I need new DWC totes - recommendations?

[HappyDaze]

It's time to retire / replace my tubs before one splits and I have a mess. Currently I've got Sterlite 100 liter totes that work OK, but they bulge a lot and the lids are pretty flimsy. Not all totes are equal, and I'd prefer not to have any leaky or badly fitting lids, and it would be nice to have a relatively flat, vertical side to poke a drain fitting through. The 60liter rez I bought from my hydro store a year and a half ago is crackinmg, so I'm not wasting $55 on a "good" rez again.

I've been to the Big Box stores and the black and yellow HDX totes look ok, but the guy at Home Depot won't let me fill one with water to see how much the sides bulge...lol. The Rubber Maid boxes seem to mostly have raised tops, which are NFG.

What are all you clever DWC folks using besides 5 gal buckets?

[DW2]

Howdy HappyDaze, I have been using the Sterilite ten gallon totes (black or dark blue bottoms with silver (opaque) tops) for several years now. I have them set up like the Bubbleponics, with six 3.75 inch net pots in the lid. This does allow for the top to flex (as the plants grow), so I reinforces the top by bolting aluminum angles to the underside of the tops using stainless steel machine screws and nuts. This has worked out well for me. The main things ,for any tote, are prevention of light infiltration and keeping out the heat (from the lights and grow area).

[abadtrip]

Ziploc weather shield they come in black and have a clip on reinforced l lid with a seal u can stand on it i don't recommend it but u can. i love them I use a variety of sizes for all my hydro needs. Wal-Mart sells them

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ziploc-60-Quart-15-Gallon-WeatherShield-Storage-Box-Available-in-Single-or-4-Pack/45630858?variantFieldId=actual_color

[RagWeedDWC]

I use the Hefty High Rise Pro's, 8 gal. For a small grow they work great for me

[HappyDaze]

I ended up with the 100L HDX style totes, Rona had 'em on sale for < $7... 1/2 off, I'm a sucker for a deal. The tops aren't smooth, they've got ridges formed in them for stiffening, but they'll work.

More shopping for net pots, a grommet and a drain valve and then I'll get the drill out.



Anyone know of a manufacturer that supplies 3.5" net pots that have a big stiff flange?? The baskets I have drop through the hole if the plants get too big. The CZ pots I've been looking at seem great, but are 3" and 4". I'm not really into having a bunch of non-interchangeable parts or modifying my cloner and all my other bin tops to accommodate a new size basket.

[RagWeedDWC]

My setup, Jack Herer seeds, top fed spitter system until roots are established. Totes work great for my space, confined to a space about the size of a large closet. I looked at using the larger totes, but with my shop flooring the weight would be a problem.

[HappyDaze]

RagWeedDWC I'm in the basement, so I'm not worried about the load on the floor, but I know what you mean about the weight. In my flower room I can put two totes, 4 plants per tote within the 1000W light footprint and still have enough room for a couple of dirt buckets of misc. plants in transition but it's tight for maintenance. I've got the totes on 600Lb furniture dollies (from KMS tools $25, you can't buy the casters for that). They let me move the plants around for trimming and adjusting light exposure.

They also fit nice in the tent with 4 plants in veg under 400W HPS. These are 3 clones from three moms ... GSC x Space Dude hybrids from TGA Legends of the Farm series



New housing works great... Green Crck is sharing the light in her 5 gallon cloner bucket for now. I'm hoping to catch her up to the GSC x and flower them in the same tote.