Opinions About This Setup From PA Hydroponics

Full-ish description of my system is above in this thread @pheno.

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Il scroll up I first started in dwc but I got sick of lugging water but i really enjoyed the results

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That’s what started me down the all-singing all-dancing path. I’m all plumbed in, flip switches to drain, mix, operate… the only thing I haven’t done yet is automate the nutes …

But I’m also trying rockwool cubes and top-watering (FloraFlex system). We’ll see how that compares with big honkin’ RDWC….

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ok yeah yeah on a flood table kinda set up like a drip system

I have a “small honkin RDWC”, does that count… lol :+1:t2::v::sunglasses:

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Yea, kinda. Hopefully it won’t be too hard to tune the irrigation so that there’s much in the tray. Others just shopvac the run

Heck yea that counts. What ya got @HappyHydroGrower ?

Finally a post about this!! I love that waterfall system from Gary! I first bought his 4 plant 8 gallon system for my first grow ever, even though it was a bit overwhelming and stressful for being green at growing was definitely worth it. As everyone else has said use smaller net pots, there are no need for a 8 in net pots. I’ve even upgraded to the 8 plant 13 gallon system to grow some massive trees and they still would of been fine in a 6 in net pots. The main problem I had with my rdwc is the water temp rising from the water pump. Can easily be fixed a water chiller but I always end up getting more/better lights if I have the money lol. If you don’t want to drop the money or deal with all the stress get a few 5 gallon buckets and do some dwc you can still get really good relists with it. Otherwise the 4 plant 8 gallon system is perfect for a 4x4 or 5x5 tent. I might copy you @Jungle with your drain setup. I ended up getting lucky I guess and have a runt in my run and end up just cutting it to have access to the system and drain it from there lol.

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Thanks @RedEyedDemon.

The problem I have with my 13gal setup on cinder blocks (for the drain) is that the plant (even before it grows) is already ~2’ off the ground. In a 8’ tent, it gets kinda tight if you have a tall plant.

Maybe that’ll up my LST/HST game. That’s what I’m hoping :).

I did add a chiller this week, though. My lights generate enough heat to keep the tent pretty warm, and the nutes ranged from 73 at sunrise to nearly 80 at sunset - even with hydroguard that’s too high.

I’m afraid I’m going to need to buy more lids and cut new holes for 6" netpots. I made my 8" holes just a smidge too big, sigh.

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Oh wow yeah growing those 13 gallons in a tent does sound like a challenge lol. Im using my spare bedroom as a grow room now and even using the mainlining/manifold technique the girls still be almost getting to close to the lights.

Nice on the water chiller! How loud is it when it’s running? That’s still on my list of things to get but I’ll just stick my frozen water bottles for now lol. My temps luckily don’t get quite up to 80 can usually keep them at 75 or lower. I’m thinking the same about the lids. Tired of going through all those clay pebbles so quickly.

The chiller is quieter than everything except the plants and lights! Unobtrusive to me (the fan noise is constant, the chiller only comes on occasionally)

ETA I just measured 23” from the floor of the tent to the top of the 13g containers.

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I’m so glad I found this thread.

I have the 4x 8 gallon bucket fallponics system. I opted to just buy the buckets from Gary, I found the Current Culture spin-on bulkheads online somewhere significantly cheaper. I cut and glued my own PVC pipe. I used a 27 gallon tote as the reservoir.

The system works like a champ. The biggest problem I have is that the location of my tent only allows access from the front. When it comes time to defoliate the plants, I’m literally crawling through the front two to get to the back two plants. I emerge from the jungle sticky and stinky.

I am in the basement. I have a tee on the water “feeder” hose (the pump from the reservoir). When it’s time to drain, I close the hose going to the tent, open the branch line, and the reservoir pump pushes all the water out through a drain line to the sump pump. Since I do have the “hump” in the system, I have to use a wet/dry vac to get the remaining two inches of water from the buckets. Sucking in a single bucket gets most of it, I just suck the front two buckets - can’t access the back two easily once the trellis goes up.

