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Club Bio Box
- Thread starter LadyLargely
- Start date
Same here, but now I am starting to get really worried about noise. I am wanting to run 4-6 buckets but fear that the pond-style air pumps will be insanely loud. Does anybody have any suggestions? Maybe use separate smaller pumps for each bucket?
It's ok if it can be heard in the same room, but not from outside at all. What would you guys recommend if somebody were living in an apartment?
They're noisy. My 950 GPH Sunleaves pump is in a rubbermaid tote with holes drilled in the side for the airlines. Absorbent material inside. Foam, actually.
Really what is needed is mass... weight. Harder for sound to move heavy things. I had contemplated an MDF box, but lined the tote with Mass Loaded Vinyl. Works great
Really what is needed is mass... weight. Harder for sound to move heavy things. I had contemplated an MDF box, but lined the tote with Mass Loaded Vinyl. Works great
Use the same consideration you'd use with stereo speakers. The more they touch floors/walls/ceilings, the easier they'll transmit sound through said medium. Get your pumps up off the floor and away from a shared wall. Maybe use something like those little plastic tables they use in pizza boxes to keep the toppings from getting smashed and put the pump on one or two of those so they are even more free-floating. Or get crazy and suspend them from a ceiling hook with fishing line!
From there it should just be a matter of getting some sound dampening material around them. Foam, carpet samples, egg cartons, folded towels...I'm sure you can get creative here.
From there it should just be a matter of getting some sound dampening material around them. Foam, carpet samples, egg cartons, folded towels...I'm sure you can get creative here.
great thread. i can see myself using this in the future.
thanks ladylargely
thanks ladylargely
Thanks rrog and BW! The only thing I was worried about with that is restricting airflow to the pump itself and causing it to burn up. If that's not a problem, then I'll definitely go with one of the pond style air pumps because they're cheap and powerful. With the sound deadening, what would you compare the noise level to?
I find out if we're going to be legal in the next few days, wish us luck!
LadyLargely
Member
Yea, the big hydro air pumps are not for the feint of heart. The vibration they generate is tremendous.
More, smaller air pumps is an ok way to go. Actually DrunkenMessiah, one of Bio Box's originators, always preferred this approach. No more than 2 tubs per air pump, really small sub-100 gallon little jobbies.
Personally, it always annoyed the piss outta me. I went hydro pumps and never looked back, but if stealth is a priority there is no reason not to go with several little pumps. They draw a tiny amount of power, are easy to isolate, don't give off much heat, etc.
I very much encourage gardeners to adapt Bio Box techniques to their specific needs. I don't think it necessary to emulate the previous OBBT gardeners directly to have success. Just fulfill the requirements. Soil, microbes, air injection. How you go about it is up to you. If a couple little pumps works out then go for it, bastards are like 9 bucks, they have short little lives but whatever, no great loss.
Do what you gotta do buddy, don't compromise on your needs. If stealth is a priority then don't sacrifice it. Little pumps can be irritating but they'll work A-OK.
Just make sure to use some finesse in fabbing up your OBBT. Get a good u-bend action on your overflow so you don't waste air out of it, stuff like that. Keep us posted, good luck buddy!
More, smaller air pumps is an ok way to go. Actually DrunkenMessiah, one of Bio Box's originators, always preferred this approach. No more than 2 tubs per air pump, really small sub-100 gallon little jobbies.
Personally, it always annoyed the piss outta me. I went hydro pumps and never looked back, but if stealth is a priority there is no reason not to go with several little pumps. They draw a tiny amount of power, are easy to isolate, don't give off much heat, etc.
I very much encourage gardeners to adapt Bio Box techniques to their specific needs. I don't think it necessary to emulate the previous OBBT gardeners directly to have success. Just fulfill the requirements. Soil, microbes, air injection. How you go about it is up to you. If a couple little pumps works out then go for it, bastards are like 9 bucks, they have short little lives but whatever, no great loss.
