70gal RDWC Waterfall update

All 3 of us that have chimed in just love hydro and want to see new hydro growers succeed and stick with it.
Between the 3 of us tinkering with our systems and bouncing ideas off each other, even arguing about it sometimes, we've pretty much tried it all and experienced all the failures. I spent my first year essentially running experiments. I wasted a bunch of cheap/bag seeds and cut a couple whole crops down after veg.
Sometimes we come across a bit strong because of exactly what youve brought up. Weve all had our frustrations with people that we've given solid info to only to be ignored and then they pop up days or weeks later with the exact issues we said theyd have lol. Ive definitely been more direct with the NO, do this.

Airwalker16 said:

Was thinking the same thing! Just shorten it down to 2! Most of us just have a single fall in each container, so even 2 is above and beyond!
This is why I include fragile to these setups..I showed him how to do it, but he's shown me just as much since then!

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Sometimes I just get focused on something and "how can I make this better" and just dont let up until I figure out a solution. Im really glad that I get a chance to put my mechanical creativity to use and help other growers. Sometimes I think about the crazy shit that would be possible if some of us could get together and work a big commercial op or something.

fragileassassin said:

All 3 of us that have chimed in just love hydro and want to see new hydro growers succeed and stick with it.
Between the 3 of us tinkering with our systems and bouncing ideas off each other, even arguing about it sometimes, we've pretty much tried it all and experienced all the failures. I spent my first year essentially running experiments. I wasted a bunch of cheap/bag seeds and cut a couple whole crops down after veg.
Sometimes we come across a bit strong because of exactly what youve brought up. Weve all had our frustrations with people that we've given solid info to only to be ignored and then they pop up days or weeks later with the exact issues we said theyd have lol. Ive definitely been more direct with the NO, do this.

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I hear ya man, direct is always best. I also need this to succeed, I been threw my share of grow failures. This will be my effort of everything I know this time. When I cut them down last time I had no idea it would be years before I could again, ended up having a kid, he’s 4 now. I pretty much spent all that time reading more, planning more. If you go back to airwalkers old post I asked “how the fuck did I miss the waterfall concept threw all my RDWC reading” like wtf lol. Oh well, im here now.

You look to be well on your way to enjoying some nice home grown hydro bud.

Alright, love it or leave it, this is the result. Double pressure and.... I took the air stones out of the sites @Airwalker16. @fragileassassin @rkymtnman. Let me know how it looks now, really wish I did 1/4”. This pump also a non suction pump, I’m pulling a foot vertical with it so that could be a downfall, submerging would fix. Leak is fixed, if it’s going to be alright moving forward, I’m moving on haha. Also found a new use for my 220 hash bag, fishing pvc shavings out of the water.

WATERFALL TAKE 2

J232 said:

Alright, love it or leave it, this is the result. Double pressure and.... I took the air stones out of the sites @Airwalker16. @fragileassassin @rkymtnman. Let me know how it looks now, really wish I did 1/4”. This pump also a non suction pump, I’m pulling a foot vertical with it so that could be a downfall, submerging would fix. Leak is fixed, if it’s going to be alright moving forward, I’m moving on haha. Also found a new use for my 220 hash bag, fishing pvc shavings out of the water.

WATERFALL TAKE 2

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And that video was taken with no air stones? Damn, bro, I'd say you are set! If that's going on in all 4 totes, you've got more than enough oxygenation for your setup. Great work, brother. It's perfect.

Airwalker16 said:

And that video was taken with no air stones? Damn, bro, I'd say you are set! If that's going on in all 4 totes, you've got more than enough oxygenation for your setup. Great work, brother. It's perfect.

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Right on man, glad to hear that and appreciate the help. Yes there’s nothing but waterfalls in the 4 sites, I still have a pump on the main reservoir though, I prob don’t really need? When I was doing it I started thinking about those bubbles popping whatever airs in this room, I agree, it’s just another path for shit to go in.

J232 said:

Right on man, glad to hear that and appreciate the help. Yes there’s nothing but waterfalls in the 4 sites, I still have a pump on the main reservoir though, I prob don’t really need? When I was doing it I started thinking about those bubbles popping whatever airs in this room, I agree, it’s just another path for shit to go in.

