Lets Build a Bubble Bucket *Step by Step*

[t33to]

Originally Posted by ocitown

Rumple uses aquarium pumps at least 50 gal rating,100gal. pumps are better though.High quality pumps are rated in psi and LPM but lil aquarium pumps just give a gal. # for the aquariums size.10-20 gal systems seem fine with lil pumps although more air is IMHO better.I have 25 gal system and use an Alita AL-60 small pond pump with great results too.

Thanks. Exactly what I wanted to know.

[gardenablaze]

Awesome to see that SOMEONE knows their growing technique

[ElDiablo]

Rumple,
Can I use soil in the plant basket? I don't have access to a hydro store.

[Rumpleforeskin]

No you can't put soil in the net-pots. Buy your stuff online. I never go to any hydro stores, I just go to the website and order. It's safe and the best deal.

[extra_FRESH]

I have a very similar setup and grow space at ~2' x 4' x 8' high.. I'm in the first week of veg and I'm wondering if the 600w air-cooled light I'm running is too much... I"m not experiencing any burns yet and the ladies seem to enjoy the extra light... I was told it would be fine, but it's always good to get other opinions..

[Rumpleforeskin]

If you said, you could cool a 1000W lamp in that space, I would say use it. More light more bud. Simple.

[cackpircings]

I just finished building a Bubble bucket in a little pill bottle about 1/10 gallon... I am growing a mini hydro plant and the roots are amazing! Never less once it is into flowering I will post some pics on this thread... (Didn’t take long)

[t33to]

Do take pics for us!

[rave420]

Originally Posted by Rumpleforeskin

I have tried six or seven brands and sizes (have a box full of um). They all worked fine. I did settle on the duel diaphragm pump from General Hydroponics. No one has told me the more bubbles the better, but I think it is so.

I can't help much when it comes to pond scum issues. I have never had it come up yet. I cant remove my buckets and clean them between nutrient changes because the plants are fixed in a screen. Yet I still have no scum. I do clean them with bleach and water after harvest. I drain and change nutrients every ten days or so. It could have alot to do with my method of feeding. I use the Lucas Formula. Very simple and seems to work good.
Best of luck, R.

Sorry this is a verry late reply, but i thought i give some insight into the whole bucket-scum issue.

The thing is, the scum is not organic matter. It's not living things or anything.
Think about what you're using in the bucket. You're using a Nutrient solution. That is essentially watter plus some disolved salts. When the fertilizer is added to the watter (when mixing it or in the manufacturing process) the salts disolve into Ions.

For example, my nutrient solution contains 4% phosphate in the form of P2O5 as the positive ion and some phosphate salt as the negative ion. There is an equal ammount of Positive P ions and Negative other ions. They kinda maintain a ballance. It's called equilibrium.

Now the plant only takes out the positive P ions for example, but not the negative salts.
What happens is, because the negative ions are missing their counter-ion (the positive P ion) they can no longer stay disolved and perticipate out of the solution.

Therefore, you see the crust on the side of the bucket and the watter apears to have something in it.

There is not a lot that you can do about that really. I wouldn't be too concerned about it either. Only thing that might happen is that the salinity of the water goes up as more nutrients are being used up.


Now, because Rumpleforeskin changes his solution frequently, there might not be noticeable ammounts of salts, but i bet if he keeps it in there longer the same thing will happen to him.

Plus, don't forget, the plant is a living thing, and so are the roots. Parts might fall off. When roots grow they sometimes "shed", as they get bigger they loose parts of the skin because it doesn't grow as fast as the root does.

I hope i helped out a bit And don't yell at me if my explanation was brutally incorrect, it's been a while since i was in high-school chemistry . Hey, at least the idea is a good one. Can someone confirm that theory?

[Rumpleforeskin]

Sorry Rave, but your explanation was brutally incorrect or you just misunderstood the term pond scum. The correct term is algae bloom. Hydro growers have issues with algea growing anyplace that light shines on the nutrient. It starts out as slime, then turns into gobs of floating islands of puke. I have seen lots of pictures and a few up close examples of the stuff. We have additives to keep it from growing, but I don't like to add them if I don't have to.

We call your explanation, "salt build up". We just flush to clean it out.
Peace, R.

[jerseykrs]

Rumple,

I just spent the whole weekend reading this entire thread, wow is it informative! I am building a 1 bucket/1 reservoir system. More on that after the first question...

Using your "Lucas Formula", I understand that I would mix my first batch of nute (enough for the bucket and reservoir, let's say 8 gallons) and then add Ph adjusted distilled water to the reservoir daily as the plant uses it up to keep it at the correct level. Once I add 8 gallons of the PH adjusted water, then mix up a fresh 8 gals. of nute and do the water change. So, if I understand correctly, during the time it takes to top off with the water, the plant is getting a progressively diluted mix of nutes daily until it gets a full mix when I do the water change, and that cycle continues till harvest. Is that correct? Is this feeding schedule more beneficial than providing a constant nute level?

Secondly, I'm looking in a current Hydrofarm catalog, and I see General Hyrdoponics sells a controller system for their waterfarm's. It consists of a 13 gallon reservoir on top of a 8 gallon reservoir with a float valve. I'm thinking of installing the sight level indicator and the fill and drain plugs on this. What I would do is fill the large res. with the distilled water, keep it at PH, keep the small res. filled with the same nute mix as the bucket, and when the 8 gals. of distilled goes, mix a fresh batch of nutes and do the change. I hope that makes sense....

I do have a Hanna Gro'CHEK meter, so I will be checking PH of the distilled and nute solution daily.

[Rumpleforeskin]

Some tough questions. The real question should be: What is the best way to execute the lucas formula (nutrient add-back or water top-off). I am not sure of the answer here. What I do know is what works well for me and my growing style. My plants always indicate the fresh formula is a bit stong (daily drops in PH readings). The PH level drops everyday the first five or six days on a new batch. This means for my White Widow, the formula needs to be diluted anyway. Towards day ten to fourteen the PH starts to go up (meaning the plants are hungry). If you can maintain the best PPMs for your plants you may not need to change your nutrient every ten days. But I have noticed that it always changes, depending on stage of growth.
Check out the complete Lucas Formula for full details on the ways of executing his feeding technique.

If I had that WaterFarm controller, I would fill it with fresh nutrient solution (the whole thing). This way you can go longer without changing nutrients.

I add un-adjusted RO water to my buckets daily. Then stirr and adjust the whole system.

[jerseykrs]

Originally Posted by Rumpleforeskin

If I had that WaterFarm controller, I would fill it with fresh nutrient solution (the whole thing). This way you can go longer without changing nutrients.

I was thinking that made more sense, but was a little confused with the top off issue. I'd love to just mix up 12 gals of nutes (4 in bucket, 4 in controller, 4 in reservoir) and add new nute mix to the reservoir as it gets used, maybe due a complete flush every other fill.

?

BTW, this entire thread was so helpful, + rep man.

[rssxy]

as far as ph meters are concerned. can you use a ph meter for soil and water? or do you have to get 2 different ones?

[Rumpleforeskin]

I don't know the answer to the PH meter question. Please chime in if you know the answer to this.