RDWC setup

TIMtoKILL

Active Member
Is rdwc or any hydro setup worth the big change. I currently grow in soil in 5 gallon containers. I would have to change my veg and flower setup if I went the hydro route. Currently I can put 25 ladies in my growroom. I can yield anywhere from 3 to 5 lbs every 10 wks. Is all the money and time spent worth the change. Plus I already have 5 gallons of EJ bloom and grow for the soil. Not only would I be changing my flower setup but I would have to veg differently also. No more vegging in half gallon pots, then upping to 5 gallons for a few weeks before flower. Do u think all the change will be worth it? I hate the slow veg time with soil. I currently veg for 6 wks before flip, sometimes 8. Seems way too long to me. My girls end up being 4-5ft tall minus the bucket height.
All I’ve ever done is hydro man. The idea of dirt and bugs coming into my home gives me the heeby jeebies. I would say that I do see an increase in veg time and they are supposed to be higher yields than soil. It’s really not hard to get started with hydro man I started in 5 gallon HD buckets using airstones that I got from petco.
 

Vonkins

Well-Known Member
All I’ve ever done is hydro man. The idea of dirt and bugs coming into my home gives me the heeby jeebies. I would say that I do see an increase in veg time and they are supposed to be higher yields than soil. It’s really not hard to get started with hydro man I started in 5 gallon HD buckets using airstones that I got from petco.
Only thing that worried me is I made a diy aerocloner out of one of those totes with the yellow checkerboard looking top. Same as most people use from home depot cause this one doesn't leak. Never could get it dialed in. It worked the first couple of times but then it never would again. I ran the strongest bleach solution through it possible. So strong it melted my filter in the water pump. Flushed with lots of water but still no roots. I think once a pathogen has taken control of a clone theres no bringing it back. Clones would never root. Didnt get any slime or roots. Also I tried dwc on my 2nd run but I got tired of constantly checking each individual bucket for ec, ph, and ppm. Rdwc sounds promising but I heard it's a little more difficult to dial in cause ur recirculating nutes. Isnt drain to waste easier
 

JSB99

Well-Known Member
Is rdwc or any hydro setup worth the big change. I currently grow in soil in 5 gallon containers. I would have to change my veg and flower setup if I went the hydro route. Currently I can put 25 ladies in my growroom. I can yield anywhere from 3 to 5 lbs every 10 wks. Is all the money and time spent worth the change. Plus I already have 5 gallons of EJ bloom and grow for the soil. Not only would I be changing my flower setup but I would have to veg differently also. No more vegging in half gallon pots, then upping to 5 gallons for a few weeks before flower. Do u think all the change will be worth it? I hate the slow veg time with soil. I currently veg for 6 wks before flip, sometimes 8. Seems way too long to me. My girls end up being 4-5ft tall minus the bucket height.
What are your goals? Grow faster? Grow bigger? Hydro is like a supercharged grow, but not without risk. With hydro, you're dependant on equipment of which failure can cost you a crop. But, there are things you can do to ensure things run smoothly, like having an extra pump on hand. Unless you have some specific reasons, even if it's just to try something new, I'd just stick to what you got.
 

Vonkins

Well-Known Member
What are your goals? Grow faster? Grow bigger? Hydro is like a supercharged grow, but not without risk. With hydro, you're dependant on equipment of which failure can cost you a crop. But, there are things you can do to ensure things run smoothly, like having an extra pump on hand. Unless you have some specific reasons, even if it's just to try something new, I'd just stick to what you got.
That's exactly what I was thinking
 

TIMtoKILL

Active Member
So out of the two seeds I got I only got one to germinate. It’s been 5 days and this seed won’t crack. I cut the outer layer very carefully with a razor. That was 2 days ago and still nothing. I may have to just do a one plant op.
 

5BY5LEC

Well-Known Member
I planted a few seeds in the beginning of June. One was an OG from seedsman so it was a decent seed. It took nearly 10 days to sprout when the others took 2 or 3.
It grew, but slow and I was always having to baby it. I ended up getting rid of it and figured lesson learned.
Just my take on it.
 

TIMtoKILL

Active Member
Put her in the tent last night looks like she will beak dirt over the next day. After plugging in the water and everything I realize that my water temps are going to be a slight issue. It has hovered around 78 degrees. I have two solutions in mind but I don’t know which one to go with.

1. I go with benificials

2. I found a 1/4 HP EcoPlus brand new in box for $290.

I have been using the frozen water bottle trick and it has brought my temps down for a couple hours. I can freeze a bunch of them and have them float around in my res. What do you guys think would be the best option?
 

Major Blazer

Well-Known Member
Put her in the tent last night looks like she will beak dirt over the next day. After plugging in the water and everything I realize that my water temps are going to be a slight issue. It has hovered around 78 degrees. I have two solutions in mind but I don’t know which one to go with.

1. I go with benificials

2. I found a 1/4 HP EcoPlus brand new in box for $290.

I have been using the frozen water bottle trick and it has brought my temps down for a couple hours. I can freeze a bunch of them and have them float around in my res. What do you guys think would be the best option?
Realistically with pumps running 24/7 I think all rdwc setups should have a chiller unless you’ve got cold floors and have the opposite problem (roots too cold). Sorry to say, I was in the high 70’s and tried bennies with no luck. I did the water bottle thing too but life/work too often got in the way. The only solution that worked for me is hardly talked about in the States but it’s called wilt guard by cx hydroponics. I literally beat pythium with it and could hardly believe it myself, having had lost 3 bouts (eg lost 3 crops) prior to that. And in case anyone is wondering, I replaced every single component between grows just to be 100% sure. I’m done with dwc/rdwc now due to the issues with heat but I’m real close to the equator so it’s pretty much always hot and less than ideal here.
 

5BY5LEC

Well-Known Member
I mean, bennies worked great for me until I got a chiller. I was using Orca and Hydroguard each at 2ml/gal.
I never had a problem with a bad smell, it just kind of smelled like dirt. I only got the chiller because I was offered a 1/4 ecoplus for under 200. Could not pass that up.
Honestly, I think I could have gone to harvest with the bennies.
My res never got above 75-76 though.

Its your call in the end. If not having to worry about it is worth 300 bucks then get it. I will say they are growing much faster after the chiller.
 

TIMtoKILL

Active Member
Hey guys I finally got my chiller. 1/4 HP EcoPlus. I know it’s a bit overkill but I got it for less than what the 1/10 HP go for so why not right. Anyway it’s nice it cooled my water from 80 degrees to 68 in under 3 hours. My only question is do I let it run 24/7 or set it up on a timer to run every so often? Any help is appreciated
 

TIMtoKILL

Active Member
I also realized that I bought a pump for my chiller that was too small. It calls for a 600 at least and mine is 320. I have already ordered the correct size pump and it will be here by the end of the weekend. It should be okay until then right?
 

5BY5LEC

Well-Known Member
The chiller will do you right. Just set the temp on it and forget about it. No timer.
I noticed there is a discrepancy in the pump rating for the 1/4 chiller.
In the book in says min 600 but the tag on the back of my chiller says something like 360-600 is the range. I use an ecoplus 396. The chiller runs for like 10 minutes a couple times a day.
 
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