Do what you gotta do buddy, don't compromise on your needs. If stealth is a priority then don't sacrifice it. Little pumps can be irritating but they'll work A-OK.
Just make sure to use some finesse in fabbing up your OBBT. Get a good u-bend action on your overflow so you don't waste air out of it, stuff like that. Keep us posted, good luck buddy!
I have a thermometer in the pump box just to monitor the temp. Stays at about 104 all day, every day. Not bad for a pump to operate in. I have a spare gasket ready also.
I went for a larger air volume in the Rubbermaid tote. Easier to cool with air volume. I didn't want to get a fan to cool the pump.
I went for a larger air volume in the Rubbermaid tote. Easier to cool with air volume. I didn't want to get a fan to cool the pump.
RipVanWeed
Member
Help my Kelp
Help my Kelp
I have a question about kelp. I'm mixing up some new medium tomorrow and I'm lacking one component. No kelp meal. I do have liquid kelp extract. I had good results using about a half cup of kelp meal per gal of medium. Could I get some suggestions on how much liquid extract to add to accomplish the same preload as with the dry meal?
I believe I was too hasty when I plugged the new babies in the used buckets. The little girls are not looking well, so I'm fabbing up another set of OBBT Bio Box's in the morning to get the innoculation started.
Kelp Help Needed.....Please Advise
Respect,
Help my Kelp
I have a question about kelp. I'm mixing up some new medium tomorrow and I'm lacking one component. No kelp meal. I do have liquid kelp extract. I had good results using about a half cup of kelp meal per gal of medium. Could I get some suggestions on how much liquid extract to add to accomplish the same preload as with the dry meal?
I believe I was too hasty when I plugged the new babies in the used buckets. The little girls are not looking well, so I'm fabbing up another set of OBBT Bio Box's in the morning to get the innoculation started.
Kelp Help Needed.....Please Advise
Respect,
LadyLargely
Member
Pumps rated for 100 gallons or less is what DM always used. One per tub. There where also these cheap 14 dollar dual-output ones he really liked. Can't remember how many gallons they where rated for but it wasn't much.
I'll be posting a couple more pics soon, not enough has happened yet compared to my last update. I threw WW#2 into her first starve cycle a bit more than 24 hours ago. In a couple more days she'll be starting to feel it, will post pics once she reaches the height of her ugliness!
RipVanWeed
I like powdered kelp meal for a couple of reasons. One of the big ones is that its so wonderfully starchy and full of carbohydrates. You could go liquid kelp for the hormone and nutrient benefits, but you're missing out on these starches. Go ahead an use liquid, the rate you used it at before sounds fine. You'll just have to replace the missing starches, not hard to do. I believe I remember you using alfalfa meal. That shit is loaded with carby plant material and is a good N source if I'm not mistaken. Throw a cup or so of that in per 5 gallons of medium and all shall be well!
Yea, I'm not too surprised you're having trouble with your re-use strategy. Once I finish with an OBBT I always dig it up, toss in a couple new nutrients and flop it all back in again. Then I WAIT a week or two for most of the old roots to get eaten. If I recall, you just stuck new plants in with no waiting to regenerate. If you are in a hurry bacteria/enzyme products like C024 suggested could speed things along and add some kewl new bennies to your mix.
Pumps rated for 100 gallons or less is what DM always used. One per tub. There where also these cheap 14 dollar dual-output ones he really liked. Can't remember how many gallons they where rated for but it wasn't much.
I'll be posting a couple more pics soon, not enough has happened yet compared to my last update. I threw WW#2 into her first starve cycle a bit more than 24 hours ago. In a couple more days she'll be starting to feel it, will post pics once she reaches the height of her ugliness!
I found some tetra whisper pumps on Ebay that got decent reviews for noise/reliability. I was thinking of using one pump for 2 buckets (it's rated for 100gal tanks) as it has two outlets. Would that be enough air until we move or I can afford to buy a pump for each bucket?
You're wonderful..."You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to LadyLargely again."
