Always here to help in any way I can. I am really looking forward to watching your progress.

It will be a while before I get up & running but hopefully worth it in the long run. Iā€™ll take photos in stages once I start building the shack & maybe start a seperate thread just for the build right from the start. Do many people do that here?

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Hey @DissidentPriest you mentioned you change your water every 7 days, how often is recommended to change water on a RDWC system? Just curious in case I need to factor anything else into my ever growing list of supplies for the build. I also came across this YouTube vid which seems interesting for root rot control, please let me know what you think How to Fix Root Rot Cheap Sterile Rez for DWC - YouTube as I am researching like nothing else at the moment. Cheers & beers bro :beers::+1:t2:

Iā€™m currently basing my setup on 4 x 27L (approx 7 gal) pots with a 50L (13 gal) reservoir & cycling the water through a 80L (21 gal) tub that I will keep ice bricks in to keep the water temp down. With a total amount of 150L (39 gal) of water in a recirculating system with major air being pumped into each pot & the res as well would I need to change weekly or could I get away with leaving it longer? Or would I be better off reducing the size of everything & changing the water out more often? Just working out parts for the build. Cheers :beers:

In RWDC your water change out will be feeding schedule dependent. We always did a 14 day cycle in the co-op: water in, wait 18-24 hours, feed, wait 14 days, flush with fresh water, wait 18-24 hours, feed, etcā€¦

Be careful with water temperature. Too cold at the roots can super shock, or even kill the plants. I run my DWC at mid 60s (fluctuates around 64 degrees). Root rotā€¦ I have never experienced root rot in hydroponics. I had a bad stint of it in the 90s doing soil grows. I guess it could happen in hydro, but, with clean good water, and proper maintenance of water, root rot, like algae, shouldnā€™t be a problem.