Them

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Dr. Funkenstein

If I have four 5gallon buckets and say a 18 gallon tote for a reservoir, if I were to fill the tote up to capacity, would it over flow the 5 gallon buckets?

Or would this neccessitate a control tank? I'm trying to see which would be best to use for a reservoir, a single 5 gallon bucket or an 18gallon tote for 4/five gallon growing modules.

I have no idea how much water should be in each bucket, or how much I should expect to see them use.

I'm guessing since Rumpleforeskin has a sight indicator on his reservoir, the main reservoir can only hold what the growing modules can safely hold? I will be cooling 2 reservoirs with one chiller, and will be using this reservoir to hold the hose coil that will be circulating and chilling the other system's reservoir solution. I want to be sure the res can hold the coil, plus any pumps without drastically reducing the amount of solution the reservoir can hold.

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

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Dr. Funkenstein

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Incogneato

Hey Doc,

The capacity of your res doesn't matter, the level of the water does. A series of buckets should all maintain the same level naturally. As long as the 18gal res is not deeper than the 5gal buckets you should be fine... makes sense in my head, maybe Scrub can whip up a illustration for ya.

Dr. Funkenstein

Yes, this makes sense too, as water tends to find a common level. Also, I have a question about chillers, sorta.

I'm planning to run a single chiller on two seperate reservoirs, with two different feeding schedules.

I will be using Hydrolized's idea, operating my flower room reservoir directly from the chiller itself since this room has more power, and will be running a 3/5x1/2 black vinyl hose coiled within the reservoir in my flower room, attached to a pump that circulates the solution from my reservoir in my veg room. This coil in the flower room reservoir should be chilled enough from the temps within the flower room reservoir, which is being directly cooled from the chiller, for my veg room needs. Hopefully.

Will this help control pH fluctuations? By keeping temps in optimal ranges and constantly circulating my E&F reservoir? My pH has been dropping down pretty low lately, I've been adjusting pretty high to over compensate.

My veg room temps are managable, but not perfect. If the constant recirculating and optimal temps weren't going to change things much for this particular reservoir, I may opt out of setting things up to run both reservoirs from the same chiller.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water..

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Dr. Funkenstein

>>>Fisher Price: My First Grow Lab
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>>>Ask Indiegurl: Electrical Advice from an Electrician
>>>Revised: The Complete Guide To Sick Plants, Pest & pH Troubles
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Dr. Funkenstein

Well I have my buckets, and I have purchased 1/2" E&F fittings for the buckets. I plan to have my fill and drain line at the bottom of the bucket and run the hose similar to how the pvc is ran on the Under Current system by Current Culture H2o.

I want to be sure these 1/2" barbed fittings will work for the system I'm trying for. I will be running 3 buckets total under a 35"x 32" screen, hooked up to a chiller and remote reservoir, no control module.

Here is the description:

1]
The first 2 will be side by side, and the 3rd will be behind those. Creating a triangle or pyramid appearance from above.

2]
Two individual lines will be ran inline through each of the first two buckets, and out the backs, attached to an elbow with hose attached to the sides of the 3rd bucket sitting behind the first 2.

3]
The nutrient solution will run in an evenly balanced square thru all 3 buckets. The third bucket will have 3 E&F fittings at the bottom of the bucket.

4]
The 3rd fitting in the 3rd bucket will be slightly larger than the others and have a shut off valve. This line will be for the drain line attached to the inline mag pump, that will run thru the space between the first 2 buckets, up thru the filter, to the chiller, out the chiller and back to the reservoir.

5]
In this return/drain line, will be smaller feed hoses attached to barbs that will be powered by the pull of the pump further down the line. This will help to keep young plants fed while they find their way to the reservoir.

Here is an image of the design:



I need to know if this will work, or if I'm missing something that will cause the system to fail once built .and tested.

Can you spot the errors?

