undercurrent turnover rate

JSB99

Well-Known Member
also, undercurrent never stops flowing, it is not a metered drip system. its a re circulation system, interrupting re circulation will only make for slower growth rate?
By "12 cycles per hour", I don't mean running your pump 12 times in an hour lol! I mean, cycling the total number of gallons in the system, 12 times an hour. Same thing you were stating above with "10x per hr". Not sure how you translated that into incrementally running the pump.

And yeah, I can see how you came up with the total gallons in your system.
 

Cold$moke

Well-Known Member
Agree @oakley1984

I have been told I could have gone with a smaller pump. But i dont regret it except it does have a power draw :)
The temps are perfect in MY setup in my conditions.

I forgot what my turnover rate was . But im only using 24to30 gals and i havent changed it in 4 weeks and shes running smoothly imo lol

But the thinking behind my design was to use less water then the big boys. And provide differnt kinds of enviroments in the buckets...

With my 10 gal brutes my water level is only half way up mabey less .
I pull from the bottom through 2 inch returns

My pump is in the brain bucket and top feeds through a 1 inch manifold that has 3/4 by 11/2 tees in the buckets

My idea that having a big air gap means roots never drown out as they have LAYERS? Of moisture in the 5 inch net cups my stalks are full of aerial roots
Out of the bottom of the net i have both cord roots and FUZZY ROOTS. Which im hoping is beneficial.

I wanted 0 dead spots but then you due research on things like laminare flow and crap thats to complicated lol .

I can load a pic later if you like but if you search you can find one in my thread
"Opinions on chem gro 4-20-39 and other dry nutes "
 

oakley1984

Well-Known Member
By "12 cycles per hour", I don't mean running your pump 12 times in an hour lol! I mean, cycling the total number of gallons in the system, 12 times an hour. Same thing you were stating above with "10x per hr". Not sure how you translated that into incrementally running the pump.

And yeah, I can see how you came up with the total gallons in your system.

lol interpreted it as 12 flow cycles an hour lol, as there are other hydroponic styles that use such methods, (flood tables)
n also, wasnt just, a guess, or even an educated guess on volume... took the bucket dimensions, as well as netpot dimensions, and calculated where the water level should be in relation to the bottom of the net pot, its not 100% exact as well, show me a container/bucket that is identical in measurement at the top, as well as at the bottom.. calculations of measurement led to ~8g capacity in bucket with waterline ~1" below netpot
 

JSB99

Well-Known Member
lol interpreted it as 12 flow cycles an hour lol, as there are other hydroponic styles that use such methods, (flood tables)
n also, wasnt just, a guess, or even an educated guess on volume... took the bucket dimensions, as well as netpot dimensions, and calculated where the water level should be in relation to the bottom of the net pot, its not 100% exact as well, show me a container/bucket that is identical in measurement at the top, as well as at the bottom.. calculations of measurement led to ~8g capacity in bucket with waterline ~1" below netpot
I was originally building a UC, with buckets. When I decided to go up to totes, and triple my water volume, my 400gph pump became undersized. So now, I'm just running an RDWC :). Still works awesome though. I'm going to go up to a 1000gph Danner someday.

I found some water volume calculators online that worked really well for me as well. I made a dipstick to mark the gallons based on the calculators, and it turned out very accurate.
 

JSB99

Well-Known Member
Agree @oakley1984

I have been told I could have gone with a smaller pump. But i dont regret it except it does have a power draw :)
The temps are perfect in MY setup in my conditions.

I forgot what my turnover rate was . But im only using 24to30 gals and i havent changed it in 4 weeks and shes running smoothly imo lol

But the thinking behind my design was to use less water then the big boys. And provide differnt kinds of enviroments in the buckets...

With my 10 gal brutes my water level is only half way up mabey less .
I pull from the bottom through 2 inch returns

My pump is in the brain bucket and top feeds through a 1 inch manifold that has 3/4 by 11/2 tees in the buckets

My idea that having a big air gap means roots never drown out as they have LAYERS? Of moisture in the 5 inch net cups my stalks are full of aerial roots
Out of the bottom of the net i have both cord roots and FUZZY ROOTS. Which im hoping is beneficial.

I wanted 0 dead spots but then you due research on things like laminare flow and crap thats to complicated lol .

I can load a pic later if you like but if you search you can find one in my thread
"Opinions on chem gro 4-20-39 and other dry nutes "
I designed my manifolds to give me as many in and out options as possible, off a single pump, and it really helps with maintenance. I'm using around 55-gallons in my RDWC, and I only do 2 to 3 flushes during a grow. The soup stays really stable, and cooler, with that much water.

20180106_190454-2448x1836.jpg

20180106_190518-2448x1836.jpg

20180108_122553-1836x2448.jpg
 
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Cold$moke

Well-Known Member
I went with k.i.s.s.

Straight runs , no exterior pumps (my temps are fine just didnt want a suprise:))

And air stones as a backup.

But that is some FINE plumbing you did there @JSB99
 

JSB99

Well-Known Member
I went with k.i.s.s.

Straight runs , no exterior pumps (my temps are fine just didnt want a suprise:))

And air stones as a backup.

But that is some FINE plumbing you did there @JSB99
Thanks man!

I'm a practicer of KISS myself. Even though there are lots of valves and pipes, it's really made to make everything else easier.

I use a 70lpm commercial air pump/stones as well as the waterfall. May be overkill, but if either goes out, I have the other to keep things alive until I replace the dead component.
 

Cold$moke

Well-Known Member
Yup 900
Gph pump 1 inch manifold that reduces to 3/4 in the vrtical part of the t then 11/2 outlets.

Makes a waterfall AND flumes the water at the same time. Then i got an 140 lp alita air pump with 4 inch diffuser :)
 
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