My Buckets

[Lightning Bug]

ido, thanks man I think you are right, I really need a big harvest this time out so why risk it? Thanks! I am going to keep that clone and the #2 sativa one for trial later after my jars are filled.

Hey Turbo, sorry wasn't ignoring you there but your post came in while I was typing that long ass post and I went to bed. I can't swap or move my elbows now as they are glued in and it's not a big enough deal to me to go trying to cut it all up and re-do.

If I had it to do over I would probably just not glue the elbows at all and then you could adjust them, switch them, whatever. The endcap pieces are not glued in but PVC hand fits pretty tight and at these low PSIs it's no probs with any leaking.

Personally I wouldn't try any type of DWC, bio bucket or whatever without a chiller but I am in an attic space and running an AC 24/7 to keep it at 70F just didn't cut it. If you can't keep the water temp below 70 I wouldn't do it but there are people who run higher temps (freezerboy) with no probs. EWC tea may be a key to doing this but I wouldn't be experimenting on my first grow.

Running the buckets without the endcaps would be a pretty weak mix action in the buckets IMO but would likely be enough to aerate the bucket. At first. 1200 gph sounds like a lot but take plumbing length, head, etc. into account it's not blasting out or anything.

One thing people don't consider alot with DWC and airstones or whatever is if you grow a really big thick rootmass it impedes water flow thru it and creates dead spots in the buckets IMO leading to pathogens flourishing.

No the airstones are not needed as I proved in my first grow without them, I think DO is very high in this system as-is. I know that I could cram a lot of fish in there and they use a lot of O2 in high densities.

 

[redspaghetti]

whats up LB!!!
Cant get enough of your clean set up and detail report, checking in !!!!

Gonna circle back for more info and those bud shot !!

Stay safe my man!

 

[turbolaser4528]

ido, thanks man I think you are right, I really need a big harvest this time out so why risk it? Thanks! I am going to keep that clone and the #2 sativa one for trial later after my jars are filled.

Hey Turbo, sorry wasn't ignoring you there but your post came in while I was typing that long ass post and I went to bed. I can't swap or move my elbows now as they are glued in and it's not a big enough deal to me to go trying to cut it all up and re-do.

If I had it to do over I would probably just not glue the elbows at all and then you could adjust them, switch them, whatever. The endcap pieces are not glued in but PVC hand fits pretty tight and at these low PSIs it's no probs with any leaking.

Personally I wouldn't try any type of DWC, bio bucket or whatever without a chiller but I am in an attic space and running an AC 24/7 to keep it at 70F just didn't cut it. If you can't keep the water temp below 70 I wouldn't do it but there are people who run higher temps (freezerboy) with no probs. EWC tea may be a key to doing this but I wouldn't be experimenting on my first grow.

Running the buckets without the endcaps would be a pretty weak mix action in the buckets IMO but would likely be enough to aerate the bucket. At first. 1200 gph sounds like a lot but take plumbing length, head, etc. into account it's not blasting out or anything.

One thing people don't consider alot with DWC and airstones or whatever is if you grow a really big thick rootmass it impedes water flow thru it and creates dead spots in the buckets IMO leading to pathogens flourishing.

No the airstones are not needed as I proved in my first grow without them, I think DO is very high in this system as-is. I know that I could cram a lot of fish in there and they use a lot of O2 in high densities.

Its all good brothaa thanks for the informative reply. So endcaps are a yes, chiller is a yes (im going to try and run without one anyway, been doin dwc for years and can keep rez temps below 69* at all times) and airstones aren't needed. thnx 4 clearing those things up

How do you keep the water level equal in each bucket and avoid overflow/underflow? I'm guessing you do it by hand adjusting each ball valve valve for each bucket to get the right flow? Seems like a daunting task in itself, I'd be worried about water level changing too much, If I ran without the pres. equalizer loop that is.

My last question: because the water is running through the 1200 gph pump, which heats up some, is that why water temps are uncontrollable in your room? Or is it because of other factors? (like being in an attic, uninsulated buckets perhaps?!)

take care n be safe, cant wait to see those AK girls exploding in growth as i know they will in your setup. let us know mate

 

[turbolaser4528]

 

[Stay Frosty]

Here's my waterfarm mod. I used the spray heads like yours, I wanted to just shoot right into the second bucket without them but they filled too quik. I also took your advise and T'd the chiller inline. Works like a charm. Thanks alot!!

