BigTokes ~ "How-To" Of The Bio-Buckets 101

[BigToke]

Well UV I see that your not shy about asking questions ~ one of the most useful tools of IC is it’s search bar, do a search for your Q’s for I have answered most of them and for the one’s that I haven’t; the proof is in the pudding and all any one needs to know is that it works and beyond that your free to experiment all you like with your system I have simply laid down a blue-print and have given plenty of proof that it work!!

 

[Rodriguez]

This has helped me out alot, great thread
Thankyou Big Toke, really well written up man. good pics too.

 

[Rattrap]

Hay Big toke;
I'm thinking of going over to a bio-bucket system & was wondering how do these systems cope with power outages? We ocasionally loose power thru the winter for a couple of hours or more at a time. Also will Hydrodon balls work as good as lava rocks? Thanks for putting so much time on a great thread.

 

[BigToke]

wondering how do these systems cope with power outages?

this is another strong point about the Bio-Buckets, I have seem three days up to a week without any power WOW!! After a day or so the leaves will begin to drop seeing that the O2 has been cut off but not to worry they will come back to life when the power comes back on…………….Question, you say that the power goes out some times in the winter right, there’s only one thing that I see here and that is HEAT make sure that it doesn’t fall below freezing in the grow/room.

Also will Hydrodon balls work as good as lava rocks?

to put it simply, NO it will not……….

 

[Rattrap]

Hay big toke;
Thanks for getting back to me so soon. I guess i'm going to have buy some lava rocks now. hehe.
I have another question for u. in everything i've read on the net re DWC grows the water/nute level in the grow container should be about a 1/2 inch BELOW the net pot yet your drainage height of just 2 1/2 inches from the top would mean that at least 3/4 of the net pot would be perminantly submerged. Have i read things right? If so how does fit with my earlier statement?

 

[BigToke]

i've read on the net re DWC grows the water/nute level in the grow container should be about a 1/2 inch BELOW the net pot

I have documented very well and with photos and grow/journals about how I grow it’s all there bro, compare my grows to anyone else’s if you like (bio-bucket) and follow the advice of the one that you think grows the best that’s really all anyone can do right?…………………..were did you read that anyways I would like to see that also…………………………

 

[Rattrap]

hay big toke;
I just read about the water/nute height thing in a number of 'how to' threads on DWC. I'm not trying to dispute u dude, as you said your grow pics say is all. I'm just trying to get it all straight in my head before i change my system. I'm really keen to upgrade to your style of system, i'm sick of having to run 2-3 dual outlet air pumps for each system! Including the air pump i use to bubble my nutes before adding to the system, i have 7 dual output pumps running 24/7!!!

 

[BigToke]

………………..ok bro, well when in searching for information about the Bio-Buckets you need not go any further then were your at!! But if you feel the need and would like to do so research about the Bio-Buckets just make sure to check out there grow/journals and there success rat before you start taking advice on how they do there grow, its good to here that your thinking about changing over to the Bio-System and I will help in any way that I can but when looking for info about the Bio-System DO NOT SEARCH JUST FOR DWC if it doesn’t say Bio-Buckets its not about the (BB) only read the info that has Bio-Buckets on it and not just DWC for that is a different growing style.

All of the information that you’ve ask for has been answered and if you ask something that has not been I will answer.

 

[2buds]

Howdy BigToke,
I'm new here, I've spent the last 2 months reading, I finally signed up, no more hiding in the shadows(kinda). I have a 4' long x 9.5' wide x ceiling starts at 4.5' on the side tapers up to 7' high in the center room to use. 2000 watts of light (HPS) ordering 2 6" inline fans, 1 to cool the super sun reflectors and 1 to exhaust the smell and bring in all the fresh air the girls will need. Here's my questions if you don't mind.
1:Would this room be large enough to support an 8 bucket bio system?
2o you think using 5 gal buckets, will I out grow the height after raising the buckets for draining? All the bio-bucket post look to have phenomenal growth.
3:Have you used the Little giant external inline pumps?
4:Would using smaller buckets and/or less veg time keep the size down a little due to a smaller root ball yet still provide proper nurishments for a quality yield?(thick dense nuggs)

Link to pump: http://www.lgpc.com/Product/ItemDet...px?ProductID=6#
States it has 1" threaded lines(great for hooking up PVC, glued, no leaks ) comes in 770gph,1100 gph and 1325 gph, I was thinking 1100 with 5 gal buckets.
I have put much thought into this, I am looking for an outside eye to maybe see or think of something I haven't. No one around here(home) I trust enough to ask. I have also considered recessing the reservoir into the floor to compensate for the elevation and allow the buckets to sit on the floor for more head room.
Have a Great Holiday Season BigToke.

