First RDWC build!!!

[MileHighMetalHead1]

After several less than stellar soil grows (yellowing and stressed plants by week 5 of flower producing high quality but mediocre yields at best) I decided i wanted to give hydro another go but wanted something requiring minimal maintenance and supervision, and going the 5gal bucket hydrofarm wasnt going to cut it for me. I wanted to create and be handy so after many hours of scour(ing) and reading i decided to build an RDWC system using 19gal totes and a 27gal reservoir to feed em. I started out thinking i wanted 4 plant sites but settled on two since I am using a 5x5' tent and want to maximize space and also intend to SCROG em'.
Sourcing parts was fairly easy once i found a sprinkler supply shop that carried 3" bulkheads and fittings near my home. (Local home improvement stores only carry up to 2" fittings w/o special order)
I figure ill have around 50gal of solution in my system while rnning so i chose a eco+ 350 mag-drive inline pump for my reservoir return. I will be using 1000w PhantomII digital ballast with metal halide super blue for veg and first 2 weeks of flower before switching to a SuperHPS to finish with.
I just put two ChemDawg beans (found in my last grow from clone) in paper towel to germinate.

 

[Banana444]

Looks good, almost identical to the rdwc i built. I recommend getting a peice of pond filter material and put it over the return pvc in the tubs otherwise the roots will grow right into them and down to the pump and eventually stop your pump. Prepare for those totes to be filled with roots. Looks like its time to fill it and check for leaks. Aquarium silicone works best to seal anything that leaks.

 

[MileHighMetalHead1]

Looks good, almost identical to the rdwc i built. I recommend getting a peice of pond filter material and put it over the return pvc in the tubs otherwise the roots will grow right into them and down to the pump and eventually stop your pump. Prepare for those totes to be filled with roots. Looks like its time to fill it and check for leaks. Aquarium silicone works best to seal anything that leaks.

I kind of planned preventive measures against that. I installed pvc T's on the outflow and have an inline filter placed just before the pump. I may take your advice on a filter for the outflow as well

 

[Airwalker16]

Looks good, almost identical to the rdwc i built. I recommend getting a peice of pond filter material and put it over the return pvc in the tubs otherwise the roots will grow right into them and down to the pump and eventually stop your pump. Prepare for those totes to be filled with roots. Looks like its time to fill it and check for leaks. Aquarium silicone works best to seal anything that leaks.

Nothing stops roots growing down lines

 

[Airwalker16]

After several less than stellar soil grows (yellowing and stressed plants by week 5 of flower producing high quality but mediocre yields at best) I decided i wanted to give hydro another go but wanted something requiring minimal maintenance and supervision, and going the 5gal bucket hydrofarm wasnt going to cut it for me. I wanted to create and be handy so after many hours of scour(ing) and reading i decided to build an RDWC system using 19gal totes and a 27gal reservoir to feed em. I started out thinking i wanted 4 plant sites but settled on two since I am using a 5x5' tent and want to maximize space and also intend to SCROG em'.
Sourcing parts was fairly easy once i found a sprinkler supply shop that carried 3" bulkheads and fittings near my home. (Local home improvement stores only carry up to 2" fittings w/o special order)
I figure ill have around 50gal of solution in my system while rnning so i chose a eco+ 350 mag-drive inline pump for my reservoir return. I will be using 1000w PhantomII digital ballast with metal halide super blue for veg and first 2 weeks of flower before switching to a SuperHPS to finish with.
I just put two ChemDawg beans (found in my last grow from clone) in paper towel to germinate.

What's going on with the line through the wall??

 

[Airwalker16]

For your sake, I really hope those tubs don't bow out when they're full of water all the time. This is why you see most builds being done with HDX totes from Home Depot.

 

[MileHighMetalHead1]

What's going on with the line through the wall??

Rez in separate room from tent. Drain and fill much simpler this way. About 10feet from rez to back of tent

 

[MileHighMetalHead1]

For your sake, I really hope those tubs don't bow out when they're full of water all the time. This is why you see most builds being done with HDX totes from Home Depot.

These totes seem to be holding up well. There is some bow but it doesn't seem to affect the lid fit. Lids seem to be able to support 15+lbs. Hopefully they hold up

 

[Airwalker16]

These totes seem to be holding up well. There is some bow but it doesn't seem to affect the lid fit. Lids seem to be able to support 15+lbs. Hopefully they hold up

If they bow now at first, plan on it getting worse.

