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BigTokes ~ "How-To" Of The Bio-Buckets 101
- Thread starter BigToke
- Start date
sheepfarmer
New member
have been reading up on this system for the past year. looked into costs of components,lights,filters,scrubbers,and concludedthis is for me. at 60 I've been dirt farming off/on since 1970 and this is A1 info....your info started in 04 so i'm way past due .MANY THANKS
sheepfarmer- excellent knowledge base here. take a look at some of my grows/albums for more specific info. hit me up if you got questions... good growing and good luck,
cm
cm
cosmic_flower
New member
Question about res temps
Question about res temps
Thanks a MILLION for the extensive thread on Bio Buckets, big Toke! I am inspired and feel compelled to convert my existing 4 bucket recirculating system to use a bio filter and have water falls in each bucket. I live in Argentina and do not have access to fancy aquarium chillers like you folks do in the US and across the pond in the UK. The summer temps here on my hydro water sometimes gets up to 80 degrees! I am currently using bleach and sodium silicate to combat the dreaded pythium but it is not always a battle I am able to win. So my question is, is this temp too hot for the bennies to survive in?
Cheers!
Question about res temps
Thanks a MILLION for the extensive thread on Bio Buckets, big Toke! I am inspired and feel compelled to convert my existing 4 bucket recirculating system to use a bio filter and have water falls in each bucket. I live in Argentina and do not have access to fancy aquarium chillers like you folks do in the US and across the pond in the UK. The summer temps here on my hydro water sometimes gets up to 80 degrees! I am currently using bleach and sodium silicate to combat the dreaded pythium but it is not always a battle I am able to win. So my question is, is this temp too hot for the bennies to survive in?
Cheers!
greenestsleeves
New member
Has anyone been able to pull 1-2 pounds from a bucket using this? I am trying to find a hydro project to start on the side of my main grow and looking for one that can achieve that.
Lovesponge
Member
I wouldn't say ALL bennies are okay in a broad range of temperature, but it is to my knowledge that 80'F is actually optimal for their replication rate. As for the pythium issue, if you are using bio-buckets... Have you not tried or considered trying beneficial bacteria to combat it? Bacillus species were pythium fighters I thought... Trichoderma are pathogenic fungi fighters (powdery mildew) and also highly aggressive. I feel like I read that trichoderma will dominate over other bacteria in any compost teas you brew with bacteria... Someone clarify for me, lol.
Lovesponge
Member
Thanks a MILLION for the extensive thread on Bio Buckets, big Toke! I am inspired and feel compelled to convert my existing 4 bucket recirculating system to use a bio filter and have water falls in each bucket. I live in Argentina and do not have access to fancy aquarium chillers like you folks do in the US and across the pond in the UK. The summer temps here on my hydro water sometimes gets up to 80 degrees! I am currently using bleach and sodium silicate to combat the dreaded pythium but it is not always a battle I am able to win. So my question is, is this temp too hot for the bennies to survive in?
Cheers!
By the way, your bleach and silicate are probably killing and deactiviating your beneficial bacteria. The bleach is concentrated chlorine, which will indeed kill every one of them until you reapply a compost tea or however you introduce your bennies. The silicate has a naturally high pH of around 11. Potassium silicate does anyway, I assume most silicates are high in the pH range... Could be wrong. But the bleach thing? Oh yusss. Stahp dat with bennies. Distilled or dechlorinated water, water without chloramine (if used for water sanitation in your tap whichever area you live in).
I have been reading up on these and am thinking of doing one of my 2 tents as a bio bucket system.
As it stands I am running amended soil in a 4x8 tent with 600wx2 lighting with 8 plants in the tent.
I'm thinking 5g bucket x 8 plant system, a single 4" drain pipe with the 12" waterfall into the rez ran by a 1000 gph pump.
My main question is, why do you pump straight into the bucket instead of over the base of the plant and the growth medium? I'm thinking of a 3" diameter ring around the base of the plant to run over the medium for further aeration and surface area coverage of the root system.
As it stands I am running amended soil in a 4x8 tent with 600wx2 lighting with 8 plants in the tent.
I'm thinking 5g bucket x 8 plant system, a single 4" drain pipe with the 12" waterfall into the rez ran by a 1000 gph pump.
My main question is, why do you pump straight into the bucket instead of over the base of the plant and the growth medium? I'm thinking of a 3" diameter ring around the base of the plant to run over the medium for further aeration and surface area coverage of the root system.
Snook
Still Learning
Hello BigToke, hope you are well. After 10-11 years of PPKing, I must quit it and start anew. Youre B-Bs look interesting and worth a try. It'll be 3 months before tear down and rebuild. I leave the PPK because of age and physical limitations from a back injury, I'm having a hard time moving the media for reuse & nutrients and making RO water and this will help me allot. Your pictures and tutorial are/is very helpful. Thank you. I havent read enough yet and I will get to why the tap water but great thread.
hey guys
hey guys
just stopped by to see what's going on here. my tent is still going strong with almost no changes. hope everyone is doing well... hit me up if you come around
cm
hey guys
just stopped by to see what's going on here. my tent is still going strong with almost no changes. hope everyone is doing well... hit me up if you come around
cm
Snook
Still Learning
Never did it... PPK all the way..
Good for you man. I'll be bio buckets for life. Do simple it's ridiculous
Cm
Cm
i just read to page 5,and i'm so excited to reply.
you sick man!you must be got a phd on this,they own you a noble.i don't know what i read,it's too much info,i will take them slowly,as the links you pulled on first part.i saw you take about somekind of fliter(protein something).what's that?why use fliter?i haven't understand your sys yet,as i know so far,your sys is more like self-loop,so it don't need to flitation back flow,right?i mean flitation may cut nutrition.what is that use for and how?
i'm not english speak,so may read hard,sorry.
you are crazy guy,you so earnest on what you do,and you so politenses,patient,man,you sick
you sick man!you must be got a phd on this,they own you a noble.i don't know what i read,it's too much info,i will take them slowly,as the links you pulled on first part.i saw you take about somekind of fliter(protein something).what's that?why use fliter?i haven't understand your sys yet,as i know so far,your sys is more like self-loop,so it don't need to flitation back flow,right?i mean flitation may cut nutrition.what is that use for and how?
i'm not english speak,so may read hard,sorry.
you are crazy guy,you so earnest on what you do,and you so politenses,patient,man,you sick
KingRalph
Active member
Big up to BigToke. Been a long time, man. Forever inspiring.
Been runnin bio buckets in different shapes and sizes for years, and besides living soil, living hydroponics is the best method, imo (and super automateable). Almost entirely organic PBP nutes, and supplement with teas if wanted, still brings out most terpenes, with insane growth rates.
Now it's time for a new run...
Been runnin bio buckets in different shapes and sizes for years, and besides living soil, living hydroponics is the best method, imo (and super automateable). Almost entirely organic PBP nutes, and supplement with teas if wanted, still brings out most terpenes, with insane growth rates.
Now it's time for a new run...
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