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

[BigToke]

S.S ~ yea if a low stress hydro system is what your looking for then look no further then the Bio-Buckets…………….if designed right they will almost run themselves.

2buds ~ I here what your saying bro, priorities, money, holidays, kids and the stress of a new hydro system man that’s enough to bog anybody down but when your ready I’ll be here.

 

[stealthsheild]

thanx big ......ive only seen the black lava rock at the moment but thats no good is it?....im sure ive seen the orange looking stuff before but just cant remember.

 

[sonoma]

Damb.........real nice thread BigToke. Guru status for sure!!!! This is why I'm here......

 

[UV Dreams]

Bump

Bump

Bump for the bucket heads...

 

[osoloco69]

I am interested to know the difference that airstones in the buckets would make. Positive flow nft and o2...that seems like it could get nasty!!!

 

[Guest]

hey bro thanks for the great read. i just purchased some equipment for a upcoming grow. it looks like a nice system so i had to give it a go. i have six 5 gallon buckets, a 31 gal res, and 330gph pump...

 

[BigToke]

Sup NUTS ~ great to have ya abord and good luck with your setup and those updates.

 

[Guest]

thanks alot bro. i will get some updates when i get everything up and running...

 

[osoloco69]

Hey Big Toke have you any info on the addition of air into the individual buckets. I think that the bi-krust modified system could potentially increase yeild even more. I am also interested in the Advanced nutes bacteria and fungi additives in this system. Let me know please. I am going to try and set up a momentary veg with this system airstones and all. Will load pics as the weeks pass.

 

[dadda]

When growing with this system what is the best way to grow. I don't know if I want to grow them out big like trees and have one male by itself when I find a good female have him pollinate it or just grow females and clown.

What is that black tubbing on the drain pick.. Flexible pvc?

 

[amsterdame]

Hey Big Tokes,

Thanks SO much for this terrific thread. With the help of a couple of friends, we constructed a 10 plant bio bucket system two weekends ago, and will finish up the 2nd one this weekend. My ladies are totally digging their new environment! I'm as pleased as punch with the results, and love the idea of working with a living ecological system. Such an elegant design! You rock, bro!

 

[BigToke]

dada ~

When growing with this system what is the best way to grow.

Although the Bio-Buckets can be used to grow trees with I prefer to grow medium sized plants because of the way I have them setup and arranged.

What is that black tubbing on the drain pick.. Flexible pvc?

I believe your talking about the drain pip, that is just a thin-walled sprinkler pip used in sprinkler systems……..easily found anywhere.

amsterdame ~ thanks for the prop’s A-Dame, it’s been a long time it’s good to see every thing is going well with ya…………. If I can be of any help to ya just let me know.

 

[dadda]

how do you grow medium plants. Just put a SCROG screen up? Sorry about all the questions. Would the system still work fine If I only used one of the draining methods. the buckets are beign drained via the 4 inch pvc pipe and the drain pip correct. could I just use the pvc to start out with. Or should I do them both. Thank you for all of the help dealing with my questions.

 

[BigToke]

how do you grow medium plants. Just put a SCROG screen up? Sorry about all the questions.

The size any indoor plant cultivation of MJ is determined by the timing of your lights ~ basic rule of thumb is whatever the size of your plants at the start of 12/12 just calculate dabble that.

Would the system still work fine If I only used one of the draining methods.

the drain plug in the bottom of each bucket is optional, BUT if you mass-up nutrient ratio or something else and need to start over you will have to hand empty all of your buckets and that WILL BE A PROBLUM!!

 

[dadda]

male or female adaptors 3/4 inch. thank you for all the help BIG TOKE ur the man.

 

[BigToke]

……………..I assume you are talking about the drain plugs? If so they are ¾ .

 

[BigToke]

Most of the info that I am giving you can be found in this thread…………so do some more reading…..

 

[Neptune]

BT,

I have been reading, and reading... and reading..... But not enough I suppose, becuase I have one major burning question...

IS the basic difference between DWC and Bio-Buckets Pumice stone?

I run a Recirculating DWC/Drip system... each bucket has an airstone, supplied by an airpump. The reservoir has airstones, the controller has airstones. Also, my controller pumps water over the tops of my Hydroton every hour for a complete recirculation or 10. Overall, there is a lot of oxygen in my system, and things are turning and moving just as yours.

I can't figure anything I do differently than you, except that I use Hydroton... and you are more or less saying If i merely switched to Pumice rock (I do have soft tap water, 30ppm) I would have a pest and disease fighting system that incorporates beneficial bacteria, requires less maintenence, and little to no complete res/water change-outs.. MERELY for swtiching to Lava Rocks?

I'd love to believe this, and if it's as you say, I'm switching no problem.
help me understand the differences between my DWC and your Bio-Bucket!

Excellent thread.

