New grower with some DWC questions. Please help!!

[mmxk]

Hello, I'm planning my 1st ever grow (thanks to this site for all the great info I got) and I have some DWC questions. Here's a description of my planned setup

Tent: 3x3x6
Light: LED Phytomax 2 200
Seeds: Feminized White Widow and Feminized CB Dutch Treat from CropKingSeed
Training: LST, manifolding (1st grow) and scrog (2nd grow), defoliation
For my 1st grow, I want to take it easy and only grow 2 plants but ideally, I would like to go for 4 at the time. I know I only have room for a 3x3 tent. Hopefully I can get 4 plants inside

My questions are:

What are the main differences, advantages and disadvantages of using 4x 5gallon buckets (1 plant per bucket) or 2x 10 gallon totes (2 plants per tote) or 1x 20gallon tote for 4 plants? My guess are that individual 5 gallon buckets require each a water pump but there's no possibility to transfer root disease to other plants and the opposite for the 20 gallon tote; 1 water pump but all roots are exposed possible disease.

Most systems setup I see don't have a drain valve at the bottom of the buckets/totes. Why? Doesn't is make it much easier to drain them weekly using a drain valve connected to a floor drain via a short garden hose that can be unscrew at the ball valve connection?

Is there some benefits when using larger net pots? I see a lot of 10 gallon totes with 6x 3.75" net pot. If I plan to only grow 2 plants per tote, wouldn't make more sense to use 3 slightly larger net pot? In this setup, I could germinate 3 seeds and pick the best 2 and then use the middle hole to add water?

What are the main benefits of RDWC? Is it worth the extra effort? If I go this route, the reservoir will have to be outside the tent. I have room for the reservoir.

General Hydroponics, Advanced Nutriments or Remo? I want something good but I would prefer not braking the bank.

Last but not least, how high should the water be from the bottom of the net pot at seedling, early veg, late veg, early flower and late flower?

I really appreciate your help. I already have my light (haven't seeing yet) and my seeds are shipped. I just need to fly back home and will decide if I will buy all the remaining equipment locally at my hydro store or go the amazon way. I live in Canada and I'm somehow limited on amazon supply and sometimes prices are better in store.

[DingusKhan]

Welcome! You've obviously done your home

You've pretty much answered your own first question. You only have to pick one. I'd suggest do the simpler one first, with less chance of catastrophic loss. Meaning 2 buckets this time.

If you smoke even a little something (shitty) at the end, you will have succeeded in your first grow.

Pot size is also strictly preference, except if you go bigger than 3.75 you really should top feed your seedling until roots touch the water.

I've let the water touch the bottom of the cups a little until there are roots. That's how I grow clones with shortish roots in just bubbles, but it's a lot slower for the roots to grow out.

External reservoir: not necessarily necessary. I have a submersible pump in my 5 gallon bucket and have used it several times without chilling. Also BOLO my upcoming post on "the schnorkl". Recirc without an electric pump.

Unless you plan to grow monster trunks bigger than the small cup, it will be fine. The 3.75" hole saw is cheaper and much easier to use.

Good luck. Own your decisions and try different things. You will love this even if you fuck some shit up.

[DingusKhan]

I've been following other growers here on GWE for about a year, and have learned so much and killed a few. But here is my veg closet doing both of what you're talking about. And what the heck, soil too.

You got this.

[DW2]

Howdy mmxk, I'm on my 7th DWC grow. I use two 10 gallon totes (one is a Bubbleponic, the other, home made) with six 3.75 inch net pots in each. The larger net pot could give the roots (and the plant) a little more support, but the 3.75 inch work well. Individual plants in their own bucket or reservoir would, as You said, help to prevent spreading of any possible problems from infected plants to the healthy ones and would give the root ball more space. The down side to individual buckets would be more water and air pumps for the grow.
As far as the nutrients, I use the GH MaxiGrow and MaxiBloom (dry powder) line with the supplements (and dosage) suggested by GH on their web site (for recirculating DWC schedule). They are reasonably priced and I have had very good results with them.
Be sure to keep the water very well aerated (I use a quad outlet O2 pump with four 2" x 4" air stones in each 10 gallon reservoir) and keep the water temperature between 65° and 70° F (I use ice bottles, changed out about every 4 to 5 hours).
Good luck with Your growing.

[Madman960]

Welcome to the forum.

They pretty much covered everything. The only thing I will add is that if one or more plants happen to be male, separating the rootballs can harm your other plants. That's why I chose 5 gallon buckets. To each their own. I know you have female seeds, but they can become male or hermie depending on the environment.

Happy growing.

Madman

[DingusKhan]

Oooo. That's a good call, I hadn't thought of that, and I was going to do the big bin with multiple regulars to grow them quick to sex them. I hadn't thought about untangling their roots. I'm glad you said that Madman.

[Grinder]

My questions are:

Most systems setup I see don't have a drain valve at the bottom of the buckets/totes. Why? Doesn't is make it much easier to drain them weekly using a drain valve connected to a floor drain via a short garden hose that can be unscrew at the ball valve connection?

