RDWC/DWC build help advice needed

friend of mine has been using 5 gal buckets and changing the water every 5-7 days. Checking the ph/ppm daily. The only bad part is there isn't a way to tie the plants down lst style and keep them in a static place, due to the fact the water changes need to occur. Are there any other alternatives to removing the plant, placing in a new bucket with solution and repeat?

Seems it would be easier to net them up and use some like main tank to adjust the ph and ppm of all the plants. But with a 5 plant system, wouldnt some plants need like 6.0/500 and some might need 6.0/1000 ? Lol. Tried using 27 or 30 gallon totes witha 6" netpot cut in the lid. Worked fine but couldnt seem to keep the ph and ppm consistent. Hard to adjust swings and had to almost daily.

which leads me to another question, When doing a DWC bucket system and using general hydroponics flora trio, during the week you should just add calmag and ph'd water rather than nutrient enriched water correct? OR should you just let the water level drop, and change the res the following week? noobs right? Lol

I use masonry blocks on the floor and use parachute cord to tie branches to the blocks. I can then move the branches around to focus light by just moving the blocks around.

My plants drink up an entire 5 gallon bucket every other day, so changing water is unnecessary for me. So that would be one alternative... Let your plants get bigger in veg stage, so that in flowering stage they are intaking TONS of water.(and nutes) Or use smaller buckets so they drink it all up and then you just have to time it and remember that "ohh by the 4th day I have to water"... Plants stay pretty consistent once you get on their schedule.

One thing about using smaller buckets is that the reservoir will be more susceptible to environmental changes and the temp of the solution and nutrient uptake can get taken out of whack a LOT faster than in a 5 gallon bucket.

I make my mix in another 5 gallon bucket, and then use my dead Mother in Law's 60 year old pink 1 gallon plastic watering can, that I have used for 30 years.... to water my buckets. I just lift the lid a little, slide it over slightly enough to fit the skinny little spout in, and fill it up.

Thankfully I don't have 20 plants or this would take me all fucking day....

in reality looking for a good RDWC system for 4-5 plants. Your suggestion is far too much work, no offense

Im surprised the amount of people that do multiple dwc buckets.The work load is huge.

Just link the buckets/totes together to a res,simple.Plumbing a pump to move solution around isnt that difficult.

Aviator:'
The only thing you could do is what Ganja jack said but for a different reason. If you elevate the buckets enough to get a container under it.. you could get a couple of these.

Get either 1/2 or 3/4 and a small piece of same size PVC pipe and same size PVC ball valve and a 90^ elbo. You can make a simple drain system to make draining the buckets a lot easier because you dont have to lift them to empty them and move the plants.

For filling you would need to elevate a 5gl bucket or 10gl bucket and put the same uniseal on it and as long as it is higher than your DWC buckets you can get a small length of hose (or pump) and top feed your plants after draining. Point is, you dont need to move them anymore.

This is exactly why I built a rDWC system instead of what you are doing.. so much easier to maintain and all the plants have the same nutrient solution.. which is again, another reason to try and grow clones or the same variety at least if you can.

For your other question about "topping off".. I struggled with the same concept when I started. Its pretty easy to fix. You need to makeup a nutrient solution that has everything in it your normally feed and "top off" during the week. Your goal is to maintain the same PH, PPMs, and water level throughout the 1-2 weeks between res changes. So.. when you create a new res and you are doing 800 PPM and 5.8 pH.. you would want to makeup that same solution to top off your buckets in between res changes. Now.. you need to be careful though and test your buckets pH and ppm daily because if you have some problem and your PH is dropping or rising, or PPMS dropping or rising.. or water level not moving... you may need to adjust your "top off" solution. Meaning.. if your pH in trending downwards throughout the week... you would want the top off solution to have say a pH of 6.2 vs. 5.8.

You do NOT want to top off with plain water w/ cal mag. Reason.. if you are experiencing a perfect grow.. and by that I mean water level is dropping, pH is stable at 5.8, and your PPMS drop each day.. if you added plain water you would dilute your perfect nutrient ratio and your plants would start getting hungry by mid week.

I use 5 gallon buckets and have 3 on the go. I do the same as ganja jack said, mix up all the bites in one bucket and feed them with what used to be a baby formula mixing container. As for LST on the buckets, I screwed 8 1/2” long stainless screws into the bucket lid and used them as tie points. That way when I lift the lid to feed the plant isn’t disturbed

Nameynamerson said:

I use 5 gallon buckets and have 3 on the go. I do the same as ganja jack said, mix up all the bites in one bucket and feed them with what used to be a baby formula mixing container. As for LST on the buckets, I screwed 8 1/2” long stainless screws into the bucket lid and used them as tie points. That way when I lift the lid to feed the plant isn’t disturbed

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nutes* not bites

If you are mixing for individual buckets, 5 gallon blue water jugs work great for mixing nutes and pouring in. Fill em with RO, and it's easy to shake and swirl the whole jug with cap on to mix and then pour in. I would always mix up enough extra to replenish thru the week. It would stay fine in the sealed container. For changeouts, a 15 dollar wand type d battery water pump from harbor freight works fantastic to pump out water. It's long enough/small enough to slide the lid over with plant in, stick down in to the base of the bucket and pump it out to another container.

For tiedowns with buckets I took pvc and made a square base that attached to the lid of the bucket. Then ran riser pipe up and made a second scrog level with a wide square and ran string for the net. Kept the plant balanced and strengthened up the top when removing when the plant got massive and heavy.

rdwc makes life so much easier with a top off res and enough water volume to keep the ph and nutes stable. Not having to be constantly mixing and measuring ph and adjusting ph constantly like with an individual res is so much better. Not having to reach in and attempt to pry the lids open (there is bucket lid opener tool thing that is super handy) and dunk a ph pen in 2+ times a day is freaking great as is having the control res outside the tent so you can check/adjust at will without worry of dark hours.