HYDRO I need guidance on setting up a single-plant RDWC system+chiller

[msi]

Hey guys, new to the forums but not new to growing or the information on here and I am glad to have a forum to ask for help so here it goes!

So I started growing in coco and did that for awhile and then moved to DWC and now summer is coming up and I thought I could get away without using a chiller but I realized that here in Toronto, we have horrible humidity and heat in the summer and I would not be surprised if I get 28+ degree temp in my tent daily for months at a time once it really starts to warm up.

That being said, I am going to pull the trigger and buy a chiller (ActiveAqua 1/10HP) which I know is overkill for a single plant but I do plan on expanding to 3-4 plants total once I get things set up and understand a bit more on RDWC

Okay so my question is, as I mentioned before I only grow one plant a time which is more than enough for myself and my brother and I originally wanted to just connect the chiller directly into my plant-res and call it a day but I have had growers tell me it's better if I just make a second reservoir (Control-Reservoir I think you rdwc guys call it) and connect the chiller to it and then the connect the control-res to the plant-res (when I say plant-res I refer to the reservoir/5 gal bucket my plant will be sitting on top of)

That being said, I find this entire thing extremely complicated to the point I need to have things explained to me like I am five years old.

I have no clue where to begin and the more information I get from others the more it confuses me so I figured I would get some help from the forums here in hopes of someone having a simple setup with great instructions I can follow.

I will be getting two 800GPH submersible pumps to go with the chiller (the pumps have a control where I can lower the GPH so don't worry) and I will have my chiller arriving a week or two after I order it. I am waiting to understand what I am going to do before I place a big order and spend $600+

Can someone explain to me step-by-step from start to finish in detail what I should do and how to set it up, along with what materials I will need to go buy at Home Depot or Rona? I would greatly appreciate it and I would be in your debt.

I am using a 3x3 tent that is 6 feet tall right now as I grow autos in it and in the summer I will be grabbing a 5x5 and doing more plants and switch over to photos but that's against the point lol.

Thank you for your time in reading this and I really appreciate it. Time is ticking and I am afraid I will be stuck not understanding what to do and every youtube video I see leaves out such huge chunks of information its giving me anxiety

[msi]

Nvm figured it out myself thankfully lol thanks guys, great community <3

[gbauto]

I started with a RDWC system I made using 5 gal buckets and a 10 gal rez. I ran that system for 2 years without a chiller using beneficial microbes to inhibit root rot.
The biggest thing I learned from that was that round buckets are a nightmare to prevent leaks.
I switched to 17 gal totes with a 1/2 hp chiller in a modified UC configuration.
I don't run a 'control' rez, just 4 of the totes connected with 2": PVC. I just use a single 750gph mag drive pump to circulate through the chiller and back to waterfalls at the beginning of the stream.
So.......
I would ditch the round bucket and use a tote. Invest in a bulkhead fitting, plumb your recirc pump through the chiller, and then back to the tote. Using waterfalls eliminates air pump/stones and really simplifies the setup.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bQhvCGoqSV8XvHnN7

[UndergroundFarmer]

What gbauto said. I just finished building my own RDWC. This has been a nearly 5 month project (including the time spent on my first attempt which I wisely abandoned then set up the old DWC totes to get a grow happening). The system I built pretty much requires a reservoir. The waterfall idea is a keeper. Even my old system has a tee from the top of the pump spraying aerated water above the surface to further aerate it. I've never messed with a chiller yet. I think the nutes I use encourage the good bacteria that keep out root rot.