4x8 hydroponic system

The system wont over flow either unless you really fuck something up. The pump is only able to discharge what it can intake. If you get roots blocking the connecting tubes somewhere in the system its only going to limit the discharge volume. To solve this potential issue trim all the runners prior to flip and you'll prevent roots from one bucket travelling into another. It's a closed loop system... Doesn't matter how much the epi bucket fills up, its going to equalize in either direction. Even if you had a 100% blockage on one side of the system, it will still go the other way. Thats not going to happen regardless.

I'm in Alberta so bulkheads north of the border weren't cheap. I run 1.5" between my 4 gal buckets I got from U-Line out of Edmonton. I tried going without a chiller and was hitting 80F. If you insulate the buckets they do okay for a day until they heat up. Even at lights out the insulation works against you and does its job but keeps them from cooling down. I was running UC roots @ 6mL/gal and had no root rot issues, but once I installed 1/4 HP chillers on each system and got the water down to 65F they took off running.

Run sterile, no bennies. You can make you own UC roots. I bought a 5 gallon bucket of 12.5% sodium hypochlorite from Home Hardware for $35. Take 7mL of that shit and mix it into a gallon of RO water and now you have a jug of water UC roots sells for $60+.

BEst investment ESPECIALLY if your going to try to skip the chillers is to buy a UV filter to run inline before your RO system. That will kill any of the bacteria you have in your water prior to putting it in your system. The DIY UC Roots will take care of any other shit in the system and defend against higher water temps.

I just spent the last while building these systems and sourcing all the shit within Canada. I've learned the hard lessons, so lemme know if you need some help.
Thanks i already bought all the stuff. You can buy the current culture buckets out of eastern Canada and i imported 2" bulkheads for 7usd each +15 shipping +30 import fees

That system looks real nice, im semi regretting only buying 6 buckets + rez, but to start its fine, if i want to expand i can always change up the plumbing slightly and buy some more buckets. Im going to do basically the same thing except with 6 plants.

So just checked the first post and he says x2 1000w HPS or MH over the 4x8. Absolutely no fucking way he can get away without a chiller... your comparing apples to melons here man.
Do you really think i will? its in a cool basement, rez outside of tent, air cooled hoods.

I dont have the power down there to run a chiller and 2 lights.
 

mr4tune

Well-Known Member
I shouldn't have said no fucking way... anything is possible and each person's variables are different... It all depends on your setup man. Without seeing or knowing exactly how you plan to lay things out its hard to say. 1k's are intense even when air cooled. When you aren't running AC or chillers your have to change things up as each season comes and goes. Shit will be easier in the fall/winter obviously, but you gotta expect that to all go out the window once summer hits. (Sorry for the Farenheit to Celcius shit here, since I started growing I use F for all my grow talk and C to explain the weather outside lol)

After I switched out half my CMH's with LED, I could get my basement down to 70F with my AC running full retard and all the lights dialed @ 100%. Granted I run x2 4x8's, but I also only run 1260w over one, and 1300w over the other... Your going to rock 2k over one... My Reservoir temps would still be at 80F. You can store your top-off reservoir, epi center, and ballasts all remotely in an adjoining cooler room, but its only going to do so much dude. Your buckets are under the lights. The mag drive pump is rocking 24/7. I hit a point where I was freezing the room out in an attempt to cool buckets. As I said above, you insulate the buckets to attempt to keep them cool, but it works against you when they heat up and it keeps the heat in. IF your growing in a big opened up room and have the lung room then yeah things are much more manageable.. If you plan to grow in a tent, even 8x8 or 10x10 your going not going to have a fun time.

The bigger your buckets, the more volume, the slower for temps to come up as I'm sure you know. My x10 site systems take 30 gallons each and thats with water level to the bottom of the netpots, and again I use 4 gallon square buckets. Theres a hundred different variables mang. When your limited by power or finances, its up to you to juggle each and every one of them. Jack Frost will definitely be your friend.
 

mr4tune

Well-Known Member
I should have mentioned that my I have to keep both my 4x8 tents unzipped and wide open during lights on otherwise I can't get temps low enough, or hit my VPD target. I'll be removing the tents out of the equation next round and using the whole room to grow in to make things easier on all factors.

Very interested to see how this works out for you...
 

mr4tune

Well-Known Member
What size of tent are you going to run? a 4x8? or did you go bigger and give yourself some wiggle room lol
 

Offmymeds

Well-Known Member
So did you buy your stuff for rdwc then already as if your dead set on rdwc check out current culture however I just got rid of my rdwc and I went with the bucket company and I love it I have a 4.5x4.5ft veg and 8x4 bloom 12 sites in each 1.2gal for veg and 3gal bloom I still run recirculating with gs-1 stones on a timer However they are about to release lids and I will pretty much turn it to a lpa setup but it will water from the top like a rainfall as the lids has net pots and dozens of lil holes and I will run it like that but no sprayers needed and they are gna love it great thing about the bucket company as u can grow any style you want Coco ,soil ,Dwc,aero u name it and u can all do it with minimal change if any other than water times and media .. And I cut 80% of my water and nutes out of the system and pry 1/3rd of my electricity as I don't run noisy ass air pumps anymore and love it and the h20 pumps I do use are dc so don't use shit for power and they have speed controllers too and perfect for my setup and I am sooo glad I got rid of my rdwc before I had a flood in my finished basement and it was just a matter of time before it happened and 45 to 150gal depending on the setup would be a waiting pool in my basement so I got rid of it and now I can have the same automation as I had w rdwc and even more faster growth once I get the lids and netpots it's gna go down ...And compared to other grow companies they have great pricing and a great company and has killer products....
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You sold me. My LPA was an eye opener on the actual amount of H2O needed. That looks neat & tidy and easy to clean underneath as well.