I use 5 gallon buckets without drains. It's fairly easy to simply take the plant and place it into an empty bucket while your dumping the old water. Or if they are in late stage of flowering I use a battery powered water transfer pump. I have found even with drains you still have to dump the bucket because some water remains.

[DW2]

I have quarter turn drain valves at the bottom (side) of my reservoirs. I have the reservoirs up on a stand just tall enough to get a five gallon bucket under it to drain them. Grinder, P/M me and I'll let You know where I got them (don't want to be accused of advertising! LOL).

[DingusKhan]

Yes it makes it easier to drain, and if you stick a tall tube to it, you can see your tank level.

But it also gives you a potential failure point, that if it leaks, or you accidentally break the plastic thingie off in your hand, you will have 5 or 27 gallons of nutrients on your floor and a dying plant if you're not home to witness. And don't forget to keep electrical stuff of the floor (that flimsy pan on the bottom of your tent is a 6" deep tub).

Nebula and many here use the electric pump. It works well.

I lift the lid of 7 gallon sterlite stacker tote bin with my plant in it straight up, rinse it off with the dish rinser a little bit, and set in another bin already filled with fresh nutes that I set aerating before I started messing with the old bin. I also use the half-height bins for young plants (modular, baby!). Takes up less space and nutrients that way. I lift the lid to look in and check stuff.

Try lots of stuff and share what works! And funny stuff that doesn't. It's all good.

[gbauto]

I'd have to go with the buckets and 6" netlids. The totes are great for multiple smaller plants but if you want to grow larger plants, stability can become an issue. I used Nebula's guide when I first designed my 8 bucket RDWC system and I've learned a few things over the past 3 years. 1. Simple is ALWAYS best. 2. Design a system to fit YOUR needs.
My current rig uses simple rubber grommets sealing drain tubes plumbed into a common drain pipe back to a 18gal rez. Simple pond pump plumbed to a feed pipe and then 1/8" drip lines-once I determined where the system hits an equilibrium when it's fired up I can see how much the system holds, so topping off and rez changes are simple. I just use one of the same pond pumps with a drain hose to suck the old nutes out-simple and quick.

[DW2]

Nice! Very impressive set up, looks 'professional'!

[gbauto]

The pic illustrates the "Great Flood of '15"-still havent bothered replacing the vinyl tiles.

[DingusKhan]

Nice. I've only had the luck of tipping a 2 gallon jug in my carpeted closet. Twice.

[mmxk]

You guys are amazing. Thank you so much for the help and all the info

Before I flew back home, I had all of my system in my amazon cart ready to check out. I decided it might be better to check the 2 hydro stores in town. Both offered totally different selections and different advise. I returned home so confused on the equipment I would buy and how I would run my setup. Finally, I did some more, well, way more research and ended up buying online. Most of my setup is different than what I had first planned. I guess it was helpful to visit these 2 hydro store.

The only thing I didn't buy is the bucket/tote system. I want to wait and set up my 3x3 tent and see how it feel. I feel confident to build the tote system but for some unknown reason, I feel intimidated building the recirculating bucket system. I'm now back at work and won't be back home for another 2 weeks. It leaves me time to figure it out.

[Sonnyhad]

Just started rdwc , a different animal for sure.

[HydroKid]

My first grow was a dwc setup. I ran 5 gallon buckets with 8” net pots. Didn’t have any drain valves on mine but would carry each one to the drain sink for nute changes. All my buckets had 4” cylinder air stones which worked well. The nice thing about individual buckets is that you can correct issues with just one plant. If your joining more plants in one bucket or tote then both plants seem to be effected. I’ve since upgraded to a rdwc which is top fed. I installed a garden hose connection to my circulation pump for easy nute changes. Look into Hydroguard, it’s worth it. Water temp is a main concern as well. You have a good base understanding.

[farmerjim]

Hey friends, looking to play with buckets for my 2nd grow... I see references to nebulas tutorial in here but can't seem to find an rdwc tutorial... can someone link me if there is one... if not, may i?

planning to run 5-5gal buckets. 2 inch PVC connecting each bucket thru uniseals. How large of an external res and how powerful of a pump do I need to effectively recirc? Is there a recommended amount of water thatshould be in the system at all times. Does that depend on the strength of the pump?

[Sonnyhad]

You could get the 8 gal container that current culture uses easy enough, and their bulk heads. Everything I have read from anyone using Uniseal says spend the money buy the bulkhead, so I did. Wanna buy some Uniseal? Lol yeah, I bought them then thought better about it and went bulk heads

[farmerjim]

Thanks Sonny! shoot... [insert pic of my 15 uniseals here]... maybe i'll start a not-for-profit that recycles unused uniseals??! I do have some marine strength silicone that I was thinking about using to seal the uniseals... maybe that will help...?

[Sonnyhad]

I doubt it. If you can be certain no movement would happen the Uniseal may work, but bump it while doing a nute change out and it could be a huge problem.