What are some good containers to hold water for a reservoir? I've noticed a lot of totes completely deform from the water pressure. Here are two good ones: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100669782/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 http://www.homedepot.com/Tough-Box/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ5ww/R-202328879/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 I've seen a ton of people use the tough box, and they are awesome, but they only come in 27 gallon. Anyone know of any awesome containers, around the 50 gallon size?
Reservoir Containers
- Thread starter tibberous
- Start date
BendBrewer
Well-Known Member
Not sure about the characters.
I use the Tough Box. Put a piano hinge on it.
I use the Tough Box. Put a piano hinge on it.
I use coolers anymore since I had a nearly lost crop due to high temp nute solution,and there sturdy enough have handles and my latest one is a coleman extreme I got for 50 bucks at wallymart and I am useing it for a dwc now with 1 inch styrafoam insulation for my lid I cut it to fit inside,theres a lip inside an inch down that it rests on wich keeps the top level with the top of the cooler nice and neat I also have some silver backed insulation on top of it to reflect some light and to add a little more insulation to the top,so far its been really easy to keep my res temp between 60 and 70 deg.
BendBrewer
Well-Known Member
Without any type of chiller? What do you use for your 'buckets'?
dont use buckets anymore becuse of the high temp problems I had I use coolers and put frozen gal jugs of water to maintain my temps,I have a access area in the middle to put the jugs in,I only have to switch them out every few days so its not to bad,I tryed to run a 6 bucket system with some square buckets,the kind kitty litter comes in,I insulated the buckets with some 3 inch silver backed insulation and used a cooler for my res but the temp swing was to much for me so I switched to dwc my res is a 150 quart I think? its about 3 feet long and 18 inches wide and about the same deep,I have 8 clones going in it now and im going to see if I can finish them all in there,I dont like to crowd my plants but Im trying out a new system to keep me harvesting a few plants every month on a monthy basis instead of restarting a new crop after every harvest,so far it looks like they are going to be fairly crowded but once I harvest a few that will free up some space for the next batch to go in,not sure if im going to need neting to help hold them up yet or not but im ready for it if i do, allready got one ready to use if i need it
BendBrewer
Well-Known Member
Yeah I need to pick up 9 5-gallon coolers.
ULMResearch
Active Member
What were your water temps at when you lost the crop?
I didnt really loose the crop it was just about finished,might have been a week or so to early but at least I didnt lose anything,maybe a little potentcy but better than no smoke at all,my temps were anywhere between 75 and 85,and maybe a bit higher at times,with temps that high there is less disolved o2 and plants basicly suffocate to death.
ULMResearch
Active Member
Cool, thanks. Trying to figure out how I'm going to battle res temps using 6 individual buckets. My passive intake will be blowing cool air across the buckets and my closet doesn't get over 82 at max. With12/12 I'm just hoping I can keep it 70-75. I really hope that plus a little H2O2 would be tolerable.
your nute solution will eventually rise to or slightly above your room temp in my res it did anyway.and dont forget if your running a pump in the res that will create heat also,one of my coolers can fit an 18 gal tote inside of it with room on each side to put 2-1 gal frozen water jugs on each end I put a little water in the cooler with the jugs and then packed insulation over top of them to seal it up and that worked out real good with the temps,but I wanted more room for plants so Im just useing the cooler itself now,it was nice to change the jugs because i didnt have to put anything in the res where now I do but I can deal with that its not to bad changing them out,the 5 gal. water jugs are real good to just use a cooler for your res,you can put the jugs in it and circulate with a pump,I did the bucket thing but I prefer the big cooler,it just works out better for me than the buckets
ULMResearch
Active Member
I actually won't have a central res. Just 6 DWC 5 gallon buckets. No water pumps in any of them. Only an air pump, hopefully with the air intake drawing cooler outside air instead of warmer growspace air.
The natural properties of water should keep it a few degrees below room temp, at least theoretically... as long as I'm not introducing any outside heat.
The natural properties of water should keep it a few degrees below room temp, at least theoretically... as long as I'm not introducing any outside heat.
BeaverHuntr
Well-Known Member
I use the 5 gallon Igloo sport coolers from Lowe's they sell them and Home Depot too just orange color. They maintain my temps pretty well for at least 3 days. I always keep my water 62-68 degrees
BeaverHuntr
Well-Known Member
I always keep a small little desk fan on the floor blowing cool air into the pump.
ULMResearch
Active Member
Good idea. I had been thinking about just a 20" box fan. It would fit perfectly at the end of the row and blow across them all. Plus Lowe's buckets are silver.. semi-reflective and completely opaque. When it gets winter I won't have any issues. The intake room will be 50-60 degrees pumping into the closet. I may actually need a heater. Kind of ridiculous considering it is 107 outside today...
Niko Bellick
Well-Known Member
I'm with the general consensus on this one. Down here in Texas its 107 today. I have a waterfarm unit sitting in a five gallon igloo cooler with reusable ice packs on either side and my res doesn't get above 65 degrees. I'ts expensive but if you can invest in the giant coleman cooler 82 quart. big enough to fit a body in. http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3026873&cp=&sr=1&kw=cooler&origkw=cooler&parentPage=search
It's only like 20 gallons but it'll keep it cool.
It's only like 20 gallons but it'll keep it cool.