DWC sizing

HI guys

I have been growing in soil for a while.
I am looking to get my feet wet in Hydro

I grow in a 3x3 tent usually running 4-5 plants.
I see most people running 5gal DWC or large 20-30 gal totes with multiple baskets

I would like to do a perpetual grow with autos so one large res wont work as the plants need different nutes.

I am wondering how long a 5gal DWC can go between top ups. (in full flower)
can it go 3-5days

there are times I need to be gone for 3-4days at a time.

I use 7Gal pots of ProMix I can get 3days between watering, day 4 depending on size/strain she's not happy

thanks for any advice

Bookush34 said:

I am wondering how long a 5gal DWC can go between top ups. (in full flower)
can it go 3-5days

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two days at most...

Terry385 said:

two days at most...

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Wow a lot less then I thought.
would a 10gal give me 4days

Also dose shape of container come into play?

Example

a 5gal bucket 12" diameter looses 1gal and the water drops 4" in the container

a 5gal bucket 18" diameter looses 1 gal and the water only drops 2" in the container?


Could I extend top up intervals buy enlarging the surface area?

week 3/ 4 /5 of flower I add 1 1/2 gal a night depends on root mass most stay small had some get huge

12 gal hdx totes from home Depot. They are like $6 with netpot bucket lids

what I been reading ppl. use tote holds more water keeps ph more stable..

Bookush34 said:

Also dose shape of container come into play?

Example

a 5gal bucket 12" diameter looses 1gal and the water drops 4" in the container

a 5gal bucket 18" diameter looses 1 gal and the water only drops 2" in the container?


Could I extend top up intervals buy enlarging the surface area?

Click to expand...

Well the pot sits into the bucket so a same volume wider diameter bucket will be shorter and will fit less water than a same volume less wide bucket

Terry385 said:

what I been reading ppl. use tote holds more water keeps ph more stable..

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Yah I use the 27 gal ones and they can drink several gallons a day depending on the strains but five gallon will drain fast as they drink

It's the swings that are bigger issues with bubble buckets. Mine we will bone dry in 5-6 days but it's fighting the pH every day that's the pain in the ass

so safe to say DWC is more work then soil.

Maybe step up to 10 gal pots.
Or a water timer

Or is their a better method of growing that I can get 4-5days of away time.

No idea how to soil. I jumped right into hydro.

Do rdwc. My 27gal totes I set beginning of week at 5.6 and by weeks end it was 6.1 so a full week it stayed in range. Rdwc you could have fully automated with a pH controller, float valve with a premixed solution. Only time spent on it would be res swap outs.

Only drawback to a large system is more waste when you do res swap outs. But my nutrients I use are dirt cheap so not a huge deal for me. Last grow I didn't swap out at all and it went OK. I'mma run it again with swap outs to see if I could improve.

Can you do perpetual grow with a rdwc

Just my 2 (humble ) cents
Im a hydro guy(dwc,lpa,nft) except a run or 2 with pro mix (hate it) and a few more with coco ( I dont hate it totally just enough not to lol)

I dont mind nft but there are issues that knock it out (pump failure equals plant death within a short period) and sprayers suck dealing with imo.
Same issues with low pressure aero (i have made an aero/dwc that worked well enough to prove the design to myself and i may revisit it one day. But clogged sprayers suck period.

This leaves DWC (bubble buckets and totes)
Great growth but without some thought and extra pumps constantly topping up gets old,REAL OLD. plus cheap totes and tubs deform like a m@% f&c&er.

This led me to the rdwc road.
Not wanting to spend a bunch on a uc system i decided to build my own 4 site rdwc. (My rooms a mess right now and needs another coat of paint i know)


Pretty self explanatory they are 10 gallon mini brute t cans. 2 inch returns 900 gph pump. Thats pulling from the brain bucket and waterfalls it through a t in each bucket . Im running it with 20 gal but could go a bit more 30+

Theoretically i dont need airstones but im running an alita air pump for redundancy. (Awsome pump btw almost flumes the water by itself with 4inch stones)
My water temps stay right at 70 to 73

I like the idea if im not around for a few days that if my pump fails the airstone will hold it over and if they both go i have a generous airgap so i belive they would be fine for a while (3 day ish)

This is my trial run plants seem to like everything so far.

Now all that said . Im hoping this will be a good system (as good as homade can be).

