GPH for undercurrent DWC

H

henryy

Member
I am building a 12 plant undercurrent dwc with about 150 gallons of water.
What GPH should my pump be so it is efficient?
I was figuring a 1000GPH pond pump.
 
What's your system design? multiple buckets and one controller? One big huge reservoir with roots in it? Parallel feeds, serial feeds?
 
Not having used the system (too complicated), but being aware of what is IMHO its' Achilles Heel, my recommendation is to get a pump large enough to create a fairly rapid movement of nutes through each bucket. Further, I would stagger the I/Os to create more turbulence in each bucket and play with adding sufficient river rock in each bucket to create a mini-version of fast running river water splashing over the rocks to create Chi. Now that would kick ass, but...

In the end, it requires an unnecessarily large rez.

Come by my thread to see the DIY system I developed
 
With 150 Gallons I would suggest a inline pump not a pond water pump that sits in your rez. It has been my experience that pumps in your res heat up the water more than inline pumps. Also With 150 gallons I think 1000 gallon pump is not enough it would only circulate the water 6 times an hour and that's not much of a current with that large of a volume of water. If you can get I cheap or already have it fie but that's he minimum for that much water. What size buckets and rez are you using I have a friend with a 18 site system that only takes 70 gallons total.


Try for 8 to 10 circulations
 
feasy said:
With 150 Gallons I would suggest a inline pump not a pond water pump that sits in your rez. It has been my experience that pumps in your res heat up the water more than inline pumps. Also With 150 gallons I think 1000 gallon pump is not enough it would only circulate the water 6 times an hour and that's not much of a current with that large of a volume of water. If you can get I cheap or already have it fie but that's he minimum for that much water. What size buckets and rez are you using I have a friend with a 18 site system that only takes 70 gallons total.


Try for 8 to 10 circulations
Click to expand...
12, 12.5 gal totes is what my plants will be on, and i have a extra one to have more water and give me more buffer time or less maintenance.
 
PetFlora said:
Not having used the system (too complicated), but being aware of what is IMHO its' Achilles Heel, my recommendation is to get a pump large enough to create a fairly rapid movement of nutes through each bucket. Further, I would stagger the I/Os to create more turbulence in each bucket and play with adding sufficient river rock in each bucket to create a mini-version of fast running river water splashing over the rocks to create Chi. Now that would kick ass, but...

In the end, it requires an unnecessarily large rez.

Come by my thread to see the DIY system I developed
Click to expand...
The drain to waste system?
 
SnapsProvolone said:
What's your system design? multiple buckets and one controller? One big huge reservoir with roots in it? Parallel feeds, serial feeds?
Click to expand...
Haven't really designed it fully yet, I just have 12.5 gal totes. Waiting on my lights to get here and my roommate to move out.
I figured wto worry about the plumbing when i can lay it all down in vision it. I am trying to have a simple and reliable system.
 
henryy said:
12, 12.5 gal totes is what my plants will be on, and i have a extra one to have more water and give me more buffer time or less maintenance.
Click to expand...
I am Pretty sure your water numbers are off.

150 gallons divide by 13 buckets =11.5 gallons of water a 10 in pot has a height of like 8in I don't use them any more so I might be a little off but I am guessing 10in since you are using such big buckets. In this case a 1000gph pump would be fine because you will likely have less then 9 gallons of water per bucket and are looking at 110 -120 gallons of water and believe me that will make a difference on all your math how much nutes you need how big a rez how big a pump how big the tubes between them 30 gallons might seem like a small difference its not
 
feasy said:
I am Pretty sure your water numbers are off.

150 gallons divide by 13 buckets =11.5 gallons of water a 10 in pot has a height of like 8in I don't use them any more so I might be a little off but I am guessing 10in since you are using such big buckets. In this case a 1000gph pump would be fine because you will likely have less then 9 gallons of water per bucket and are looking at 110 -120 gallons of water and believe me that will make a difference on all your math how much nutes you need how big a rez how big a pump how big the tubes between them 30 gallons might seem like a small difference its not
Click to expand...

Oh you're right, I was just using the numbers from the actual container to be safe on size. With this being said do you think I should continue to develop a undercurrent dwc system or do you think I should go with 3 separate drip systems?
After what you said i figured it would be cheaper to go with a drip system i think, but the down side is i wouldnt have enough water to give me that relaxed buffer i wanted. I am wanting something with less maintenance during the grow due to my busy schedule.
 
Hey yall!

I just bought a Danner MagDrive 12 (1200 GPH) water pump, and now I have a similar question. Do you think 1200 GPH is going to be too much for a 5-gal bucket 10 site? Im going to use 2'' PVC for good flow, and run the pump inline.

