New hydro setup plan

[Surfer Joe]

I was really impressed by the heavy growth seen in hydro growing, but servicing even a couple of buckets has been a fair amount of work .
I was wondering about future plans and came up with this design and would appreciate any comments.
The idea is having a pump from a large rez into some buckets at their base and an overflow tube out of the bucket at the desired height and back to the rez by gravity. (see diagram)

A couple of concerns I have in this design is where to put air in.
Should I aerate the main rez or put an airstone in each bucket?
Could I put in a venturi tube at the inlet of each bucket to create aeration without an airstone?

Also, how do you clean such a large main rez or the buckets during a grow?
Do you leave the buckets alone and just clean the rez?
Do you just flush the rez and plumbing system to clean it?
I would prefer to design a rez that is easier to service than the one in my diagram. Maybe one that is a tall cylinder that can sit beside rather than below, but I was not sure how to plumb such a setup.

 

[superstoner1]

Wow, in your first sentence you complain about the amount of work for two simple buckets and then you come up with a multi complicated system. Single buckets are about as easy as it gets, good luck.

 

[Surfer Joe]

It seems to me that servicing one large, more stable rez is a lot less work than tending a series of individual buckets.

 

[superstoner1]

And you must be assuming you never have to clean or break down that system? If you are complaining about the amount of work two plants made for you you should look at soil because hydro does take work and commitment, but I'm an older generation that was raised to work and earn, not kick back and feel entitled.

 

[Surfer Joe]

And you must be assuming you never have to clean or break down that system? If you are complaining about the amount of work two plants made for you you should look at soil because hydro does take work and commitment, but I'm an older generation that was raised to work and earn, not kick back and feel entitled.

No, I am trying to learn.
You seem to have a chip on your shoulder.

 

[Glaucoma]

I see this as a bad design for a couple of reasons..

Having the res below the grow sites is one issue. The pumps we use are impeller driven, which easily allows water to flow the wrong way. If the pump dies, your roots dry out. Second, if you fill the grow sites from the bottom and drain at the top you are going to need a strong pump that will also add a bunch of heat.

A venturi in this setup is impossible without a massive pump and a really high flow rate. Use a 2nd dedicated Powerhead pump to aerate the res.

Just use regular buckets with a control bucket. Don't oversize the pump and your roots won't clog the return lines. Just over a trickle is good. Keep the temp below 70 and/or make a beneficial bacteria tea and use it regularly. I only clean them out when it's over.

 

[joe macclennan]

why make this more complicated than you have too?

flood and drain

trays and pots

eazy peazy

 

[superstoner1]

No, I really don't have a chip, just trying to pass on lots of experience and work ethic.

 

[Dsa7672022]

I think you should look into a RDWC setup. Easy to create if you are the least bit handy and absolutely massive growth rates. These systems make use of an inline water pump to pull the nutrient solution through the system and deposit it back into the control bucket thus your solution is constantly being mixed and evenly distributed. Additionally, you can then add a reservoir if you choose so you don't have to top off the system with fresh H2O all the time once the plants start drinking gallons per day. If you have any interest in this style of hydroponics system check out "RDWC Setup Tutorial" in the DIY section of General Marijuana Growing. It's a little tutorial I created to show people how I setup my system which is a 4 grow site 1 control RDWC, essentially modeled after current culture's undercurrent system. It'll give you an idea of something you could easily create and be very happy with. Good luck!

 

[Hydroburn]

You could get rid of the table pumps and buckets and just put the plants in the lid of your res... but if this is the design u want it should work. I don't clean my system during the grow... just drain and fill a few times.

 

[Surfer Joe]

I see this as a bad design for a couple of reasons..

Having the res below the grow sites is one issue. The pumps we use are impeller driven, which easily allows water to flow the wrong way. If the pump dies, your roots dry out. Second, if you fill the grow sites from the bottom and drain at the top you are going to need a strong pump that will also add a bunch of heat.

A venturi in this setup is impossible without a massive pump and a really high flow rate. Use a 2nd dedicated Powerhead pump to aerate the res.

Just use regular buckets with a control bucket. Don't oversize the pump and your roots won't clog the return lines. Just over a trickle is good. Keep the temp below 70 and/or make a beneficial bacteria tea and use it regularly. I only clean them out when it's over.

Thanks. That's very helpful. I was also worried that that design would let the buckets drain dry if the pump stopped.
With a control bucket, do you also use a larger rez to supply it and the grow buckets? I want to check it out more. Can such a system be gravity driven?

 

[faller200]

Lazy growers with no vision.

 

[faller200]

It's not about all the fancy hardware. It's about taking care of the plants.

 

[superstoner1]

Ain't that the truth. What really cracks me up is someone spending $500-$1500 on a room controller, I don't have one.

 

[faller200]

I don't care who you are. Unless you have a commercial type setting You can't control your room anyway. You can try but that's a never ending fight and throwing money at it won't help.

 

[faller200]

My room control goes like this. If it's too cold turn off the fan and close the door. If it's to hot turn the fan back on and open the door. If it's to dry folar feed at lights out. if it's too humid i don't know what to do I never have that problem.LOL

 

[joe macclennan]

I don't care who you are. Unless you have a commercial type setting You can't control your room anyway. You can try but that's a never ending fight and throwing money at it won't help.

it's really not that difficult to control at all with air cooled hoods and a minisplit.

My room control goes like this. If it's too cold turn off the fan and close the door. If it's to hot turn the fan back on and open the door. If it's to dry folar feed at lights out. if it's too humid i don't know what to do I never have that problem.LOL

You obviously don't run sealed or co2 then..... To each their own, I didn't for years.

 

[superstoner1]

Well said. Any basic ac would give you temp control, my mini split is dead on, and same on dehumidifier. A basic controller/monitor for co2 was $150 I think. I can easily control my temp, rh, and co2 in a completely sealed room, that's the most basic key to indoor growing. Without that base you will never come close to the real potential of what you are growing.
And as for fresh air, with a constant co2 enrichment that is 5-7x normal air I would never consider that fresh. And as for smell, another advantage of planning and building a completely sealed room, I have no carbon scrubber or filter and there is no smell unless I open it. and now with an interior door between veg and flower I can enter one time for how ever long I need to be there and not have environment or odor escape.

 

[HempletonState]

i agree with superstoner to many people are trying to remake these awesome systems and then spend months wondering why there plants look like crap and super excited about there monster 3 ounce yields. i have been running the same 8 bucket waterfarm drip ring setup for ten years now with spectacular results and would never think of changing. as well i have been using the same house and garden nutrient line for the same amount of time, and the have only added one additional product to my original line of nutrients in ten years. yes the nutrients are expensive so is the electric bills and it is hard work, but you get exactly what you put into it. if you are not interested in spending time and money dont grow or at least dont spread bad ideas and info to people who maybe willing to do it the right way