RDWC questions

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Hi Guys and girls.

So I’ve decided for a couple of reasons to give RDWC a go. First time so have a few questions as you can imagine.

I’m intending on growing 8 plants (4x2) under 6 lights.

1. So first of all unsure with pot size. Seem to be 30-60L but if I make my own is it worth making them 80 or 100l each or is there a point where the difference wouldn’t be worth it?
2. Assuming the same capacity would it be better to have a taller and thinner or shorter and wider container?
3. Considering the size how can I work out the power of the pump and water chiller I will need?
4. I usually grow from seed, in coco. Given the change of technique how is the best/easier way to start them? Root cubes or something?
5. I’ve always used Dutch pro nutrients. Kept it simple no need to change what isn’t fixed I’ll maybe look more into nutrient further along the line when I’ve got everything else dialled in. BUT do I need anything else that I wouldn’t usually use. I use their full line but use silicone, rhizotonic and a flushing agent.
6. Is it worth me making my own system or just buying one (was looking at iws rush)
7. Assuming i still keep the PH levels as I would with coco?

Dependant on the answers I get I’m sure I’ll have some more questions so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks I’m advance

[Sal_Governale]

I built my own system 25 years ago using 8 inch plastic underground water main pipe and drilled holes on the top side to fit 6 inch pots. the pump is a 400 gallon per hour mag drive and it runs 24/7, pipes drain into a 40 litre reservoir. the pipes sit on top of milk crates to allow the water to drain back into the reservoir. I have started both from seed and clones, with clones being my preferred method. rooting is in rockwool slugs, that drop into rockwool cubes with a circular hole cut in the center which accepts the circular plugs. expanded clay medium is used underneath and on top of the cubes. spaghetti lines attached to the pump inside the reservoir run inside the drain tubes into the larger pipes, then up through the pipe to the pots. I did this to minimize the possibility of leaks, learned from previous designs I had tried. it has 8 holes, I can either grow 8 small plants or stagger them and do 4 larger plants. it has served me well for many years, and was cheap to build.

[bigbadbillybob]

[QUOTE=THE DARK KNIGHT;1070732378]Hi Guys and girls.

So I’ve decided for a couple of reasons to give RDWC a go. First time so have a few questions as you can imagine.

I’m intending on growing 8 plants (4x2) under 6 lights.

1. So first of all unsure with pot size. Seem to be 30-60L but if I make my own is it worth making them 80 or 100l each or is there a point where the difference wouldn’t be worth it?
Yes bigger pots keep the ph and ec more stable, I would use 60L minimum. If using really useful boxes, the bigger totes mean less chance of roots migrating down pipes
2. Assuming the same capacity would it be better to have a taller and thinner or shorter and wider container?
Short and wide will prevent plant toppling over scenario
3. Considering the size how can I work out the power of the pump and water chiller I will need? Work out the total capacity of nutrient in your system and say its 500 litres, get a hailea HC500, 300 litres = HC 300 and so on. Pump size should aim for at least 1000l/min per tote, so you would be looking for a 9000-10,000 litre pump to allow for reduction caused by pipe bends etc
4. I usually grow from seed, in coco. Given the change of technique how is the best/easier way to start them? Root cubes or something? Yeah I use root it sponges, get the roots out of the bottom by putting the cube in a taller cup with perlite Poke a small hole in the base of the cup to drain water from.
5. I’ve always used Dutch pro nutrients. Kept it simple no need to change what isn’t fixed I’ll maybe look more into nutrient further along the line when I’ve got everything else dialled in. BUT do I need anything else that I wouldn’t usually use. I use their full line but use silicone, rhizotonic and a flushing agent.
I am not a fan of dutch pro, I use Ionic. You will probably need cal mag, silicone grow and bloom that's about it
6. Is it worth me making my own system or just buying one (was looking at iws rush) Build your own every time, save cash and its a better system than most shop bought ones
7. Assuming i still keep the PH levels as I would with coco? Yes,

there you go, now go buy some really useful boxes and grow some trees.
Personally I would just do 6, due to pump limitations,, and they would fill a 3.6 by 2.4 tent easily, so if your tent is smaller than this,......... think smaller

Dependant on the answers I get I’m sure I’ll have some more questions so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks I’m advance[/QUOTE



answers above, hope this helps, but if you're stuck send us a pm

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Thanks for your answers mate. Very helpful.

