Register ICMag Forum Menu Features
You are viewing our:
in:
Forums > Marijuana Growing > Indoor Grows - Hydro > BigTokes Hardcore, Bio-Buckets—Playing Around Is Over!!!

Thread Title Search
Click for great deals at MB Ferts
Post Reply
BigTokes Hardcore, Bio-Buckets—Playing Around Is Over!!! Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 09-29-2004, 01:54 AM #1
BigToke
Bio-Bucket Specialist Moderator

BigToke's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: In My Bio-Cave, Growing In Bio-Buckets
Posts: 1,558
BigToke will become famous soon enoughBigToke will become famous soon enough
Thumbs up BigTokes Hardcore, Bio-Buckets—Playing Around Is Over!!!

Well everyone it’s getting a little difficult going to OG to update my grow/thread documentation when I spend all of my time here at IC, so in order to keep up with every thing I’m going to go head and move it so as to better document as I go.

Introduction:
  • Well I, like most other people probable started growing outside? After a few years of growing outside I decided I would take the skills indoors.
  • And for several years I did great!! But I could not get over those hydroponic pictures, then I started looking into going hydro, but after reading lot of different styles of growing hydro I thought it was out of my league. And then I came across the Bio-Bucket section over at OG a few years ago, I thought that was the most fascinating thing I have ever saw, and I new this was duable for a newbie, so with no hydroponic knowledge experience ahead of me it was back to the drawing board.
  • Searching researching, searching researching, and allot of reading & more reading & more reading!!!! Several mounts latter I had finely understood the Recirculating DWC Bio-Bucket system, that I thought suited me to the T, and with no Perrier experience in building an home made hydro system I took my time and allot of thought which took several mounts to get all the parts I needed (I HAD TO HAVE THE BEAST) win it came to the parts of building this system.

In conclusion: This system is NOT A TOY SYSTEM, but well rapidly produces fast growing plants with the most ease of maintenance. I well provide some links to the various different types of bio-bucket system styles, enjoy!!!

HurtBack as far as I know he is the one how came up with the principles and design of the Bio-Buckets, although I love the principles behind the bio-bucket system I did not like the design of the system. So I set out on a journey which took me several mounts to complete.

So here's what I did, and some of the things I kept.
  • I am a farm believer in the bio-filled of the system, the beneficial bacterium or "bio-filled" is supported in my system by 8" Net-Pots, I have mounted these net-pots underneath the lids, that way they would be submerged in water as far as possible, which is about an inch from the top, and they are full of Lava Rook, this gives the beneficial bacterium and place to live, this good bacterium well keep your systems water clean and healthy, and there is no need to do a change-out of the systems res.....So I kept the bio-principles and they have preformed great for me!!
  • The principles of having total circulation, that mines no dead spots at all in the system, if there were dead spots it would germinate bad bacterium or algae in the system and would cause root rot ect.....So I kept the total circulation principles of the bio-system.

And here's some of the things that I changed.
  • As far as I know I am the only one to use a 8" Net-Pot in the Bio-Buckets, this was done to harbor more good bacterium in the system,......since I am recirculating 36 bio-buckets and a 25gal res, that makes it a total of 205gal system, that's allot of water so I thought I needed to harbor as much of good bacterium as possible......So I went with a bigger net pots.
  • In HurtBacks design, there was no way to empty the buckets or res, except by head......And each bucket had the supply line running up through the drain hose, which reduce in the amount of water derange you could do....and caused some clogging.....In my design each bucket is independently supplied and drained, I also modified the supply it was a ½”, mine is ¾”, to offer a more better supply of Nutrients and a faster supply dissolved oxygen in the system, the drain is now 1"1/4, and I have never had one clog, (at the time when this was written) my plants were in there second week of flowering and there are 4'1/2 to 6' foot tall I even have a couple that is 8' foot tall, and they look great and I have never did a change-out. Also I added a Chiller.

That's just a few things that I did....To bring new ideas to the system, you know what they all ways say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here you go.

The Bio-Bucket Concepts:
  • beneficial bacterium
The Use Of Beneficial Bacteria For Water Quality Control
I well try to explain some of the concepts of growing in a bio-bucket system, and sense a lot of people have never heard of "bio-buckets" I'll start with what makes it "bio," I am not referring to the nutrients! I am referring to the beneficial bacterium, there is good and bad bacterium, the good bacterium if put under a microscope is a "short chained bacteria" which are the good one's and feeds off of the bad bacteria which is a "long chained bacteria" which grows when something is non moving and steal and stagnate, that’s way they say to only drink out of fast moving streams because long-chained bad bacteria well build up in a non moving system, so the idea here is to have a recirculating system.
The use of beneficial bacteria populations that can decompose organic sludge as well as bacteria that can convert ammonia and nitrites into nitrates, reduce BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), bind excess phosphates, prevents algal blooms and maintains a microbiological equilibrium in the system. This process has been studied for many years in the water treatment industry and recently has been introduced in aquaculture with very encouraging results. (I well discuss this in more detail later on) so that there is NO DEAD SPOTS in the design of your system.
Now how do you get the beneficial bacterium started in your system, well that's the essayist part of all, you need to give them a home to live in, sense this is a DWC type of system in the bottom of my lid I use an 8" net-pots, DO NOT USE CLAY BALLS, the beneficial bacterium cannot penetrate the heard clay balls, so you won't to use something like "lava rock" or some kind of pumice rock that has tiny little holes in it were the good bacterium can live, Now that you have that just fill up your system with tap water or RO water and live your pump running 24/7 for one week, NOTE: (any thing over 100 gallons, live for two weeks) mine is a 205 gallon system so I fill the system and let it run and in the min time I take my cutting's and by the time thy are rooted the system is ready!
Recap:
  • Recirculating System!
  • Beneficial Bacterium!

Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image

Last edited by BigToke; 02-27-2006 at 06:11 AM..
BigToke is offline Quote


Old 09-29-2004, 02:18 AM #2
BigToke
Bio-Bucket Specialist Moderator

BigToke's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: In My Bio-Cave, Growing In Bio-Buckets
Posts: 1,558
BigToke will become famous soon enoughBigToke will become famous soon enough
Thumbs up BigTokes Hardcore, Bio-Buckets—Playing Around Is Over!!!

Before I get into the design of the bio-buckets, lets talk about some of the benefits that I have personally experience with this kind of system?
  • Stable pH levels, (what I mine is, because of the living bacterium in the system, and because of the constant raped movement of water/nutrient solution and the waterfall effect, it well stabilize the ph in the system, as long as you use a none-organic media in the system, I use Oasis Cubs, because they are none-organic or use nothing at all. In my system after about two weeks before I put my clones in the system, the ph well settle at about 5.5ppm this well very according to the design of your system, and weather you use tap water or RO. I have seen others settle at 6.0ppm, and others settle at 5.0ppm, and as the plaints get larger and began to use more water the ph well rise.)
  • Because of the beneficial bacterium, your system can run at a higher tempters with no problems at all. (There are several growers who grow in this style of and do not have a chiller at all, and there temps are in the 80's.)
  • No air is needed in this system because of the design!! The bio-bucket system use's what's called a recalculating waterfall effect of airation, as the water is pumped out of the reservoir and to each individual DWC Bio-Bucket, the bucket is supplied and drained at the same time, and as the system drains back into the reservoir you design it to were it falls about 7" to 12" drop before it hits the water and that is what is known as the waterfall effect, and the churning of the surface of your reservoir well cerate huge amount of O2. Since I was a newbie at this I did not won't to take any chances, so I bought a DO Meter, and if you design the system right it well make all the O2 you won't!! Without air!!
  • Well I think the last thing mite be the most controversial of all but hear it goes: No Reservoir Change-outs, I can almost see some of you sink down in your sits as you read that, that's all right, but it's true, I know it sounds terrible but it's not, actually that is some what of a "misnomer." Let me explain, you use one central reservoir to feed every how many bio-buckets you won't, this reservoir has a float valve which is connected to your water
    supply as your plaints well suck up water faster then the nutrients, your float valve is automatically toping off your reservoir with fresh water, this is in away reservoir change-out, let me put it this way, in my 205 gallon system (including reservoir) if a plaint is two foot tall and in flowering it could use as much as, one to two or three quarts a day!! That's depending on room temp and other things, so let's do the math, I have a 36 recirculating bio-bucket
    system, that's five gallon buckets to, on average my system uses one quart a per plant a day, so that minas that my system has put back nine gallon's of fresh water being put back into the system or reservoir a day, so you could say that the system automatically do's it's own reservoir change-out's, thus
    eliminating nutrient burn, instead of your nutrient ppm's going up, they go down........When I live on vacation I well raise the nut's up to about 1800ppm's depending of strain, and sometimes I'm gone for a little over two
    weeks, when I get back my ppm's are at around 400ppm to 600ppm’s just depends on how big they are at the time I live.

Recap:
  • Stable PH levels.
  • Higher toleration of heat temp.
  • No need for air. (if designed right!!)
  • And no reservoir change-outs, (or you know what I mine be that.)
These are just some of the benefits that I have noticed from being a bio-bucket user.

Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image

Last edited by BigToke; 09-30-2004 at 10:51 PM..
BigToke is offline Quote


Old 09-29-2004, 02:20 AM #3
Californian
Member

Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Sierra Nevada
Posts: 192
Californian is on a distinguished road
Looks great

But I wish the photos were a bit larger, any way you can arrange for that?
Californian is offline Quote


Old 09-29-2004, 02:39 AM #4
BigToke
Bio-Bucket Specialist Moderator

BigToke's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: In My Bio-Cave, Growing In Bio-Buckets
Posts: 1,558
BigToke will become famous soon enoughBigToke will become famous soon enough
Sorry about that, I believe I have that fixed now.
BigToke is offline Quote


Old 09-29-2004, 02:48 AM #5
Guest
Guest

Posts: n/a
Awesome Big Toke

I love the info and the pics. This is some killer work you've done here man.

