Our next-generation RDWC system makes growing top-quality plants indoors effortless. We combine ground-breaking technology with the classic deep water culture method to make it easier than ever.
Recirculating Deep Water Culture (RDWC) is a method used to grow plants with roots submerged in a highly oxygenated nutrient solution.
The ALIEN® RDWC system provides excellent results, fast vegetation times and high plant yield, reducing growing time and increasing profit for you.
The RDWC hydroponic system works using quiet air pumps to increase oxygen delivery to the plant"s roots while they're submerged in the recirculating nutrient-rich water. With a large volume of nutrient solution in the system, the only thing you need to do is maintain the pH and EC levels and plan your next crop. It's that easy.
The ALIEN RDWC system requires no glue to set up; fittings are threaded and secured with rubber washers and nuts and all pipe connections simply slide onto the barbed fittings, making system installation and relocation easier. Heavy-duty clips situated on the sides of the pots elevate the airlines off the floor. All RDWC systems come with chiller fittings on the side of the header, making chiller installation simple.
Every RDWC system comes with a float valve to ensure the optimum nutrient solution level is maintained; optional top-up reservoir tanks are available.
Explore the RDWC system
RDWC system features
The patent-pending Dual-Flow™ fittings are an oversized 2" / 50mm for a more free-flowing system. Slots located on the sides of the patent-pending Dual-Flow™ fitting reduce the chances of root clogging.
Heat-reflective silver 2" / 50mm pipe for better flow and less heat introduction. No glued connections for faster, easier set-up that can be re-configured later if needed.
Ball valves to control flow rates and heavy-duty, easy-to-clean inline filters are included.
The 5 gallon / 20L or 9.5 gallon / 36L pots and lids are also produced from heat-reflective silver polymer. This helps keep nutrient solution temperatures cooler and relieves the water chiller from working as hard.
JET-STREAM A.I.R™ (Air Injection Rings) deliver a constant flow of oxygen to the roots. Airline sizes are increased to supply the Rings with a strong pressure to achieve maximum oxygen saturation. The flexible micro-pore material automatically sheds hard mineral deposits when pressure changes, so clogging is virtually eliminated.
Made in Britain from only the highest-quality non-toxic, non-reactive, corrosion-resistant materials.
ALIEN RDWC Advantages
The ALIEN RDWC system has many benefits over other RDWC systems on the market.
| Feature |  |
Other (Non-ALIEN) RDWC Systems |
|---|---|---|
| Set up without gluing | ✔ | ✘ |
| Oxygenation method | JET-STREAM A.I.R.™ rings | air stones (prone to clogging) |
| Plants can be rotated in their pots | 90°, 180°, 270° | 180° only (must lift the lid & plant) |
| Patent-pending Dual-Flow™ fittings | ✔ | ✘ |
| Silver reflective polymer pots and pipe to reject radiant heat, keeping nutrient solution cooler | ✔ | ✘ |
| Easily-cleanable nutrient solution filter | ✔ | ✘ |
| Float valve for automatic top-off | ✔ | ✘ |
| Customizable pot / plant spacing | ✔ | ✘ |
| Header can be placed up to 39" / 100cm away (such as outside a tent) | ✔ (option) | ✘ |
| Pot sizes available | 5 gallon (20L) 9.5 gallon (36L) |
often smaller and only one size |
| Recirculation line diameter | 2" / 50mm | often much smaller (prone to clogging) |
| Optional 4-hole lid for smaller plants | ✔ (36L pots) | ✘ |
| Reconfigurable / expandable | ✔ | ✘ |
| 183 kit configurations available to best fit your space (1-4 rows, 1-48 pots, 2 pot sizes, compact or remote header) | ✔ | ✘ |
| Custom configurations available (contact us) | ✔ | ✘ |
Recirculation Method
The ALIEN RDWC hydroponic system can optimize maximum growth potential. The super-oxygenated nutrient solution is constantly recirculating around the system. The pump creates a water current that draws the solution through the pots, mixing the nutrients and delivering them to the roots, optimizing root health and increasing nutrient uptake efficiency. Importantly, PH and EC levels are maintained continuously due to the high volume of water contained in the system.
RDWC Kits Include
- 5 gallon / 20L or 9.5 gallon / 36L pots
- 5 gallon / 20L header
- Heavy-duty filter and flow control valve
- Top-off float valve (top-off reservoir tanks sold seperately)
- JET-STREAM A.I.R. rings for oxygenation
- Recirculation water pump
- Square net pots for holding plants
All pipe and fittings required for the main system:
- No gluing required!
- Air tubing
- 50mm pot-to-pot circulation pipe
- Return-to-header circulation pipe
- Chiller connections (chiller sold separately)
- For 3 and 4 row systems with more than 2 pots per row, enough pipe to allow one 39" / 100cm aisle between rows
Optional depending on kit configuration:
- Air pump
- Ability to have header 39" / 100cm from the growing pots (such as outside a tent)
Layout / Configuration Options
Explore RDWC layout configuration options in the ALIEN Kit Configurator!
RDWC kits are available for 1 to 4 rows of pots, with 1 to 12 pots per row (1 to 48 pots per kit). All ALIEN North America RDWC kits are available in compact-header or remote-header configurations, to keep the header as compact as possible or to allow the header to be 38" / 97cm from the growing pots, making it easy to place the header outside of a grow tent. All 3- and 4-row kits with more than 2 pots per row provide enough pipe to create a 39" / 100cm aisle in the middle of rows for easy plant access.
20L RDWC kits allow placement of pots on 14⅛" to 23⅝" (36cm - 60cm) plant centers along rows, and 17¾" to 23⅝" (45cm - 60cm) between rows.
36L RDWC kits allow placement of pots on 17¾" to 29½" (45cm - 75cm) plant centers along rows, and 20⅞" to 29½" (53cm - 75cm) between rows.
Custom configurations are possible; contact us and we can make a system to fit your dreams!
4 x Hole Lid For 36L Pots
Using the 4 hole lid is an ideal way to establish cuttings or seedlings in the vegetative stage. This is a far more efficient use of space than placing small plants in a single hole lid, and one plant occupying the whole pot for 2-4 weeks.
Once plants are around one week or less away from flowering, transfer the square net pots into single hole lids and place them in the flowering room for the last week of the vegetative stage.
Made of 3mm thick ABS plastic, the lid can also take the weight of 4 fully grown plants if needed. Only fits the 36L pot size RDWC kits.
View other hydroponic system options
