Tub choices for Deep Water Culture

[STARTNUM]

im looking to start a grow so my old lady will stop wasting money im gonna build something like the Deep Water Culture thing but im thinking of using a wide tub but a little bit shallow so that the plants can get more space.

any concerns i should be having?
the pic is an example only ill probaly be looking for something a little bigger i just don't want to waste nuets using too much water. i could use a 35 gallon sterolite tub 27x17x17 but that's alot of water


altho now that i think about my big tub could be perfect. fill up the tub 1/4 of the way so the roots can dangle. maybe preventing root rot. and if somin dies easier to remove. maybe the roots don't get tangled. but im no way a grower yet. so i don't know how my hypnosis is true or not.

 

[MostlyCrazy]

You want a tote that is light tight. You can make it light type with some aluminum tape. They use it to join ductwork together. For a first grow it may be best to keep it simple. A 10-14 gallon tote is much easier to manage for a new grower and you can pick them up at wal-mart any day of the week. I like the taller rather than wider versions. Gives the roots more room to work with on a per plant basis. You can always go bigger when you get some experience.

Hav you checked out Roseman's tutorial on Deep Water Culture. It's indexed and will help you with the planning and grow greatly.

Deep Water Culture Tutorial, SH Kit & DIY

Preface, This is NOT a Grow-Journal. It is a step by step HOW - TO, or a TUTORIAL. I hope to share a very detailed tutorial here, with many pics, on growing a pound of dried, closely manicured indica buds in a closet. I will use a store bought hydroponic KIT and also use a DIY 5 gallon bucket...

www.420magazine.com

 

[mule]

I read a grow on this site and the dude used a tub like that, when he pulled the root mass out it was square... Too funny!

I am running a 14 gallon res...




My only concern with the smaller tubs is this... Heat! It's hard to keep the water in the rez under 72* with the big lights and the pump! With the bigger volume of water it's somewhat of a buffer on heat and ph and such... Changes "sometimes" take longer... I like to ph to 5.6 or 5.8 and let it climb over a couple of days or as long as it takes to climb to 6.8 then I ph down and around we go... Smaller tub might need to ph daily?

When I do a rez change I have a bunch of plastic 55 gallon barrels I put the old water in, to save for my outdoor garden in the summer... In case your thrifty like me...

Good luck and

 

[MostlyCrazy]

You're right, mule! Bigger is easier on the fluctuation side but my only problem is hauling the water and you have that problem solved. Uses more nutes but would probably be ok to change every 10 days instead of weekly so it may not be much difference.

Those roots probably grew square to match the available space. Nature just found a way to max out for the conditions like it usually does.

 

[lovethestuff]

I agree the bigger the res. the easer it is to control everything. Larger res. has fewer adjustments...

 

[lengado4]

Hey bro bubbles rules I use rough neck tub they leak less. Had clones that almost died had a bad timer had to do something so I made a manifold with 1/2 " pvc had 1/4" threaded coupler and 1/4 " tubing aped the pvc to fit couplers threaded couplers to pipe and threaded the tubing and cut to length
cheap no need to buy fancy heads for out lets 14 gal tubs work for me 2 plants per tub 1 6 " airstone valve low on the bottom for checking and filling and draining. they work great.
Just finished a grow using ebb and flow worked really good but changing to bubbles for ease. making tubs with 2x4 frame with casters and a 1/2" pvc frame for support for the plants. 2 plants per tub. good luck
with a little luck u 2 can have queens.

 

[MisterPeabody]

The tub looks like in holds 4, maybe 5 gallons. If your grow is in an enclosed area, heat is the only issue I foresee. Matter of fact, that tote looks like a Sterilite, and for my upper chamber, I use one for young clones, utilizing an overhead constant drip system with hydrotron for a medium.

Evolution Of A GrowCab-From The School of hard Knocks
Grow Cab Ventilation Redesign-All About Heat

im looking to start a grow so my old lady will stop wasting money im gonna build something like the Deep Water Culture thing but im thinking of using a wide tub but a little bit shallow so that the plants can get more space.

any concerns i should be having?
the pic is an example only ill probaly be looking for something a little bigger i just don't want to waste nuets using too much water. i could use a 35 gallon sterolite tub 27x17x17 but that's alot of water


altho now that i think about my big tub could be perfect. fill up the tub 1/4 of the way so the roots can dangle. maybe preventing root rot. and if somin dies easier to remove. maybe the roots don't get tangled. but im no way a grower yet. so i don't know how my hypnosis is true or not.

 

[Roseman]

I think the tempearature of the water would be easier to maintain in a deeper tank.
I like a 8 gallon, about 14 to 18 inches deep tank.

 

[MisterPeabody]

I cant disagree here. If it weren't for height limits, I'd have a 50 gallon tank. IF room permits, then the more water (nutes) you have, the EASIER it is to maintain temp.

Evolution Of A GrowCab-From The School of hard Knocks
Grow Cab Ventilation Redesign-All About Heat

Deep Water Culture with Fogponic Contruction

I started off with this design mainly due to it being low profile and small. Cheap Sterilite container I took some 2" site plugs and drilled a hole in them. EZ Cloner plugs fit into the 2"site plugs perfectly. Doing this eliminates leaks at the site plugs. Once the holes are cut in the...

www.420magazine.com

I think the tempearature of the water would be easier to maintain in a deeper tank.
I like a 8 gallon, about 14 to 18 inches deep tank.

 

[MostlyCrazy]

It's always a balance between ease of use/maintanence and providing a steadier environment.