If I did my math right ; 10 + 1 controller bucket= 11x5gal = 55 gal 1200GPH/55= 21 circulations per hour or .35 per minute.
I'm going to run this system under six 600's, and I think Im going to have somewhere around 280 LPM of additional DO via some high output air pumps Ive got lying around.

Im also wondering if a 5gal control bucket will be OK for this 10 site system, or if I will need to get a bigger reservoir for the controller.
What do you gentlemen think?
 
Your math is correct but you will not put 5 gallons of water in a 5 gallon bucket most use 3.5 gallons or less. So your looking at more like 30 circulations with that pump you could probably not use air stones with that much current.
A 5 Gallon res would work fine.
 
henryy said:
Oh you're right, I was just using the numbers from the actual container to be safe on size. With this being said do you think I should continue to develop a undercurrent dwc system or do you think I should go with 3 separate drip systems?
After what you said i figured it would be cheaper to go with a drip system i think, but the down side is i wouldnt have enough water to give me that relaxed buffer i wanted. I am wanting something with less maintenance during the grow due to my busy schedule.
Click to expand...
you could run 4 - 12 plants in a 100 gallon res depending how long you want to veg. pretty much would be the same thing but wihtout all the plumbing and single containers. they make some 4' x 4' size you could connect a few or do a couple 50 gallon res or whatever kind of tetris legos bullshit you want to come up with. that much water is like a small pond in your grow room and can go weeks between res changes with simple maintenance practices.

https://www.rollitup.org/dwc-bubbleponics/754913-thoughts-undercurrent-vs-multiple-plants.html
 
SnapsProvolone said:
What's your system design? multiple buckets and one controller? One big huge reservoir with roots in it? Parallel feeds, serial feeds?
Click to expand...
PetFlora said:
Not having used the system (too complicated), but being aware of what is IMHO its' Achilles Heel, my recommendation is to get a pump large enough to create a fairly rapid movement of nutes through each bucket. Further, I would stagger the I/Os to create more turbulence in each bucket and play with adding sufficient river rock in each bucket to create a mini-version of fast running river water splashing over the rocks to create Chi. Now that would kick ass, but...

In the end, it requires an unnecessarily large rez.

Come by my thread to see the DIY system I developed
Click to expand...
He
feasy said:
I am Pretty sure your water numbers are off.

150 gallons divide by 13 buckets =11.5 gallons of water a 10 in pot has a height of like 8in I don't use them any more so I might be a little off but I am guessing 10in since you are using such big buckets. In this case a 1000gph pump would be fine because you will likely have less then 9 gallons of water per bucket and are looking at 110 -120 gallons of water and believe me that will make a difference on all your math how much nutes you need how big a rez how big a pump how big the tubes between them 30 gallons might seem like a small difference its not
Click to expand...

Hey guys, I have a similar question. I am currently running a 15 gallon dwc system; roots in reservoir.

I currently have a 20 gallon 02 emitter to boost oxygen levels, a 30 gallon aqua chiller, and a horrible1200 gph submersible aqua pump.. I keep running into the same damn problem, which is fluctuations in water temps/slime...So I desperately need help please!

Can anyone help me find the appropriate external inline aqua pump? 1200 gph seems a little excessive.

Thanks guys!
 
Carlos Elizarraraz said:
He


Hey guys, I have a similar question. I am currently running a 15 gallon dwc system; roots in reservoir.

I currently have a 20 gallon 02 emitter to boost oxygen levels, a 30 gallon aqua chiller, and a horrible1200 gph submersible aqua pump.. I keep running into the same damn problem, which is fluctuations in water temps/slime...So I desperately need help please!

Can anyone help me find the appropriate external inline aqua pump? 1200 gph seems a little excessive.

Thanks guys!
Click to expand...
Is your “o2 emitter” an air pump? If so how many liters per min
 
It might be an actual o2 emitter that turns water into hydrogen and ozone if im not mistaken
I could be wrong about what it makes as its been a while since i looked at them .
 
As far as pump size goes
Im running a 900gph in res pump
And its a 4 site system and i consider it perfect for my size . (Its a bit oversized but not violent)

Running 24 gals total currently lol in 4 10 gallon brutes
 
Hydroburn said:
you could run 4 - 12 plants in a 100 gallon res depending how long you want to veg. pretty much would be the same thing but wihtout all the plumbing and single containers. they make some 4' x 4' size you could connect a few or do a couple 50 gallon res or whatever kind of tetris legos bullshit you want to come up with. that much water is like a small pond in your grow room and can go weeks between res changes with simple maintenance practices.

https://www.rollitup.org/dwc-bubbleponics/754913-thoughts-undercurrent-vs-multiple-plants.html
Click to expand...
Ha ha pond is right

Make sure the floor can support it
 
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