Ebb and Grow buckets converted into 36 site recirculating DWC.

SilverIce9

Active Member
Wanted to post this in case anyone was interested in a easy way (albeit expensive) to build a recirculating DWC. I'm going to journal the first grow using this system.

The Ebb and Grow system in place has been used for 2 previous grows, but I decided to use this space to experiment with something new.

Maybe a couple people here might remember me for my post on the HydroHut death syndrome back in 2007. Maybe not. Either way here are some pics...

The plants were vegged in 3-part GH nutes in 4-inch cubes with a flood table downstairs. They were transplanted into the recirculating DWC system upstairs yesterday.

The Lights - 4 digital lumitek 1000 watts with "Ocho" xxxl hoods
Cooling - 1 10 inch maxfan pushing air through the lights and out of the room
- One 12,000 btu window ac, and one 10,000 ac downstairs pumped into the upstairs flowing room

The reason I liked the idea of this system is the way it accomplishes recirculation with DWC. Most other systems using a water pump to constantly circulate water through all the plant sites. This has the following downsides:
--- if the roots clog any part of the hose, the system will flood everywhere.
---adding nutes can't be done at once, otherwise roots will be burned
---adding h202 can't be done at once either
---adding nutes requires waiting until solution is equally distributed into the system

With this system, the brain bucket is told to keep the buckets flooding all the time, except for one 30 minute interval at night time.

When the system is told to drain at night, all the buckets flood back into my 105 gallon rez, thus "recirculating" all the buckets. Any time I want to add nutrients or PH adjuster or h202 during the day, the system will automatically evenly disperse it into the system during the nighttime "drain" period
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SilverIce9

Active Member
Plants appear to be taking the transplant into full strength lucas formula very well. Some of the 4 inch cubes are beginning to seriously dry out though. Tomorrow I'll see if the small layer of rocks under the cubes are wicking well enough to keep them alive until the roots hit the DWC.

Pics from today.
PPM was 970 yesterday
PPM was 950 today

PH was 5.72 yesterday
PH was 5.75 today


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SilverIce9

Active Member
Any comments, concerns or questions along the way would be awesome. This project is a learning experience for me. If it works out well though, I'm sure the community would benefit as well :).
 

SilverIce9

Active Member
So went to go check everything out today. Looks like all is well. Got a bluelab guardian PH/EC meter all hooked up, and it measures a bit different from my Hanna stick. I attached a pic showing the flood/drain setting to accomplish this.

ppm 880
ph 5.9
temp 69F

Please, can someone please tell me what I can do to make this better. I am driving in the dark with this conversion system. Has anyone ever built a RDWC like this?
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SilverIce9

Active Member
Well, everything is going well so far with the system, as in not even a minor issue. I took some pictures of my external RO rezevoir. I use it because putting a float valve in my main rez doesn't work because of the way this dwc works. So it is easier just to always have a extra couple dozen gallons of RO water at hand to top off my rez with. Topping off takes about 5 minutes with a 395gph water pump, and has to be done every 3-5 days or so (could go to one week+, but I don't like to). Attached are pics from today
.

I'm going to take this from start to finish on here, so buckle down haha.​
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SilverIce9

Active Member
Day 5 of Vegging since transplant from 4 inch cubes. All is well. Pics attached. I think I like the way the plants grow better during veg with the GH 3-part, but Lucas formula is definitely more than adequate for veg. It's slower, but if you have a veg room, the difference in veg growth speed doesn't really matter much. It merely determines when you would want to take your clones.
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SilverIce9

Active Member
Where's my root porn?
Well, I'm sorry to say that the roots have barely even grown into the dwc system. I'll take a picture of one with the lid off to show you. These plants were transplanted from 4inch cubes, and there is still of layer of hydroton to get through before reaching the hot tub :). Pics incoming.
 

SilverIce9

Active Member
Bonus pic until I get over to take pictures at my RDWC. This is my standard Ebb and Grow 36 site bucket system right now. This one is not converted into RDWC. Pic is from this morning. I'll be taking pictures of my other room later today, so hang tight calicultivating.

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SilverIce9

Active Member
Day 6 (veg)
Alright, here are are pics from today. I added a picture of the roots. It's hard to tell due to all the yellow light, but the roots are pure whiteness. Probably due to the 1ml/gallon/day of 35% H2O2 added (every day). These babies are takin' off!

