Help the “old guy” grow

[bronco1500]

So I was medically retired recently. Live in California...it’s legal to grow... so imma gonna try.

The set up so far, please critique ....

1. Box is 4’ x 4.5’ x 10’, wrapped in reflective bubble insulation.
2. A single 600 w M.H./hps in a sealed air cool lamp(6” vent holes )
- two 4’ L.E.D. “Garage lights” from Costco,
- a supposed 600w LED light bough off cheap-o Chinese website .. (I’m skeptical)
3. 8,000 btu Air Conditioner on temp controller. AC unit is outside the box, cold vents in & hot goes outside the window
4. RWDC: two 27g tubs, 1000gph pump for circulation, two 250 gph pumps for dripping over the tops of roots, chiller for fluid temp control, need a reservoir still....
5. giant air pump for air stones in each box
6. two 4” hydro farm fans:
- 1 fan to pull through carbon filter, then for pulling heat away from the 600w hps & vent.
- The other pulls fresh air from outside, through a filter & into box
7. 3’ tower fan in corner oscillating 90 degrees... thinking of adding another at the 4’ mark in opposite corner.
8. Got an electronic meter for ph, temp, ec monitoring ...”blue something” forget the name

Might get dehumidifier if needed.

Plan to do 2 plants. One in each box. Bought “cappuccino & chronic” fem seeds from Europe. Plan on scroging.

Thoughts....? ideas?

All help greatly appreciated by me and my family. God Bless

Bronco

 

[GBAUTO]

Seems that we both get around...
Only thing I need some more info is how you plan on constructing your RDWC system. The recirc pump is really big for 25-35 gals total volume and the dripper pumps really aren't necessary. All I do when the plants are young is to hand water until the root mass reaches into the solution-once that happens no 'drip' watering is needed. Wet root/rockwool isn't a good thing-I keep the solution level below my netlids.

 

[GBAUTO]

This is my third year growing for my meds. I don't have the ability to climate control so I can only grow indoors during the winter. Because of that, I try to grow enough to meet my annual needs during a single grow. Because I live in the Smokies, outdoor grows are problematic(bud rot) but I will throw the random bean in the garden each year to see what happens(my avatar is a 10' tree that resulted). I have found that it's much easier for me to grow fewer, larger plants rather than smaller multiple plants. Using a trellis net is a definite must have and I also tend to do alot of manifolding to get an even canopy-lots of colas.

 

[PetFlora]

If you already bought ll this gear then you're in too deep, unless you can return it

F & D is by far the easiest, and it eliminates a lot of what you bought. Here's my DIY simple F & D

(pic 4 & 5) I start in my DIY lpa spray tube in 3-4" net pots filled with ococo pellets and inserts, side filled with small stones, then transfer (in tact) into my F & D totes. Where I live mosquitos tend to get into my house and lay eggs in the rez/totes, hence the lids.

2 gph pumps in the rez; one for flooding, one for circulating nutes to create DO prior to each flood

The benefit out outboard rez, is checking pH, PPM/EC which should be done daily

I recommend Amare Technologies for proper LEDs

hth

 

[Gquebed]

If you already bought ll this gear then you're in too deep, unless you can return it

F & D is by far the easiest, and it eliminates a lot of what you bought. Here's my DIY simple F & D

(pic 4 & 5) I start in my DIY lpa spray tube in 3-4" net pots filled with ococo pellets and inserts, side filled with small stones, then transfer (in tact) into my F & D totes. Where I live mosquitos tend to get into my house and lay eggs in the rez/totes, hence the lids.

2 gph pumps in the rez; one for flooding, one for circulating nutes to create DO prior to each flood

The benefit out outboard rez, is checking pH, PPM/EC which should be done daily

I recommend Amare Technologies for proper LEDs

hth

I like your style.

 

[justugh]

So I was medically retired recently. Live in California...it’s legal to grow... so imma gonna try.

The set up so far, please critique ....

