DWC vs Drippers

[sleepless]

Hello all.

I am debating the use of dwc or drippers.

So far drippers seem the logical choice for 2 reasons;

1 - heat in reservoir would be an issue
2 - I am often away in 5 day increments.


Looking for experience from those who have used either or.

Thanks

 

[thinkbetter12]

I use a dripper system (like what you'd use outside for planters, small beds, maybe) with a Rubbermaid type tub for a reservoir, timer, pump. It is especially useful while away for 5+ days at a time. It works great, but it can be a pain to navigate getting the drippers into your various pots and moving plants around add to the confusion from time to time. But every once in a while to deal with this resetting of the drippers is minimal drawback to a system that can cover when you're not there to water and monitor. You can include a bubble maker in line with the pump so the water is oxygenated as well.

 

[Rifleman]

DWC needs daily attention. Every third day at the least. I have four plants in five gallon buckets that haven't even stopped stretching yet, and they all drank 15 quarts or more last week.

 

[SlantEye]

I run DWC. I like it because all I need is a air pump line and stone. I run 3 girls in each 25Gal Rubbermaid tote. I can leave them go a week or longer if I need to depending on the size of them and stage of growth. If you run multiple bins and get tired of mixing them batches you can either run a shutoff float plumbed to a refill reservoir or run them in RDWC (recirculating DWC)

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[LEDBud]

The drip would be simple but not without issues , many first timers will place the dripper much to close to the plant causing root rot and death in a few weeks. Its common.

Then there's adjusting the drip so its not too much not too little but just right , it needs to be monitored everything needs to monitored and dialed in as uptake changes.

Both drip and dwc take minimal work

DWC temperatures are not set in stone people use 75*f degrees and higher with success , with enzymes.


I will be trying dwc out next week in 5g buckets and two reserves , but to make it as no fuss as possible it would be much easier to grow the plant in a 20G reserve and not deal with multiple containers , hoses etc etc etc as I am now.

In short I also suggest to use large sturdy totes (not 5 gal buckets) look into the Rubbermaid Brute commercial tote , its made of the same material as 5g buckets HDPE (high density polyethylene) is affordable comes in 15 and 20 gal sizes / 12.6 to 16.6 imp gallons and stands 18 inches tall

Peace

 

[SlantEye]

That's what I pretty much use

 

[DukeO]

I run DWC buckets and three days is about all you can go if your growing good sized ones during the first 3 weeks of flower.

I have some buckets with the water level hoses on the outside. Which are just about worthless for reading the level with.
But I use them to hook two buckets together and then I can go 6 to7 days if I have to.

One other thing I do is defoliate before I leave. It depends how much I do with where the plant is at. But that can help a lot and give you another day or two is needed.

 

[Georgecloney4]

Good topic, I am currently running 4 dwc systems and have been having incredible results. But this is the first time using any type of a water system.

I love you Mary Jane

 

[LEDBud]

What size containers ?

 

[Georgecloney4]

What size containers ?

I'm running mine in black 5gal. buckets, I started the clones in rapid rooter plugs, three of them I'm using airstones, the fourth I'm trying with a pump and sprayer.

I love you Mary Jane

 

[LEDBud]

The buckets are easy enough to move a nice feature that the larger totes are lacking.

I am thinking about using a small submersible pump with a extension tube to aerate a 20G reserve

 

[sleepless]

Wow.

Great info.

Now I'm torn between RDWC and a drip system.

I use drippers and drip tape in my yard so I am familiar with setup.
I'll keep reading and make a decision soon.

May be leaning to the large totes for the convenience when I am gone for 5 days.

 

[Georgecloney4]

This is 9 days after placing it in the rapid rooter plug and into what I call the "master blaster" it's the bucket with the pump and nozzle. The pump is a 280gph pump, with a venturi nozzle. The venturi draws air and mixes it with the water as it's blasted at the lid of the bucket, which saturates every plug in it.

I love you Mary Jane

 

[Dr Fish]

You don't have to be torn between RDWC and drip... My modified waterfarms offer both by using the existing dripring to circulate water from the reservoir.. Gravity returns the water to the reservoir... You can hook up a passive reservoir to a waterfarm or 5 gal bucket without the recirculating feature... I've left my plants for 6 days using a reservoir and an addback reservoir on top of the reservoir.... You can add on a scrog screen for each bucket or waterfarm... You can also do a bubble bucket with a scrog screen, sans dripring, and still circulate the reservoir without an submersible pump...Do a little more reading before you decide......

 

[luckiestman13]

I do a undercurrent dwc system in 50 ga reservoirs. I can leave them up to a week if I had to. My first grow journal has a lot of information. Otherwise you can see more in my current grow.

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[Georgecloney4]

I do a undercurrent dwc system in 50 ga reservoirs. I can leave them up to a week if I had to. My first grow journal has a lot of information. Otherwise you can see more in my current grow.

Sent from my iPhone using 420 Magazine Mobile App

Wow!!! That's definitely a sea of green!

I love you Mary Jane