[rrog]

I'm hoping to try a new grow format. The OBBT. You can see it in action here: https://icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=130800
Discussed in great depth Here: https://icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=116431

I was hooked as soon as I read about it. It all starts with The Bucket.

Here are some images from my build. 5 gallon black pails with 1/2" PVC fittings.



I tried a few different fittings, and because if the curved sides of the bucket, the Uniseals worked best. Just take care to cut a clean accurate hole with a hole saw.

These are designed to be 2/5 water and lava rock on the bottom, 3/5 grow medium on top.



I debated the overflow a lot since I didn't want the pumped air to simply escape out the overflow. To solve this, the overflow has this tail inside the bucket. This is the overflow as seen from the inside of the bucket.

EDIT: The photos show the openings covered with landscape fabric to keep the roots out. I wasn't happy with the low flow rate through the fabric, so I removed the fabric screens. Now there's there's nothing. I'm considering wire screens.



The waste valve seems like overkill, but the Uniseal really holds the PVC in place tightly. So what the heck. Works like a champ. I can screw on a garden hose to a sump pump crock for waste.

[resin_lung]

[livewire420]

nice

Good show Rrog. Good to see you got OBBT made up. Have you tested out your overflow yet to see how it works with keeping the bubblies in? Or you going to have the air stone above it. Anyway good job bro. I'll be joining you soon in my OBBT. Good luck

[rrog]

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts.

Switch, the overflow is about 3/4" away from the side of the pail and about 1" off the bottom.

I have dual 3" x 4" barrel shaped airstones per 5 gal pail. Three OBBT pails altogether pushed by a dedicated 950 GPH air pump. She'll launch OK.

So there's a bunch of air being presented and it goes up. So in my opinion perfect.

Incidentally, regarding the water level indicator, you can see straight to the bottom of the barbed elbow. You can always see exactly. I'll be putting fabric on the top of the tube to keep stuff out.

Good stuff man. Can't wait to see what you can push out of your buckets. Anyway till the next update I'll be hiding in the corner.

BTW, if things goes as plan I'll have a prototype for that air hood thing i was talking about earlier. Maybe within a week or two.

GOOD LUCK!!!

[opt1c]

nice man those uniseals are clean.... i still remember the trials and tribulations of installing fittings with silicone and hot glue guns... looked ugly when all was said and done... really clean setup and install man... OBBT is new to me; time to search and research

[rrog]

Thanks obt1c. I appreciate your help and comments earlier. The OBBT is organic ferts in coco with water & air bubbling underneath. What really separates it is the total immersion into benefitial microbes. The system is as much designed to support them as it is to support the plant. Very interesting, I think.

[opt1c]

just coco or do you mix in composted soil as well? does it work via wicking action from the bottom? do you top off with just straight water? top fed? hand watered? looks interesting

[rrog]

Compost, yes. Wicking action, yes. The large amount of air bubbled in assists with the movement, but feeds the microbes primarily.

Straight water, yes. I'll be re-constituting RO/DI water with something like CalMag+ myself. Just "unceremoniously" poured on with a bucket, according to LadyLargely, one of the inventors. The res keeps things watered for quite a while, apparently. Top surface is 1" of Perlite to help slow evaporation.

I should mention that the system is heavy on the pro-biotic Foliar spraying as well as natural hormones. Amazing.