Will
Be back with more questions shortly

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

The really useful boxes look perfect. So they do a 84L pot and 145l pot. is 145L overkill? or shall i just go for it? If not shall i use an 84l pot as my control pot or should i get a bigger container for my control? does it have any positve/negative impact?

regarding the nutrient capacity.......how much should i be filling each system? just below the net pot or further down?

Will gravity ensure all pots are level?

When i connect my feed pipes and my drain pipes does each pot need to be inter connected or is it just one singular line going from one pot to the next, in a ring in a sense? (hard for me to describe what im saying, will try to depict it with keyboard charachters below hahaha)

the o's are pots, the -, + and I are the lines, imagine the control pot is to the left, off teh screen. i must be madddddd

O-O-O
+-+-I
O-O-O

OR

O-O-O
+ I
O-O-O


Why don't you like dutch pro mate? i've only ever used it so never felt the need to change but im open to the idea.

Regards and again thanks.

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

and regarding 6 instead of 8, the only reason i was going to use 8 is because i was thinking it may reduce my veg time getting them to fill the same space that 6 would? or is it not worth it? more agg with pots, more bends and pipes and all that

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

I usually mainline my plants, love the idea of it and the lovely canopy and even tops, hence why i grow from seed. do you think its worth sacking off that idea and just going from clones?

[bigbadbillybob]

The really useful boxes look perfect. So they do a 84L pot and 145l pot. is 145L overkill? or shall i just go for it? If not shall i use an 84l pot as my control pot or should i get a bigger container for my control? does it have any positve/negative impact?
the 64 or 94 litre ones are ideal, 145 is too big imo.

regarding the nutrient capacity.......how much should i be filling each system? just below the net pot or further down?
yeah just below net pot

Will gravity ensure all pots are level?
yes

When i connect my feed pipes and my drain pipes does each pot need to be inter connected or is it just one singular line going from one pot to the next, in a ring in a sense? (hard for me to describe what im saying, will try to depict it with keyboard charachters below hahaha)

from the pump the feed pipe should ideally go in a ring, but you can split it if needed, but you MUST make sure the teed pipes are equal in length with the same number and size of spray holes

the o's are pots, the -, + and I are the lines, imagine the control pot is to the left, off teh screen. i must be madddddd

O-O-O
+-+-I
O-O-O

OR

O-O-O
+ I this one is better
O-O-O


Why don't you like dutch pro mate? i've only ever used it so never felt the need to change but im open to the idea.
too expensive and didn't perform as well or stay as stable as ionic stuff. their explode is over priced shite too imho.

Regards and again thanks.

answers above.
have you read the rdwc build guide on here?
its got lots of information

seeds or clones? depends if you have somewhere to veg clones for at least 8 weeks in hydro?, I doubt you have, as they would be massive after 8 weeks veg.

as for plant numbers? for an idea, I used to do 4 in a 2.4 by 1.2 tent, vegged for 3-4 weeks and got 1300grams back, under 1200w.
if I did it again I would do 3, and veg them for 4 weeks, topped twice.

[bigbadbillybob]

have a look at page 3 in my last diary -link at the bottom of this post, hopefully.
this is/was my 4 pot system

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

145L does seem a bit overkill i agree. Should i match the control pot to the actual pot size? or is it irrelevant?

as in an inch or two or a cm? Do i keep it at the same level throughout the grow or should it be brought down as the roots grow?

OK well that makes thing much simpler in build terms so im happy thats the best way anyway.

Does it matter about net pot size, what size should i aim for? 10cm, 15cm 20cm, bigger?

been advised the big white stones are best for this system?

Yeah a lot of people have said that about the explode. like i said that was recommended to me for the first tie and ive never looked elsewhere so may give ionic a look. would it be ok swapping nutes widway through a grow as ive got enough dutch prop for at least a month.

most probably but trying to find specific answers to my needs is proving difficult.

Brilliant, so maybe ill just stick with 6 then.

ive seen some poeple using a internal pond pump in the resevoir to push the water and ive seen some people use an external pump to pull the water through the spray bars. unsure about pump setups......

Ill have a look now mate, again thanks for your help.