DWC advice needed please

[Serapium]

My DWC system is Killin it. Clones I put in it are three times the size of clones I put in soil on the same day. However, this is creating a problem.

It appears that the root masses are now sufficient to block a significant amount of the water flow back to the res. It's bad enough that the buckets at the beginning of the run are almost full while the buckets at the end are almost empty.

Any suggestions or experience that would help? I've though of putting a valve in the pump line and restricting the flow significantly. How much water flow is really needed?

As you can see in the photos the roots are actually all the way in the main res now.

Thanks for any advice.

[SirSmksAlot]

I put a valve on mine to reduce the flow and also I put some plastic dish scrubber pieces in the outlets of the buckets. This will help stop the roots from growing into your lines.

[Serapium]

SirSmksAlot plastic dish scrubber pieces?

[SirSmksAlot]

I'm not sure what they are called but it's like brillo but plastic.

[SirSmksAlot]

Here you go

[Serapium]

SirSmksAlot thanks! That looks like a good solution.

[SirSmksAlot]

I just loosely stuff a small rolled up piece inside the outlet. And I just give them a rinse every water change

[DW2]

Howdy Serapium, I have been growing in two 'Bubbleponic' style reservoirs (just finishing up my 8th grow). I had some similar problems with roots in my drain valve and water pump intake (submerged pump). I found a cheap and relatively cheap solution for the problem, I bought some plastic (nylon) window screen material in a roll and made screens on the valve and around the water pump to help restrict the migration of the roots causing the blockage. The roots will tend to follow the moving water in their quest for nutrients (the reason for the top feed or drip lines in most hydroponic systems). For pipes, fittings and other round shaped elements, just roll a large enough piece of screen to fit the pipe, squash one end down (like crushing the end of a paper towel roll) staple it closed, then attach the other open end to the pipe or fitting with a plastic zip tie. The longer the screen is, the less restriction to the water flow.

[Serapium]

Thank you for the input! I'll try your screen suggestion on some and SirSmksAlot suggestion on others.

[Serapium]

Thank you guys for the input. It does pose a new problem though. With the roots already basically filling the pipes, it looks like I'd have to do some serious damage to the root systems to get them all back in the buckets where they belong. How much of a problem will this be for the plants?

[gbauto]

None at all-just trim off the offending pieces.