Which would produce more DO in a DWC?

[Budley Doright]

I use the bathroom wall foam tile board 5/8" (I think) for my upper tote lids which insulates and is anti fungal, seems to work well. But yes it's nice to have access to the root section .

 

[JSB99]

Clean up day. Took me 15 minutes to break everything down and take it out back. Really easy! Instead of 2" unions connecting the large pipes (one passing through the tent), I use rubber couplings. The unions are about $13-$14 each. The couplings were only a few bucks.

 

[rkymtnman]

so what did you learn? what is staying the same? what is changing?

i always have a dr phil moment at the end of each grow.

 

[JSB99]

so what did you learn? what is staying the same? what is changing?

i always have a dr phil moment at the end of each grow.

Me too . I've already started planning my adjustments.

List:
I need more light, so I don't have to supplement with CFLs

Need to use slime-away. Roots were pretty slimy

Need to get a 55-gallon HDX tote to use as a reservoir, so I can bubble out chlorine before going into the system. Adding chlorinated water may be killing important microbes.

Considering a chiller. Problem is, I don't have an adjoining room where I can run it. I'm trying to think of how I can enclose one outside. That, or maybe keep a large tote of water outside, and use a second pump and S.S. wort coils for a heat exchanger. That would be a lot cheaper if it works. I'm only growing in the cooler months where it's usually in the 40s and 50s. Probably have issues with outside temps fluctuating.

I think that's all I have for now

 

[Budley Doright]

Me too . I've already started planning my adjustments.

List:
I need more light, so I don't have to supplement with CFLs

Need to use slime-away. Roots were pretty slimy

Need to get a 55-gallon HDX tote to use as a reservoir, so I can bubble out chlorine before going into the system. Adding chlorinated water may be killing important microbes.

Considering a chiller. Problem is, I don't have an adjoining room where I can run it. I'm trying to think of how I can enclose one outside. That, or maybe keep a large tote of water outside, and use a second pump and S.S. wort coils for a heat exchanger. That would be a lot cheaper if it works. I'm only growing in the cooler months where it's usually in the 40s and 50s. Probably have issues with outside temps fluctuating.

I think that's all I have for now

You could use a fan coil outdoors to cool the water if growing in those temps and circulate water through it. I have not had an issue using copper coils that just have res water pumped through them and circulated into res. I should actually test the water before and after a couple of weeks of running for copper level comparison. My underground copper lines use glycol with copper heat exchangers, res water is cycled through them. Using temp controlled pumps.

 

[JSB99]

You could use a fan coil outdoors to cool the water if growing in those temps and circulate water through it. I have not had an issue using copper coils that just have res water pumped through them and circulated into res. I should actually test the water before and after a couple of weeks of running for copper level comparison. My underground copper lines use glycol with copper heat exchangers, res water is cycled through them. Using temp controlled pumps.

Great idea! I was wondering if something like that would work. I can just get a small radiator and fan, mount it right outside the wall, and enclose it enough to protect it from the elements.

I've always read not to use copper. Something about the water leeching ions, or something.

 

[Budley Doright]

Well the PH being low will breakdown copper supposedly and I really need to test it but it has not affected my grow that I'm aware of . I wouldn't stick a coil in my res but I know it's been done with no ill effect to plant development. My chiller and one heatexchanger does have coopurnickle coils which doesn't break down.

 

[JSB99]

I was just testing the water pressure with, and without, the inline filter. I knew there'd be a difference, but it's much more than I thought. I noticed a flow restrictor in the filter, and I'm wondering if that'd help. It looks like there's a little clip, so hopefully that's all. The white buttons on the side don't do anything, as far as I can tell. I've drilled these out before, but it's messy.

If the filter keeps being a bottleneck, I'll just remove it. It's really easy to take my pump out and clean the impeller. I do this every few weeks anyways.

 

[JSB99]

Well the PH being low will breakdown copper supposedly and I really need to test it but it has not affected my grow that I'm aware of . I wouldn't stick a coil in my res but I know it's been done with no ill effect to plant development. My chiller and one heatexchanger does have coopurnickle coils which doesn't break down.

What I'm thinking is a closed-loop cooler. I'll use a stainless wort coil in the res, and a second pump would cycle it through the radiator outside. Would that be adequate, or should I just cycle the res water through the radiator? If it's better to cycle the soup, would a second smaller pump, to cycle the soup, work better than having a single pump?

 

[JSB99]

I managed 13.6oz/385.5g, which comes out to about .64g/watt. I knew my yield was going to be low because of the strain I was growing. It's a low yielder, and the buds are small. They are tight and sticky as fk, and I have no doubt it's going to be strong, but I'll never grow this strain again. That's one more thing I've taken away from this grow. The SSH grow (cola pics below) yielded 24oz. That was 2 x SSH, which yielded 8oz each, and 2x Trainwreck (I think), which yielded 4oz each. That equates to 1.13g/watt. That was my biggest yield. I know someone asked earlier, but I couldn't recall my numbers at the time.

I've got Gorilla Cookie beans for my next grow. Got them from a new seed bank in Canada. The user is on RIU, and delivered my order quickly! He's got a good selection and great prices! He's in the process of posting his site, but I'll give him props here. @legalcanada Check him out! Message him about products and prices.

 

[JSB99]

After I finished cleaning and sterilizing, I began working on tuning and upgrades. I'm calling this "Phase-2" I've got at least another month before I'll have anything to put into the tent. Right how, I'm working on my baby mommas. That is, baby Bonsai Mums. I've got four growing from seed (Girl Scout Crack (Seedsman), Gorilla Cookies (Expert Seeds), White Widow, and some kind of Kush called "Special Kush #1", though there's no history of it on Leafly). Two have sprouted, and the other two are being slow. After I've grown them big enough to be topped, I'll take some cuttings from one of them, and grow them out. But, I've got more than enough to last me, so I'm not in a big rush.