Not your avarage WaterFarms...

Come by and drop a line, your more than welcome.

 

[turbolaser4528]

NIIIICEE

 

[Hydrosun]

LB,

You are growing AK47? I have one in the upgrade room UC with a bunch of other strains. I plan on taking them 9 weeks. Looks like some ICmager's would like you to get back from your much needed fun and show off your ladies. Mine is 13days in flower today, not topped and from clone. This is my first run with the AK so I'll just surf along my normal way, but watch this tread to see how the strain is dialed in.

Peace

 

[Sleepy]

wow, i can't wait to see more pics!!

can you show us how thewall moves on the casters, please?

thanks, LB!

 

[Lightning Bug]

Sorry I been gone for a couple days, nope no fun here hydrosun, been swamped at my real job(s) but I can't complain as I been raking in some serious cash.

Hey Turbo, yeah I am practically in the attic here so chiller was a must for me but if you normally run 69F you should be OK as the pump only adds 2-3 degrees. The water level worked out fine for me, like Frosty says the sprayheads slow the flow some but not enough to make the pump really work harder and add more heat.

Frosty, just checked out your thread and the setup is stellar, very nice grow going there and you are way ahead of me!

Yup doing the Serious AK47 Hydrosun, nice vigorous strain from seed but I bet you got a killer cut going there. Yeah I been neglecting the thread but not the grow, I had to fix up my CFLs and moved the cloner under them, changed the water and bumped the nutes way up. Got some nice fishbones going on and I hope to be moving into the buckets in a week or so. I am working in there tonight and will get some updated pics.

Sleepy I will get you some better pics of the door too. I never have finished trimming out the fake closet, that was supposed to be part of starting up again but duty calls and I have to make hay while the sun is shining. I keep the closet locked so it really isn't an issue but want to get it done. I hope to get it knocked out in the next couple of weeks and will post some pics when done. I am thinking about a baseboard for the bottom that goes on with flush mount (counter-sunk) magnets.

I don't think the caster would have really been needed if I would have used real door hinges, I pretty much made it out of stuff I had in the garage so the door was a lil heavy and the hinges a lil small so I tossed the wheel on it.

Thanks for visiting, you guys are great to hang in there from the ordering of the seeds all the way thru, thanks and +rep to all. I am doing a lot of work cleaning the flower room & ordering bulbs & stuff we are like a week away from take-off! Pic updates coming late tonight.

Oops I should go check those dirt plants and make sure they are still alive.

 

[daemos]

T - Minus 10 Secs...

 

[turbolaser4528]

cmon cant let this thread die!!!!!!

 

[daemos]

Hope all is well with Mr Bug!

 

[halitzor]

Completely awesome setup bud. You really went nutso on the plumbing!

Send me a pm if you would like a much simpler/ cheaper/ just as effective setup for a rebuild in the future

 

[Sleepy]

Sleepy I will get you some better pics of the door too. I never have finished trimming out the fake closet, that was supposed to be part of starting up again but duty calls and I have to make hay while the sun is shining. I keep the closet locked so it really isn't an issue but want to get it done. I hope to get it knocked out in the next couple of weeks and will post some pics when done. I am thinking about a baseboard for the bottom that goes on with flush mount (counter-sunk) magnets.

I don't think the caster would have really been needed if I would have used real door hinges, I pretty much made it out of stuff I had in the garage so the door was a lil heavy and the hinges a lil small so I tossed the wheel on it.


thanks, man...

i hope you are ok over there...

 

[dyno]

Hey Lightning Bug

WOW really great setup dude! Love the stealth entrance and how clean it looks inside. See you soon to see the room fill out.

 

[daemos]

BUMP...

LB you still round?

 

[Lightning Bug]

Truly sorry for the lack of updates guys. I am fine, just too busy here. The grow has not gone good, stuff like this is why I quit, unfortunately my grow has to be the last priority behind running my businesses, kids, etc.