But ive already been thinking of another system
Based on downfalls of rdwc (which i sorta realized after i built them )

Next system im going to try will be basically a nft table/ flood drain tables (youtube video grow your own easy flood and drain . Very impressive and cheap

Mine will have the ability to recirc or dtw.
My reasons are if it at least matches the rdwc i could reduce my operating costs of my 24/7 recirc. Pumps and my air pumps (might still use a bubbler in the res)

Also i belive it would cut any chances of root rot out of the equation as they would be constantly exposed to air (in a dark environment )

wont have to worry about chillers (at least i dont think so). Only neg would be if the pump went out .if it works right should be able to survive for longer than if an aero or regular nft would

Sorry for the long post its not the gospel just my babling thus far. Hope it helps ha ha

Bookush34 said:

so safe to say DWC is more work then soil.

Maybe step up to 10 gal pots.
Or a water timer

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Not if you set up properly ie way to top up easy and drain out.

I much prefer hydro to messing with dirt or coco .
Just so much cleaner and FLUSHES are a breeze.
Bags and bags of dirt get old imo plus mixing dirt sucks too lol
just my 2

Perpetual would be hard without at least 2 independent resses for veg and bloom but you'd probably just end up giving too much nutes to the young ones while not enough to the old ones (if that makes sense just my opinion )

Cold$moke said:

Not if you set up properly ie way to top up easy and drain out.

I much prefer hydro to messing with dirt or coco .
Just so much cleaner and FLUSHES are a breeze.
Bags and bags of dirt get old imo plus mixing dirt sucks too lol
just my 2

Perpetual would be hard without at least 2 independent resses for veg and bloom but you'd probably just end up giving too much nutes to the young ones while not enough to the old ones (if that makes sense just my opinion )

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I think I am going to try one DWC bucket in my grow. See if I like it.

Got to start simple.

Bookush34 said:

I think I am going to try one DWC bucket in my grow. See if I like it.

Got to start simple.

Click to expand...

You will love the growth NO DOUBT .
Things to consider.
How hot does your room run if over 75 you might be too hot unless you shade the bucket and or insulate it.


If your going with a single bucket i highly suggest going with a heavy duty tote or brute trash can at least 10 gals .

With a 5 gallon bucket when they are full of roots they will drink it in no time and youll only be able to fit 2.5 to 4 gals or so in the 5 gallon bucket.

Things to look for in a dwc container. A way to easily fill and drain . Light tight. Easy to clean . And as heavy duty as you can afford. I have another system next to the one pictured but with 5 gal buckets its ok too just smaller if you want i can get a pic of that one later

2 inch net cups suck when the plant gets so heavy they break through the lid lol

5 gal bubblers are great i still use em for projects but after you run a cycle with them "you learn their limits" but its what hooked me into hydro 15 years ago.
Good luck hope this helps

Edit to add the biggest limitation on a 5 gal bucket is since it fills with roots its hard to get enough dissolved oxygen to FLOW AROUND the roots you need some turbulence that wont be hinderd by root growth like an airstone. The roots will swallow air stone lmao
hence why some peeps get root rot
Just my 2.

I have been lookin at one of those Rubbermaid Brutes. Trying to figure out how to fit it into my grow area.
I am building at elevated platform in my tent so my plants are at a better working height.
I also want to run catch buckets underneath to catch runoff.

the way I have it designed I would have 5 plants laid out like #5 on a Dice.
I would not take much to alter the centre plant spot to hold a DWC bucket.
I could run 4 soil on the outside and a DWC in the middle

Now keeping temps in check should be ok.
My tent is in the basement on bare cement.
the room is 67-70*F all year long. BONUS
The cement temp is 58-60*F as it is a sunken basement.

Do you think having the DWC bucket in contact with the cement will work as a natural chiller?

The Brute tote is 15 1/2" diameter it will fit but be tight

I also found some 7gal food grade buckets that are 12" diameter
they would fit better and the extra height would help with canopy height of the platform and still keep it in contact with the cold cement

Forgot to mention I run all autos due to the hassle of keeping 12hr darkness in my situation
Maybe 7gal is lots for a auto flower?

What do you think ColdSmoke?

7 gal would be fine for a trial run much better than a standard 5gallon because generally youll have an airgap below the net pots that will drop the water capacity to about 4 gals then depending on how fast your roots grow they will start to displace the water till you can only fit 2.5 gals more or less.

And when plants are big they can empty it in a day 2 tops.

Nice on the basment.... easy test put water in a bucket on the floor for 2 days in the loght cycle and see what the temps are if its below 66 or so you might want to add an inc or to of rigid foam under it.

Just read what i said about keeping it easy to fill (which filling can be pretty easy).

But if you have a big plant thats hard to move draining can be a pain (i used to just let mine drink and top up).

I only have exp with 1 auto atm starting num 2
A water farm kit to add to your bucket
is a great way to get your feet "wet" you can plant in a cube in the bucket.
Then the drip ring helps feed it till the roots hits waters then you can lose the dripper.

Just my 2 hope it helps