There is no such thing as a proper size system. The more volume you have the more stable your pH and everything will be making it easier on yourself is all. The 5 gallons per plant just happened to be size of the 5 gallon buckets, people weren't using cannabis targeted containers. Personally when I did RDWC I ended up going with high volume pumps and using water fall on the return to do away with air-pumps and that was my favorite system in that style. Also eliminated the problem of clogged returns by having the return line at the top of the containers. Wish I could show that system off but those pics are gone a long time ago with the pot site that housed them.
I GOTTA LOSE THE AIR PUMPS! HOW?! Plus my awesome mini DWC :)
- Thread starter Airwalker16
- Start date
Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
Ah haha haha so true dude
Sdh777
Well-Known Member
Sdh777
Well-Known Member
Why’d you stop doing RDWC?
Keesje
Well-Known Member
I am sorry to say, but Aquaman is right.
Root rot comes in many ways. There are several different kinds. Some thrive by by high temperatures, some by low temperatures. Us weedgrowers don't know which specific kind of root rot we have, because one can not tell by just looking at them. The fact that some people don't have root rot anymore after installing a chiller is anecdotal evidence. Perhaps in that case they had the kind of root rot that thrives best with higher temperatures. Or perhaps they also started working cleaner. Who knows. But 'lower temperature leads to less chance of root rot' is just plain wrong.
Professional hydrogrowers don't use chillers. Not because they can't afford it, but because they know it is senseless. They have temperatures of 77-78-79 with no problems. Roots do well with these temperatures. (not all plants, but most do)
They also don't care that warmer water can hold less DO. Simply because new DO will get in the water all the time if the water just moves slightly. More DO then roots can absorb.
Root rot can also occur in soil and rockwool. But the temperature of the rockwool slabs and in pots in a greenhouse get sometimes above 80. Professional growers don't care about that. They just give their plants more water (but that is because they evaporate more).
Weed growers have their own kind of science. Because a lot of them are not interested in real science. They just keep on repeating what they hear from others.
It is bit like people who believe in homeopathie. They know someone who got better after taking drops with a medicine that was diluted in such a way that there is perhaps 1 molecule left in 100 liters. And that is why they keep defending this quakery (I am not talking about herbal medicine, but the utter nonsense of homeopathie)
Another thing: Calling someone 'wanker' and 'loser' is not very mature and polite.
You can call him wrong, or uninformed, or God knows what, but using these words is ridiculous.
It does not help the community and just causes more polarization.
Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
Ita different when your entire root mass is completely submerged under the water though.
Actually it isn't. Just like bacteria they have requirements to live and if those requirements are met they can survive and or thrive. Healthy roots and a sterile environment or live environment with beneficial microbes are they key to avoiding root rot. It typically enters new weak roots or damaged weak roots. Pythium can survive in a wide variety of conditions so it's root and plant health that is the key as healthy plants have evolved to provide defences against such infection some of them being symbiotic relationships with bacteria or fungi. These bacteria also provide enzymes beneficial to the plants. This is why I prefer a live system. It's a bit more knowledge and work to get it going and keep it healthy Soni would recommend sterile to a newer grower. There are several studies out there on this subject. I think people need to stop trusting passed information and start researching the common topics we face. Science changes and new information is out there all the time. I don't understand refusing new findings in science just to defend old assumptions based on poorly interpreted old science. Hell pythium used to be classed as a fungi... Well we now know that is wrong
Sdh777
Well-Known Member
Keesje
Well-Known Member
Good to hear about your son!
But was it really homeopathie that helped him? I ask because you also mention medical marijuana. I do know that many homeopaths also practice phytotherapy. And people sometimes mix these two up.
I am a strong believer in medicine made from herbs and plants. Heck, half or more of the stuff made by Pfizer comes from plants.
But was it really homeopathie that helped him? I ask because you also mention medical marijuana. I do know that many homeopaths also practice phytotherapy. And people sometimes mix these two up.
I am a strong believer in medicine made from herbs and plants. Heck, half or more of the stuff made by Pfizer comes from plants.
Waterfalls work the key is surface agitation and aeration of water throughout the system the more water exposure to air the faster the gas exchange happens.
What they don't do is any of the miracle claims about providing the ability to run warmer temps without issue either system allows this providing the have adequate gas exchange. They also don't have a thing to do with prevention of root rot or better plant health.
If you are seeing this once you switch to waterfalls it's because your air system was not adequate to begin with.
2 systems providing gas exchange the same way with different methods of delivery. That's it. No miracles just diffences. Now you can take a waterfall to the next level of running a live system to incorporate a trickle filter to provide an ideal area for bacterial and other microbes to repopulate so once the system is innoculated you don't need to continue to do so. One benefit to a waterfall but there are also draw backs.
We really need to stop and looks at our needs system wise to decide which will be most cost effective and or if one may be beneficial to the other. In almost all systems either is good and neither provides any significant benefit over the other.
kmog33
Well-Known Member
I’ve had fairly large coral aquariums, so I understand and agree with you regarding water agitation and movement.
I would just assume if you’re trying to get rid of air pumps because of noise or whatever you probably don’t want water pumps either, which I think would be necessary for the system you’re talking about.
I agree.... There are slight differences and in most cases it's just preference. There is a lot of misinformation with the claims that people make about waterfalls. The thing is everyone is looking to make the next big thing and take credit for it to make a name. It's just like the rest of the marketing we see... Garbage hype that most agree with because they cause no issues when used so it works ... Right. Wrong it's not better it's just the same. Now in some cases people have increased the gas exchange and that was needed in thier system so they see better results and say boom unequivocally waterfalls are better. But if they just increases the aeration with air stones they would have had the same results. It's all hype that I feel is just marketing for the reasons I stated.
kmog33
Well-Known Member
Lol yeah. Solution to most issues in dwc is more gas exchange, more frequent res swaps, and lower or higher temp root zone than optimal range. Doesn’t matter what you use to get there, but there’s the solution to most dwc issues. In ebb n flow there is also a fairly large benefit from adding pumps to your res ime. More air means faster/healthier growth in pretty much any situation.
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
I would agree to a point but a waterfall is not going to get clogged pores over time and produce less bubbles. Same reason ponds use waterfalls and not stones to aerate: less maintenance, better performance.
Also most don't realize that you need to match the number and size of airstones to the volume the pump they are using. It key to surface agitation... Absolutely fucking key... So if you not doing this you may see an improvement with waterfalls... But that's from using equipment improperly not because waterfalls are better
I agree that's definitely a benefit to waterfalls... Cleaning airstones is maintenance bit if you run them properly sized this is much less of an issue and should never be an issue in the period of one grow
kmog33
Well-Known Member
Equal length tubing is sort of important as well if your using multi output pumps.
kmog33
Well-Known Member
Yep, if you maintain your system, it keeps running well regardless of grow style.