I think I jinxed myself earlier saying I had more time on my hands, after I got back from vacation I have been swamped and working 7 days a week, 14+ hrs a day. After a lackluster couple of months I had a chance to catch up on the fundage so I have been bustin ass and now the checks are rolling in. This is just on my primary business, I still have people standing in line for my 2nd business waiting to pay me $100 an hour consulting and I just don't even have time for them.

As such the grow has really suffered but most of the probs have actually resulted from trying to start back up with 2 year old gear and not having time to get my order together for new stuff. I will now detail all of my problems as best I can remember and give a lil update at the end. Here is a list of my transgressions, failures, dumb moves, and fuck-ups mostly in order:

1. My last post where I said "whoops I better go water those soil plants before they die" - I went down there and they almost were dead for real. I watered them and they came back but looked really rough. They are still plodding along, all grown up in the light and shit lol and stay pretty underwatered. The stuff I read about this AK autoflowering when rootbound is def true lets say.

2. MY biggest failure was not taking the time to order some stuff, I decided that I would be OK using that 2+ year old bottle of FNB. I added a lil to the cloner and they started to grow but I was having a very hard time keeping the PH down, the buffer (and who knows what else) wasn't working in the nutes and it was buffering too high.

3. Let everything go too long between work, didn't have time to fight the PH and the clones spent a lot of time in lock out. Temps in the cloner got to 76+ that I know of, some good ol root rot took hold, brown roots and no growing, not really slimy. Lots of deficiencies.

4. Decided to say fuck it and moved 8 of these crappy clones into the buckets, I thought maybe the PH would be easier to control with more water, at this time I hadn't realized it was the nutes fuckin me up. I soaked roots in hydrogen peroxide and moved them into the flowering room under 18/6.

5. Came back a day later to find my A/C unit had quit working, temps were 100+ and everything was almost dead.
Lost 3 in the buckets due to the A/C and almost all the clones except a couple. Bought a new 11K BTU A/C (try finding one on the shelf this time of year LOL)

6. After a few days they perked back up but no real growth and roots still really brown. Had been fighting the PH in the buckets for a week or so and finally figured out the nutes were killing me.

7. Got a new bottle of FNB & changed res out. Within a day or two new white roots started forming on the bucket plants. Took a week or two but basically they had to grow entirely new roots and most of the brown ones have disentegrated.

8. Even though my PH meter was working great I decided to calibrate it and it won't cal and now reads all fucked up, got to get a new probe or unit now and am flying blind here but got a crappy drop kit. PH is rock solid with the new FNB.

9. Went to start some new cuts and discovered my aerocloner pump has now failed too, picked up a new one yesterday hope to switch out soon.

On top of all that the mother-in-law came week before Thanksgiving, was supposed to be gone already but she got sick and she will be here for who knows how long, really putting a cramp on getting things done.

So as it stands now I have 5 plants in the buckets that are growing fast now, but I stuck the last couple of clones I thought were still alive in the other buckets so I am running the PPMs low to see if they will take off. If not I will have to do this run with just the 5 plants and it will take a lil longer to fill the screen. They are looking a lil underfed due to the low PPM but if the new ones don't do something soon I will crank it up.

I may have fucked up again using one of the clones that tends to hermi, it seems to be straightening out now but if it gives me trouble I may yank it. I hated to do it but was running out of options here.

So lots of probs getting started again. The upside is that I pulled in $20+K last few weeks so I can buy a bag LOL. Thanks for hanging in there guys, this run will be successful in the end but it has taken a long time and won't be the perfect grow I was looking for. Hopefully I have gotten all the problems sorted and it will be all green from here.

I am catching up on stuff now and will get some pics up as soon as there is something decent to show. Should be filling the screen and flipping in the next week or two. New clones will be taken soon so I have plenty of time to get my next run vegging so hopefully the next show will be more normal for me.

 

[Hydrosun]

LB,

Glad to see you still growing, even if jobs 1 - 3 and family take up most of the time. So is your life going to slow down and allow you to get back into the hobby and maybe even visit with other ICmagers?

Peace,

 

[turbolaser4528]

glad your back, could be a lot worse for you, hang in there buddy!!!

 

[daemos]

Cool great to see your still here LB. Sometimes life just dosnt allow you to do the things you want to do and some things are more important like family etc... Glad you found out the probs with your grow and i look forward to what you have comming up for us. Take care mate.

Ez...Mos