5dw what you're visualizing is exactly how i'm doing it in the pics..the hose with valve goes to the header in the next pic..the res is what you grow in and the header feeds it..in that cab the header is outboard..and the bulkhead spigot is optional way to drain systm if pump stik fails..30' hse to shwr and gravity drains it..in next pic the header is in board..i fill and drain thru the header unless i'm adding nutes to the mix then it goes in the res..i also only airate the res not the header nor do i cool the header..best to keep it simple and go with the blk bulkhead fitting and a inline valve..the blue n white fitting i got at a home brewing store..install was more trouble than it was worth and i never use it
Hi doc are you talking about how tall my screen is lol. Luckily I made it adjustable I just cut the legs and bought some couplings so I can raise it up or down I will take pics if the plants reach it. With this tent I have all kinds of room. I just put the babies into flower today.
Thanks Doc. So must the header be higher than reservoir to fill it and lower than reservoir when draining it? I watched a Youtube video of a guy building a sight glass on the side to see level of water. But he was also able to use it to drain the reservoir. Looked fairly easy. My question- a 5 gallon bucket does it take a 4" or 6" net cup? Also, the 5 gallon bucket is much taller and I'm going to have to check height. I didn't put 7' ext on. Just starting week 6. That means I start seeds today. I am not with the cloning deal yet. Retirement will help. Anyway I have spent the afternoon looking for my seeds. It just occurred to me I think I put them in a cvault container. I would know everyone's favorite smoke they have grown. I haven't had many, but Critical Kush was mine.
this is the sage and sour sativa at 47 days, probably another 4 weeks to go, my Liberty Haze just got taken over by these sativa, I know she's in here somewhere. @5DW my 5 gal buckets take 12 in net pots
Peri i like those colas! Today i did defoliation of all dead fromunda leaf and dying leaf from not enough lite..#3 with only one plnt and no crowding is developing colas nicely..cab 1 i start flush sun for two wks then harvest..cab 2 n 3 start flush end of feb harvest in mar..3 clones are on deck for those cabs..hall plnts got tp'd to sip's today ..couple more wks and they'll go outdrs.. 5dw those 12'' whole top baskts for 5 gal buckets take LOTS of geo rk..BIG cleaning job at the end and no inspection port..less i got to clean the happier i am and the quicker my turn around..plus my gear is sized so i can do clean up in my kitchen sink..no having to do the outside garden hse clean up thing..
I used 3.5 gal buckets for my headers..instead of a snap on/off cover that gets tiresome i use a twist on/off cover..it's pricy but the easy access is worth it in the long run imo
I checked out the 3.5 gallon buckets at Home Depot today. I would like that because I want to put on a small platform so I can drain it. I am worried if the net pot is low their is not very much root space. Thanks for tip KIQ. So bizarre the things I couldn't find at Home Depot. Hey Doc, at what point are you supposed to stop bending stems? I started week 6 in flower and I am still bending. Couldn't find my seeds so had to order more, barney's Farm Cookies Kush. Cross between Girl Scout cookies and OG Kush. Sounds wonderful) I will clone those.
5dw i bend as much as needed to keep the canopy even and so it doesn't touch the lite..however towards the end i just let them do their thing..i try not to micro manage too much and let mother nature take over at that point..it's kinda dependent on how much space you're wrkn with..my one plnt under 48x3w i don't have to do anything..the other cabs that have two plnts ea i'm always bending till the stretch is over, trimming leaf, doing yo-yo's and s hooks..btw i shop both lowes and HD and there's lots of stuff they don't have because of legalities..they have 6'' to 4'' reduction tapers but you will not find pancake tapers because they have been ''misused'' and involved in lawsuit else where so they don't sell them however they do sell a bucket hydro systm cause legal says it's not exlusive to pot grwng..coporate mentality imo..
1 x C.A.P. Everlastics Net Pots (Size: 6" Net Pot Cover) 1 x 3.5 & 5 Gallon Buckets (Product: 5 Gallon Black Bucket) 1 x Aero Lids (Size: 6" Net Pot Bucket Lid) 1 x 3/4" Barbed Fittings (Product: Barbed Elbow Each) 1 x 1/2" & 3/4" Valves (Size: 3/4" Shut-Off Valve) 1 x 1/2" & 3/4" Grommets (Product: 3/4" Grommet Each) 1 x 1/2" & 3/4" Tubing (Product: 3/4" Clear Blue Tubing 1ft) So this is what I just bought. I'm using 3/4" blue tubing on outside for drain, but hoping I can also use as a sight glass to eyeball water level. Will have to decide it I want the valve or the water level visual. Valve seems a little safer. Almost $10 in postage- but everything before postage was 20 bucks. Ended up on discount Hydroponics because they had everything, where other sites had somethings, not all. I plan to cut a hatch door in the rim of the lid about 3" x 3". KIQ- I went with 5 gallon. I'm afraid I won't be able to fill with 3 gallons on the 3.5 and not soak the bottom of the net cup.
5dw i'm curious to see how you do with 3/4'' hose..that stuff just won't make a tight bend without kinks..i quickly gave up on it and now only use 1/2''..a very pliable rubber hose you will not find at lowes or HD only possibly at a hydro store
Shoot, should have asked about hose. I got 3/4" because I thought it would empty faster. The grommet goes into the hole the elbow goes into. I watched a video and they had everything the guy showed in his building of his bucket. This picture shows the blue tube on the side like I want to do it. My own air filter and stones will go through a small hole above water line. I am not doing overhead watering
5dw..if you're connecting the two buckets together and you're filling from the header and the wtr will rise to it's own level so it's the same as the res..why the view tube? well this is your build so you gotta build how you feel it..i've wrked with grommets before and i'd put a drip tray under both res n header when load testing for leaks..grommets sometimes will do fine with a gal but put 2 or more in and they leak due to expansion of the res from the added weight..btw practice making holes on scrap plastic first before you do the buckets or you'll wish you had
Doc- I took your advice on 3/4". I know the tubing on my pump is thicker and has a mind of it's own. Just got off phone with DiscountHydroponics. I ordered last night. They were nice enough to switch out the 4 items to 1/2". Pretty amazing in this day and age. Until I saw your photos I didn't think about draining out of that tube. With that idea I am going to try just one bucket, no header for now. In my 2X4 tent my one plant almost fills it and the one plant harvest seems to support my daily trips. So I'm trying to keep it simple. I have the temp, humidity, ph and ppms all just hummin' along. My tent is fairly close to my RO water barrel. Life is good.