gwheels
Hobby Farmer
Bubble buckets are an easy to make, cheap and easy to acquire DWC system.
The concept is so simple and the parts are available at your local pet store, super store etc.
You will need
1 aquarium 2 port air pump...25.00 amazon
1 or more air stones This model used 4 X 12 inch air stones (amazon 3 bucks each) 12.00
planters to put in the tote lid (or a basket lid for a 5 gallon bucket). free or various. I used mondi quatro 2 litre pots.
1/4 inch line for the air stones
3- T fittings for 1/4 inch air line.
A tote. Free to 15 bucks.
40 bucks if you have the tote and planters lying around
This particular model is using a 64 litre (16 gallon) tote. I thought it was the 44 litre but when i was making this tote...its bigger.
It is as big as i would go. That commander XL is pretty rough to move around full
.
First figure out where you want your pots to go. Use any pots. Round or square. Square fit this lid the best but i was thinking of 6 or 8 baskets (4 inch because i have that hole saw). However this lid was in grids so it was utility knife time.
Once you cut your holes you just need to drill 1 or 2 holes to let in the air lines to hook to stones.
This model uses 4 stones of 12 inches. It is the hydrored cloner XXL
It is also hooked to a 2 port pump. You can use a single just get 3 T fittings to hook up all the stones to the line(s).
Soak them 24 hours (@HydroRed tip). They work way better.
For the planters drill a bunch of extra holes smaller than your hydroton....to let the roots get in there FASTER ! BIGGER ! MORE BETTTER ! FANTASTICO !!!!
Keep it below the bucket lid (the holes) and low in the pot so it is in the solution early.
Some tips
Start off at about 600 TDS to 700 TDS....once the roots estabilish you can get them to 800 to whatever. 1200 starts getting rough but i went 1600. Have a TDS pen to watch for shifts.
PH 5.5 to start let it drift up. When you hit 6.5 PH drop it down to 5.5.
Use 3% perxoide to help kill the crap that grows from roots breaking off and dying etc. 1 cup every 3 days for a clean and smell free bucket.
Establish your seedlings. Coco in solo cups is fine. Get em rooted up good. Soak it in a bowl of water and get the stuff off of it and put the plant right in the bottom of your planters.
Gently support them with hyroton clay pellets. I use a solo cup with the bottom cut out. Put the plug in there put in hydroton and pull the cup up gently. !
Plants with decent roots take to bubble buckets in 1 or 2 days !
RINSE your clay pellets REALLY well. Until its just clear water. I have a 5 gallon bucket with a bunch of small holes. It makes it a lot easier ! a 2 gallon bucket would work better its enough for most tasks.
A bigger planter wont matter. The roots are in the bucket !
Get the plant low in the planter. You can add hydroton later to prop up the stalk.
If you get a 5 gallon basket lid and bucket...drill the hole for the air line in the lid. The ones in the bucket are STUPID.
You lose some headspace in your bucket for the oops i over filled it.
And you can move the lid to another bucket to swap it out. Seems so simple yet Alfred the bucket system maker didnt get it.
Basket lid. Drill the hole in the top.
I start them at TDS 650 and go to 900 in full bloom. Flush them with flawless finish for 3 to 5 days. Perfection !
These grow trees.
I give you....The TriTester 3000 !
A 5 gallon bubble bucket can be built for
1 basket lid These are cheaper hydro stores online...5 bucks
1 bucket Free to 5.00
1 amazon kit 20.00. Contains the pump, hose and 2 air stones.
drill 2 holes in the basket lid for the line. DRop the stones in the bucket and get growing.
20 to 30 bucks CDN for a 5 gallon bubble bucket. And they really work well.
The concept is so simple and the parts are available at your local pet store, super store etc.
You will need
1 aquarium 2 port air pump...25.00 amazon
1 or more air stones This model used 4 X 12 inch air stones (amazon 3 bucks each) 12.00
planters to put in the tote lid (or a basket lid for a 5 gallon bucket). free or various. I used mondi quatro 2 litre pots.
1/4 inch line for the air stones
3- T fittings for 1/4 inch air line.
A tote. Free to 15 bucks.
40 bucks if you have the tote and planters lying around
This particular model is using a 64 litre (16 gallon) tote. I thought it was the 44 litre but when i was making this tote...its bigger.
It is as big as i would go. That commander XL is pretty rough to move around full
.First figure out where you want your pots to go. Use any pots. Round or square. Square fit this lid the best but i was thinking of 6 or 8 baskets (4 inch because i have that hole saw). However this lid was in grids so it was utility knife time.
Once you cut your holes you just need to drill 1 or 2 holes to let in the air lines to hook to stones.
This model uses 4 stones of 12 inches. It is the hydrored cloner XXL
It is also hooked to a 2 port pump. You can use a single just get 3 T fittings to hook up all the stones to the line(s).
Soak them 24 hours (@HydroRed tip). They work way better.
For the planters drill a bunch of extra holes smaller than your hydroton....to let the roots get in there FASTER ! BIGGER ! MORE BETTTER ! FANTASTICO !!!!
Keep it below the bucket lid (the holes) and low in the pot so it is in the solution early.
Some tips
Start off at about 600 TDS to 700 TDS....once the roots estabilish you can get them to 800 to whatever. 1200 starts getting rough but i went 1600. Have a TDS pen to watch for shifts.
PH 5.5 to start let it drift up. When you hit 6.5 PH drop it down to 5.5.
Use 3% perxoide to help kill the crap that grows from roots breaking off and dying etc. 1 cup every 3 days for a clean and smell free bucket.
Establish your seedlings. Coco in solo cups is fine. Get em rooted up good. Soak it in a bowl of water and get the stuff off of it and put the plant right in the bottom of your planters.
Gently support them with hyroton clay pellets. I use a solo cup with the bottom cut out. Put the plug in there put in hydroton and pull the cup up gently. !
Plants with decent roots take to bubble buckets in 1 or 2 days !
RINSE your clay pellets REALLY well. Until its just clear water. I have a 5 gallon bucket with a bunch of small holes. It makes it a lot easier ! a 2 gallon bucket would work better its enough for most tasks.
A bigger planter wont matter. The roots are in the bucket !
Get the plant low in the planter. You can add hydroton later to prop up the stalk.
If you get a 5 gallon basket lid and bucket...drill the hole for the air line in the lid. The ones in the bucket are STUPID.
You lose some headspace in your bucket for the oops i over filled it.
And you can move the lid to another bucket to swap it out. Seems so simple yet Alfred the bucket system maker didnt get it.
Basket lid. Drill the hole in the top.
I start them at TDS 650 and go to 900 in full bloom. Flush them with flawless finish for 3 to 5 days. Perfection !
These grow trees.
I give you....The TriTester 3000 !
A 5 gallon bubble bucket can be built for
1 basket lid These are cheaper hydro stores online...5 bucks
1 bucket Free to 5.00
1 amazon kit 20.00. Contains the pump, hose and 2 air stones.
drill 2 holes in the basket lid for the line. DRop the stones in the bucket and get growing.
20 to 30 bucks CDN for a 5 gallon bubble bucket. And they really work well.
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