Many Thanks,
2buds

 

[BigToke]

Would this room be large enough to support an 8 bucket bio system?

according to my calculations you will need 10.5 Feet of grow/room space ~ I would only grow 6 Bio-Buckets in that room

you think using 5 gal buckets, will I out grow the height after raising the buckets for draining? All the bio-bucket post look to have phenomenal growth.

again according to what I’m coming up with if I were you I would make sure that my clones are rooted very good and start flowering at 7” and you should be just fine.

Have you used the Little giant external inline pumps?

no I have not ~ but it really make no deferent’s who makes that pump, what really matters is the exchange-rat again according to what I come up with for a 6 Bio-Buckets setup is a pump size of (258,GPH With Exchange Rates Of 8.5 Times an Hour).

I have put much thought into this, I am looking for an outside eye to maybe see or think of something I haven't. No one around here I trust enough to ask.

…………..lol…lol….lol ~ sounds like me when I first started out..lol ~ well if you can just keep that attitude up you’ll be just fine….lol

I have also considered recessing the reservoir into the floor to compensate for the elevation and allow the buckets to sit on the floor for more head room.

yea if you do that we’ll need to refigure for sure!!

 

[2buds]

Thanks BigToke,
The res will be outside of the room along with the ballast. Nothing but buckets, lights and fans in the room. Have you ever put a check valve in the feed line from the pump? It seems a good idea to keep backflow from happening should I lose power.

 

[GanjaJedi]

Awesome thread, bio buckets just aren't used for sog kind of defeats the purpose eh?

 

[Secret Room]

GanjaJedi>>> The purpose of Bio Buckets are for lazy people that want the most production for the least amount of mainenance. Just my opinion, I looked into SOG and it's too much work for me. I like my buckets!!!! Sorry I did'nt called you lazy Big Toke, I put myself in the minimium work category.

 

[BigToke]

2buds ~ yes I have used a check valve in the main feed line and it is a great idea and if you could post any pic’s of your progress it would be greatly appreciated…………..again, I like the way your thing on this project.

GanjaJedi ~ …………….if you’ed like to see a grade A Bio-Bucket SOG grow op Go Here!!

Secret Room ~ …………lol….lol….lol……….yea I know what ya mine…lol……..

 

[stealthsheild]

hi big toke ive been admiring the system along with others and wondered, im in the uk and its hard to get lava rock, i supose perlite would work?...i mean its volcanic rock just in smaller form.

 

[BigToke]

Haya SS ~ I’m not exactly for sure what they have in the UK but most any type of porous rock well do, I’ve even seen grower’s use porous glass and plastic materials but imop I would not use perlite you need something somewhat larger then perlite so that the (BB) can colonize …………..well good luck to ya

 

[stealthsheild]

ok man thanx, what is it im looking for is there any other names for lava rocks?

 

[BigToke]

Haya SS,

………..the scientific name "pumice" are rocks that are formed when lava cooled quickly above ground. Pumice is formed from lava that is full of gas. The lava is ejected and shot through the air during an eruption. As the lava hurtles through the air it cools and the gases escape leaving the rock full of holes. You can see where little pockets of air had been. This rock is so light, that many pumice rocks will actually float in water. Pumice is actually a kind of glass and not a mixture of minerals. Because this rock is so light, it is used quite often as a decorative landscape stone.



Other names for pumice
I have seen 50-pound bags of pumice gravel labeled "Golden Nuggets."
Is also refered to here in the stats as Lava Rock



Since pumice is a volcanic rock, and retains its useful properties only when it is young and unaltered, pumice deposits are found in areas with young volcanic fields. Worldwide, over 50 countries produce pumice products. The largest producer is Italy, which dominates pozzolan production and also produces some pumice. Other major pumice producers are Greece, Chile, Spain, Turkey, and the United States.
In the United States, Arizona, California, New Mexico and Oregon are the major producers of pumice, accounting for the majority of the nation’s pumice and pumicite production.




You don’t want to buy to large of rocks like they mostly have at Landscaping CO. and you don’t want to buy to small of one’s either as you can see here that the rocks are almost as large as the cell phone and these are to large imop……………you need a good medium sized lava rocks, usually these are found at place’s like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes and ect…………folks buy them to put in there flower garden and stuff like that.






Does pumice rock have more acid than other rocks?
It does't have actual acid in it. It is associated with silica-rich volcanic eruptions, and long ago igneous rocks were divided chemically into acidic and basic types, which are respectively, silica-rich and silica-poor. All black volcanic pumice lava rocks are silica-poor and are not as good as the other colors of pumice rock, the richer the color (NOT BLACK) the higher silica content is…………..silica is a natural compound/agent of most all pumice rock and will assist the Beneficial Bacterium in fighting off algae.

 

[stealthsheild]

thanx man great info, yea ive seen pumice stone for hard skin on feet lol...but i really want to build one of these systems, im lazy you see and my garden suffers from time to time because of my lazyness...

peace

 

[2buds]

BigToke, always the generous one. Man Thanks for spreadin all that knowledge around.