Trying to design a highbred RDWC system

[OldHippyMan]

Greetings,

I'm in the process of building and designing a system based on the stealth Hydro reservoir system. I envision three 10 gallon totes with net pots, connected to a final 10 gallon reservoir without any net pots. I have a 250 gallon per hour pump which will circulate the nutrient solution from the reservoir to the three growth chambers.The three growth chambers will support 6 to 8 plants total, and will use a pump and irrigation manifold to pump newts to the bottom of a rock wool cube.

I know this set up usually has the top of the nutrient solution just below the bottom of the net pot. I was wondering if there might be a way to create an environment in the growth chambers which would allow the nutrient solution to drop several inches below the bottom of the net pots, say 3 inches below.

Specifically, I was wondering if a humid misting environment might be created by pumping lots of air through a number of air stones. I have no idea what droplet size this would produce, but if I hold my hand several inches above the surface of the nutrient solution, it soon becomes wet.

I think this might prevent the roots from drying out, while providing the high growth rates of a true Aeroponics system.

Any thoughts on this approach would be greatly appreciated, and if you are running a system with a few inches of space between the top of the nutrient solution on the bottom of the net pots, how is it working out for you?

 

[Headtronz]

Re: Trying to design a highbred RDWC system.

This will definitely work. I suggest one of the commercial style air pumps with the splitter to feed 6-10 separate airlines. I keep the water close to the bottom of the pots to start then lower levels as they root. One thing to keep in mind is the temp of where the air pump is placed. Don't want to be pumping unnecessarily hot air into the solution to increase the temps. Hope that helps.

 

[Kola320]

Re: Trying to design a highbred RDWC system.

It's a real pain when your roots get tangle together speaking from experience I started that way in a 20 gallon tote with a 10 gallon rez if you ever have to get a male out of there in flowering lets just say there was a lot of cussing and swearing on my part when I had to get the roots untangled

 

[OldHippyMan]

Re: Trying to design a highbred RDWC system.

I'm looking at 575 GPH of air split between the three growth chambers, with two air stones per chamber, and 250 GPH of air in the mixing tote, with three stones. And we are on the same page; start with the level just below the pots, and allow the root system to develop. I will set up the system without plants, and see how much evaporation I get. I think the ambient temp for the air pumps will be about 70 degrees. I need to also see what the resevor temp will run at in the grow room I use. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[OldHippyMan]

Re: Trying to design a highbred RDWC system.

Copy on the roots. I'm looking at a 3/4 return from the growth chambers, and I'm wondering if some kind of strainer (like a small net pot) might help.