Here are some of the things I've done (in no particular order):

• Painted tote lids black and made modifications
• Removed the 90 degree elbow, on the 3/4" return hose
• Built a frame, from PVC pipe, to keep the tent's roof poles from sliding around
  
• Relocated the carbon scrubber
  
• Painted four, 2-gallon buckets and lids, that I'm going to use for early-veg
  
• Added 55-gallon reservoir

Babies



Painted tote lids black and made modifications

• Enlarged the netpot holes on the tote lid and got heavy duty netpots
• Cut access squares in the tote lids, to be able to peek into the totes without having to lift the lids. Also created lids.
• Painted lids black using Plasti-Dip spray paint. Sprayed four or five coats on the mini buckets and the tote lids. Letting everything cure for a couple weeks before I start handling them. Lids are totally blacked-out now.

Removed the 90 degree elbow, on the 3/4" return hose.

I saw this as a potential bottleneck, so I shortened the tube, cut another hole in the tent which would allow the tube to gently curve to where in connects to the pump's intake manifold.



Built a frame, from PVC pipe, to keep the tent's roof poles from sliding around and relocated the carbon scrubber, since the new poles allowed for more places to hang it from. It's just in the center now.



Painted four, 2-gallon buckets and lids, that I'm going to use for early-veg.
I'm going to lay a board across the top of the totes, and put the buckets on top. This way, I can get the plants real close to the center. I'll just move them to the totes by their netpots, when they're big enough. The buckets will each have an air stone, but the buckets are independent from each other.

 

[JSB99]

55-Gallon Reservoir

Fits perfectly beneath the 6ft table. Not sure if I'm going to leave the lid on, as I'm going to be bubbling out chlorine.

The valve is kind of tucked away back there, but I won't need to get to it much.

• Added water line feed and float valve to reservoir
• Added an overflow pipe to the reservoir
• Added a bulkhead and tube to the reservoir. A 1/2" tube goes to the new valve on the pump's intake manifold.

The overflow has a mini PVC p-trap


Float valve on the right, and overflow on the left. Overflow drains outside.

• Removed the inline filter. This was really reducing the flow. I blame that more on having an undersized pump, and I left the manifold in a way that allows me to put it back in place once I get a more powerful pump.Added a 55-gallon reservoir. I went with an HDX 55-gallon tote, and not a barrel. The tote fits perfectly under the table, and it was way less expensive. The barrel is better suited for holding that much water, because of it's round shape, and the tote is flexing as it gets filled up. But I'm not giving up on it. I've got some metal pipes that I'm going to use as a frame, around the mid-section of the tote, to prevent the sides from bowing out.
• Added a side-chain and valve to the pump's intake manifold. Yep, added another valve. Didn't think I had enough yet LOL! What this valve allows me to do is use the pump to draw the water from the res, by closing the very first valve that has the 3/4" tube connected to it. I can also drain the reservoir by closing the valve to the waterfall, and opening the drain valve. My goal was to use a single pump for everything.

 

[Budley Doright]

U could use a ratchet strap around the tote to stop flexing I would think if it's that bad, never had that issue. Also I painted my totes black as well but found the things added a lot of heat being black so changed to high density foam wall board used in bathroom walls and before that covered them with reflective bubble wrap. With the chiller or loop running I haven't worried about res temps. Looks amazing though .

 

[zypheruk]

Paint totes etc white so as to reflect light and heat. Or as Budley Doright has suggested.

 

[JSB99]

Paint totes etc white so as to reflect light and heat. Or as Budley Doright has suggested.

How much heat does that actually add though? Once the plants get big enough, the lids end up in the shade anyways. I can always just add a layer of white if needed.

 

[JSB99]

U could use a ratchet strap around the tote to stop flexing I would think if it's that bad, never had that issue. Also I painted my totes black as well but found the things added a lot of heat being black so changed to high density foam wall board used in bathroom walls and before that covered them with reflective bubble wrap. With the chiller or loop running I haven't worried about res temps. Looks amazing though .

I tried wrapping a previous tote with duct tape, but it still flexed. I was thinking that a strap would do the same. Square containers try and even out liquid pressure by trying to take a round shape. I was having the same issue with my little Cloner. I added a couple rigid wood hanger rods, and it worked great! I thought, being a stronger tote, that it would hold it's shape a little better. Have you filled one to the top with water? I only got about half way before I decided that it needed to be reinforced. I have some ratchet straps I can try, if that works.

 

[JSB99]

I've decided to paint the lids a light color anyways.

 

[XipXipXoom]

Chlorine is actually an essential micronutrient and one of the best things for keeping the slime/pythium at bay. All you need is 1-2ppm. Chlorine toxicity is an issue but you would need to use swimming pool water to get there. No municipal water supply is going to have levels that high and they use chloramine specifically because it doesn't evaporate very easily, so bubbling your water to remove it won't be very effective.

 

[zypheruk]

I found wrapping insulator material around the totes can drop about 4c of the uninsulated totes temp. Helps reduce the amount of time the chiller needs to be working. But as you say once the canopy covers the totes temps in them will drop.

 

[XipXipXoom]

I think ur on the right track with the ss wort chiller. It wont conduct heat as well as copper, but like you said, it wont leach copper ions. How long it would take for enough copper to build up to start locking out other elements, I have no idea, but it would probably only be an issue if you only top off and never change ur rez water.