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

[BudGood]

Hey all BB users!

I realize there are Cab groups, scrog groups... but is there a Bio-bucket group??

I'm curious if there are other BB growers that don't use Oasis Cubes and put there clone straight into lava rocks....? I ask as my local stores stopped selling Oasis Cubes and I didn't pick up any extra the first time around.. I know BT says he uses them, but I'm running out of ideas....

l]

I'd go straight from aero-cloner to BioBuckets when I was running them, no problems. Make sure you keep the stem above the water level (any roots above the water line will still thrive, from the humidity in the rocks). Allow your clones to grow nice long roots, then put the roots in the water, and gently drop the lava rocks in, trying not to damage the roots too much. You might need to use a bit more lava rock to support the clone properly, but they tend to "lock" together quite nicely. I use the 6" netpot-lid combo, they work very well.

An EZCloner or DIY knockoff as I have works wonders for creating nice long roots that take to the Buckets perfectly with no transplant shock.

Hope that helps!

 

[kp^]

BudGood That is EXACTLY what I needed to hear. Thank you! k+

Got my aero cloner ready for another round

 

[MediMary]

I just read all 68 pages, wow tons of great info. thanks big toke.

 

[Backward_Z]

wow what a thread! Thanks!

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

I love this thread. We just built a 6 bucket setup for my friend, it took a full day to build it. I don't even want to think of how time consuming it might be to to 36 buckets. That's just wild. Thank you Big-Toke for the inspiration. I too share the desire to bypass the bullshit derby cars and go straight to the F1 racing. I have built a similar system outside for my tomatoes, etc, and can't wait to see what will happen when we throw some REAL tomatoes in there...hehe. Mucho respeto, I only hope my feeble attempts at bio buckets hold a candle to your setup. Adios.

 

[tri]

Hi Toke. I've read through BT's entire thread twice, and have a 12-bucket system just about to fire up.
The one foot drop is in reference to the water coming out of the 4" PVC Drain pipe where it empties into the reservoir... the 4" pipe is 12" above the surface of the Rez, creating a 1 foot drop that generates Dissolved Oxygen in the water. DO is VERY important to how this system works.
I'm using a 900GPH pump on my 12-bucket setup. It's a bit on the overkill side, but
as far as the math goes... If you have 10 buckets in the system, and a 10 gallon rez, that's 60 Gallons total of water/nutes in your system. You want to be able to exchange the entire contents of your system 7-10 times an hour. Take the total amount of water in the system and mulitply it by 7-10 to get the GPH requirement of the pump you'll need. So for a 7x's an hour turnover, you'd need a 420GPH pump. If you wanted to turn everything over 10x's an hour, you'd need a 600GPH pump.

Cheers and good luck... I'm convinced BB's are a great way to go unless you have a ton of space and $$ for lots of lights... then the Under Current system seems to be WOW!

Caz

I've noticed that the GPH for pumps are reduced if the water is pumped longer distances. Should the distance the water travels be included in these calculations?

 

[DankaholicO]

Evening Gents,

My first post on icmag after reading this thread for the last week. I am in the process of building my first 8 pack of Bio buckets. I am hung up on one thing: what type of water to use. The water I have access to is extremely hard 395ppm but I do have access to a Hydrologic R/O machine that pulls it down to 25ppm. The importance of beneficial bacteria in the system is well documented through the last 68 pages. I do not know what water to use on my system for its first fill and when I run the refrigerator line to the float valve so it constantly tops the res off. I will be using 3part GH or GH hardwater depending on where you guys can point me. Thanks again for the help!

Be Easy,
Dank

 

[Casual]

Hi Dank... I'm running a 12-site setup now. I'm using an RO system, because my tap water is 600ppm!:jawdrop:

I'm using the 'Lucas Formula', which is 2-part GH Flora.

In Veg, full strength Lucas is 8ml/gallon FloraBloom and 16ml/gallon FloraMicro.

In Flower, flip them... 8ml/gallon FloraMicro and 16ml/gallon
FloraBloom.

The hardness/softness of your water won't have much affect on
the Beneficials... they're gathered from the air all around and will colonize the system without you having to do anything.
What I did, the day after I started the water flowing, I put my clones/oasis cubes into the system... I had to hand water some of them until the roots reached the solution (A few days). By the time the roots are dipping themselves into the water and really start to drink, you'll have BB's colonizing just fine.

Caz

 

[DankaholicO]

Cas,

Thanks for your help I've been using three part GH for years in trays and I'll be using a similar formula to the lucas formula. I have a few more questions for you. After I let the system run for 1-2 weeks and the BB colonize do I add the Nutrients directly to the Res? I would imagine you add micro and then let that circulate for an hour and then add bloom? O yea one more question whats your ppm on your R/O? Hope I'm not getting to far into the details but I like to study every last detail before starting my first Bio Bucket Grow. Super stoked for this grow! No more rock wool cubes!

