First Bio Bucket from Uruguay

Hello fellows, I have been lurking around long enough to find myself inlove with Bio buckets. Now its my time to try it.

I have been growing DWC for over a couple of years now, also RDWC. Hand watering coco, and other hydro method like rockwool hand watering and drip.

Now I found myself in a dead end, lava rocks seem to be really hard to find in my country. And I ended up buying a box of lava stones from a company that imports them from Sweden. Hella rip off if you ask me, I payed around $220 US dolars for 15kg of rocks and they don't look nothing like the ones in the other threads.

The box is I bought looks like this



Called Tylo sauna stones, and the box says lava rocks. But like I said before, they don't look nothing like the ones in your grows.

it would be great to get some help on the subject because I'm completly new to the idea of no flushing, no sterilizing, and letting the system be. I like to have everything super clean, and I hate plagues.

Right now the system is running 4 5g buckets, and a 20g reservoir.
I'm using rockwool and clay pebbles to hold the plants (3 Psicodelicia, 1 Botafumeiro).

The tent is 1.5x1.5x2.15 meters.

The intake for buckets is 1/2' and the drain pipes are 3/4' then to a 3' line back to the reservoir.

We are at ph 5.5 and 1.3 EC, I usually work with 5.5 it has been very good to me, but I always take new tricks and tips!

Every bucket has it own airstone just in case.
The pump is a 1000lts/h pump, barely hits 8-9 times the reflow of the system per hour. Already looking to get a new pump.

I wonder if the rocks are right, if so I will change the clay pebbles really fast since the roots haven't left the rockwool (10x10cm rockwool cube).

We are also using the Main Lining technique to see how this goes. We usually go for lollypoping scrog, and it works pretty nice with the DWC/RDWC.

Here's some pics of the system


Now the inside of a bucket


Here's the intake line of the reservoir.


The system can take up to 6 5g buckets, but the pump won't be able to do the flow needed in the rules of BT.

The pic only shows 1 side of the reservoir, the other side is a mirror of this one.

I like the fast plug connections of garden hoses, because I can't make a steady system. I like to get in there to clean the tent every week or so.

Hope to get some feedback soon, I'm getting anxious!

Cheers

I finally set up the lava rocks on the system and placed a lid to cover them.Couldn't wait for feedback. Here's some pics.


Some more info on the grow, I use a simple 2 part FAO solution, home made. (I'm working on a new nutrient probably gonna switch to it by flowering time.)

Ambient temp: 20C
Water temp: 19C
Humidity: 69%

Will post some more pics in a few days when the beenies start showing up.

Cheers

So, today we rebooted the system. Complete flush, start over.

The idea is to make the smallest Bio bucket setup possible with the stuff we can get our hands on at stores. Unfortunately Red Lava rocks must be imported, that's gonna take around a month or so.

The pump is a 250gph, the output is 1/2, same with the line to the bucket. 4 5gal buckets, with 3/4 drain pipes.

We get around 1ft of waterfall effect. Just in case we have air stones in each bucket.

The drains 3/4 go to a 3'1/2 PVC with a double elbow. In the connection between them we added a small net to stop trash and stuff that might go in.

Here's my set up. And build.

On the left, 2 Psicodelicia. Mammoth TCL Grow 36w x2.

On the right, 1 Psicodelicia (middle right) and Botafumeiro. Led 50w 6400k

The botafumeiro has a set back, the main linning was too much stress for the clon, so the growing hitted a flat this last days.

So after the flush.
I use a Hanna HI98130 ph, ec combo.
Day 1

Tab water:
110 ppt
pH 7,26
Ec 0,23

After nutrients (Home made FAO solution, 2 parts)

pH 5.5
460 ppt
0.9 EC

Added 80ml Azospirillum and 2 spoons of Trichoderma harzianum.
Pump is running 24/7
Water temp 18C

Hope to get some feed back, could use some pointers. Looking to swap to lucas formula once I can get my hand on GH products.

Day 2

Adjusted ph. After tricho and azos went up to 6.2 now its back at 5.5.
Water temp: 17.5C
520ppm
0.92 ec

Lava rocks should be here in a couple of weeks.

Day 3

468ppm I got my hands on a tds meter juat got to figure out the scale.
Ph 5.58
0.82 ec mS
Water temp: 17C
Room temp: 19.5C
Humidity: 73%

Day 4
476 ppm
0.82 ec
Ph 5.70
Water temp: 17.3C
Room temp: 18.1C
Humidity: 68%

Note: two of the psicodelicia are growing normaly.
the third and the botafumeiro are still recovering from the mail lining.

Day 5

468ppm
0.82 ec
Ph 5.66
Water temp: 17.9C
Room temp: 19.3C

Nice to see the experts throwing some advice in. Great feedback...

Throw a rookie a bone.. first time bio buckets I must be doing tons of things wrong

very cool system! welcome to ic.

Yes welcome! always good to see people in different places, especially "the coolest place on earth". http://www.hightimes.com/read/uruguay-coolest-country-earth haha

Thanks for the warm welcome, but just to set things straigh. Dont get tricked into the propaganda, its a prohibition law. Tells me when to smoke, what I can smoke and where. Its more free in Amsterdam or any other place you can buy it from a shop than here.

If you want I can take some time and translate parts of the law so you can read it yourselves!
Besides, law passed over 6 months ago, we have yet to see the register open. So far there's not a single legal bud been grown in Uruguay. Its a grey zone between whats legal and whats not.

Day 6
476 ppm (meter must be wrong, going to calibrate it tomorrow)
Ph 5.76
0.82 ec
Water temp: 17.3C
Room temp: 17.5C

I'd like to know the basics of what the 'legalization' thing Uruguay did. Apparently, not much.