1. Box is 4’ x 4.5’ x 10’, wrapped in reflective bubble insulation.
2. A single 600 w M.H./hps in a sealed air cool lamp(6” vent holes )
- two 4’ L.E.D. “Garage lights” from Costco,
- a supposed 600w LED light bough off cheap-o Chinese website .. (I’m skeptical)
3. 8,000 btu Air Conditioner on temp controller. AC unit is outside the box, cold vents in & hot goes outside the window
4. RWDC: two 27g tubs, 1000gph pump for circulation, two 250 gph pumps for dripping over the tops of roots, chiller for fluid temp control, need a reservoir still....
5. giant air pump for air stones in each box
6. two 4” hydro farm fans:
- 1 fan to pull through carbon filter, then for pulling heat away from the 600w hps & vent.
- The other pulls fresh air from outside, through a filter & into box
7. 3’ tower fan in corner oscillating 90 degrees... thinking of adding another at the 4’ mark in opposite corner.
8. Got an electronic meter for ph, temp, ec monitoring ...”blue something” forget the name

Might get dehumidifier if needed.

Plan to do 2 plants. One in each box. Bought “cappuccino & chronic” fem seeds from Europe. Plan on scroging.

Thoughts....? ideas?

All help greatly appreciated by me and my family. God Bless

Bronco

fun and u went deep

your work on the RDWC is wrong a 27gallon tote is way to big for a grow chamber

this is a Whole RDWC
1 the largest tank in the back is just fresh water that add in using a float valve
2 the tank with the green lid is a Mixing cell (it has the same water as the plants do allowing u access to add PH up or down get test readings and to add food to mix it all up )
3 the other containers are where the plants grow using netting cups
4 they are interlinked to a pump that sucks and returns the water into the mixing cell keeping all the other buckets at the same temp food lvl/ ph lvl in the whole system
4a the pump used is not as strong as u have the whole system is about 20 gallons
5there is a air pump somewhere and it hooked up to a stone under each of the planter so in this pic 4 stones needed)

the totes u have would be a ok mixing cell( very large for number of plants) but u can get the grow planters buckets online just black and at least 70mls thick to keep light out

rem the larger amount of water u use the more feed u are adding to it (will use up alot of feed the way u have it planed with)

and as for the drip ring.........water farm hydro ring
https://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-Farm-Hydroponic-Systems/dp/B0002JAY6E
the system works off air so u can just get a larger air pump with more tie ins (less then running a 2nd water pump)

the lights u have is a 4x4 and 4x3 (the led ) so with over lap u are looking 4x7.5 feet of grow area .......if u factor in 2x2 feet for each plant to grow into u can do total of 6 plants on one RDWC making it about a 28 gallon system with non tote mixing cell

found a better pic

 

[Lucky Luke]

fun and u went deep

your work on the RDWC is wrong a 27gallon tote is way to big for a grow chamber

this is a Whole RDWC
1 the largest tank in the back is just fresh water that add in using a float valve
2 the tank with the green lid is a Mixing cell (it has the same water as the plants do allowing u access to add PH up or down get test readings and to add food to mix it all up )
3 the other containers are where the plants grow using netting cups
4 they are interlinked to a pump that sucks and returns the water into the mixing cell keeping all the other buckets at the same temp food lvl/ ph lvl in the whole system
4a the pump used is not as strong as u have the whole system is about 20 gallons
5there is a air pump somewhere and it hooked up to a stone under each of the planter so in this pic 4 stones needed)

the totes u have would be a ok mixing cell( very large for number of plants) but u can get the grow planters buckets online just black and at least 70mls thick to keep light out

rem the larger amount of water u use the more feed u are adding to it (will use up alot of feed the way u have it planed with)

and as for the drip ring.........water farm hydro ring
https://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-Farm-Hydroponic-Systems/dp/B0002JAY6E
the system works off air so u can just get a larger air pump with more tie ins (less then running a 2nd water pump)

the lights u have is a 4x4 and 4x3 (the led ) so with over lap u are looking 4x7.5 feet of grow area .......if u factor in 2x2 feet for each plant to grow into u can do total of 6 plants on one RDWC making it about a 28 gallon system with non tote mixing cell

found a better pic

fun and u went deep

your work on the RDWC is wrong a 27gallon tote is way to big for a grow chamber

this is a Whole RDWC
1 the largest tank in the back is just fresh water that add in using a float valve
2 the tank with the green lid is a Mixing cell (it has the same water as the plants do allowing u access to add PH up or down get test readings and to add food to mix it all up )
3 the other containers are where the plants grow using netting cups
4 they are interlinked to a pump that sucks and returns the water into the mixing cell keeping all the other buckets at the same temp food lvl/ ph lvl in the whole system
4a the pump used is not as strong as u have the whole system is about 20 gallons
5there is a air pump somewhere and it hooked up to a stone under each of the planter so in this pic 4 stones needed)

