daltron

1 - Bucket & Lid construction:



5 gallon buckets black is best to block incoming light



¾” pvc barb is used for nute input …..inserted just under the top lip of the bucket



1 ¼” pvc insert coupling for the nute out flow……..placed with center of coupling 2 ½” below the top of the bucket



click on image for larger pic’s



Lid Construction:



Using a 8” net pots { 10” net pot leaves no room for the pvc fittings} will give us max lava rocks and porous material for beneficial bacteria……..

Connect the net pot to the underside of the lid using at least 3 nuts, bolts, washers and lock washers…..



Why to the under side of the lid?? To give us that much more space for some extra lava rock……waste not - want not… J

note that I did not build drains into the buckets.....it would make life easier to do so....It is recomended that you put drains in.....I am running low on funds {14 times everything adds up to some major $$} I have a small water pump that I will use to pump out the buckets into the 4" pvc return line.....then I added one extra valve just after the out put of the main 2400 gph......using the main pump I can now empty most of the res though this vavle connected to a garden hose and out she goes......

Bucket insulation: I started with some pipe insulation tape with a RH factor of 4 then put some duct tape aroud that to hold it tight.....plus that last part of the new build will be encasing the buckets and res in full insulation....RH 12.....this with my small chiller should help keep temps down....





2 – Support frame:



do the math…….you need a 1 foot waterfall drop…….so design a support for your buckets that will give this 1 foot drop into the res plus support all the weight of the fluids in the buckets and return lines……how tall is your res now do the math from there….




3 - Supply Line Construction:



Going from pump to buckets ……..

Pump output was 1” bushed up to 1 ½” to 1 ½” union {breaks pump free from system…..for replacement or storage}


Run 1 ½” main to the ¾” valve’s {controls flow to buckets} to a ¾” barb connected to a ¾” hose connected to bucket at the ¾” pvc elbow barb……barb points down into the buckets {creates constant movement though out the entire bucket}


4 - Return Line to Res Construction:



From the buckets to the res is a gravity fed system…….therefore the bucket output is the high point in the system….



Coming out of the bucket via the 1 ¼” pvc coupling into the 1 ¼” sup-pump hose ……… connects to a 4” pvc pipe ….set to a ½ down slope bubble ……….this moving, rolling, flowing mass of nutes and water starts to oxygenate………



4” pvc terminates at the top of the res creating a 10” to 1’ waterfall……. oxygenating the nute solution before once again being sucked out by the pump……



4” pvc pipe connects to the res just under the top lip of reservoir……this allows you to place the lid on the res keeping it clean…….note: res lid will need to be vented in some way to allow fresh air into and used/bad air out of the res….. 2nd note: in case of power loss to pump….. res will fill then overflow back up the 4” pvc return line preventing spills and or a big mess J



5 - Reservoir Construction:

sorry no pic's of the res .....because this is where I am at in my build....pic's will be posted after I complete my res.....


Connect the 4” pvc pipe as described above



Connect the water pump to the res as low as possible in the res



Connect a float valve to the res and set for max depth, connect the other end to the tap water…….



What is my max depth/ res size ?? Determined by canopy size…..

sq ft of flowering canopy / 2 times 3 quarts per sq ft = res size ......there is 4 quarts to a gallon



I’m growing to create a canopy size of 5’ times 8’ = 40sqft

Divided by 2 = 20sqft

20sqft times **3 qts/sqft = 60 quarts…this is the size of your/my res



4 qts / gal therefore 60 divided by 4 = 15 gal for my res, I added 5 extra gallons to the size of my res to be safe and sure of going the whole grow without a res change out.



**water needed for a flowering canopy comes from the US Agricultural service and is listed at 3 quarts of water per square foot of flowering canopy……. Many will argue this number….however the bottom line is……this formula WORKS

__________________
Carry on my wayward son,
in my fathers memory, Daltron Jr.


Current Journal
my first BioPonic grow journal (5 plants yields over 3 lbs)
BioPonic's: The Constrution Thread
Clones The easy way
CannaButter How to make it
Problem Solver::learn how to read your MJ leaves
Marijuana.com Strain Guide