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[danfinance2008]

i am looking at going hydro

i am looking at the rubbermaid tot version with 2-4 plants. i will be doing sea of green. the reason for the rubbermaid tot version is that the basement gets cold and i will have to have a heater. and if i did single dwc, i would have to heat every one

will a good Aquarium Heaters do the job?

also i will have 2 tots at most with 6 plants at the most

what size pump should i look at? i would like the comercial grade. but 10,18,30 watts?

 

[danfinance2008]

Aquarium heaters can be tricky, you have to unplug them whenever you drain your solution..quote]

lol, that is freaking obvios. but you know what, i think i would of learned that the hard way. good point and thanks. i honestly think i would of not realized it till it was to late

 

[zem]

i can say that going hydro was indeed the best decision i ever took in growing, just a couple of thoughts, make one single tray and grow in it you would need one heater, i personally never forgot to unplug it before draining didnt break does the job for me i have a regular glass coated aquarium heater 100w but my temps dont go to freezing point else i think the plants wouldnt take it even with res heater, get a small pump will be easier to handle its pumpimg in a small res good luck

 

[danfinance2008]

i can say that going hydro was indeed the best decision i ever took in growing, just a couple of thoughts, make one single tray and grow in it you would need one heater, i personally never forgot to unplug it before draining didnt break does the job for me i have a regular glass coated aquarium heater 100w but my temps dont go to freezing point else i think the plants wouldnt take it even with res heater, get a small pump will be easier to handle its pumpimg in a small res good luck

well i miss the obvious sometimes, and i think i would of forgot to unplup

100 watt how many gallons are you heating?
my basement gets down to around 55-60

i am sure with the heated water of 68-73 ( i think i read this was the best temps to target ) the room will be above 60 this winter for sure

 

[zem]

it's a 20 gallon tray with a 20 gallon control res heater is in the tray of course i set it to 65 when its over this level i dont worry only when its too cold i use it im not a control freak i dont spend too much power on putting things at the most optimal i just keep it in acceptable ranges but thats just me

 

[DonJones]

It is pretty basic and obvious, but surprising how many people miss it __GET YOUR REZ OFF OF THE DARN COLD FLOOR. If nothing else put some 2" lumber between the rez and the floor, depending upon how strong your rez is, it could even be 2" X 4"s with about 4" between boards. Sytrofoam works even better, especially if you get the colored "BELOW GRADE/ UNDERGROUND" grades. If you aren't going ot do that,any of the foil faced stuff is fairly serviceable too. Plain styrofoam will work good too but you need a thicker piece for the same insulation factor and it isn't nearly as durable as the other stuff.

Take it from my old decrepited body, it sure works! I could work twice as long on ice laying directly on 3/8" inch styrofoam as I could on top of a creeper that kept me at least 3" in the air above the ice. To increase its durability I laminated a piece of crappy hardboard paneling to each side of the styrofoam. that made it durable and yet still warm.

To give you and idea how effective it is, portable walk-in freezers can have a 6" wall and a metal outer skin for structural reasons , have 0F internal temperature and in 100F outside temperature the metal will only feel slightly cooler than the ambient air temperature or a shaded piece that has ambient air flow around it.

It is an excellent long term fix to line your basement with foil foamed sheeting. Plus it is already pretty much reflective when you put it up.

Good smoking