the totes u have would be a ok mixing cell( very large for number of plants) but u can get the grow planters buckets online just black and at least 70mls thick to keep light out

rem the larger amount of water u use the more feed u are adding to it (will use up alot of feed the way u have it planed with)

and as for the drip ring.........water farm hydro ring
https://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-Farm-Hydroponic-Systems/dp/B0002JAY6E
the system works off air so u can just get a larger air pump with more tie ins (less then running a 2nd water pump)

the lights u have is a 4x4 and 4x3 (the led ) so with over lap u are looking 4x7.5 feet of grow area .......if u factor in 2x2 feet for each plant to grow into u can do total of 6 plants on one RDWC making it about a 28 gallon system with non tote mixing cell

found a better pic

That's an awesome set up. Well explained to. Thankyou.
You make me want to go to DWC!

 

[justugh]

That's an awesome set up. Well explained to. Thankyou.
You make me want to go to DWC!

well it can get costly but if u have a outlet for all the product it will recover money with in a grow with a huge profit ........minus replacing senors and cost of filters/feeds/energy it is sheer profit

one thing i would advise if your system is using fresh water at a high pace u might want to think about a auto PHing system in the mixing cell other wise heavy flower u will be PHing 6-8 times a day

there is one other major part a water chiller ........with Hid lighting and some LED (high IR diode numbers) because the buckets are black to keep out the light (algae and other bad things) it absorbs the IR heat from the lights plus the natural heat from the air

breaks down this way the hotter the water the more chance something bad grows in it plus the oxygen retention rate is so low u need to nearly triple the amount going tho the stone ......so the water chillers to lower the temp so the oxygen rate is high for the roots and less of a chance of other micros growing besides the ones u want

 

[PetFlora]

Although I have never done RDWC, I saw issues, like leaking grommets, lack of DO inside each bucket, which causes many to add air stones... I like this new gen, which can be easily adapted to F & D.

http://www.oxygenpotsystems.com/product-category/hydroponic-growing-systems/

 

[hotrodharley]

So I was medically retired recently. Live in California...it’s legal to grow... so imma gonna try.

The set up so far, please critique ....

1. Box is 4’ x 4.5’ x 10’, wrapped in reflective bubble insulation.
2. A single 600 w M.H./hps in a sealed air cool lamp(6” vent holes )
- two 4’ L.E.D. “Garage lights” from Costco,
- a supposed 600w LED light bough off cheap-o Chinese website .. (I’m skeptical)
3. 8,000 btu Air Conditioner on temp controller. AC unit is outside the box, cold vents in & hot goes outside the window
4. RWDC: two 27g tubs, 1000gph pump for circulation, two 250 gph pumps for dripping over the tops of roots, chiller for fluid temp control, need a reservoir still....
5. giant air pump for air stones in each box
6. two 4” hydro farm fans:
- 1 fan to pull through carbon filter, then for pulling heat away from the 600w hps & vent.
- The other pulls fresh air from outside, through a filter & into box
7. 3’ tower fan in corner oscillating 90 degrees... thinking of adding another at the 4’ mark in opposite corner.
8. Got an electronic meter for ph, temp, ec monitoring ...”blue something” forget the name

Might get dehumidifier if needed.

Plan to do 2 plants. One in each box. Bought “cappuccino & chronic” fem seeds from Europe. Plan on scroging.

Thoughts....? ideas?

All help greatly appreciated by me and my family. God Bless

Bronco

Why the box? You're legal.

 

[hotrodharley]

Although I have never done RDWC, I saw issues, like leaking grommets, lack of DO inside each bucket, which causes many to add air stones... I like this new gen, which can be easily adapted to F & D.

http://www.oxygenpotsystems.com/product-category/hydroponic-growing-systems/

Waterfalls add more DO than air pumps. Easier too.

 

[bronco1500]

Wow....! So much good info...u guys are awesome!

Changed the box a bit since I was here last time.here is the quick update

Lights= 600w M.H./hps air cooled 6” AND NOW an additional eight qb132 boards
Reservoirs are igloo 15 gallon ice cubes (x2) 3rd is to be determined....
Two ice probes for chilling the hydro fluid.... found some 2” bulkheads and gonna connect the 3 boxes with 2” pvc.

As far as “why the box?”.... backyard is dominated by 2nd story windows with teenagers living in them...(thieves).... closets are full of clothes. That, and the garage is “my turf”...

Thanks for the replies fellas, warms this old mans heart

Bronco

 

[bronco1500]

New lights.....