Dank - "Keepin it sticky"

 

[Casual]

Dank, I added nutes a couple days after I initially started the system flowing. It won't hurt anything.
What I did, on the recommendation of Petemoss and a few others was to take a gallon of rez water, add your 'Micro' to it... shake it, then add 'Bloom', shake it, then dump the whole thing into the rez. ALWAYS add the Micro first, regardless of whether you're in Veg or Flower. There is a reason for that, but I don't recall it off the top of my head.
IIRC, when I first started my system my ppm was less than 25, and considering the PPM from the tap is 600, I was pleased!

Caz

 

[petemoss]

GH says to add Micro first and never mix the concentrated parts together. One of the mods, I forget who, has been advising to never mix undiluted with diluted solutions. In other words, dilute each part before mixing it all together. Same with Ph Down or Ph Up. Always dilute the concentrated elements first and then you can safely combine the diluted solutions. This is to prevent, or at least minimize an unwanted chemical reaction that causes salts to fall out of a solution in the form of a solid precipitate.

 

[BudGood]

I've noticed that the GPH for pumps are reduced if the water is pumped longer distances. Should the distance the water travels be included in these calculations?

Yes. ALWAYS oversize the pump. I have a Dolphin commercial grade pump, can't remember the GPH, but it can be safely dialed back flow-wise as much as needed using inline ball valves, without damage to the pump, so I control the flow exactly how I need it. I'll look at it and post back as to what the GPH is.

As far as nutrients, I've found that Dutchmaster Gold 2 part works frickin great, along with their Max flowering additive. It raised my yield, and the buds are better IMHO. To each their own, eh?

 

[DankaholicO]

Cas and Pete,

Have you guys used any additives during your grows? IE: Kool Bloom or Cal-Mag?

 

[Casual]

Hi Dank... I plan on using Powdered Kool Bloom, which I'll be adding for the first time on Tuesday. Check out https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=81674
I'm planning on following his schedule, but with the exception that I'm using full strength Lucas at 8/16 Micro/Bloom.

Next go around, I may try following his schedule to a 'T' with 6/9.
We'll see how this round turns out.

Caz

 

[DankaholicO]

I've almost completed my Bio Bucket system. I wanted to get a head start on veg due to the fact I'm going to run the Bio Buckets for 2 weeks before putting plants in them. I still have a bunch of trays laying around and I was thinking of making some sort of drip or drain and waste feed with 3-4inch neti pots filled with lava rock. Is it a bad idea to transplant the 3-4 inch neti pots from veg to the 8inch neti pots in the flower room? When it comes time to transplant should I cut the plastic off around the lava rocks and gently place in the 8inch flower room 5 gallon buckets. I've included a picture of a drip system I made in the past and easily could make on a smaller scale.

 

[kp^]

DankaholicO This is NOT the BioBucket system BigToke speaks of..... A drip system is not a bio bucket system. Please start a new thread.

 

[blazeoneup]

DankaholicO This is NOT the BioBucket system BigToke speaks of..... A drip system is not a bio bucket system. Please start a new thread.

Umm, Actually if you would have read his post he said he had his bio bucket system almost complete and stated he was dry running his bio bucket system for 2 weeks (Obviously to allow the bennificials to colonize the media, and wanted to pre veg using a drip system and was wondering if he could easily transplant from the drip system with 4" netcups to the 5 gallon bucket bio system with 8" nets...

The picture above was a picture of a simular drip system he has used in the past and was wanting to use to pre veg before putting into the bio bucket system.

Dankaholic

If you use the standard cheapo netcups cutting them away is the best option, Lava rocks are pretty ruff on the surface and pointy with a little weight and can damage the roots stunting growth momentarily, If you dont cut the nets remove as much of the lava rock as possible by hand before removing the plant from the nets and you should be fine...

GL with your bio bucket system...

 

[kp^]

Umm, Actually if you would have read his post he said he had his bio bucket system almost complete and stated he was dry running his bio bucket system for 2 weeks (Obviously to allow the bennificials to colonize the media, and wanted to pre veg using a drip system and was wondering if he could easily transplant from the drip system with 4" netcups to the 5 gallon bucket bio system with 8" nets...

The picture above was a picture of a simular drip system he has used in the past and was wanting to use to pre veg before putting into the bio bucket system.

Dankaholic

If you use the standard cheapo netcups cutting them away is the best option, Lava rocks are pretty ruff on the surface and pointy with a little weight and can damage the roots stunting growth momentarily, If you dont cut the nets remove as much of the lava rock as possible by hand before removing the plant from the nets and you should be fine...

GL with your bio bucket system...

blazeoneup I read the post and being a BB grower I understand these concepts. I apologize if anyone got the wrong idea

I would go with the 8" throughout if you can. blazeoneup offers good advice as far as cutting the netpot goes.

Can you just put your 4"netpot ontop of the 8"? Just take out some of the lava rocks from the 8"..... Place the roots in the 8" and gently place lava rock on top of roots until you can place the 4" into the 8"...

Enjoy you're buckets!

 

[kp^]

Need more pix in dis thread!



POG


Have fun, and happy Bio Bucket growing!

 

[evrchaning]

Great thread. Looking to do this in the fall.