Optimal amount for DWC grow

Growroom Design
#21

My experiences with DWC is it grows like wild fire. So for my limited plant count per my medical card a scrog is ideal.

I start out in aerocloner whether from seed or clones and switch to 5 gal buckets for veg and then onto my rdwc.

I use 27gal totes and top feed waterfall.

I create screens from 1/2" cpvc and use string to weave 3x3 squares. Each screen is 2’x2’ and is attached to netpot lids secured using 1/4" nylon nuts and bolts (no rust). It’s a completely unitized setup strong enough that I can lift the plants up from holding the screens.

Feed low. I max out 1.2EC in veg and 1.6EC flower. I use Jack’s 5-12-26, YaraLiva brand calcium nitrate and Epsom salt. Sometimes I use Haifa brand MKP (mono potassium phosphate) in flower.

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#22

Alright possible future grower, heres some words of wisdom. First weed prices are down big time.Nj my area someone finds out it “homegrown” dosent matter they want that deal. Growing is n art and your first grow needs to be as fool proof as possible. That does not include a rdwc setup. That much grow room is a lot to keep n eye on for yur 1st. Size isn’t everything exp how much lights , nutes, water, etc cost. I’m not saying you can’t do a grow that big but def not rdwc. I think everyone should start with hempy. It’s as fool proof as possible. Apollo makes cheap legit tents and you’re going to want to setup your “veg” tent for half of you’re flower. You can switch out half your flower every month. If you have to much product all at once might regret it. Light’s your going to get a lot of dif opinions. Exp bc there’s so many options. If you’re willing to build n led go that route. Or your whole overhead is going to be lights. Comes to nutes skip the new wavy flavor of the day magic bottles. Gh and growmore both been doing it since the 70’s. Things worth getting besides base nutes pk powder, b-vitamins, enzymes, beneficial bacteria, humic/fulvic acid, silica and mag cal +.

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#24

I’ll check out some different ones thanks spud.

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#25

Probably let them grow 3 or 4 feet? Idk gonna have to see what works I guess? This is gonna be so fun for me I’ve been wanting to for a long time now.

#26

You’re saying you use 27 gallon totes for flowering? Is there any advantage over using individual buckets vs a whole tote? Tryna figure out what I should get when it goes on sale.

#27

I’ve been pushing for 8 years now and yes I can move bows believe it or not was pushing 2 a day every day but at that point I was paying 3500 a pound so profit wasnt the best. Now I only pay 1750 but it’s some outdoor cali hit n miss never terrible just not indo yanno. Anyways I can still push a couple bows a week just to my friends I dont even get my hands that dirty anymore itd nice. But for the lights have you seen the quantum boards? People have been raving over them run 500 watts but supposed to be equivalent to 1k watt I seen one guy say he got 15% less then his normal 1k hps but at that rate you get more bang for your buck and can run more lights for same watts which I plan on getting 2 1k equivalent quantum boards they run super cool and are basically flat. And yanno I’ve seen a lot of ppl yo on about gh just thought it was cheaper route but I’ll take your advice never heard of the other stuff? Were you saying advance nutrients is junk? Sorry took me so long to respond to everyone forum wouldn’t let me reply for 24 hours.

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#28

Check out my grow page. Been keeping track of led since ufos. I got a lm561c build on the cheap. Still need to get a couple grows in with my older led b4 upgrade. There’s 3 direct from china suppliers that are legit meijiu, r2t n forgot the other. Those 2 both have giant boards thats bout best bang for (800 diode-meijiu 80) (560 diode-r2t 54$). Then got a link here for a 1800w 92% efficiency driver 80$. They’re originally used to power expensive servers, so they’re legit . Another option for driver is neanwell rsp-2000-48 93% on 220v n you need 220v with the power your gona pull. Yup thats exactly what i competing with outdoor cali. Peeps don’t care bout the difference between indoor n out in my area.

#29

I used 12 gal recently and the returns get clogged too easily. I’m almost filling the 27gal as it is, so the 12s was just an experiment.

There is a big advantage. Less pH and EC swings with more buffer (water).

A 5 gal bucket only holds 3 gallons since you don’t fill all the way up as cannabis likes a dry stem (no stem rot). A 27gal tote holds 13gal.

I use bulkheads and they are easier to keep leak free on flat surfaces vs. round (buckets).

But mostly totes are better for the swings.

In veg 5gal buckets are fine, but in flower the pH and EC adjustments are a daily struggle. I can go a few days without checking my pH and EC with the totes and be fine.

Advanced nutrients work, but so does every other base nutrient. In a competitive market why pay more than you have to? I use cheap nutrients. They work out to less than a penny per gallon. I know people who are small time and drop $400 a month on advanced nutrients.

25lb of Jack’s 5-12-26 is $45
25lb of CaNO3 is $30
5lb MKP was $15
8lb bag of MgSO4 at Walmart for like $5

I spent $100 on enough nutrients to do over 5000 gallons and that was shipped.

