Who grows DWC without a chiller?

[Aapoo]

No chillers for me.. i just run dwc buckets with 2 tiny air stones each, the main thing is Southern AG.. i don't even change water anymore, just top up when it is down about half way.. Check PH and keep goin..

I'm guessing you have good climate control in your grow? Decent size reservoir? Don't know what southern AG is...

 

[Alctrz8849]

I'm guessing you have good climate control in your grow? Decent size reservoir? Don't know what southern AG is...

Southern AG is a brand, here is one of there products that I happen to need right now!

 

[Aapoo]

Ahh...thank you. So this is for people who opt out of the peroxide remedy..why not peroxide? What's the benefit of these products vs H2O2?

 

[rkymtnman]

Ahh...thank you. So this is for people who opt out of the peroxide remedy..why not peroxide? What's the benefit of these products vs H2O2?

sterile vs good bacteria
sterile=kill everything
good bacteria>bad bacteria

 

[Alctrz8849]

sterile vs good bacteria
sterile=kill everything
good bacteria>bad bacteria

@Aapoo It's whatever works best for you! For me, I use good bacteria!

 

[rkymtnman]

@Aapoo It's whatever works best for you! For me, I use good bacteria!

i've used both equally well. some find that one or the other just won't work for them though

 

[Original StinkyG]

I've been reading conflicting reports everywhere. Some people say that a chiller is 100% necessary as well as reservoir temps of 68°.
Then other people say they grow without issues without a chiller and rez temps into the 80s.

So my question is simple.

Is a chiller 100% necessary?

I need people with experience to answer.

Thanks.

I run loads of dwc with no chiller , I run big tubs though when I do. I use 100 ltr reservoir tubs with about 70 litres of nutrient solution depending on the smaller tub above ! No problems with pm or temps. Use white plastic sheet around your tubs or whatever to reflect that heat.

 

[Aapoo]

I run loads of dwc with no chiller , I run big tubs though when I do. I use 100 ltr reservoir tubs with about 70 litres of nutrient solution depending on the smaller tub above ! No problems with pm or temps. Use white plastic sheet around your tubs or whatever to reflect that heat.

Oh bother. That's king size, mega super king size reservoirs.....shoot, I just have a wee little 5 gallon pail to support. Oh boy, little fish in a big pond here, no shit.

 

[Original StinkyG]

Oh bother. That's king size, mega super king size reservoirs.....shoot, I just have a wee little 5 gallon pail to support. Oh boy, little fish in a big pond here, no shit.

It's easier, no swings in ph or temp issues. It's so much simpler. Even doing 30litres of solution is great compared to a 20litre bucket .

 

[LawnXweeds]

Ahh...thank you. So this is for people who opt out of the peroxide remedy..why not peroxide? What's the benefit of these products vs H2O2?

I personally use bennies because I am a sloppy POS. I've got peppers and beans growing in soil in the same tent as my DWC grow so the only time my tent, or anything in it, comes close to being sterile is when I wash it down with bleach in between grows.

 

[Wastei]

You can do both successfully. I personally never saw any benefits with bennies in hydro. Only more cleaning between runs and you need a chiller in a alive system to consider it stable IMO.

Chlorine been used forever on a commercial scale. I've used bleach in hydro since about 2010. 3-5ppm depending on plant size is a good dosage. My local brand is 5% strength, here's the calculator I've always used:Chlorine dilution calculator

 

[Aapoo]

You can do both successfully. I personally never saw any benefits with bennies in hydro. Only more cleaning between runs and you need a chiller in a alive system to consider it stable IMO.

Chlorine been used forever on a commercial scale. I've used bleach in hydro since about 2010. 3-5ppm depending on plant size is a good dosage. My local brand is 5% strength, here's the calculator I've always used:Chlorine dilution calculator

So you're saying that you used as little as three and as much as five PPM? And what size bucket would you use the least amount of chlorine?

 

[Aapoo]

I'm sorry you said it was based on the size of your plant so same question but in relation to size of plant..... And what does three parts per million look like? Am I starting out with three drops in a 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full?

 

[Wastei]

So you're saying that you used as little as three and as much as five PPM? And what size bucket would you use the least amount of chlorine?

Wut? The concentration stays the same. You mean plant size? When you start to get the hang of it you go by smell and plant size. White larger root mass there's more organics to oxidize ie you need more chlorine than a small root mass.

 

[icetech]

I'm guessing you have good climate control in your grow? Decent size reservoir? Don't know what southern AG is...

No reservoir at all... each plant has it's own bucket is all.. i grow in my basement which stays from 60-68 (bucket water from 73-7

Basically Southern AG is a beneficial bacteria that eats up the bad shit before it can hurt the plant. It's $16 a quart and is the same exact thing as Hydroguard which is insanely expensive and has 1/10th the concentration (if i remember correctly). My roots stay nice and white and plants happy and healthy.

P.S. i used peroxide also.. and it didn't work NEAR as well as AG, it's a lot harder to keep a system sterile than it is to just kill the bad shit. Also.. someone mentioned cleaning.. no idea what he's talking about, when i harvest a plant, i pull the netpot and cut the roots out to remove it from the pot, take over to my sink and give the bucket/pot a quick rinse... and it's ready for the next plant.

No reason to make this stuff hard...

Somewhere on the forum is a pic of my plants and roots only using AG/Jacks 3-2-1

 

[Aapoo]

Concentration stays the same. So what are you judging when your smelling? Are you using AG and chlorine or one or the other? And damn, if I only had a basement...I live in a 2nd story apartment. Tooough titty! Said the kitty when the milk ran dry...rollercoaster pH and temps here I come. How much nutrient do YOU run (ppm's) when plants are 2-4 leaf sets big? Wait. Sorry, I think I'm mixing up posters.....

 

[icetech]

Concentration stays the same. So what are you judging when your smelling? Are you using AG and chlorine or one or the other? And damn, if I only had a basement...I live in a 2nd story apartment. Tooough titty! Said the kitty when the milk ran dry...rollercoaster pH and temps here I come. How much nutrient do YOU run (ppm's) when plants are 2-4 leaf sets big? Wait. Sorry, I think I'm mixing up posters.....

Not sure if you are talking to me, BUT.. you can't run like Peroxide or Chloriine with AG or other beneficial bacteria as it will kill the bacteria.

As for small plants nutes, i run about 1/2 of my normal strength.. Plants are pretty forgiving and giving them not enough nutes seems better than too much... burning em sucks.

 

[Captain_Cream_Pie]

Temps have been over 28C and currently is 23C and I haven't had too many issues (Sub-tropical Australia). Plants are looking great and will be read for harvest soon. I have had to change nutrient once but it was probably due for a change in water. The EC of our tap water is 15 and I use only nutes.

 

[Aapoo]

82 F water temp? Or

Temps have been over 28C and currently is 23C and I haven't had too many issues (Sub-tropical Australia). Plants are looking great and will be read for harvest soon. I have had to change nutrient once but it was probably due for a change in water. The EC of our tap water is 15 and I use only nutes.

Air temp?

 

[Aapoo]

Temps have been over 28C and currently is 23C and I haven't had too many issues (Sub-tropical Australia). Plants are looking great and will be read for harvest soon. I have had to change nutrient once but it was probably due for a change in water. The EC of our tap water is 15 and I use only nutes.

And you changed nutrient solution once, the whole grow?!