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i got an Ebb and Flow system and the water i am using is 80-95 deg. i no this is bad for oxygen levels but i dont know a way to cool it off cheaply. i have access to it garunteed once a week so is there a cheap cooling method that i dont have to upkeep???
Once a week will be tough. And I am going to assume that you would only consider a reservoir chilling system as a last-ditch effort.
Why don't we go through instead and try to discover WHY it is getting so hot!
You are right, that hot water holds little oxygen. First off, you will want to make certain that you have an airstone going in there at all times, especially while you are still working out your temperature troubles.
Now let's troubleshoot!
What is your AIR temperature?
How is your PUMP? Like, is the pump sized correctly for the amount of water it needs to move? Is it good quality, and in good condition? How is the pump filter? Is it cleaned weekly so as not to have to run harder?
Next, let's look at your RESERVOIR placement. Is the res getting direct light, or is it in the shade? Does it have a cover? Is there ANY way you can move it to the other side of a wall and put in an air conditioner, or can you drop the temps in your grow room low enough (68 night/78 day) that it cannot heat up that much?
Last, have you considered a conversion to a modified NFT system? In this type of system, you still use hydroton but instead of flooding it to deliver moisture, you install tubing from the pump that emits a constant STREAM of water over the hydroton, constantly mixing in oxygen, and allowing a LOT of surface area of the water to come into contact with the air. It will tend to stay close to the air temperature as a result, and you can take advantage of the evaporative action to strip heat from the water and media- as long as you have correct exhaust to remove excess humidity.
Too late to edit and too lazy to merge... here's an example of an NFT-type style that works well and delivers MAX oxygen over a hydroton bed:
http://boards.cannabis.com/grow-log/...ml#post1849090
ok well the res is not in direct light, has cover, pumps and stuff are working fine, the ambient temp is the prob it goes up to 90(it is a southern summer) and i am going to install fans + vent before continue but i think this will only drop the temp down 5-10 degrees.
I was thinking if i checked it twice a week i could put a milk jug full of ice in the reservoir and change it out every time i check on it.
The ice will melt within the first 12 hours or less at those temps. You'll need an a/c eventually to get the whole system at a slightly lower temp. $100 or so, end of your headaches.
I hate to keep piggy backing Stinky's posts, but you'll never make it with water temps that high. You need to go to soil.
And I hate to piggyback herbie's posts, but not only soil, but an automatic-drip system with EXTRA perlite would be good since you can't get there often enough to water properly.
I still vote for an air conditioner and conversion to a vertical NFT that air-equilibrates constantly... :D
do you think i can grow a few plants in that heat while i save up for water cooler or a/c??
Plant numbers don't affect how each plant will respond to heat. Even one plant will be sickly.
I've heard of people having grow rooms that reach 105F. Plants will grow in suckie conditions, and the yield will probably be suckie. For best results keep the leaf temperatures below 80, which means the air temp around them should be no more than 82.