Air Pump Size or Recommendations? For (12) 27 Gallon RDWC

[DWCFranco]

Hello all, and thank you for your help it is much needed xD.

I am wanting to start a hydro greenhouse, with RDWC. I am planning on 12 plants in the greenhouse, i am looking at 27 - 30 gallon tote for ea plant. I am a COMPLETE NEWB and thinking the larger totes will allow larger growth? And with having alot more water make it easier to not nute burn the plans. still possible, but just an extra buffer for noob like myself, I'm custom building the greenhouse huge 36Ft W-46Ft L- 20 ft H. Again NEWB I thinking more space and higher roof the plants can get as big as they want. Just wanted to throw a little out there so I can find the things that sound crazy or not, but mainly looking for pump size, I wouldn't mind a huge one than can attach to all 12 or buy two than can handle 6 ea, I am mainly looking at the electricity effectiveness b/c growing off grid w/ solar in AZ.

If you cant tell Im trying to grow the most massive plants I possibly can. ( since i'm limited legally to 12.)

ps. please don't be like don't do RDWC for first time, i'm going to be with these plants all day every day, and baby the nutes at probably less than half strength. But if you have an entire arsenal of reasons why no hydro @ first, then I am not going to ignore your experiences so please share either way xD

 

[OldHippyMan]

That seems to be a big tote. Is it sturdy enough to comfortable hold that much volume? The air requirements are out there, I just don't remember where! Sorry.

 

[Kola320]

Wow buddy that is gonna be a big set up you could cut your tote size down to like 10 gal to even 20 gallon and still grow monsters. I only use a 5 gallon and can get 5' plants with ease and still have room in my tote for more root development. If your gonna RDWC with these I would use soaker hose for your air lines should really work good you get small bubbles and big bubbles and really helps move the air threw nicely. Pump size is gonna be your hard thing I'm thinking I seen a 8 bucket system 40 gallons and he was using like a 2 hp pump with the soaker set up for his air lines. You might wanna re think tote size your trying to push 360 gallons of water around as a newb we always think bigger or more is better it's not always the case though.

 

[OldHippyMan]

Thats kind of what I was thinking... 5 gallons of nutrient solution, in a 10 gallon tote. I like three totes to grow 6 or eight plants... connected to a third 5 gallon tote, to make mixing the nutes easy.

 

[Kola320]

I run 5 but I have mine all independent of each other, I found it easier to fix one plants deficiency then do all 5 then I can feed at different levels some indica burn rather easy but some of my sativa plants can take on more nutes, so that way I can dial or try to get each plant where there happy with high or lower nute level. That and I just don't like the idea of trying to clean a whole 6 bucket system tied together looks like a pain and if one gets rot there all gonna have it.