A RDWC question

[J232]

Half inch PVC caps with 5 holes drilled in a + pattern.
1400GPH pump feeds all 12.

Very nice, thanks for the info, “A” pattern is noted, my pump is 1800gph, I’m thinking of a 1” manifold down each side with 3/4 feeding a spray bar or pair of capped 3/4” pipe.

 

[J232]

Youll be good for that long period during veg, but things will change in flower.
I usually only do one change in the middle of my veg and just do full strength top of. Its good for a month or more.
During flower, 2 weeks is really pushing it unless youve really dialed in what that strain wants.
I usually get about 10 days before things start drifting.

Wow so I should quit watching my monitor waiting for another nute topup. They seem good but I figured my ppm should of dropped. Everything’s pretty stable, 5.8-5.9 600-40 ppm 64deg... since last week, just wasn’t sure as I don’t have personal hydro exp yet.

 

[fragileassassin]

Veg system I posted above is 35 gals and it rocks a month with weeklyish top offs.
flower system is 6 sites around 60 gallons now, 2 weeks is doable but usually me being lazy and letting it go more than I should have and having to adjust ph every day. It wasnt really any different when I ran 8 plants in 120 gallons total.

+ "plus" pattern lol

 

[fragileassassin]

Wow so I should quit watching my monitor waiting for another nute topup. They seem good but I figured my ppm should of dropped. Everything’s pretty stable, 5.8-5.9 600-40 ppm 64deg... since last week, just wasn’t sure as I don’t have personal hydro exp yet.

In my veg system I just check it every few days and if its dropped more than an inch or two ill fill it back to full and add nutes again. I watch my ppm over the 4-7 days or so between fills and adjust the ppm up or down or keep it the same depending on what my ppm has done over those days.

 

[J232]

In my veg system I just check it every few days and if its dropped more than an inch or two ill fill it back to full and add nutes again. I watch my ppm over the 4-7 days or so between fills and adjust the ppm up or down or keep it the same depending on what my ppm has done over those days.

I have a float valve installed so my level is constant and I was trying to read ppm and ph and go that route. Something like that anyways, somedays im pissing into the wind too so, lol...

 

[JimyTheCook]

Not meaning to jack OP's thread.
Question though about the waterfall system.
Have yous ran into trouble with pressure diferences at each site over the entire system if so how would you correct that problem.
My understandin is that each manifold would have to be exact same lenght/spacing from each site which would be easy on smaller set ups but would that change over a 8 or 10 site system.

 

[J232]

Not meaning to jack OP's thread.
Question though about the waterfall system.
Have yous ran into trouble with pressure diferences at each site over the entire system if so how would you correct that problem.
My understandin is that each manifold would have to be exact same lenght/spacing from each site which would be easy on smaller set ups but would that change over a 8 or 10 site system.

I was thinking that already, I think from what I read, 12 x gallons for pump size, and build nozzles that would ensure the entire manifold would build pressure, like 10 site with a 1/4 hole in each nozzle or a small pin hole A pattern like mentioned. Something like that anyways. If you build a manifold and neck it down to each site, one would think it would help maintain pressure too. I know there’s a formula for hole size and amount of holes = pressure blah blah, I hate math so...

 

[fragileassassin]

I have a float valve installed so my level is constant and I was trying to read ppm and ph and go that route. Something like that anyways, somedays im pissing into the wind too so, lol...

yep.. i felt the same at first as I built a float valve into that system and had a line run right from my filter.
Got tired of guessing so I switched to letting it drop and just turning that line on every few days to week while I was in there doing other stuff.

Not meaning to jack OP's thread.
Question though about the waterfall system.
Have yous ran into trouble with pressure diferences at each site over the entire system if so how would you correct that problem.
My understandin is that each manifold would have to be exact same lenght/spacing from each site which would be easy on smaller set ups but would that change over a 8 or 10 site system.

A pump with decent head pressure, equal lengths, and step downs are the key.
Check the top pipes in my video above.
It comes out of the bucket down and runs to the back in a 1" pipe.
At the back it hits a T and each of those runs up to another 1 x 3/4 x 3/4 T.
Those runs go down along the rows of buckets. At each bucket there is a 3/4 x 3/4 x 1/2 T or L fitting that runs into the side of the site.
Short 1/2" piece of pipe that runs into the site with a 90 and a cap to make a sprayer.

Here's an older video from when I built it. before I added the trash can res.

 

[J232]

yep.. i felt the same at first as I built a float valve into that system and had a line run right from my filter.
Got tired of guessing so I switched to letting it drop and just turning that line on every few days to week while I was in there doing other stuff.

Good to know, I did paint lines in my res to be able to watch the water, figured it was a waste afterwards but might be handy yet.

 

[fragileassassin]

This is the flower system.
Same concept.
1" tube from the pump splits at the back into 2 3/4" bars that step down to 1/2" at each site.
With the bigger 17 gallon sites I opted to do 45s instead of 90s to kind aim it out into the middle.

 

[J232]

This is the flower system.
Same concept.
1" tube from the pump splits at the back into 2 3/4" bars that step down to 1/2" at each site.
With the bigger 17 gallon sites I opted to do 45s instead of 90s to kind aim it out into the middle.

Looks great, is there any risks of root damage from too turbulent of water, I have seen mixed answers. I’m going with the “stick your finger there, lose it” mind set.