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WeeGogs

Active Member
Any comments, concerns or questions along the way would be awesome. This project is a learning experience for me. If it works out well though, I'm sure the community would benefit as well :).
"I am sure we will" ( eyebrows raised twice with a grin like a Cheshire cat)
 

WeeGogs

Active Member
So went to go check everything out today. Looks like all is well. Got a bluelab guardian PH/EC meter all hooked up, and it measures a bit different from my Hanna stick. I attached a pic showing the flood/drain setting to accomplish this.

ppm 880
ph 5.9
temp 69F

Please, can someone please tell me what I can do to make this better. I am driving in the dark with this conversion system. Has anyone ever built a RDWC like this?
View attachment 2627453View attachment 2627455
you can buy one on ebay uk here is the link to the item number : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/48-POT-DEEP-WATER-BUBBLER-FLOOD-DRAIN-HYDROPONIC-SYSTEM-2-SYSTEMS-IN-ONE-/150683192931?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&hash=item23156b0e63
 

SilverIce9

Active Member
I'd like to take this time to point out the only unforseen problem that has arrised... so far... as well as a solution to it. Diagram attached.

The 105 gallon reservoir sits 1/3 full (always the optimist) all the time, except during the 30 minute nightly bucket drain.

If the water is any higher than that while the lights are on, the reservoir will overflow during the drain period.

To solve, I hung 1/4 inch tubing down the resevoir to the max height the water should be at.

So, when I want to top off, this is how it works:

---Run hose from external RO rez into my 105gallon main rez.
---Turn on pump, takes about 5 minutes to add 10-25 gallons.
---Addback 8ml/gallon micro, 16ml/gallon bloom
---Leave and go have fun.

This is once ever 5 days or so. This system requires no PH adjusting (maybe once or twice during the entire grow). Lucas formula buffers to 5.8-6.1

...Oh and if your wondering how I see down into that tall rez - I have a stepladder permanently next to it, and I shine my phone's flashlight down.

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SilverIce9

Active Member

WeeGogs

Active Member
Wow, well I can certainly vouch for the system. At least for how well it works for the first 6 days, lol. I may have to look into just buying that one for my next grow. Good research!
i have had my eye on this for 6 months while i built my latest expensive grow room currently on day 23 of flower i only have 33 plants in it just now in canna professional soil ( more forgiving in soil when starting with a new room than hydro )with 6 x 600w lights 3 air cooled and 3 not air cooled ( adding more lights later) so i can use the 3 air cooled ones with a temperature regulating computer (for large terrariums) that regulates the temps constantly as i live in a country with outside temps that go up and down like a whores panties. when it gets warmer outside the 3 air cooled lights stay on full cooling permanently alongside the large 8" exhaust fan and when it is cold outside they switch on and off constantly with the computer and when it is freezing outside they come on very occasionally just to keep the temps in check and stop the room going over 28c (82.4f) (barneys farm lsd like these temps with 60 day flower period) the window of margin is 27.5c to 28.5c adjustable on the computer. the actual temps are 25c at soil level and 30c at the top of the canopy (4 digital thermometers ) with 2 large oscillating 9" fans throwing the air around the canopies i am using cheap growth technology ionic bloom nutrients with very expensive canna boost (my 5 litre cost me £160 gbp - $247 usd) adding canna pk 13/14 next week. ph 6.5 ec adjustments made along he way.
 

SilverIce9

Active Member
That is a pretty slick way of controlling temp. Are you using a CAP type computer for that? I don't know anything about soil, so I can't comment except that the plants look fantastic. Here are updated pics from....

Day 7

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SilverIce9

Active Member
Day 8

Stopped by today. All is well. Pics attached. At some point I want to kill the HPS lights to take a decent pic. Maybe tomorrow.

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SilverIce9

Active Member
Day 10

OK, so I ran into my first problem, and I think I need some help with this one... If anyone out there is listening ;)...

I have brown spots developing on leaves of all my plants. Most of the leaves affected are toward the middle of the plant (vertically speaking).

I used a second digital ph meter to verify it wasn't a ph issue from a faulty meter.

The only change since yesterday is that I killed my second AC system, since I was transplanting clones into 3 inch cubes and didn't want unnecessary stress on them.
That's why the water temp shot up to 72F from the usual 68-69. Air is cool in the room though.

Also, my lights were getting to ~12-14 inches away from the plants so I raised the lights. I doubt that was the problem though since the plants towards the edge of the lights are affected just as badly as the plants directly underneath.

Pics are attached. THANKS!

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SilverIce9

Active Member
So I finally killed the lights to take a decent picture of the deficiency. It was not present 2 days ago for sure. Nothing has changed as far as PH or ppm much, so I don't really know what to say about it. I check PH and PPM daily, as well as topping off my rez with add back every few days. The roots look great. The water stays nice from the H202.

Does anyone know what this could be?

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SilverIce9

Active Member
Well, I guess technically speaking...

Day 10

It's 3 am. I had to stay up to foliar feed with epsom salts at 1tbsp/gall with tap water to see if it's a magnesium deficiency. That's when my lights go out. Thank god I don't have to work in the morning. Here are some better pics :). Hopefully somebody takes interest in this!

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