For the record I wouldn’t be bragging about how much weight you push. It’s the loudest one in the room who gathers the most attention, remember that.

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#30

Yeah the Chinese counterfeit everything. I prefer to give my money to the companies who spent r&d dollars rather than the hacks who just copied a system so I go with HLG

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#31

So hlg designed the samsung lm561c or the concept of soldering diodes to boards? Or you trying to say that board’s are assembled in usa? Thats true for only the 3000k and it wasn’t always that way. Haven’t checked lately if it is still. They said it’s bc china couldn’t keep up with the demand. Imho prob a marketing scheme so people will think all their boards are assembled here. Even if that was true every part is still made in korea/china.

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#32

Samsung designed the lm. I’m saying they did all the testing.

The 288s are all made in Michigan now. They used to all be made in China. Believe the 304s are still but they are moving more towards 288s which is why they have the V2s which use a different diode

Do what you want not here to argue. I’m just saying why I wouldn’t buy knockoffs.

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#33

When you say testing you mean samsung didn’t make those color charts you see on their site with their logo? Yes 288 3000k is assembled in the good old usa. Yes you wanted to argue bc otherwise you wouldn’t said something. We get into this bc we like to diy and got tired of middle men, right? Timber is all assembled in usa I’d back them 1st hands down.

Ps I’m curious if i ordered lm561c diodes direct from the samsung korea plant. Then soldier them to a board. Would mine be a knock off or bc it’s assembled in usa by me it becomes legit?

#34

Wheres the links I’ll definitely check some of this stuff out. It’s not dhgate.com is it? I know they are a chinese wholesale, it takes 2 weeks to get your stuff but its alway cheap af. And what drivers are the ballasts for the led boards? And lucky me my friend that’s going to sell me a trailer was in navy and just graduated to work with electricity (not even sure exactly what he does :sweat_smile:) but hes a really good guy and would help wire whatever I needed 220 or not. And people ddon’t care what that’s crazy!

#35

Thanks a lot for that squirrel I had no idea! I was definitely going for the 5 gallons but if a larger tote is going to be easier and dwc grows like crazy (thanks to pedro for sharing that thread) I’m confident I wont need so many growing containers and with a sea of green it looks like a shit load of top colas am I wrong? I’d definitely go that way rather than bunch of popcorn nugs. When you say bulkheads I’m assuming the square buckets? Wouldn’t be easier just to transfer from tote to toe rather than buckets to tote? Is there a yield difference between the two or just easier? I forgot I did want to go all auto on this as much as I can to keep things precise so I’ll probably end up getting an auto feeder for nutes and what not. And I didnt really like how advanced nutrients was real flashy with everything so much stuff with pictures to kinda lure you in that’s how they got me lol and sorry I wasnt trying to brag at all I was holding that shit in all damn day waiting to respond to you guys I’m actually the type to lay low and dont say shit to nobody im not flashy the slightest bit that’s how I lasted so long I figured idk

#36

Are you planing on running Dwc with multiple reserviors, or single dwc units?

#37

NOW, that I’m enlightened definitely one reservoir why what’s up?

#38

No…you know what I mean. A knockoff is when the boards look exactly identical and even say HLG on them. It makes people believe they are buying a brand when they aren’t. Like coach handbags you see in backrooms in Chinatown. Why are they in backrooms? Trademark infringement. Just so happens the internet is as unregulated as those backrooms so they can do it out in the open.

Someone cannot speak their preferences without wanting an argument? An argument is trying to sway you one way or another.

I get what you are saying that the process of soldering diodes to aluminum isn’t proprietary or anything new, but when you call it the brand name you are knocking off a product. I’m sorry if you can’t understand that. The issue isn’t China vs USA which I feel like maybe you took what I said as such. Sorry but that wasn’t my goal.

#39

The totes are per plant. Also you can get big top colas through scrogging as well as SOG but it’s more work.

I’d go SOG if I had unlimited plants I could run. But I like to pretend I’m lawful and abide by my states MMJ laws.

I use 5gal in veg for space and less waste. They simply don’t drink as much. The switch from bucket to tote is easy. I lift up the netpot lid from the bucket and put it into the hole I cut into the tote lid.

Trick with scrogging is topping your plants so it sends hormones to bush out instead of growing in it’s typical conical Christmas tree fashion. You keep tucking these under a screen and what would be axial growth is now tops. You cut all the sucker branches and leaves below the screen so no energy is wasted

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#40

Thanks for clarifying! If you read my original post never suggested any board that’s similar to hlg’s. But this https://m.alibaba.com/product/60725588547/Hot-Sale-MEIJIU-800-Quantum-LED.html?spm=a2706.7843299.1998817009.14.408f20113r4xRi#show_specifications
800 diodes 900mm by 280mm 80$

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#41

That’s stupid cheap. Have you bought those and what HLG sells?

Wonder how the quality compares.

I just don’t like how some people take the same exact design. To me that says they are trying to ride the coattails of another’s success and bordering copyright infringement. To be honest has anyone heard of these diodes before HLG started making QBs?