 

[fragileassassin]

Looks great, is there any risks of root damage from too turbulent of water, I have seen mixed answers. I’m going with the “stick your finger there, lose it” mind set.

you dont really need all that much pressure. passed a certain point youre just hurting yourself by introducing unnecessary heat into your system from having a pump thats way too big.
My gph recommendations when people ask are usually the highest anyone around here will tell you and I usually go for around 100-120gph per site.
I have a 1400 for the 12 site veg and an 800 on the 6 site flower.
A lot of the others like gph nearly half of what I run.

 

[J232]

you dont really need all that much pressure. passed a certain point youre just hurting yourself by introducing unnecessary heat into your system from having a pump thats way too big.
My gph recommendations when people ask are usually the highest anyone around here will tell you and I usually go for around 100-120gph per site.
I have a 1400 for the 12 site veg and an 800 on the 6 site flower.
A lot of the others like gph nearly half of what I run.

Yeah my 1800gph might be over kill, I only got it because it was a killer deal on eBay, and I usually go big, I could compensate by manifold size and maybe do a blade/fan spray rather then holes. Something that will demand more or try and find the pumps sweet spot. I’m really not up to replacing the pump after my chiller/monitor splurge haha. But I have the 2 3/4” nozzles in the res tub and judging that output I think I could make it work, split and make 2 nozzles per site.

 

[JimyTheCook]

yep.. i felt the same at first as I built a float valve into that system and had a line run right from my filter.
Got tired of guessing so I switched to letting it drop and just turning that line on every few days to week while I was in there doing other stuff.


A pump with decent head pressure, equal lengths, and step downs are the key.
Check the top pipes in my video above.
It comes out of the bucket down and runs to the back in a 1" pipe.
At the back it hits a T and each of those runs up to another 1 x 3/4 x 3/4 T.
Those runs go down along the rows of buckets. At each bucket there is a 3/4 x 3/4 x 1/2 T or L fitting that runs into the side of the site.
Short 1/2" piece of pipe that runs into the site with a 90 and a cap to make a sprayer.

Here's an older video from when I built it. before I added the trash can res.

Cheers for that, ive looked over your set up thread an was impressed with both veg an flower setups.
Must be great havin the height to be able to run the veg set up off the ground to run bottom drainin points.
Next question would be in having all the things you mentioned before, where do you pump into the manifild from (couldn see in the vid) do you only pump in from one point or would there be any benifet to pump in from one end each manifold.
So if i was runnin an 8 bucket split in 2 rows could i pump in from each manifold line, run pipe from pump then split it into the 2 manifold lines?

 

[J232]

good new, ppm finally moved, I just had to install my high frequency ballast. BAM 100ppm. Lmao, hope it don’t mess with the old lady’s shit!

Update... I moved the light up 10 inches and the interference went away.

 

[fragileassassin]

Yeah my 1800gph might be over kill, I only got it because it was a killer deal on eBay, and I usually go big, I could compensate by manifold size and maybe do a blade/fan spray rather then holes. Something that will demand more or try and find the pumps sweet spot. I’m really not up to replacing the pump after my chiller/monitor splurge haha. But I have the 2 3/4” nozzles in the res tub and judging that output I think I could make it work, split and make 2 nozzles per site.

hell with that maybe even just a half inch elbow dump into it might be enough with that much pressure. With the chiller on it youre fine. I eventually upgraded to a nice variable DC pump. it uses 1/4 the power and makes a whole lot less heat so the chiller runs a lot less. Just something to keep in mind for the long road.

Cheers for that, ive looked over your set up thread an was impressed with both veg an flower setups.
Must be great havin the height to be able to run the veg set up off the ground to run bottom drainin points.
Next question would be in having all the things you mentioned before, where do you pump into the manifild from (couldn see in the vid) do you only pump in from one point or would there be any benifet to pump in from one end each manifold.
So if i was runnin an 8 bucket split in 2 rows could i pump in from each manifold line, run pipe from pump then split it into the 2 manifold lines?

These pics kinda show it, theres a T right under that black pipe in the first.
2 rows of 4 id probably setup just like my flower setup unless the total length of the rows is more than like 8ft.
I just split everything in the back to keep it out of the way.

 

[JimyTheCook]

@fragileassassin
Keep it as simple as possible then is what im quessin instead of tryna over complicate the design..
Appreciate you taking the time to help us out...

 

[J232]

hell with that maybe even just a half inch elbow dump into it might be enough with that much pressure. With the chiller on it youre fine. I eventually upgraded to a nice variable DC pump. it uses 1/4 the power and makes a whole lot less heat so the chiller runs a lot less. Just something to keep in mind for the long road.

I’m pretty sure my chiller is running a lot, it’s new to me so I’m not sure the damage from that. The spec for sub pump was 300-700 so I went 450 on that pump. I’m kinda counting on canopy to keep the light off the sites, I will prob pick away to improve it as I go along. As far as nozzles, I was thinking maybe a couple 1/4 inch holes on a t bar in the tub, one at each end kinda thing, that should make a nice bath and keep my water nicely mixed. I just hunted down some 10” nano bubblers too, I’m still partial to running one in each tub, a single 32w air pump runs cool and really the noise is nothing compared to the dual 6” fans.

 

[GBAUTO]

I run the same chiller that you have on my system. I have the exterior of the totes insulated with bubble and my room runs at about 82degF. I use a 700gph mag drive pump to circulate through the chiller and then to the waterfalls. Typically, it will run every 20-30 minutes for about 5 minutes,

 

[fragileassassin]

The dmg is mostly in your utility bill, but yeah running less should help prolong its lifespan too.
Sounds like a solid feed setup plan.
I havent got around to insulating the flower setup like I have the veg one.
I have a 350 or 450 on my 1/4hp chiller. does the job well.