Rdwc setup question

I'm looking into the hydro side of things I'm wanting to build a system like the alien system . My question is and this may sound like a dumb one but if I'm using say a 20 or 25 gal plastic tote for my main Rez and a 5 gal bucket for my control bucket and 5 gal buckets for growing autos or photos , do I fill the Rez to 20 gal the control to 5 gal and the grow tainers to just below the net pots , and also if that's the case when adding nutes do I add them as if there was say 50 gallons of water or just the 20 gal Rez . Basically my set up is gonna be 10 buckets mayb just 8 in a 4x4 could make my tent a 6x4 tent for doin autos . I was wanting to give bout lil more then 1 square foot of growin room per plant .. ... Someone lay the laymen terms on how to set this up , it seems like it should be easy and common sense which I Dnt lack but this kinda has me second guessing my self

yeah, you'll need to figure out how much total water the system holds to determine nutes.

and then the water level is controlled by your control bucket

So the main Rez needs to be the same amount of the total amount of the controller bucket and the containers ???meaning if I have 45 gallons of water space for 8 sites and 5 gal controller does my main Rez need to be 45 gallons or can it be say 20 gal Rez 5 gallon controller ????... So say 25 gal Rez 5 gal controller 8 x5 gal sites 70 gals of water total so I would add a mix of nutes for 70 gals of water to main Rez then just add ph water to the controller and sites am I following that right ... How is the water level controlled with the controller to the 8 sites and does the Rez have a pump connected to the controller bucket ??????

control bucket has normally a float switch for main res to fill it up.

if your control bucket and grow buckets are all level on a flat floor, whatever the water level is in the control will be the same as the grow buckets. they will all equal out.

when i built my rdwc, i carefully measured how much the whole system held the first time i filled it up. base your nutes on that number of gallons

Ok gotcha . So I seen systems that had a high fill and a low drain , I've seen systems that recirc from the same hose , I've seen them with a small 1/4 hose high and 3/4 near the bottom , but I'm wanting to immitate the alien system with heavy circulation and churning of the water idk if this is compelte needed but to me it would keep things better ,, I Dnt wanna spend a fortune but I ain't gonna do it cheap cause I'm really into soil but wanna branch out and try new things have done ebb and flow but want something more ... With a 8 site setup would a 25 gal main Rez be ideal and what is the nute change time frame I no when the levels get low add water , so u add water daily to the main Rez to keep it full and change the whole system at like 2 weeks or one week ...

i loved rdwc. root balls bigger than basketballs. but you have to keep on top of it. check pH twice daily, etc.

mine was like 20 something gallons total. i just changed out once a week.

So u check ph in each container or just in the Rez and adjust there ??? And what size net pot u use I was thinkin bout just using a 4 inch instead of the big bucket lid ones ... And I figure I may use 3 gal buckets cause imma do autos so I think that be big enough and a 5 gal controller along with a 20 gallon Rez ... Do ph spikes happen offen

i didn't have a main res and control bucket. my main res was my control too. i used heavy duty 5 inch netpots.

if you start having root rot or anything else, your pH can be all over the place. and since your roots are always in the nutes problems can develop really quickly.

i hope you are planning on using a chiller. i wouldn't do it without one

Haven't looked that far ahead : how much are those or what can u get by with , ... I have read that with using a main Rez of 20 plus gal along with the controller u have less ph spikes as in no main Rez or even single bucket Dwc ...so u just put the chiller in the controller Rez to keep the rdwc cooler as water comes threw correct

yeah. 65 to 68 is optimal. helps keep root rot away. i still used dutchmaster zone along with the chiller.

mine was about same size as what you are doing. i got 1/10hp chiller. about $300

My room temp were the Rez would be is 65 and 68 degrees night time low day time high would that still call for a chiller and my grow room temps never get over 80 like 78 constant

Would u tbink that 3 gal buckets would be big enough for autos and photo plants if I go hydro , I'm plannin on doin scrog if I go hydro so I figure with photo that would be bout big enough beings my plants gonna be bout 10 inchs mayb mayb a foot before flower , I run a hybrid set up 400 hid 300 w of LEDs , ... When u say u changed ur nutes out every week did u add ph water daily and at day 7 do a complete cleanse .. Also do u do what soil guys call a flush on ur hydro setup ...

if you want consistent results, a chiller is almost a given in rdwc in my opinion. pumps, lights etc will all heat the water up eventually.

Sorry for all the questions I just wanna have a good starting point from experience like urself , some of what u read online only contradicts one page after the next ...

can't say on the bucket size. mine was 2 5 inch net pots per 27 gal tote. 2 totes in flower room, one outside as control. so 4 plants total.

i ph'd once daily if needed. ph will rise over time usually so it was usually ph down

Shadytrees88 said:

Sorry for all the questions I just wanna have a good starting point from experience like urself , some of what u read online only contradicts one page after the next ...

Click to expand...

i gotcha. ask away.

I got a old fridge I could take apart and coil the copper in the control bucket and keep the thermostat to keep it constant . Almost like a keg orator controller

Shadytrees88 said:

I got a old fridge I could take apart and coil the copper in the control bucket and keep the thermostat to keep it constant . Almost like a keg orator controller

Click to expand...

whatever will keep it at 65 to 68 is fine

I gotcha I'll look into chillers forsure ... The bucket size I'll play with ... I'm well involved with my garden it's not hidden secret so when I'm off work I'm around it lol , and when I go to work and when I get home I'm checking so checkin ph wouldn't be issue ... Oh pump size like a 500gal per hour pump for 8 pots and 5 gal controller

I built a pretty bad ass outdoor watering system , instead of drip it's a small half circle sprinkler stake that sprays the size of a 7 gal container , I got it ran back to a manifold and into a 55 gal Rez got a sump pump on a timer beings my water is city and ph is usually 7.5 ish I controll it by the Rez and it take bout 1 hr to pump 2.5 gal per container 8 site setup , works amazing slow water flow to not rush water and make channels in soil evenly waters works amazing set it at 3 am to water and by 4 when I leave for work it's done I can check for any cloges or fuck ups