Alien V-System RDWC System - Venturi-Oxygenated Recirculating Hydroponics
Best for: Serious growers who want a recirculating multi-pot system with a fundamentally different oxygenation method to a standard air-pump RDWC setup.
Our thoughts
What sets the V-System apart from most RDWC setups is that it doesn't use an air pump at all. The water pump itself creates a whirlpool vortex in each pot through Venturi valve technology, pulling in and dissolving oxygen as it circulates. One less pump to maintain, and it works.
The Alien V-System is a recirculating deep water culture (RDWC) system built around Venturi valve technology rather than a conventional air stone and air pump. As the JET-STREAM Vortex water pump circulates nutrient solution between pots and the header tank, the Venturi valve fitted to each pot creates a whirlpool vortex that draws in and dissolves oxygen directly into the solution, oxygenating and mixing the whole pot's contents without a separate airline running to each one.
The pump itself sits outside the header pot rather than submerged inside it, which reduces the amount of heat the pump motor transfers into the nutrient solution - a genuine advantage over systems where the water pump runs inside the tank. Wide 5 inch return-flow tubing is used to reduce the chances of roots clogging the return pipes as the system matures. The V-System range is available in a number of pot configurations across 2 and 4 row layouts, with pots sized around 15 gallon (58 litre) capacity.
How it compares
A genuinely different mechanism, not just a rebrand of standard RDWC.
- Removing the air pump entirely is a meaningful difference from Alien's own RDWC Silver Series and from air-pump-driven systems like Current Culture H2O's Under Current, since there's one less component to maintain or fail
- The external pump placement reduces heat transfer into the reservoir compared with systems that run the water pump submerged inside the header tank
- A bigger investment and a bigger footprint than smaller RDWC or single-bucket DWC setups, reflecting the larger pot sizes and multi-row configurations available
You're paying for a genuinely different, lower-maintenance oxygenation method and larger-capacity pots, not just more of the same RDWC approach.
Usage guidance
Venturi-driven systems still need the same reservoir discipline as any RDWC setup.
Reservoir management
Monitor pH and EC regularly across the shared reservoir - as with any RDWC system, an imbalance affects every connected pot at once.
Checking the Venturi valves
Periodically check that each pot's Venturi valve is creating a visible vortex; a weak or absent vortex usually points to a partial blockage or a flow issue upstream.
Return line care
Even with wider 5 inch return tubing, keep an eye on root growth near the return points as plants mature, and trim back roots that start to restrict flow.
Temperature
The external pump position already helps keep reservoir temperature down, but still aim to keep solution in the high teens to low twenties (Celsius) for the best dissolved oxygen levels.
Technical specifications
- System type: Recirculating deep water culture (RDWC)
- Oxygenation method: Venturi valve vortex (no separate air pump)
- Water pump: JET-STREAM Vortex, mounted externally to the header pot
- Return tubing: 5 inch diameter
- Pot capacity: Approx. 15 gallon (58 litre) pots
- Configurations: Multiple pot counts across 2 and 4 row layouts
- Manufacturer: Alien Hydroponics
Who this is for
- Growers who want fewer moving parts than a standard air pump plus water pump RDWC setup
- Larger grows needing bigger pot volumes than the standard 36 litre Silver Series pots
- Anyone who's had heat issues with a submerged water pump in a previous RDWC system
- Not a fit for small single-pot grows - the V-System is built for scale
Our take
The Venturi-driven oxygenation genuinely simplifies the system compared with standard RDWC - fewer parts, less heat in the reservoir, and a larger pot size for bigger root systems. It's a serious piece of kit for a serious grow.
Proper kit for growers ready to commit to a larger recirculating system - get in touch if you need help sizing the right pot configuration for your space.
