RDWC-Do I need a rez, or can the controller be the rez?

Hey just wondering if I'm doing a 10, 5gal bucket recirculating DWC, can a 14gal(53liter) rubbermaid be used as my controller AND rez? If I don't have to have a separate rez then that would be sweet. I don't mind topping it off every day if that's what it will mean.

Thanks

Well, the larger the res the better really, but with your total volumes you should be just fine.

Remember that even though you have a relatively large volume, changing out the water is still important, as it both accumulates excudates ("feces", metabolic waste products) from the plants, as well as it can suffer both depletion and accumulation of nutrients the strain uses large/small amounts of when you just top it up to maintain the EC-reading.

The bigger the res/controller, the bigger the buffer and safety margin of course.

No, in theory you don't need a top-off res. But why would you want to HAVE to top it off every day? Sure still go check on it every day but why not only HAVE to mess with it once a week. It's very very simple to do, fuck messing around with a toilet float valve, check one of these out: http://www.purewaterclub.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=65_86&products_id=196 Five bucks, free shipping (I bought one last week and I got free shipping, not sure why though. So don't quote me on that.) and it's as simple as plugging a 1/4" tube into it. I use 1/2" ebb and flow from my 44gal brute top off res, then a 1/2" to 1/"4 coupling, then the 1/4" tube right into that float valve.

On a side note, you won't find better prices on RO units than pure water club I do believe (I learned of them in the Best Deals Thread). A 100GPD RO unit for 80 bucks (I have that model and the water comes out with a PPM of 45. Not quite 30 like some RO units, but close enough for 80 bucks).