Part Aero, part RDWC ?

Mr. Mohaskey · Jun 9, 2020

In middle of a low pressure aero rail grow, and am not happy with the rail design and res being in the tent. Thinking about incorporating RDWC waterfall design, but instead of water just falling into the buckets and recirculating back constantly with the roots constantly in water, I'd make more like an individual aero in each 5 gal bucket with pipe running the perimeter of the inside of top and spraying down, then draining back through pipes to a res outside the tent.

So basically still an aero, but set-up like a RDWC/waterfall.

Thoughts? Will the roots get too cramped and not get enough feed later in flower?

Like aero, but like the RDWC/waterfall as well. Trying to incorporate the best of both worlds.

fragileassassin · Jun 9, 2020

I did this for a closet grow. Its a 27 gal tote with a little 200gph dc pump. Has room for 2 fairly good sized plants.
It sprays down into the water from the top.
With it setup like this I can still run it right up to the bottoms of the pots or just high enough for the bulkhead.
It worked out perfectly. Temps in it are extremely stable because of the inline dc pump.

Airwalker16 · Jun 9, 2020

fragileassassin said:
I did this for a closet grow. Its a 27 gal tote with a little 200gph dc pump. Has room for 2 fairly good sized plants.
It sprays down into the water from the top.
With it setup like this I can still run it right up to the bottoms of the pots or just high enough for the bulkhead.
It worked out perfectly. Temps in it are extremely stable because of the inline dc pump.
View attachment 4590737

Ya I'm glad that inline pumps are doing so much to keep temps down. Link the pump you used?

Mak'er Grow · Jun 9, 2020

I use a 66L under the bed tote and everything stays inside...2 small pumps seen in pic...1 is for circulating the water and the bigger pump runs the spray nozzles.
Runs on 4 to 5 gal of water and I add 1-2 every day or so through the small top up hole.

fragileassassin · Jun 9, 2020

Airwalker16 said:
Ya I'm glad that inline pumps are doing so much to keep temps down. Link the pump you used?

Been very pleased with this little pump. Makes a little bit of a whine/hum but cant hear it with the closet closed.
1/2" pvc fittings thread right on to it, couldnt have been easier to put that box together.

https://www.amazon.com/ZAOJIAO-Circulation-Brushless-Adapter-Recirculation/dp/B07JD8PXSR/ref=pd_bap_rp_45?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07JD8PXSR&pd_rd_r=6c94b8bd-4289-4238-a5f4-c2611f5d3708&pd_rd_w=ftfQ3&pd_rd_wg=Xr2QP&pf_rd_p=3ebc5773-645a-493d-a42e-700f66807b57&pf_rd_r=C7DW3TBQWGY6Y2NT58R6&psc=1&refRID=6VBX5TPFP0WH8CNH8QX7

Airwalker16 · Jun 9, 2020

Mak'er Grow said:
I use a 66L under the bed tote and everything stays inside...2 small pumps seen in pic...1 is for circulating the water and the bigger pump runs the spray nozzles.
Runs on 4 to 5 gal of water and I add 1-2 every day or so through the small top up hole.
View attachment 4590759

Just my opinion, but I'm pretty sure you could ditch the recirculating pump. The other one spraying and returning water back to the res is MORE than enough to keep everything oxygenated, Buddy.

Airwalker16 · Jun 9, 2020

fragileassassin said:
Been very pleased with this little pump. Makes a little bit of a whine/hum but cant hear it with the closet closed.
1/2" pvc fittings thread right on to it, couldnt have been easier to put that box together.

https://www.amazon.com/ZAOJIAO-Circulation-Brushless-Adapter-Recirculation/dp/B07JD8PXSR/ref=pd_bap_rp_45?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07JD8PXSR&pd_rd_r=6c94b8bd-4289-4238-a5f4-c2611f5d3708&pd_rd_w=ftfQ3&pd_rd_wg=Xr2QP&pf_rd_p=3ebc5773-645a-493d-a42e-700f66807b57&pf_rd_r=C7DW3TBQWGY6Y2NT58R6&psc=1&refRID=6VBX5TPFP0WH8CNH8QX7

Sweet thanks! Looks like I found a 510gph"use"(2200lph) DC pump for that other guys build.

DC 12V Submersible Water Pump, 5M Hydraulic Head Brushless Mini Water Pump Low Noise -40℃-100℃ - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

Mak'er Grow · Jun 9, 2020

Airwalker16 said:
Just my opinion, but I'm pretty sure you could ditch the recirculating pump. The other one spraying and returning water back to the res is MORE than enough to keep everything oxygenated, Buddy.