 

[Airwalker16]

I hope they make it. Best of luck. If not, it won't be too hard to upgrade to the HDx ones.

 

[Cold$moke]

Looking good

I played with rdwc its a good system of you can keep water temps in check if not seek another system

Other then that and the water blow out warning (happens more then youd like haha) or the f&%#kin uni seals dripping

It looks like It'll grow some dope!

Good luck have fun

 

[Cold$moke]

Oh yea last thing

Everyone loves rdwc cause they are fun to build
Makes you feel like a plumber/scientist lol

But they are a bit of a pain when it comes to cleaning ,drips and leaks, root pathogens.

I find they work great until they dont

Other then that . They're cool but ive had my fun with them but im not in love

 

[5BY5LEC]

I am going with totes and a trash can for a res the next one I build. I want 50 gallons.
Airwalker's right, the roots are gonna grow down your tubes no matter what you do. Make some kind of access hole in your lid because I promise you, that you will be down there to pull roots outta those tubes at least once in your grow and probably twice if your doing it right.
Figure out whether your gonna run sterile or bennies, and hit it hard from the beginning. That will sure make your you are on top of your water quality from day 1.
RDWC is the shit once you get it dialed in. I love going out in the AM and checking the PH, PPM and it being exactly where I expect it to be.
Good Luck!

 

[MileHighMetalHead1]

Filled er up with water for leak test and found a couple small drips. One at the filter that just needed a fitting to be tightened up (fixed) and another more frustrating one at a glued joint that will require a refab at some point. Slapped some flextape over that one to see if it'll hold at least for 1 grow. Cant believe i messed up and didnt get a good coating of glue on it but oh well, next time itll be better.

 

[MileHighMetalHead1]

Looking good

I played with rdwc its a good system of you can keep water temps in check if not seek another system

Other then that and the water blow out warning (happens more then youd like haha) or the f&%#kin uni seals dripping

It looks like It'll grow some dope!

Good luck have fun

Read about alot of uniseal complaints so i decided to use bulkheads. More expensive for sure but reuseable countless times so if i do need to go HDX i can transfer em over

 

[5BY5LEC]

Since your not under pressure a fillet of pvc glue around the outside of the fitting where it joins may seal enough to get you by.

 

[5BY5LEC]

Christie's Red-Hot works well when wet and you don't need primer.

 

[MileHighMetalHead1]

I am going with totes and a trash can for a res the next one I build. I want 50 gallons.
Airwalker's right, the roots are gonna grow down your tubes no matter what you do. Make some kind of access hole in your lid because I promise you, that you will be down there to pull roots outta those tubes at least once in your grow and probably twice if your doing it right.
Figure out whether your gonna run sterile or bennies, and hit it hard from the beginning. That will sure make your you are on top of your water quality from day 1.
RDWC is the shit once you get it dialed in. I love going out in the AM and checking the PH, PPM and it being exactly where I expect it to be.
Good Luck!

Thanks for the info! I plan on scrogging about 18" above pots and im hoping that will allow me to access lids to open and get in to clean roots out if necessary.
Im planning on running sterile to keep it cleaner. Never used bennies prior and seems to work out pretty well. But maybe one day ill want to try something new.

 

[MileHighMetalHead1]

Since your not under pressure a fillet of pvc glue around the outside of the fitting where it joins may seal enough to get you by.

Wish id thought about this before slapping that flextape on it. That stufff is gnarly sticky and seems impossible to remove. Supposed to seal better longer its intact

 

[5BY5LEC]

Thanks for the info! I plan on scrogging about 18" above pots and im hoping that will allow me to access lids to open and get in to clean roots out if necessary.
Im planning on running sterile to keep it cleaner. Never used bennies prior and seems to work out pretty well. But maybe one day ill want to try something new.

I noticed Current Culture buckets have a small triangular lid that allows access to the roots without lifting the pots. This is almost a have to cause trust me once you have those beasts filling your 5x5 and scrog, lifting those lids will be easier said than done.
If you can, I would be sure that leak is stopped. That is another thing you dont want to mess with in RDWC when its really going.