 

[BigToke]

…………….although this thread is not about discussing the differences between DWC & Bio-Buckets techniques; I will answer some of your Q’s, but it should be noted: that with a little time and reading anyone can find out these answers by using the search tool at the top of this forum, I encourage any and all that are interested in these two growing system and there differences to do a through search about them………do not depend upon quick answers about the two, do a SEARCH!!

• 
  The Supply & Exchange
• Bio-Buckets ~ use a forced exchange flow system that exchanges the water/nutrients of each bucket 18 to 20 times an hour depending on the size of your grow!!
• DWC ~ uses a drip or a very small amount of supply feed with a gravity feed-back flow exchange or no exchange at all.
  Natural Algae Fighting Agents (Beneficial Bacterium)
• Bio-Buckets ~ use Lava Rocks as it’s medium to set there plants in, these Lava Rocks (pumice stone) are a housing complex for the BB to colonize and multiply in: I have never lost a grow to any root disease of any kind, nor do I know of anyone who has. The Bio-System is kept alive thru a 24/7 non stop Recirculating policy that eliminates dead spots.
• DWC ~ most of these systems use hydrogen balls which cannot harbor Beneficial Bacterium and even if they could or even use Lava Rocks it still would not work due to the design of the growing system, there is not enough exchange and way to many dead spots. I have known many of a grower to lose there hard work and time over these systems, but this is not without saying; that with a lot of hard work one can get by with these systems.
  Live Giving Oxygen
• Bio-Buckets ~ generates there own oxygen by the mines of rapped water-flow and the waterfall/effect, the O2 is literally sucked out of the air and into the water/nutrients generating high amounts of 02 in the system, the water aches as a magnet and the 02 is the metal.
• DWC ~ uses an artificial air supply to generate the necessary 02 that it needs.

………….there are many others differences between the two but that should answer yours.

my controller pumps water over the tops of my Hydration every hour for a complete recirculation or 10. Overall, there is a lot of oxygen in my system, and things are turning and moving just as yours.

I highly doubt that your pump is pumping the same as mine, for if it were and you were pumping your water/nutrients over the top like that……there would be water everywhere!!! And as for the exchange rate I have a ¾ supply line and a 1 ¼ drain line to each bucket, I doubt that your DWC has that.

and you are more or less saying If i merely switched to Pumice rock (I do have soft tap water, 30ppm) I would have a pest and disease fighting system that incorporates beneficial bacteria,

NO…..it’s not that simple, I wish it were but DWC because of it’s design cannot support Beneficial Bacterium……… my Lave Rock is completely submersed under water/nutrients except 2” of it, is yours? If not there is no way for the BB’s to live and thrive.

Do some more reading my friend, I have tried to help you as much as I can now it is mostly up to you to find the rest.

 

[Neptune]

my Lave Rock is completely submersed under water/nutrients except 2” of it, is yours?

yes!

I highly doubt that your pump is pumping the same as mine, for if it were and you were pumping your water/nutrients over the top like that……there would be water everywhere!!! And as for the exchange rate I have a ¾ supply line and a 1 ¼ drain line to each bucket, I doubt that your DWC has that.

If I got a bigger pump would I have a Bio-Bucket?
My pump is 633gph, its a cheapy Eco-Plus, but that is not too important. I could easily purchase a 1200gph mag drive and hook it up. Each bucket has it's own return line to my controller, they do not share return lines. So there are 10 1/2 inch return lines (which also act as feed lines, flows both ways.. but 90% of the time its a return)... no pump I know of will overflow my buckets, but just to be safe I don't think i will exceed 1200gph.

There is no doubt that the BT bio-bucket recycles its entire solution more times per hour, but my buckets (DWC) recycle their solution around 5 times per hour.

Bio-Buckets ~ generates there own oxygen by the mines of rapped water-flow and the waterfall/effect, the O2 is literally sucked out of the air and into the water/nutrients generating high amounts of 02 in the system, the water aches as a magnet and the 02 is the metal.
DWC ~ uses an artificial air supply to generate the necessary 02 that it needs.

If I dissolved a similar amount of O2 into my solution, would I have a Bio-bucket?
I don't see any difference? An airstone and an airpump (COMBINED with recirculating solution that flows over the top of my Hydroton) seems equally capable of disolving oxygen into the solution, which is the goal! Lots of mico-tiny bubbles.

It seems to me that we have a pretty similar grow style with the major difference being semantics... DWC vs. Bio-Bucket. I'm trying to convince myself, and you, that we have essentially the same system.

My version of "DWC" is in every way a "Bio-Bucket." I probably have a good amount of beneficial bacteria living and thriving in my system also. Afterall the most important area for these beneficial buggers to thrive is in the rootzone, which is not in any way impeded in my buckets!

Your bio-buckets move more solution more faster, but what speed is necessary to cross the boundary into bio-bucketdom?

You run an amazing grow, no doubt about it.