RDWC planned, need advice

I start construction on a new grow in a new location in 1-2 weeks and would appreciate advise from DWC and RDWC growers.

I've grown 6 or 7 successfull grows with DWC, but I have the opportunity to build something pretty nice with my new location.

Here's what I have planned so far:



It'll be a six bucket setup (5 gallon buck w/ approx 4 gallon capacity set by water level maintenance drain lines.

There will be two 25 gallon reservoirs connected by pipe at the bottom. Each one will have around 20 gallons each.

A 25 gallon distribution tank at a level higher than the buckets with an overflow line set at around 20 gallon line.

Basically I'll fill the buckets (24 gallon total) and 20 gallon in each reservoir and end up with 64 gallon nute soup. and cut the water pump on.

My plan is to not have to tend to topping off tanks and to go longer between nute changes.

I'm installing drain lines on the buckets with PVC ball valves to make water/nute changes easier. Basically, I take the hose from the water pump and run it to the drain. Then I can dump each bucket without having to remove the lid.

I may have to put the pump on a timer if it moves more water than my system can return to the reservoir.

Any thoughts, ideas, or possible design flaws?

Seems like a good setup to me.

Looks like a good design. My only suggestion would be to put a ball valve between the water pump and distribution tank so that you can control the output flow of the pump and prevent overflow if the drain lines can't handle the pump output. Putting the pump on a timer might work to prevent overflows, but a valve works better and is easier to fine-tune in my opinion.

Also, do some research on minimizing or eliminating reservoir water changes - it is possible to do an entire grow with just one, or even no, water changes. Should be fairly easy to do with as much water that you'll have in the system. This'll minimize the nute costs.

Good luck!

Dystopia said:

Looks like a good design. My only suggestion would be to put an adjustable valve between the water pump and distribution tank so that you can control the output flow of the pump and prevent overflow if the drain lines can't handle the pump output.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Awesome idea! I would really like to have a steady flow of water and that sounds like the way to go.

it looks like it would work. Im a little high though but it looks well thought out. I have a similar idea for my next grow but its not that elaborate. Im goin to run 4 or 6 3.5g buckets with one bucket for a res. Im gonna hook four buckets together with the proper plumbing and shut off valves and then hook them all to the res bucket and have a pump in the res running feeder tubes to each bucket. its more based on the water pressure maintaining circulation and water level. then when the roots hit water I will remove the tubes from the netpot and just let them run into the bucket to keep recirculating. I dont think it will move the water as fast as yours though, I think I figured it out to circulate like 2g an hour that way. I like the Idea of the buckets and being able to rotate them easier and shut each one off individually if you want and if you have to remove a male it makes it much simpler. goodluck.

Also, and I may be high and not seeing this, but what's keeping the water from draining out of the distribution tank into the buckets and then into the reservoir and then your floor, especially when the pumps not running? You may want to connect the outlets from the distribution tank at the top, just below the top of the overflow drain. Or just skip the distribution tank and connect the pump outlet directly to a bucket and interconnect the buckets.

Dystopia said:

Also, and I may be high and not seeing this, but what's keeping the water from draining out of the distribution tank into the buckets and then into the reservoir and then your floor, especially when the pumps not running? You may want to connect the outlets from the distribution tank at the top, just below the top of the overflow drain. Or just skip the distribution tank and connect the pump outlet directly to a bucket and interconnect the buckets.

Click to expand...

The buckets will hold 4 gallons each before the water level reaches the overflow drain. The bottom reservoirs will contain 20 gallons each (filled initially). The distribution tank won't have anything in it until the pump is turned on. It can't exceed capacity.

I would pump water directly to the buckets, but was concerned about them not getting equal flow. I also might add more buckets on later grows, and thought adding drain lines to the distribution tank would be easier solution...

hey thats a good call their Dystopia. if he wanted to add another empy res down below and just hook an overflow to the empy tank that might work too. but then again I can see myself having quite a few issues trying to keep his design maintained. though I do like the thought. that was one of the things I was looking at with my design is that it wouldnt circulate fast enough but on the other hand the slower circulation may benfit in some way as to stabilize the solution easier or not Im not sure Im gonna give her a shot though just waiting to empy the room.

polishfalcon420 said:

hey thats a good call their Dystopia. if he wanted to add another empy res down below and just hook an overflow to the empy tank that might work too. but then again I can see myself having quite a few issues trying to keep his design maintained. though I do like the thought. that was one of the things I was looking at with my design is that it wouldnt circulate fast enough but on the other hand the slower circulation may benfit in some way as to stabilize the solution easier or not Im not sure Im gonna give her a shot though just waiting to empy the room.

Click to expand...

Water spillage won't be an issue. The bottom reservoirs hold 50 gallons, and only 40 gallons max can be drained into them. The PVC ball valves keep the buckets from draining, and the maintenance line keeps ~4 gallons in each bucket. The distribution tank won't contain anything, except water from the original 40 gallons.

or am I missing something?

ah that makes sense. youll deffinately have to let us know how your trial run works man +rep for the inginuity. I might try something like that but I have to keep my system low do to height restrictions.

TheConstantGardner said:

Water spillage won't be an issue. The bottom reservoirs hold 50 gallons, and only 40 gallons max can be drained into them. The PVC ball valves keep the buckets from draining, and the maintenance line keeps ~4 gallons in each bucket. The distribution tank won't contain anything, except water from the original 40 gallons.

or am I missing something?

Click to expand...

OK, I got you...the distribution tank is empty at startup and only fills up when/if the outlets can't handle the pump flow. Should work fine...

polishfalcon420 said:

ah that makes sense. youll deffinately have to let us know how your trial run works man +rep for the inginuity. I might try something like that but I have to keep my system low do to height restrictions.

Click to expand...

cool, lol. I was sweating it looking at the diagram for something I missed!

I'll do some pics and maybe video if it works.

I went to the store today and found 50 gallon reservoirs that will help simplify my design and reduce leakage problems.

The idea of using an adjustable valve on a T from the water pump was ingenious.

Any other ideas and suggestions? Any interest in me doing a construction pictorial and a grow log once it is in place?

very nice.

If I had the room I'd make some crazy setup.

Yeah dude, defly do a tutorial once it is done. I am trying to do something along the same lines as you, a lot less complex though. This is the tutorial

http://icmag.com/modules/Tutorials/Hydroponics/Art4.htm