I got a 55 gallon blue plastic drum to mix my nutrients in. I found that the water coming out of the tap (and through the RO reservoir was too cold - 55 degrees or so - and it was shocking the plants. So now I fill the 55 gallon the day before, let it come up to room temperature (which is about 65 in the basement), then add the nutes the day of changing. I have another pump in the bottom of the blue barrel that pumps nutrients out of the barrel and into the Tee of the feeder hose. I use quick hose connects on all of this so things are easy/quick to change around.

The system works well. Crazy growth.

Note that your best results will be from putting four clones in from the same mother plant. Mixing up things are a recipe for disaster - differing genetics will have slightly different requirements. You cannot feed each plant separately in an RDWC system.

I’m using Advanced Nutrients right now - and they are crazy expensive, and I’m not seeing any significant difference over General Hydroponics trio. My next grow will be Jacks or Cropsalts.

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@StarKiller Pain management places suck! They are such a scam… I had similar issues… I also have horrific back issues…so bad my spine dislocated driving over railroad tracks. It truly sucks when the Dr cancels an appointment, especially to go on the road with a professional baseball team… The insurance, especially work comp, doesn’t take too kindly to delays that extend payments… Even if you refuse opiates they still treat you with suspicion.

I stopped all meds and have been puffin has been much better…once I started growing my own meds, then the fear of a bust went way down… So stress relief in multiple ways…plus after the first grow it more than paid for itself in savings.

I do 4 plants in soil in my basement…i pull between 15-24 ounces per grow… Depending on the strain and techniques used in my 4x4s. With time it gets easier and each grow larger and more dank.

I would suggest indicas and indicas leaning hybrids… They work great for pain and help with sleep.

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Getting ready to start a 4 plant (Godfather OG) 5 gal bucket RDWC system but outside on the south facing part of my house. This is where I’m setting up a NFT Gutter rails system. To keep res temps low, I will have frozen 2L bottles ready to cycle throughout the day. Ambient temps are always at or above 87f. (I feel like a chiller would burn up eventually trying to keep up).

What 400gph internal res pump would y’all recommend? This is my first RDWC system as I’ve only done Kratky and DWC.

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That’s great brother. Welcome to the hydro world… lol

As many troubles as some folks have with buckets indoors, t’ll be interesting to see one outdoors and how it progresses.

I do believe you’re gonna have your work cut out for you. But, with enough time and effort, you can do this.

If you do a journal, tag me in if you will.
Good luck! :+1:t2::v::sunglasses:

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After more consideration, I’m probably just leaving my Res indoors versus trying to keep up with ice bottles. Until I get a chiller anyways lol. I’ve had about 6 years of success with growing different peppers in buckets and am hoping the science stays relatively similar with flowers. Outside is necessary because I just don’t have the space indoors or the extra loot to invest in lighting. Of course, I will have about 100 pepper plants growing around them in the garden to ensure a bit of stealth. What I’m hesitant on is how I’m going to combat bugs. I’m not sure how to start a shareable journal here yet but I’d love to. I will be uploading to YouTube eventually.

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There are a ton of folks here that are more than willing to help you get started and offer help when needed. I’ll tag a few others to help out as well.

@Myfriendis410 @AfgVet @Covertgrower @NUG61 @Newt @kaptain3d @MeEasy @JJ520 @Oldguy @CooterJuice
Good luck! :+1:t2::v::sunglasses:

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We’ll follow along. Who doesn’t love watching weed grow?

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Hellz yeah! Definitely appreciated! I’m pretty stoked that 4 out of 5 cracked and are already in 4” cubes enjoying the summer sun for a few hours for about a week. Then I let them chill in some broken shade the rest of the day. Only using bottled water at the moment and am starting them on ORCA this afternoon.

It gets hot down here! :joy:

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Not sure how hot, but Michigan isn’t usually as hot as anyone south. I really would like to move someday, warmer specifically.

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I know I do! :metal:

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