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Ya, just use the chillers return line as a waterfall if you're worried. I've never had a waterfall in the res.

Airwalker16 said:

Ya, just use the chillers return line as a waterfall if you're worried. I've never had a waterfall in the res.

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Ahh perfect idea, will do, then I can cut that small feed line to the res and just have the 4 sites on the pump.

J232 said:

Ahh perfect idea, will do, then I can cut that small feed line to the res and just have the 4 sites on the pump.

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Didn't know there was a line to the res off the manifold. Ya get rid of that for sure.

Which bulkheads did you use again?

Airwalker16 said:

Which bulkheads did you use again?

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Referring to my 2” connections? They are Uniseals.

Oh right on. Nightmare to push pipe through. Bit it let's you know they're sealed Well!

J232 said:

Referring to my 2” connections? They are Uniseals.

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Your not kidding, I had to do 10 of them. If you didn’t push straight it would blow the uniseal right threw during max press lmao, that’s something I’m good with never doing again. Prob spent as much time laying on my garage floor as doing them. I prepared the tubs pretty good and the seals have been solid though.

J232 said:

Your not kidding, I had to do 10 of them. If you didn’t push straight it would blow the uniseal right threw during max press lmao, that’s something I’m good with never doing again. Prob spent as much time laying on my garage floor as doing them. I prepared the tubs pretty good and the seals have been solid though.

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Did you not use some soapy water to aid you? Sure helped me a lot. I can't even imagine it being possible without it.
Dry friction of the rubber against the pipe seems like it wouldn't be feasible to overcome.

Airwalker16 said:

Did you not use some soapy water to aid you? Sure helped me a lot. I can't even imagine it being possible without it.
Dry friction of the rubber against the pipe seems like it wouldn't be feasible to overcome.

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Oh yeah, half a bottle of soap and a ice cream pail of water. I can safely assume anything under 2”, is easier and installing in soft plastic walls adds to the challenge. There is absolutely no way you could without soap it’s hard enough with. Even prepped the pipes, really was awkward with the length and size of everything, big.. I had my old lady stand in the tubs and I was still pushing her across the floor before they blow threw, I’m amazed how big they expand when installed. No way that shits leaking. Oh and my favourite part of it all was connecting the sites together, now I have a 25 gallon tote as a handle lol.. shiiitt.

Haha. Well I can say I know your pain. I did it alone, no help, and did 14- 2" and 16- 1.5".

Airwalker16 said:

Haha. Well I can say I know your pain. I did it alone, no help, and did 14- 2" and 16- 1.5".

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Uggh, bulkheads were like 20 plus a pop, honestly if I did it again in softer wall tubs, I would do bulkheads, just because they seem more solid on a flat, I bet I could bend my 2” and blow a seal out... my worse fear..

J232 said:

Uggh, bulkheads were like 20 plus a pop, honestly if I did it again in softer wall tubs, I would do bulkheads, just because they seem more solid on a flat, I bet I could bend my 2” and blow a seal out... my worse fear..

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No fuckin way. You payed $20 A PIECE?!?! FUCK I wish I'd known that I know a place where they're $5! For that price, you should have got bulkheads, homie!

Airwalker16 said:

No fuckin way. You payed $20 A PIECE?!?! FUCK I wish I'd known that I know a place where they're $5! For that price, you should have got bulkheads, homie!

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No no, bulkheads are like 20, I paid about 75 shipped for a bag of 10 uniseals on eBay. I went cheap and did uniseals but would spend the extra and do bulk heads if I had to do it again.

Well it’s been about a week, I haven’t done anything other then give them a bit of calmag, ph and ppm have been steady for a week with no water topup. My only disappointments is the 3 spots that have seedlings. Spent the week training, I have a couple things going on from a topping and fim, manifolds, shit I even have a uneven manifold (smoked too much and counted the nodes wrong lmao). I’m going to do some topping yet to slow down what’s going and to fill it up. I have my giant pumpkin in there, pine tar, random cuttings, my outdoor stuff, weathers wack here. Plants are happy, couple damaged leaves from the ph swing on my drain and fill, live and learn. Still running Lucas @ about 900ppm, front right got a FIM lastnight on its 2 tops.