LadyLargely
Member
Aww, thanks buddy 
:
Sounds a lot like my original rig DM made for me. We ran containers just shy of 5 gallons with 2 per pump, gear a lot like you're looking at. Don't know that you would ever need to upgrade so long as the ones you get hold up. Excessive air pressure seems to make for mega-quick incubation, but no measurable benefits other than that. Go with your proposition and you'll be all set!
:Sounds a lot like my original rig DM made for me. We ran containers just shy of 5 gallons with 2 per pump, gear a lot like you're looking at. Don't know that you would ever need to upgrade so long as the ones you get hold up. Excessive air pressure seems to make for mega-quick incubation, but no measurable benefits other than that. Go with your proposition and you'll be all set!
Aww, thanks buddy
Sounds a lot like DM's old rigs and those things did fine. He ran containers just shy of 5 gallons with 2 per pump, gear a lot like that. Don't know that you would ever need to upgrade so long as the ones you get hold up. Excessive air pressure seems to make for mega-quick incubation, but no measurable benefits other than that. Go with your proposition and you'll be all set!
Awesome! They're only like $20 so I might order an extra one in case one fails or I want to add more buckets!
I find out today if we're going to be legal!!!
FromdaBrush0G
New member
hello
McDanger
Member
new bud growth
new bud growth
Here is where we are as of today. On Friday the last of my 3 OBBT plants showed sex,(other 2 were male) finally a female. Pics are from today, I got this much bud growth in 3 days. Strain is white widow from Joey Weed that hermied and seeded on my last soil crop, so I have a bunch of seeds now. One bucket I completely disassembled to see how it was working (no complaints), and the other I just took off the perlite cap and am running to inoculate again so it eats the roots, along with 1 new bucket and 1 modified with uniseals and improved overflow. These will have seedlings in about a week or so, when they are inoculated.
new bud growth
Here is where we are as of today. On Friday the last of my 3 OBBT plants showed sex,(other 2 were male) finally a female. Pics are from today, I got this much bud growth in 3 days. Strain is white widow from Joey Weed that hermied and seeded on my last soil crop, so I have a bunch of seeds now. One bucket I completely disassembled to see how it was working (no complaints), and the other I just took off the perlite cap and am running to inoculate again so it eats the roots, along with 1 new bucket and 1 modified with uniseals and improved overflow. These will have seedlings in about a week or so, when they are inoculated.
Attachments
McDanger
Member
and the new buckets
and the new buckets
Now that the uniseals are in, the new buckets are assembled and inoculation started today.
I did these a little different from the last ones.
1st drilled and installed all fittings, using bubble wands instead of the cheap walmart 6" airstones (more and bigger bubbles), then added hydroton with the air running and water up to the overflow (keep a catch pan under the overflow when you do this), on top of this I added the medium DRY to within 2" of the top of the bucket. Then I added more water (about 1/2 gallon) on top of the medium, poured in fast so it spreads out over the entire medium before soaking in. This saturated the medium good. Now they are covered with old car floormats to keep the top of the medium dark and bubbling away. Seeds will start germinating today, White Widow this run, next run will be some purples I think.
and the new buckets
Now that the uniseals are in, the new buckets are assembled and inoculation started today.
I did these a little different from the last ones.
1st drilled and installed all fittings, using bubble wands instead of the cheap walmart 6" airstones (more and bigger bubbles), then added hydroton with the air running and water up to the overflow (keep a catch pan under the overflow when you do this), on top of this I added the medium DRY to within 2" of the top of the bucket. Then I added more water (about 1/2 gallon) on top of the medium, poured in fast so it spreads out over the entire medium before soaking in. This saturated the medium good. Now they are covered with old car floormats to keep the top of the medium dark and bubbling away. Seeds will start germinating today, White Widow this run, next run will be some purples I think.
Attachments
McDanger
Member
Nice and easy to use, as long as I keep the hole up a little from the bottom of the bucket. I ordered extras, so I have enough for another 8 buckets if all goes well.