You are correct with 1 being enough, but the 2nd pump (240L/H @ 12VDC) helps with roots as well...they seem to grow in a circular pattern following the water flow pattern so its harder for the roots to plug up the main pump (600L/H @ 120 VAC).

Airwalker16 · Jun 9, 2020

Mak'er Grow said:
You are correct with 1 being enough, but the 2nd pump (240L/H @ 12VDC) helps with roots as well...they seem to grow in a circular pattern following the water flow pattern so its harder for the roots to plug up the main pump (600L/H @ 120 VAC).

But is that worth the extra heat it produces? That's the question..

fragileassassin · Jun 9, 2020

Mak'er Grow said:
You are correct with 1 being enough, but the 2nd pump (240L/H @ 12VDC) helps with roots as well...they seem to grow in a circular pattern following the water flow pattern so its harder for the roots to plug up the main pump (600L/H @ 120 VAC).

I wish I would have got a picture of the root mass I cut out of my box a few days ago. even though the roots had room to grow out, they grew in a tapering cylindrical shape like they were in a pot. It was really odd to find that.

Airwalker16 · Jun 9, 2020

fragileassassin said:
I wish I would have got a picture of the root mass I cut out of my box a few days ago. even though the roots had room to grow out, they grew in a tapering cylindrical shape like they were in a pot. It was really odd to find that.

Whoa... Ya That is wildly weird, man. Why do you think that happened? Like the whole mass was a cylinder like in a pot for reals?

fragileassassin · Jun 9, 2020

Airwalker16 said:
Whoa... Ya That is wildly weird, man. Why do you think that happened? Like the whole mass was a cylinder like in a pot for reals?

The sprayers made somewhat of a circular water flow under each pot.
They were really dense fine roots, im guessing the water flow kinda spun them into that shape. Was a sizable root for how neglected that plant was.

Airwalker16 · Jun 9, 2020

fragileassassin said:
The sprayers made somewhat of a circular water flow under each pot.
They were really dense fine roots, im guessing the water flow kinda spun them into that shape. Was a sizable root for how neglected that plant was.

And you couldn't just snap a damned pic even with a camera right in your pocket....

fragileassassin · Jun 10, 2020

Airwalker16 said:
And you couldn't just snap a damned pic even with a camera right in your pocket....

it was my first try at STS fem seeds. It made pollen on the 2 branches I sprayed and I made pretty strong efforts to spread it over the whole rest of plant and it never made any seeds. wasnt enough light for good buds on a plant as big as it got so i cut it down because I got mad it didnt make seeds lol

Mak'er Grow · Jun 10, 2020

Airwalker16 said:
But is that worth the extra heat it produces? That's the question..

Actually they produce little to no heat really...the main pump only runs 15 seconds per minute, but the little pump that runs 24/7 is a DC pump and is pretty small.

Mr. Mohaskey · Jun 10, 2020

Thanks for all the replies. I got some time to really refine the plan as I just did 12/12 switch on the current rails. But definitely doing a new design. Heck, the design and build is half the fun anyways.

Mr. Mohaskey · Jun 10, 2020

fragileassassin said:
I did this for a closet grow. Its a 27 gal tote with a little 200gph dc pump. Has room for 2 fairly good sized plants.
It sprays down into the water from the top.
With it setup like this I can still run it right up to the bottoms of the pots or just high enough for the bulkhead.
It worked out perfectly. Temps in it are extremely stable because of the inline dc pump.
View attachment 4590737

Kind of similar to what I was thinking. Did you even bother with the sprayers or just drill some holes?

fragileassassin · Jun 10, 2020

Mr. Mohaskey said:
Kind of similar to what I was thinking. Did you even bother with the sprayers or just drill some holes?

i have sprayers. 90s in the corners, 180s on the outside edges, and just the 3 360s in the middle.

redi jedi · Jun 12, 2020

There is no aero in low pressure aero!

Gardenator · Jun 12, 2020

fragileassassin said:
I wish I would have got a picture of the root mass I cut out of my box a few days ago. even though the roots had room to grow out, they grew in a tapering cylindrical shape like they were in a pot. It was really odd to find that.

Following the food in the shape of the flow of the water, root clones in an ez cloner and notice how the roots bust out in every direction off the stem or a certain direction of the stem because they will literally chase the water or food source, note that the ones directly under the sprayer nozzles are spitting roots in every direction where the ones in the corner of the cloner tend to have roots only spitting out towards the sprayer nozzles... pretty fascinating how they grow and how determined they are to reach a food source.

Part Aero, part RDWC ?

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