So how do you like those quick hose connections?

Hey Meison, thanks for letting us see how you do it

I am also interested to hear more about the cannabis laws and what you think about them

paper thorn said:

I'd like to know the basics of what the 'legalization' thing Uruguay did. Apparently, not much.

So how do you like those quick hose connections?

Click to expand...

The hoses are great, easy to use, no leaking and whats best allows me to move stuff around if needed!

I usually take everything apart after some weeks, and clean the tent, check for leaking and other stuff. Then just set it all up again!

About the law, just a few insight I will translate the articles for you guys, just give me some time. between work, study and the grow its taking quite some time!

Basic of how legal it is. If your buds come from 1 of the 3 types of registration is legal. The 3 are, domestic grow, club membership and user.

The government actually tried to pass the law with only 2 register types.
User and club.

NO HOME GROW. Lucky for us, we have some cool groups like "Movimiento por la liberación del cannabis" who negotiated with the government and managed to get us some rights!

The home grow is the worst of all, you have alot of obligations. First the register:
- Free of charge
- Must give your full name, finger print and address.

Then you can proceed to step 2, registering your genetics:
Around 7 thousand pesos UY. Something like 330 US dollars, in the case of a rose genetic. I believe cannabis will be around the same fee.
After that, you must leave a sample (clon) or a seed of said genetic. And if they allow it you are good to go.

Then step 3, growing room:
Must be private access.
People that come and go on your home shouldn't be able to enter the room.

Step 4, obligations:
- You need your user/domestic grow card to identify yourself, if you are stoped without this you get a warning the first time.

Second time you get a penalty of 1500 US dollars TO 50000 US dollars. Depending on the fault.

The worst penalty goes to people who will take advantage of this new law.

Places and times you can consume cannabis:

Its forbiden in school, college or any learning institute. Not only smoking of course, but being under the influence.
If you are high, and your professor tells you to bail, you need to go. You can argue later and take an exam to prove you didn't consume, but still you are in the hands of the authority of the institute.

Same goes for work, you are not allow to smoke, or be high at work. Your boss can make workers take drug tests, and let you go if they want to.
Basically, no more morning blunt.

You can't be under the influence in public places, sport centers and other public events. Meaning if you are smoking in the soccer game they can kick you out of the stadium. Or just for being high.


Worst of all is the driving problem. Its not allow to be under the influence and drive, but the reactive they are looking to use, pops positive even 10hrs after smoking.

No more nightstand joint for a nice sleep. You won't be able to drive the next day, or even go to work!!!!

Dkgrower said:

Hey Meison, thanks for letting us see how you do it

I am also interested to hear more about the cannabis laws and what you think about them

Click to expand...

Np, I learn everything I know about Bio buckets in BigTokes thread "how to.." Alot of info in this forum! Just need alot of time to go throw it hehe

I think its a prohibition law, made by the government for the government benefit. As mentioned before they wanted to eliminate the home growers at first..such a dirty move..

They think of cannabis users as sick people, its almost literal on the first article of the law.

They want us sick people, addicted people to go to the pharmacy and buy our drug. Not the buds we want but what ever they sell.

Its just like going in a bar an asking for a beer, you want brand "A" and the bar tender gives you a brand "H" (nothing alike) and you are like, I asked for "A". And what the bar tender says, "you want to drink beer, this is beer."

So either you like it or you are screw this is what you get!

Alot of people is benefiting from this, specially some people who "stands" for the growers but have personal interests behind. And they sell us smoke so we back them up, and then behind closed doors the screw us from behind. Instead of defending what's best for us.






In easy words, 40 gr per user per month top. You can only take out 10gr per WEEK! So you need to go buy it every week.
You must get your bud from one of the 3 registrations.

You are not allowed to trade seeds, clones, plants anything with other growers.

You are not allowed to import seeds, or buy them unless you buy it from the IRCCA (government institute that calls the shots of the new law).

You are not allowed to produce your own seeds without a permit.

Having "ilegal" cannabis (not from the 3 registers) is a felony.

All this is ONLY FOR URUGUAYAN CITIZENS. You must live in Uruguay to get the domestic grow permit no need to be citizen.

But if you are a tourist coming for some good weed, you are with no luck! They are looking into ZERO CAnnabis TURISM.

But still the ilegal market will be always there, and with better products than ever before.

I'm going to stop here because we could meet in RL and listen to me talk about this for 2 days straight, there's alot to work on still. And there's no one out there watching for us.

And the worst of all, its not up for negotiation. This is the way it is, live by it or die by it!

Cheers

So back to the bio buckets!
(sorry there was no post yesterday, got back home around 3am, and went straight to bed)

I did an early reading today to compensate

Day 8
Everything is looking better, even the Botafumeiro started to look healthier!

476ppm
ph 5.75
0.81 ec
water temp: 16.6C
room temp 17.1C
humidity 65%

Some pics!
Psicodelicia 1

Psicodelicia 2


Psico 1 and 2 under the TCL

Psicodelicia 3


Just to add some more info on the main lining method. To compare here's the Psicodelicia 4. I put it in soil to compare


Psico 1, 2, 3 and 4 are all from the same mother plant, have the same living time and are under the same lights. We put that smart pot inside the tent so the conditions are the same.

Better to compare development.

Botafumeiro

Psico 3 and Bota under the 50w LED


The botafumeiro is looking alot better than a week ago, you can see the new (can't recall the name, branches??) showing.

After my finals next week, I will translate some of the most important parts of the law for you guys.
Cheers