Grow Mediums Hydro-newb help
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Muddy
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My 8 gallon bucket system does use 2" piping. The Current Culture 13 gallon systems use 3". What size to use will be somewhat dependent on the size water pump you use. Your piping will need to be large enough so that there is little or no back pressure on the pump. I would think for a 4 bucket system with a small water pump, at least 1 1/2" piping. Also keep in mind that any DWC or RDWC system must be cleaned very well after each grow. So the piping needs to be large enough so that you can run a bottle brush, or something similar, through the piping to help clean it.
In order to recycle the water, the system has to be circular. So piping going from your res, to the first bucket, to the second, etc, then from the last bucket back to the res. The pump can be inserted anywhere in the line. Where the CC systems use 2,3 or more buckets side by side, in your case you could have them in a line with a pipe going from the last bucket back to the res. That's one of the beauties of DIY, you can design it any way you choose.
Ok, so if i dont get an inline pump i can put it in the first bucket?
For the feed line im just gonna use 2'', for my return could I use 1/2'' or would that be to small?
I have feed lines coming from both sides of the main res, into each first bucket, then from the first buckets to the second are 2'' feed lines, then from the last two buckets, I run my return line into a T connector,
run the first two buckets into the return line with a 4 way connector, then empty the return above the water line in the main res.
I havent determined the length of PVC im gonna need yet though.
? how would I figure out how much pvc to get?
Make your draving-plans in scale. 1/10
1mm = 10cm Sorry im on the metric scale but same same
1cm = 10cm and so on
:smoke:
I think a 400gph fountain pump is enough but think muddy has a better idea!.
The higher you have to lift your water = lower gph.
Better to be safe than sorry / get a pump you can use if you whant to make a bigger / smaller system.
you can always get a dimmer. and turn it down.
alternatives to uniseals. could be grommets
About your drawing take a look at the site (link from muddy)
look at the UC6XXL. That was the best picture i could look at.
See how the line goes from the back middle to the water pump.
i nice even flow from front buckets to back bucket and back to the "controller"
I think thats the way to go. but thats only my "My 2 cents".
:Sharing One:
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Muddy
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Sorry, but that's not going to work the way you have it laid out. Perhaps this will help:
The water flows out of the res into the pvc, into one bucket, to the next, to the next until it reaches the end with the T. It then flows through the return line, through the pump, and back into the res. There are no return lines attached to each bucket, only from the end manifold. The red arrows in the drawing indicate the path of the water flow. You should have air stones in the res and in each bucket. The smaller black lines show the path of the air tubes. The air pump is shown as the black rectangle with the blue outline to the right of the res. It connects to an air manifold, then the air lines run from there to each bucket. The water return it attached high up on the res, and the feed line near the bottom. I would also suggest adding an in line filter like the one shown on the bottom left. I've seen them on eBay for about $10.
I would also suggest you add a water chiller. To avoid problems like root rot, system temps need to stay in the 65 to 70 degree (70 °C = 158 °F) range. I have mine installed after the pump but before the res. So the return water flows through the chiller, then the pump, then into the res.
Regarding how much PVC to buy, that will depend on how far apart you put your buckets. For growing autos I would think that having your buckets at 18" center to center should be sufficient. My system has them at 25" on center but I'm growing big photo plants.
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Holy crap...I was way off....looks like I got some more studying to do huh? That picture is what I've been looking for the whole time. Ill be studying that, and trying to figure this whole thing out...I have a feeling im making it harder than it needs to be.
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