# Waterfarm Question



## MiracleDro (Oct 13, 2008)

What is the easiest way to drain the system? I use a GH bucket system which I can just pump out my res but my buddy has a waterfarm and I cant think of an easy way to get all the water out to change over to plain water for the once a week flush. Since the watefarms hold alot more water in the buckets its not like I can just change the res water only.

Waterfarm is tunning 6 buckets. 4 Ak-47 1 great white shark and one white widow.

GH Ebb and flow buckets. 4 white Widow 3 Shark and 1 Random Seed I think its juicy fruit.

We are going to see which yields better.

Both are using 3 600w Hortilux Bulbs in Yieldmaster 2 reflectors. Same nute amounts. First week of flowering now. Gh 3 Part nutes... right now I'm on 10ml/gal of grow, micro, and bloom.

All we're started from seeds.

Happy Growing Everyone. Thanks in advance for your help


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## Growdude (Oct 13, 2008)

I put an inline pump and shutoff valve right at the bottom of the main rez.

I used a T fitting and connected the pump inline with the hose that feeds each waterfarm, the pump outlet has a long hose that is held above the rez level.

When I totaly drain the sytem I attach a hose to the pump outlet that goes to the bathtub. Keep the shuttoff valve open to drain everything or closed to only drain the waterfarms.

This also works well to recirculate the system by keeping the valve shut and pumping the waterfarms back into the rez by putting the outlet hose from the pump back in the top of the rez.


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## New_2_Chronic (Oct 13, 2008)

:huh:  dont know what you said GD but it sound cool,,,, any chance on a quick pic to describe what your doing. I am looking at the waterfarms as well...I just dont follow what your doing really.....im more of a visual person....


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## andy52 (Oct 13, 2008)

got me too,i can not visualize that either.GD,we need the old crayons to understand the set-up.thanks


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## Ilikebigbuds (Oct 13, 2008)

yea, show us! Please!

I use GH water farm and it is a lot of work - to change water.


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## Growdude (Oct 13, 2008)

New_2_Chronic said:
			
		

> :huh: dont know what you said GD but it sound cool,,,, any chance on a quick pic to describe what your doing. I am looking at the waterfarms as well...I just dont follow what your doing really.....im more of a visual person....


 
Yea ill take a picture tonight, camara was dead when I tryed.
I was sure I wasnt going to be able to explain it, im bad with instructions I think.


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## MiracleDro (Oct 13, 2008)

I think this is what you mean, but I'm not positive. It woould work either way


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## Growdude (Oct 13, 2008)

MiracleDro said:
			
		

> I think this is what you mean, but I'm not positive. It woould work either way


 
Sweet diagram, thats what ive got going. here are pics.


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## MiracleDro (Oct 13, 2008)

Where did you get that shutoff valve what size ends does it need? Thanks. Also do you think aquarium stores have inline pumps? I see most sell submersible


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## Tater (Oct 14, 2008)

You can buy shut off valves at any hardware store and your best place for an inline pump would be walmart, a hardware store, an place that does landscaping, online, ebay, OR an aquarium store lol.  They are everywhere.


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## whiterussian (Nov 4, 2008)

I havve the same waterfarm 8pk with same controller as you what i did was just turn the water level tube over and gravity drained itself but you have to buy a shutoff valve and 50+ft of tube depending where your system is but i enventully just disconnected all the buckets bought xtra elbows and made them all individual waterfarms it works a lot better

Best of luck!


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## 420FREEDOM (Nov 5, 2008)

Hi Guys. Wow. I remember having to go through that. I finally figured it out though. 


The only real solution to the waterfarm draining problem is to use an inline pump.

Like GROWDUDE says, I use an inline pump hooked up to the controller. The controller has a Tee fitting in the bottom, one side goes to the plants and the other side goes to an on off valve that connects to my inline pump. The water from the controller which is connected to all the buckets, is pumped up and into the bath tub about 15 feet away. I always use on/off valves wherever I can, this ensures that I don't have leaks when I make hose changes. As I'm draining the controller and essentialy all the buckets as well, I fill up the reservior (13 Gallons) with fresh nute, and keep the res filled, if needed, with half strength nute. I do this once a week.


If you do not have a controller and RES,  just a plain waterfarm:

keep the plant on top of a 3-5 gallon bucket, when it's time to drain the plant, turn the water level hose to the ground and let the water drain out into another 2,3 1/2 or 5 gallon bucket below it, and you'll pour this outside or into the bath tub.


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## stayhightillidie (Nov 6, 2008)

can anyone send me a link to a legit inline pump for the waterfarm?


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## 420FREEDOM (Nov 6, 2008)

Do an ebay search for "inline pump"   scroll to the bottom of the page where the stores begin, here's some I found.


   General Pump, Brass Inline Water Filter - Female NPT   $12.99
 $5.99  Northern Tool and Equipment Co   
   Eco Plus 264 Submersible or In-line Use Pump - 264 gph   $19.99
 $5.75  The Koi Lagoon   
   Eco Plus 396 Submersible Pump 396 gph Inline Use   $20.49
 $8.99  The Koi Lagoon   
   120 VAC INLINE CIRCULATOR PUMP Item# 2-1202   $28.00
 $11.08 Surplus Center   
   Eco Plus 633 Submersible Pump 633 gph Inline Use   $44.95
 $8.99  The Koi Lagoon   
   SEDRA 900 GPH SUBMERSIBLE-IN LINE POND PUMP   $48.00
 $12.00  Sinkhole Sales   
   MAG-DRIVE Submersible Inline Water Pump 250 gph   $56.00
 $8.05 Atwater Hydroponics   
   MAG-DRIVE Submersible Inline Water Pump 350 gph   $59.00
 $9.05 Atwater Hydroponics   
   Eco Plus 1056 Submersible Pump 1056 gph Inline Use   $59.49
 $9.99  The Koi Lagoon   
   MAG DRIVE 7 SUPREME DANNER SUBMERSIBLE/INLINE PUMP   $59.99
 $11.99  Cultivated Coral and Aquarium Goods


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## stevetberry (Sep 27, 2009)

You are making my head hurt with all those instructions.  Go to the pet store and they make a hose that attaches to the sink and when you turn the water on it sucks through the hose, it is made for draining aquariums.  I also use it to do a fresh water rinse every week and then I use to to fill my buckets so that I can mix my fertelizer.  When draining the system first drain the resevoirs then as the water is draining from the pots just put the hose on the inlet and it will suck all the water out of the pots also.  When it is almost done I tilt the pots and it drains all but a few ounces.


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## Growdude (Sep 27, 2009)

stevetberry said:
			
		

> You are making my head hurt with all those instructions.  Go to the pet store and they make a hose that attaches to the sink and when you turn the water on it sucks through the hose, it is made for draining aquariums.  I also use it to do a fresh water rinse every week and then I use to to fill my buckets so that I can mix my fertelizer.  When draining the system first drain the resevoirs then as the water is draining from the pots just put the hose on the inlet and it will suck all the water out of the pots also.  When it is almost done I tilt the pots and it drains all but a few ounces.



For me im nowhere near a sink, but a good idea non the less.


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## MiracleDro (Sep 28, 2009)

I eneded up just using seperate buckets with no res. The ladies are usually in different stages anyway or different strains so they require different nutes. It's easier for me to just do two a day. I just keep a spare bucket to put the top bucket into while im dumping the old water and putting in fresh stuff. 

If you dont have a lot of room to walk around then a res would be easier but I can get to all of them pretty easily.


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