I want to use this method in the future on a project and love to gleen as much quality information as I can from post.

I'll be following with open eyes and mind

Tex
Quote


Old 09-29-2004, 02:49 AM #6
Guest
Guest

Posts: n/a
Thumbs up HOLY SHIT there Bucketman!

Awesome BigToke!

I read all the Hurtback and subsequent posts on bio buckets. It looks like you got this thing down. I'm in on this thread.

Very professional... How much $ have you invested thus far in your system?
Quote


Old 09-29-2004, 03:46 AM #7
BigToke
Bio-Bucket Specialist Moderator

BigToke's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: In My Bio-Cave, Growing In Bio-Buckets
Posts: 1,558
BigToke will become famous soon enoughBigToke will become famous soon enough
Thumbs up BigTokes Hardcore, Bio-Buckets—Playing Around Is Over!!!

The Bio-Bucket Concepts:
  • beneficial bacterium
The Use Of Beneficial Bacteria For Water Quality Control
I well try to explain some of the concepts of growing in a bio-bucket system, and sense a lot of people have
never heard of "bio-buckets" I'll start with what makes it "bio," I am not referring to the nutrients! I am
referring to the beneficial bacterium, there is good and bad bacterium, the good bacterium if put under a
microscope is a "short chained bacteria" which are the good one's and feeds off of the bad bacteria which is a "long
chained bacteria" which grows when something is non moving and steal and stagnate, that’s way they say to only drink out of fast moving streams because long-chained bad bacteria well build up in a non moving system, so the idea here is to have a recirculating system.
The use of beneficial bacteria populations that can decompose organic sludge as well as bacteria that can convert ammonia and nitrites into nitrates, reduce BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), bind excess
phosphates, prevents algal blooms and maintains a microbiological equilibrium in the system. This process has been studied for many years in the water treatment industry and recently has been introduced in aquaculture with very encouraging results. (I well discuss this in more detail later on) so that there is NO DEAD SPOTS in the design of your system.
Now how do you get the beneficial bacterium started in your system, well that's the essayist part of all, you need to give them a home to live in, sense this is a DWC type of system in the bottom of my lid I use an 8" net-pots, DO NOT USE CLAY BALLS, the beneficial bacterium cannot penetrate the heard clay balls, so you won't to use something like "lava rock" or some kind of pumice rock that has tiny little holes in it were the good bacterium can live, Now that you have that just fill up your system with tap water or RO water and live your pump running 24/7 for one week, NOTE: (any thing over 100 gallons, live for two weeks) mine is a 205 gallon system so I fill the system and let it run and in the min time I take my cutting's and by the time thy are rooted the system is ready!

Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image


Click for Larger Image

Last edited by BigToke; 09-30-2004 at 10:54 PM..
BigToke is offline Quote


Old 09-29-2004, 04:30 AM #8
BuzzBob
aka Buzz'dBob

BuzzBob's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: State of Misery
Posts: 1,149
BuzzBob has disabled reputation
Holy Chit!!! You were talk'n 16 Five Gallon Buckets in my thread... LOL... Awesome!!! I am going to be right there with TK, examining every word of your posts, and every pixel of your pics!

Way Cool!!!

-BuzzBob
__________________

Featured Grows
SFxBlueberry
AK47s

Contributed Tools
Grow Schedule Assistant

Last edited by BuzzBob; 09-29-2004 at 04:38 AM..
BuzzBob is offline Quote


Old 09-29-2004, 04:57 AM #9
BigToke
Bio-Bucket Specialist Moderator

BigToke's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: In My Bio-Cave, Growing In Bio-Buckets
Posts: 1,558
BigToke will become famous soon enoughBigToke will become famous soon enough
Texas Kid,
Thanks for the props, I’ll do my best on the quality info but coming from a stoner!! I would keep both eye’s open.

Maistre,
Hurtback, did some body say Hurtback!! Ya I’d like to set down at the table and chew the fat with that fellow, but since he is not around any more? I’ll do the best that I can. I don’t have the total cost of this system, so I’ll guess around $2.5k I’m sure you could get buy with less but I was in a hurry to put it together, so I bought every thing new!!

Buzzbob,
Sorry about that it must have been a typo or something, thanks for stopping by.
BigToke is offline Quote


Old 09-29-2004, 05:30 AM #10
Guest
Guest

Posts: n/a
Don't worry BT, I read with stoner eyes.lol

Tex
Quote


Post Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 11:05 AM.


Click to Visit Greenpoint Seeds


This site is for educational and entertainment purposes only.
You must be of legal age to view ICmag and participate here.
All postings are the responsibility of their authors.
Powered by: vBulletin Copyright ©2000 - 2018, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.