Recirculating Deep Water Culture

If i were to make a change to this setup (which i will), i'd use an inline nute pump instead of a submersible pump. A pump running 24/7 in nute solution raises the nute temperature. I do have mine running every 15 minutes on 15 minutes off, and is working fine, but i'd like it to run 24/7.

So a 5 gallon bucket can be used as a reservoir for plants in 5 gallon buckets ? stil confused about that >.<

yup the resevoir can be any size you want its just the water level will have to be the same as you want it in your plants buckets

Originally Posted by GuLaMaStEr

yup the resevoir can be any size you want its just the water level will have to be the same as you want it in your plants buckets

Wow thats awsome thanks!

The best recirculating system to build i think is by using PVC pipes and a 5 gallon bucket. You build a snake type shape with the pvc pipes and make it like a staircase vertically. Then you have a 90 dgre pipe where your water pump hose end is ( the top part of the pcv staircase ) this is where the water goes into the system. You cap the bottom and drill holes in the cap and the bottom or Top of the 5 gallon bucket is ( the top is better cause it airates the sulution better) where the cap is you attach the PCV snake to the bucket... your solution tank can be adjusted as necessary and water pump depending on size of system. This system runs off gravity the water is held in your tank and the pump, pumps it to the top of the pvc snake and gravity takes over.... I also built damns at each level of the system to adjust the water level in the tube. You use small pots with hydroton (clay pellets) and allow the water level in the tube to reach the bottom of the net pot. I also use a air pump and have the tubing snaking inside of the system, and poke small holes in the hose right under the pot to provide direct oxygen to the plants ( or your c02 system) the air tube must be glued at the bottom of the pipe under the water level so it also airates the sulution as it recirculates.

Heres a diagram

Originally Posted by vermicide

So a 5 gallon bucket can be used as a reservoir for plants in 5 gallon buckets ? stil confused about that >.<

I wouldnt consider a five gallon bucket to be a 'reservoir.' It is just too small to be anything other than a portal for adding ferts and adjusting PH.

Last night we took the five gallon bucket 'reservoir' off of my friends 8 bucket system because it was just too small to do anything but facilitate adding chemicals. We removed it from the system and extended the hoses out to a 30 gallon tote outside the room. This adds about 20-25 more gallons of solution to the system. Before, he was having to add top off water every day. Now he should only have to add water about every two or three days. There is a pump in this reservoir connected to a half inch poly hose that runs all the way into the room to the furthest plant, where it connects to a nipple. The solution gravity flows back through the system to the reservoir.

Make sure you use 3/4 inch hoses and connectors. 1/2 inch hose is too small for the solution to flow back quick enough.

lol...why do people that dont have a clue think they can offer advice? Bro go on youtube and check out "undercurrent RDWC" its about the most simple system design I've seen.

The only draw back to the undercurrent design is that you'll need a top feed if you planning on starting from seed or trying to root clones. This is because there are no airstones in the plant containers, just the res.