Grow Mediums Run to Waste questions for you top feeders who don't recirculate (upcoming grow, planning in progre

[Animatey]

Hey guys,

I am planning a grow in July and have some questions about run to waste systems for anyone with experience/knowledge willing to share with a novice.

I'm somewhat familiar with hydro growing, but have mainly done dwc or recirculating systems.

I think with RTW systems, the PH checking can be minimized because the nutrient solution is not returned to the rez after interacting with the media/roots.

I have read they can be just as efficient as recirculating systems in terms of water/nutrient use, so the term run to waste isn't so scary anymore.


Here is what I am planning so far:

• Indoors using canna substra (I think it's also called canna classic/hydro)
• an automated run to waste top feed system
• using hempy buckets with 3 to 1 perlite to vermiculite mix
• 1-2 gallon buckets
• 4-6 plants
• 2ft by 3ft tent, with 5 feet height
• Mars 2 900w (400-450watt actual draw)
• 6 inch ventilation/carbon filter
• watering every other day until run off about 20%

Here are my questions:

1. How long does a run to waste reservoir keep? I am planning on an external rez that will need to hold 10-15 gallons. I need the rez to keep for at least a week. Do I need to aerate it?
2. Will I spend less time checking rez PH and PPM than a DWC or top feed drip? I really spend a lot of time doing that now and haven't had great results so I'm looking to move to something that takes less time...
3. I need a system that I can occasionally leave for a week while I go out of town. I don't plan on being able to leave at every stage of the grow but I am hoping there are stages that are long enough where not much human input is needed into the system for a week. Is this possible with an rtw system like I am thinking?
4. What kind of pump is reliable? I have been using pond pumps and had 2 go out on me in a 6 month period, both at very inopportune times... The pumps were 20$ each, but I would gladly pay some more for better pumps...

Thanks so much for anyone who takes the time to read all of this..

I realize it is a lot...

I really did look all over the net trying to find out about the RTW reservoir, but no one really talks about if you need to aerate it, or how long it keeps or what... There is plenty of info on those things for DWC/recirc systems, but not so much in systems where nutrients are not returned.

Thanks again, and good luck on your grows!

 

[lykaboss]

I have the perfect information for you....

Read this...
http://dudegrows.com/lets-captain-style-baby-part-1/ there is a 4 part artical series that is tailored to EXACTLY what you are trying to do.

Here is a direct link to the capn blog http://dudegrows.com/capn-corner/

After you have read the 4 articles it will answer ALOT of your questions

 

[Animatey]

I have the perfect information for you....

Read this...
http://dudegrows.com/lets-captain-style-baby-part-1/ there is a 4 part artical series that is tailored to EXACTLY what you are trying to do.

Here is a direct link to the capn blog http://dudegrows.com/capn-corner/

After you have read the 4 articles it will answer ALOT of your questions

Hey lykaboss thanks for stopping by! I have seen some of your grows, they are pretty awesome

I read through the first couple of articles, but they cover a recirculating type system not a drain to waste system like I am moving toward. I have used recirculating systems and they are great but I don't think they can have the same low maintenance time as a run to waste system.

Thanks again for stopping by!

 

[Anasazi]

Hi!

I can answer a few questions. Your res can easily last a week but you will definitely need to aerate it with an air pump or circulate the water with another water pump.

You definitely don't have to check the ph like a dwc or recirculating system. I personally only check mine when I refill every week. Leaving for a week should be no problem too, as long as you have a timer on your pump. 4-6 plants on daily feed in your tent sounds crazy btw, your tent is going to explode. Good luck fam!

 

[Waximus]

Hi, Animatey
I use a DIY drip system that drains to waste, and with 4-1gal coco pots, on a 4x4 table, its a right jungle. I would recommend 2 plants for your tent space, and even then , they're going to fill the tent
I use Coleman coolers for my rez containers- insulates, to keep the nutes cooler, and cheap/effective. One cooler, supporting 4 plants, using 4 gallons of nutes at each rez change, lasts me 5-6 days. My timers are set to feed 5xday, for 60 seconds. You can see the system in my Waximus2015 link, in my signature, below
You will absolutely need to aerate the rez- both for pH stability as well as disolved oxygen for the plants. And, if it gets really hot in your grow space, a rez chiller or at least frozen bottles in the rez, might be needed to keep the rez juice below 74 degrees. Any higher, and the probability of algea/gunk/bacteria bloom goes up dramatically.
Hope that helps

 

[Animatey]

Hi!

I can answer a few questions. Your res can easily last a week but you will definitely need to aerate it with an air pump or circulate the water with another water pump.

You definitely don't have to check the ph like a dwc or recirculating system. I personally only check mine when I refill every week. Leaving for a week should be no problem too, as long as you have a timer on your pump. 4-6 plants on daily feed in your tent sounds crazy btw, your tent is going to explode. Good luck fam!