 

[MisterPeabody]

im looking to start a grow so my old lady will stop wasting money im gonna build something like the Deep Water Culture thing but im thinking of using a wide tub but a little bit shallow so that the plants can get more space.

any concerns i should be having?
the pic is an example only ill probaly be looking for something a little bigger i just don't want to waste nuets using too much water. i could use a 35 gallon sterolite tub 27x17x17 but that's alot of water


altho now that i think about my big tub could be perfect. fill up the tub 1/4 of the way so the roots can dangle. maybe preventing root rot. and if somin dies easier to remove. maybe the roots don't get tangled. but im no way a grower yet. so i don't know how my hypnosis is true or not.

If temp is not maintained, root rot is a definite possibility. If you have considered a top drip feed, a simple system can be devised to contain the roots, keep them yet not drown them. One thing I have done in the past is to use a Rubbermaid Med Tub on bottom and place a Rubbermaid Small into it. This will leave around 6 or 7 gallons available in the lower medium tub. Cut 3 holes, two for drain, 3/4" equipped with rootguard drains and one 1/2" hole for the hose from the pump in lower tub. If room is no concern, put the large Rubbermaid on bottom and you'll get around 8-10 gallons. This enables the ladies to remain moist but prevent them from drowning as the small tub holds the roots-while allowing the water from the pots to drip down into the small tub and drain into the med or large.

Evolution Of A GrowCab-From The School of hard Knocks
Grow Cab Ventilation Redesign-All About Heat

Deep Water Culture with Fogponic Contruction

I started off with this design mainly due to it being low profile and small. Cheap Sterilite container I took some 2" site plugs and drilled a hole in them. EZ Cloner plugs fit into the 2"site plugs perfectly. Doing this eliminates leaks at the site plugs. Once the holes are cut in the...

www.420magazine.com

 

[MoonRock]

I would also like to find a res with a larger footpring to spread plants out more on top but more shallow to avoid wasted water and nutes. Typically, to get a tote with more area on top it holds a ton more because they make larger totes with depth since they are designed for storage and try to utilize vertical space. BUT, I think 6 inches is a bit too shallow. I also don't see any reason whey teperatures would be dependent on depth. It isn't a lake.

 

[MostlyCrazy]

I'd think that lack of depth would affect res temps. Heat will come from the top with the lights and the farther away from the light the cooler the water would be. Maybe not much but a little I'm sure. Also with the shorter totes the roots will have to spread horizontally. So figure your standard net pot will take the first 4" at least and that doesn't leave much "dangle" room for the roots before they need to start growing sidaways.

 

[MoonRock]

I'd think that lack of depth would affect res temps. Heat will come from the top with the lights and the farther away from the light the cooler the water would be. Maybe not much but a little I'm sure. Also with the shorter totes the roots will have to spread horizontally. So figure your standard net pot will take the first 4" at least and that doesn't leave much "dangle" room for the roots before they need to start growing sidaways.

Well, if you applied a heat source to the top the water at the surface would heat up first for sure. But in a short time I would think it would equalize. I think you'd need a lot more water than a closet res would hold for there to be temp differences from place to place within the res, more than a fraction of a degree at least. I totally agree on the horizontal spreading though. 12 inches seems a good depth to me but the large totes are deeper than that.

 

[MostlyCrazy]

You'd be surprised at the difference in my res. I just run 6 gal water in a 8 gal tote (Stealth Hydroponics, they are a sponsor here) and I've measured the temp at the top and the botton (12") and there is easily a 2 and most of the time 2 1/2* difference. Max air in the tank helps churn it up better and spread thing more evenly.

 

[Roseman]

Right ON, MC.

 

[ultrasonic]

larger res = less ph swinging + more room for error. However you also need more water + nutrients. Perhaps a larger bin for your first go?

 

[2dialed]

anybody use an icechest as a reservoir? allready well insulated and has a lid strong enough to stand on. also i'm having a hard time finding info on chillers and mutiple tanks. do u need a separate chiller and pump for each tank, or can u use one chiller and pump for multiple tanks with tee fittings and elbows. my freezer is full of 16oz water bottles and i'm having a hard time getting up in the middle of the night to change them out. my water temp goes up to 77f and seem to be getting root rot. it doesnt seem that many Deep Water Culture use or need chillers but my veg tank is on a shelf 4ft off the floor and my flowering light is below it so it heats up

 

[MrSmithster]

im still experimenting with my DIY Deep Water Culture type system. im doing a trial run with some crappy seeds, if all goes well i plan to pull them and start with high quality clones. i had a little warm water issue also. i now have my Rubbermaid 8 gal reservoir sitting in a larger tray filled with about 5-6 in. of water and i can add frozen 20oz bottles of water to the outside tray. the bottles stay frozen longer and never touch the roots. a few drops of bleach in the outside water keeps it clean.
i would think an ice chest might just hold in the heat also. some air/water pumps run warm and can heat the tank also. for your lights that are under your tank, maybe try some thick Styrofoam under your tank, its cheap and is an excellent insulator.

 

[MostlyCrazy]

Not experienced with chillers but MrSmithster had a good idea for cooling it off. Most of the growers I see do a variation. I keep my res slightly elavated from the floor and blow a fan directly on it and that is usually enough to keep it in the high 60's to around 70.5.

I saw one grower try a cooler. Problem was that the lid was too think because of the insulation in the lid. The net pot sat too high for the water to get to it. Once you had big roots you may be able to use it for DWC.