fliptopbox
Member
Yep, 3"x8" with a 4" air gap.
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a ppk for a 6 plant limit
- Thread starter delta9nxs
- Start date
Yep, 3"x8" with a 4" air gap.
Globule
Member
Hello everyone
Just wanted to say thanks again for all the brilliant info and help in this thread!
Am just starting my 2nd run with PPK's and it is such a brilliant, effective and forgiving system! I've re-worked my flood/return manifold now to make the floor less cluttered. So far so good!
Buckets are a bit immobile though. Maybe next run will use some quick-disconnects to allow plants more freedom of movement when training, etc.
Cheers!
Just wanted to say thanks again for all the brilliant info and help in this thread!
Am just starting my 2nd run with PPK's and it is such a brilliant, effective and forgiving system! I've re-worked my flood/return manifold now to make the floor less cluttered. So far so good!
Buckets are a bit immobile though. Maybe next run will use some quick-disconnects to allow plants more freedom of movement when training, etc.
Cheers!
no tailpieces?? looks like buckets are inside one of anohter an not ontop?? care to share?? or is that a 5 gal bottom an 3.5 gal top?
Globule
Member
Hey Gman you're spot on there mate. 3.5gal inside a 5gal - or as we say over here a 13-litre inside a 20-litre
Each PPK is filled to 6" with nutrients in the lower bucket meaning each unit requires 2-gals/8-litres when the system is at equilibrium.
Making a total of 12-gals/50-litres to fill all six buckets.
This provides a 4" airgap between the top of the solution in the lower bucket and the bottom of the upper bucket.
The 2" PVC tailpieces are 8" long so extend from the bottom of the upper bucket about 4" into the solution.
Cheers bro.
Snook
Still Learning
I did a 3.5 ina 5 gallon ppk, twice. both times yield was OK but too many roots in the rez, in this combination, PPK/Rez, there is 6" from the bottom of the 3.5gb to the bottom of the 5gb. Its coming back to me now... with a 3" gap there wasn't enough water in the control or pump buckets, to sufficiently top feed enough, for get 4".
that pic certainty looks like a 3 gallon feed pan on a 3.5/5 gallon bucket, that would explain your long tail piece and 4" GAP.
EDIT: OH. I do like the way you've done it very much.
that pic certainty looks like a 3 gallon feed pan on a 3.5/5 gallon bucket, that would explain your long tail piece and 4" GAP.
EDIT: OH. I do like the way you've done it very much.
Globule
Member
Thanks Oysters! Nice of you to say so
Hey there Snook!
These buckets might be constructed a bit differently to the ones you're used to as they are Australia-made food-grade buckets.
The 3.5gal fits really nicely into the 5gal and leaves a 10" gap between the bottom of the 3.5gal bucket and the bottom of the 5gal bucket once they are stacked. So I can get 6" nutes + 4" airgap in bottom bucket using this setup.
Main res is about 80-litres/20-gals and I need to fill it with about 50-litres/10-gals of nutes to keep the PPK-units at the desired levels. Haven't setup my auto top-off res yet - next cab off the rank...
This photo shows the stacked buckets I'm using for PPKs.
The red lines show:
(a) where the bottom of the bucket (start of air-gap) comes to
(b) where nutrient levels need to be to create a 4" air-gap
Snook
Still Learning
I'm running a 5 gallon inside a 7 gallon bucket in an effort to gain headroom. the 5 gallon has 3 gallons of turface and gives me plenty of room for nutes and gap. but what am I stupid? yes. as globule makes me realize with his set up that I could gain more headroom, maybe that 6 inches, with that 3 gallon feed pan atop of a 3.5 gallon bucket than the 5gal ina 7gal.
Globule, I now see the different dimension/proportion you speak of the buckets..
EDIT: av8tor.. I know your killin it with BIG but does this sound good: 3on3.5ppk?
Globule
Member
Hi all,
Just found out it is actually a 3-gal/11-litre bucket on top of the 5-gal/20-litre bucket (not 3.5gal/13-litre as I first thought)
It was more a matter of necessity rather than any sort of real thinking going on in choosing the buckets.
I pretty much rely on Bunnings in Australia (similar to HomeDepot) for my build supplies and the only food-grade options were these buckets. Had a look around for other containers but options are a bit more limited in Australia than in the US.
http://www.zenexus.com.au/zenexus-maxi-pail
http://www.bunnings.com.au/our-range/storage-cleaning/cleaning/buckets-basins-pails/pails
They also carry 0.5gal/2litre and 1.3gal/5litre buckets too - could be a good size for a setup to hold the mothers that I'll establish from this run.
I don't think the 3-gal inside the 5-gal that I'm using will save you guys much head height to be honest.
With the 3-gal inside the 5-gal it is 2'/60cm total height. I've got an 8' ceiling so am not too worried at this stage.
Just found out it is actually a 3-gal/11-litre bucket on top of the 5-gal/20-litre bucket (not 3.5gal/13-litre as I first thought)
It was more a matter of necessity rather than any sort of real thinking going on in choosing the buckets.
I pretty much rely on Bunnings in Australia (similar to HomeDepot) for my build supplies and the only food-grade options were these buckets. Had a look around for other containers but options are a bit more limited in Australia than in the US.
http://www.zenexus.com.au/zenexus-maxi-pail
http://www.bunnings.com.au/our-range/storage-cleaning/cleaning/buckets-basins-pails/pails
They also carry 0.5gal/2litre and 1.3gal/5litre buckets too - could be a good size for a setup to hold the mothers that I'll establish from this run.
I don't think the 3-gal inside the 5-gal that I'm using will save you guys much head height to be honest.
With the 3-gal inside the 5-gal it is 2'/60cm total height. I've got an 8' ceiling so am not too worried at this stage.
Snook
Still Learning
G, my experiences are with 3.5 and 5 gallon buckets. yours are somewhat different, works for you.. great.
In gallons and inches, 3gallon feed pan 4" on top of a 3.5 gallon (11") bucket is 15" or 38 cm close enough to buy feed pans and put some old 3.5 to use. simple but I couldn't see the forest thru the haze...
Thanks for the info. Not much help on the height issue, but food for thought to look for something along those lines. Maybe a 4 gallon feed pan on top of a 3.5 gallon bucket. Love to get lower.
Snook
Still Learning
I like 12 inches is better than 15 inches, 420, been saying it all my life... "wish I had 3 more inches"
). Are you implying that there is no float valve? how doya keep it at 3.5 inches? Pics??
fliptopbox
Member
Week 3 has begun!
RamCTD1027
Member
Question for everybody running the 7 gal feed dish on top of a 3.5 gal bucket: How secure are the feed dishes just sitting on top of the buckets?
I am about to set up another 60 PPK sites. I currently use the 70 qt muck buckets for the bottom container and the 7 gal feed dishes sit right inside the muck buckets. I can save a considerable amount of money going with 3.5 gal buckets over the muck buckets, however, I am concerned about the stability of the feed dish just sitting on the bucket. I'm not a "bull in a china shop" so to speak, but i would be lying if I told you guys I have never bumped the buckets at all.
I am about to set up another 60 PPK sites. I currently use the 70 qt muck buckets for the bottom container and the 7 gal feed dishes sit right inside the muck buckets. I can save a considerable amount of money going with 3.5 gal buckets over the muck buckets, however, I am concerned about the stability of the feed dish just sitting on the bucket. I'm not a "bull in a china shop" so to speak, but i would be lying if I told you guys I have never bumped the buckets at all.