Hi, Animatey
I use a DIY drip system that drains to waste, and with 4-1gal coco pots, on a 4x4 table, its a right jungle. I would recommend 2 plants for your tent space, and even then , they're going to fill the tent
I use Coleman coolers for my rez containers- insulates, to keep the nutes cooler, and cheap/effective. One cooler, supporting 4 plants, using 4 gallons of nutes at each rez change, lasts me 5-6 days. My timers are set to feed 5xday, for 60 seconds. You can see the system in my Waximus2015 link, in my signature, below
You will absolutely need to aerate the rez- both for pH stability as well as disolved oxygen for the plants. And, if it gets really hot in your grow space, a rez chiller or at least frozen bottles in the rez, might be needed to keep the rez juice below 74 degrees. Any higher, and the probability of algea/gunk/bacteria bloom goes up dramatically.
Hope that helps

Guys thanks very much this is great info!

I didn't get a chance to read through until yesterday, but I am very glad I did as I was planning on 8 plants now HAHA... ok.. I got problems...


Since the aeration is necessary: can you tell me how often it is required? Do you do it 24/7? Or only at feeding time?


As far as the plant count... I thought 8 would be ok because... I was going to use 1 gallon pots with a hempy mix...

I am using sweet seeds fast version seeds for now, and only planning to veg them for 20 days (or less) like jaypp did in his fast version journals.

Maybe I really didn't get a good perspective for how big his tent was, but I thought maybe I could fit 8 like that in my 2x3 foot tent lol........

I really need to start hitting numbers so I can stop trips to the dealer altogether, and I can't seem to be able to push single plants past maybe 2 ounces each... so I figure I need to increase the plant count...

I need to pull 2g a day out of 2x3x5 foot tent space with 400w... is that crazy? Am I reaching for impossible with automated hempies?

Thank you very much for taking the time to read through these guys! Huge help!

 

[Waximus]

Hey, Bro
24/7 on the rez aeriation. It keeps the bad out, and what carbon based life form doesn't love the oxygen
Figuring a 70 day growth, you should be able to yield 3.5-4oz from 2 plants, with the right conditions and good strains, under 400w. Once I got it sorted, I was able to get 4-5oz from 2 plants under 280 watts of LED. It'll come, and doing it hydro is likely the fastest way to grow them big, as well
My best advice is.. don't focus on the yield, focus on the plants needs-from day 1, and the yields will take care of themselves Early on, a dear mentor friend of mine told me, "If you want the biggest buds, look at the leaves-daily, and stop staring at the buds." His point.. take care of the plant. Its purpose in life is to create those buds. We just gotta get the plant there, in happy shape.
I can't wait to share the journal with you, Bro! This will rock!

 

[JAYAR]

bro u need to reevaluate... i grow in 1 gal pot the plants get huge i fit 2 in 3x3 tent with 180w light. Yield 4+oz each. with 400w light in 2x3 tent u can grow 1 plant only in a 1 gallon pot. if u get even 1 gram per watt u will have 400 grams. Thats alot of light bro no way you can fit 8.

Since u dont like to ph get some ph perfect nutes u dont check ph levels at all. Also u wont get huge yields watering every other day. If i were u id grow in pure coco or coco/perlite mix instead of vermiculite. U need to increase feeding up to multiple times per day to get huge yields.

 

[JAYAR]

I have used recirculating systems and they are great but I don't think they can have the same low maintenance time as a run to waste system.

Not true at all. I recycle nutes and only add fresh solution every 5 days in my setup. DTW you're gonna be dumping nutes all the time.

 

[Anasazi]

Yea I don't think I'd try more than 3 plants in that tent and 3 might be pushing it. It's really hard to tell sometimes. I did a 12/12 from seed grow and it was the only plant in my 3x3 tent from like day 20 on or something like that. That plant ended up taking up the whole tent and yielded 100 grams. I also just had 4 plants in a 3x3 and it was a crowded nightmare. I'm never doing 4 plants at the same age again lol.

One cool thing about doing less plants though is you should have a little room to start a new girl or 2 and get a perpetual harvest going. Maybe 40 days into flower you can start a new one. Even if you have only 1 tent and are doing photo's, 12/12 from seed is seriously viable with hybrid sativa/indica and sativa strains.


Also I agree with jay, if you can get coco instead you should do it. Coco/perlite is nice! One thing to remember about dtw though is you can buy some drip clean and never have to water to run off. You can save a lot of water/nutes which would make your res last even longer and save on the waste. I just bought a small bottle after doing some research and I'm so excited to start using it. Not really supposed to introduce it in middle of grow as it releases salts in the medium but my current girl is already suffering from some salt build up problems so I said screw it and did it. Things haven't gotten worse yet and the shit is supposed to last forever. Only need like 2ml for a 5 gal res so a bottle of 250ml will last a while.