my undercurrent build with AK and WWxBB

[Desert Hydro]

damn my DIY side for getting me into this lol. ive just glued up all the pipes i just need to let it dry and test run tomorrow. im really worried that its gonna leak around the pump and onto the floor lol. im gonna put the pump inside of something in case it does. hopefully all goes well. if it leaks im just gonna scrap the whole thing and run a flood table.

the bitches will get moved in as soon as the system checks out. they are at about week 5 or 6 of flower right now

 

[Desert Hydro]

EPIC FAILURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL wow, thats five hours and ~two hundred dollars i'll never get back haha. things i learned while attempting this build, 1- despite what the website says, uniseals have a hard time sealing on a five gallon round bucket. 2- when it comes to massive amounts of water and nutes around your hardwood floors skip the DIY(unless you K.I.S.S.) 3- premade hydro systems are worth EVERY penny in most cases. 4- have fun and keep on keepin on! i WILL NOT let this hiccup keep me down. now i have options. more so than i care to think about lol. do i break out the blumats? do i move to DWC's? ive sunk enough money into this grow but i think i may just buy a 4x4 Ebb and flow table. maybe i'll just finish these off in straight DWC's and keep my options open till i make up my damn mind lol. im so farking confused right now. i need some insight ICMAG!! if you had the choice which would you pick? DWC i think is the cheapest route for now. all i need is 6 buckets and air pumps/stones. i already have the nice lids.

 

[LokiLoki]

Fuck yeah! looking good, im so going to build a system like that. Ive noticed people start using them more and more. You gonna do a grow diary?

Lol now i read the second post, wtf happened?
Check out my grow in the signature, might help you out with some inspiration for building a dwc system, mine works perfectly

Good luck man never give up!

 

[Dark Helmet]

mate id rip it apart and if u only need six mate u could do it u prob need 2 more buckets new ones u have 4 that are still good looks like u have more then enuff pvc , i wouldnt use those uni seals either that why most people use square buckets or bulk head fitting for that reason. But dont give up mate!

 

[Desert Hydro]

just dont use round containers unless the sidewall is thick enough to make a really good seal. the lowes buckets side walls are very thin and flexible. i think thats where the problems came from. oh well. you live and you learn. im just gonna do straight DWC's to finish the bitches off i think. im pretty pissed i ruined my nice reservoir lol.

 

[LokiLoki]

just dont use round containers unless the sidewall is thick enough to make a really good seal. the lowes buckets side walls are very thin and flexible. i think thats where the problems came from. oh well. you live and you learn. im just gonna do straight DWC's to finish the bitches off i think. im pretty pissed i ruined my nice reservoir lol.

That sucks man, so do you think it would work if you had a different reservoir with flat sides?

Good luck with that DWCing!

 

[Desert Hydro]

i think if i would have had different plant sites i would have been ok. my rez is a thick food grade barrel that holds like 20 gal and it took the seal quite nicely with no leak. it was the only one that didnt leak almost lol.

 

[dirkvid]

i found that finding the thickest round buckets and some silicone is key to the DIY system. I had to tear down and rebuild with new round buckets but 2nd try i got it dialed in for 3 rounds now w/ no leaks.

 

[greenwithenvy]

Thick circle buckets will work like dirkvid says. But then again there hard to find.

 

[Desert Hydro]

i think ive decided to keep the ebb and flow for veg and then transfer to coco with my blumats to flower. i f-ing love blumats. once dialed in they are amazing. ive gone on vacation for a few days and when i come back all is in perfect order. they are the simplest and least labor intensive method ive ever done. plus i have a shit ton of coco left over from my last run so i will just recycle it.

 

[guambomb813]

sorry for the fail. with research ud find that uniseals only work on a flat surface . diy bulkheads r super esasy n cheap thats what i have 3" pvc undercurrent on 25gal cans. good luck.... but no store bought can ever be as versatile and reliable as a well thought n executed diy so if u have issues its always a flaw in ur plan or execution!

 

[detoneSmoker]

You should just use PVC pipe like this video.
Very easy and youll get the most bang for buck with cab space. Heres a video, Easy to scale down if needed.
http://www.hydroponic.rainbowwonder...Cuz4iOu9v6U&feature=youtube_gdata_player.html

 

[cash4life]

I gave up on diy hydro a long time ago. If you ant undercurrent go buy a nice system. Id go with dwc if I where you simple as hell, but not cheap when it comes to pumps. I was running an ap-100 pond pump per 16 buckets. Only way to go but they are like 300-400, but are reliable and work like a charm my buckets did not bubble they where like a hot tub. Im in coco now because I upped my numbers and dwc would have been unmanageable to have like 150 buckets not to mention use cray water and nutes. Im on a hunch with these square tiered pots with lots of air holes that air prune. But I LOVE dwc explosive explosive veg growth.