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Dr. Funkenstein

>>>Fisher Price: My First Grow Lab
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Dr. Funkenstein

***Bump*** Sorry everyone, looking for last minute advice, need to get to building asap.

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Dr. Funkenstein

>>>Fisher Price: My First Grow Lab
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Dr. Funkenstein

Sorry guys

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>>>Revised: The Complete Guide To Sick Plants, Pest & pH Troubles
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GreenDragon2k

crap just lost my post

OK lets try this again


I cant really read this whole thread, my eye's cant handle that much text right now. but i like your plan...

I've built a few large recirculating DWC systems in the past: Here's my recommendations,

go with PVC not tubing. Its far superior, tubing leaks, kinks, flexes, falls off, and is generally unreliable. You might think it'd be nice to be able to move buckets around, its not. You want them locked in place as is with PVC. Use it for both drain and feed lines.

Uniseals have treated me very well. They're cheap, and have proven themselves more leak proof than bulkheads because of their minute flexability. If you apply too much pressure on a cheap bulkhead it can pop off or leak. Not the case with uniseals. Just be sure to cut a clean hole with a holesaw and deburr it carefully with a fresh utility blade.

Your plan seems pretty good to me, are you planning on making that square at water level or at the bottom of the bucket? Theres advantages to each but you gotta be careful if its at the bottom, it can easily and quickly clog with roots. Make sure you oversize your pipe drastically...

Oh and your doubling up on the reservoir/chiller with the coiled tubing idea is a sound one as long as your reservoirs are well insulated and your chiller is strong enough

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Dr. Funkenstein

Thanks for the reply, GD2K

Hmm, I was originally planning to make my holes near the bottom of the buckets, like most recirculating dwc systems that incorporate bulkheads and hose. Similar to the Waterfarm kits, I suppose. I plan to feed the buckets through top feeds, powered by the pull of the mag pump. But since each bucket will have an entry and an exit, I suppose both fill and drain line will be located at the bottom of the buckets. I also do not plan to move the buckets around at all. The hose was just an easier method to tie all buckets together.

I was also going to use hose clamps to seal off the connections, to prevent any leaks. You mentioned clogging, I will be using screens on the inside of the buckets, but should I exchange my 1/2" Botanicare bulkheads for something larger? If so, what size would be best for this "hosed" RDWC system?


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I was going to use the bulkheads and hose, because others have shown they work, and have been warned about using pvc, if I've never used it before which I have not.

I do not have the money for Uniseals, or PVC right now. I know the pvc is much better with this system, but I did not feel confident investing in the parts my first time around, possibly fail, and have to start all over again.

Pesci just built a similar system and it really put a squeeze on his wallet. I really don't have that option at this point, so I'm kind of stuck with the bulkheads and hose.

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Dr. Funkenstein

>>>Fisher Price: My First Grow Lab
>>>A Noob's Guide to FIRST Grow Room Set-Up: And a Reference for Everyone Else
>>>Ask Indiegurl: Electrical Advice from an Electrician
>>>Revised: The Complete Guide To Sick Plants, Pest & pH Troubles
>>>Burndt's Guide: How to Search GC.com Effectively

GreenDragon2k

never heard of anyone warning about pvc, what are their warnings?

personaly I dont think it would be much more expensive to use pvc, its relatively cheap. Fittings can run up a few bucks but thats about it. Tubing is expensive for the most part... Especially that big thick kinkproof stuff. Anyway I think price wise they are pretty comparable, PVC may even be cheaper once you get into larger size piping. The uniseals are the most expensive part, two or three bucks each, still cant be more then those ebb & flow fittings & hose clamps.

Screen strikes me as something roots would grow right through, but I dont know that for a fact. Seems like if it were fine enough to filter roots then it might restrict flow too much anyway I oversize my drains to 1 & 1/2" and usually get by with no clogs.

check out this thread https://www.gardenscure.com/420/cons...uction-10.html between posts 82-106 are discussion about the bucket system.

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