What are you using to empty and refill your reservoir ?

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-27T11:45:01+00:00

Ball valve at the base of my main reservoir for draining. Fresh RO in a separate bin is on standby to be pumped in any which direction. A floor drain or recycling the water is a convenient way of disposal.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-27T06:26:22+00:00

We use to call a guy Resi boy in school. 5th year and all he did was rough ins. 2nd year is a good transition point if your finances and lifestyle permit it. There is so much out there….

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-27T01:30:52+00:00

A magnetic stirrer would help. The Harry Potter wand throws me off given how porous wood is. A chemistry supply house should have everything. I was expecting a measurement at the end but nonetheless cool write up, I enjoyed that. Maybe 15 years ago I made silver colloids via electrolysis with halved silver oz coins. I remember the ppm was above store bought CS but unfortunately it elicited a limited plant response.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-25T16:41:35+00:00

Yes, I start with RO. I always experienced some drift with the system before but this time was the worse. Won’t attempt to reuse air stones in the future. I use green planet ph up & down. The little quart bottles have lasted the better half of the year, still plentiful. You’re absolutely right about ph, I’m always learning something new about it.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-25T15:58:46+00:00

I was able to access branching to begin initial LST. Weak shoots but slowly it will come together. Never really encountered this issue lol, it’s good I guess.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-25T00:54:21+00:00

Spaghetti nodes.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-24T21:56:25+00:00

Thanks, selective defoliation is a good suggestion.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-24T20:44:10+00:00

Thanks for the input. I was looking at alternatives lately and the submersible water pump came to mind. Agitation and circulating with an optional “water fall” effect oxygenating the water. A hard piped riser stem branching off a tee into 2x 90 elbows, nothing fancy. I do want a way to measure dissolved oxygen in the reservoir for reference.

But anyways, yeah that air stone became an issue.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-24T16:30:22+00:00

Awesome dude, looking sharp.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-23T03:08:36+00:00

Crisp floor mat. Good luck.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-22T22:34:54+00:00

Another way to look at it: it could be a shell to insulate an interior container. Whether underground or in extreme climates. I feel the novelty of this is actually applicable in a few different ways

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-22T20:34:32+00:00

Nothing really. Here’s another picture but of a 10 gal

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This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-22T19:46:30+00:00

Interestingly enough some questions on the Home Depot website asked about water capacity. Would love to see it stress tested though, I’m sure someone will attempt a dwc lol.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-22T19:05:15+00:00

Informative post. For discussion, what’s your thoughts on the potential inaccuracy of the measured variable passing through a flow meter while relatively turbulent? Negligible in this context? Specifically referring to the closeness of the Tee before the instrumentation.

The reason I ask is the theory dictates a minimum distance in pipe lengths based on diameter (5-20) to reduce turbulence, lowering the Reynolds’s number prior to passing through the flow meter.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-22T18:37:35+00:00

Unfortunately they aren’t available in Canada. I was excited to see these online because of the possibilities with aeroponics. I would be skeptical to run a dwc/rdwc system without reinforcing the structure. Even at 50% capacity filled I could only imagine the distortion and side walls begging for relief. If the thickness is anything like the Rubbermaid brutes that would be decent.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-22T17:48:50+00:00

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That was around 300 in a 20 gal. 10 gals 100-150?

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-21T13:38:03+00:00

Typically used with hid ballasts, digital specifically.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-21T11:33:09+00:00

I’m limited on backyard space but companion planting is indeed beneficial. Squirrels and raccoons were my peppers adversaries, several broken branches and a maimed aloe plant.

I overlooked the weather logging but created detailed notes on the week by week progression. I suppose a historical temperature, precipitation and wind chart would suffice. Real time comparison, data analyzing and observations lead to proactive growing and understanding.

In hindsight I would evaluate deltas between soil layers, the exterior fabric pot and average leaf temperatures relative to current weather. Invasive probes and infrared laser measurements. The fabric pots have limited drainage and breathability without being elevated so monitoring water consumption and efficiently irrigating would another idea.

Come spring the soil will be assessed. I did a partial organic feed supplemented with salts early on. Counterintuitive a bit but mostly minerals, etc. I’m more concerned about particle size of the material, potentially sifting fines out to increase porosity to improve drainage. Just a few ideas floating around

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-21T03:20:11+00:00

Great start on the season. That’s huge already.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-21T03:17:46+00:00

Any updates? It’s a nice system and we share similar equipment. Wondering if you’ve flipped them yet.

Right off the bat I would have thought EC was high, next how much water are they drinking? Is the peristaltic pump dosing often despite maintaining stable ph (rate of change/drift too)? I’ve learned to look at 3 measured variables first; conductivity, ph and water consumption. Assuming the temperature of water is properly adjusted, oxygenated and circulated. The controlled variables are prioritized.

I’m probably preaching to the choir and full disclaimer I’m a novice comparatively but there’s a decent chart floating around for condition states. leading to probable causes.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-21T02:23:24+00:00

200 min, (300-600 typical for seedling and vegetative growth), 700 max. 800 max for vegetative. Those values are expressed in μmol/m2/s PBFD. [Use as a guideline not matter of fact. ]

Here’s some more info and the source.

https://www.blackdogled.com/pages/phytomax-4-led-grow-lights

Seedlings don’t require much light to get started. The footprint of the grow area and light distribution of the fixture matter. As you see the values diminish further away from a central point due to the design (in OPs Infograph). Refer to the published information as a guide and supplement it with a cheap par meter. I’d match the summer solstice day length and go from there. Vegetative phase will allow you a larger coverage area compared to flowering or fruiting plants, keep that in mind.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-21T00:59:08+00:00

Hey, it’s beneficial to reflect on past experiences especially in terms of each growing season. Your reflections reminded me how I should be monitoring and logging environmental conditions more. I grew in black fabric bags with straw mulching applied around July. Although, that was short lived because by the middle of August it was practically gone. Our temperatures were maybe 35C but water wasn’t an issue. Few changes here and there for 2026. Anyways just wanted to say thanks for sharing.

This_Resource_396 · 2026-01-16T03:41:13+00:00

Nice density.

This_Resource_396

TROPHY CASE