They're releasing lids? I want 6-bucket 3-gal for an LPA system. I'd prefer not to be making DIY lids.
 

Dabhead710

Well-Known Member
That's what's up I'm glad I could help yeah they are coming out w lids soon check out their i.g and u can see em they are dope and I can't wait for them to come out yeah I have saved soooo much water and nutes from switching from my rdwc as I'm all about efficiency and why I did the system the way I did and I love it my scynce raging kush will be here tomorrow and can't wait it's gna be a game changer and the alpha kush will be out soon and pry gna pick up 1 or 2 of those and just have all scynce lights but will see w comparing it vs the hlg setup i have too which will be interesting to see w if it's actually worth paying almost x2 the price so that being said will c if it's worth getting however I will need to do a few different runs before I will fully make my decision and if it will be worth getting actually vs my hlg 320w xl v1 x2 per 4x4 well 1 now and veg is qb132 v1 3500k does 240w total and it works out great actually esp w the low power and I love it like I said I'm all about efficiency now w the raging kush i can tune it to any power i please so it will be stupid nice and will be stupid efficient vs having them at full tilt 12hr a day when the kush will do like the sun is cool white in the morning low power and then increase to warm white as well and more power etc and can tune it to anything I want spectrum and colors and intensity u name it also they are coming out w a new schedule that u can choose by specific region and it will do that its thee best led on the market i think we'll on paper and from what I've seen so will c if I still think that After a few grows but ya totally stoked for it esp the efficiency of it as I'm all about trying to make my setup as efficient as possible which these lights will do for me and then some and all controlled from my phone...I am gna get a environmental controller here soon which will have app controlled so I can check everything even when I'm sick and in the hospital or can change something etc but if I get the other kush lights my setup will be complete and my dream setup for the most part which will be killer and everything will be stupid easy to clean and etc as I can move any bucket i want and it doesn't effect anything which is killer and my buckets i can clean in my sink even which is great too i can use the tub too if not but ya I'm soooooo glad I got rid of my rdwc setup and went w the bucket company as my plants have exploded in their veg tent like they been in there 17 days now and have tripled their size almost it's crazy and I don't use shit for nutes and water anymore now don't get me wrong I loved my rdwc but it wasn't efficient and not for me and it scared me to have 50-150gal of water 247 w veg and bloom and it's a fact and a matter of time something will crack and break i mean shit i also had a new bucket 2mo old crack on me and I was lucky i was here and not sick and had a spare bucket as if not I would of been screwed so ya that and the plants got root rot as I changed them from Coco to rdwc and that was the issue I believe...
And I would do it again over and over again changing to the bucket company as they are exactly what I wanted and I'm saving at least $20 per mo for veg right now actually which is crazy...And veg is now 2mo or less vs 4-5 like I used to have to do and it's sooo nice not having to hear air pumps 247 shit my res pump is the only thing that stays on 247 the rest 30 sec every 40min is what they are at I'm excited to see the roots from when I transplanted them in there esp since how much they have grown already like that's just crazy to me and the aero setup is gna be even better and can grow faster than rdwc w 80% less water and nutes plus all the piping and hoses that was in rdwc and places to have a leak and problems as I have the bulkhead on the that's it for holes in the buckets and I use hose Barb's for them too and hand tight and no problems i love this setup and I'm not changing anything for a very very long long time as this is my 4th setup in 2yrs already so ya def gna keep this one as ur not gna get anything more efficient and have the growth rate that I do so ya for sure and ive never had the tunability with a system like I did with this..Esp w being able to move any bucket at any time if needed which I really love and I'm the only one that does it the way I did with just male pvc tees from them as the drains is hose to the PVC fitting in the PVC manifold and works amazing sure wish they would tell others about doing it that way I mean they loved my post on i.g i did and said that's how u hook a system up the right way 100% killer shit so that's cool but ya they def should show others u can do the system like that and have p
 

Offmymeds

Well-Known Member
So did you buy your stuff for rdwc then already as if your dead set on rdwc check out current culture however I just got rid of my rdwc and I went with the bucket company and I love it I have a 4.5x4.5ft veg and 8x4 bloom 12 sites in each 1.2gal for veg and 3gal bloom I still run recirculating with gs-1 stones on a timer However they are about to release lids and I will pretty much turn it to a lpa setup but it will water from the top like a rainfall as the lids has net pots and dozens of lil holes and I will run it like that but no sprayers needed and they are gna love it great thing about the bucket company as u can grow any style you want Coco ,soil ,Dwc,aero u name it and u can all do it with minimal change if any other than water times and media .. And I cut 80% of my water and nutes out of the system and pry 1/3rd of my electricity as I don't run noisy ass air pumps anymore and love it and the h20 pumps I do use are dc so don't use shit for power and they have speed controllers too and perfect for my setup and I am sooo glad I got rid of my rdwc before I had a flood in my finished basement and it was just a matter of time before it happened and 45 to 150gal depending on the setup would be a waiting pool in my basement so I got rid of it and now I can have the same automation as I had w rdwc and even more faster growth once I get the lids and netpots it's gna go down ...And compared to other grow companies they have great pricing and a great company and has killer products....
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I spoke with a salesman at the Bucket Company about the lids. I told him I wanted to make it into an LPA system. He told me they're pushing our other products first so the lids will still be at least a year away. He referred me to Floraflex saying most are using their caps. He told me to check the dimensions of my preferred bucket and order the right size cap from them. (Salesman are so fucking lazy.) There are no caps to fit a 3-gallon & the caps are not lids but flood & drip caps.

I wonder how difficult\expensive it would be to print our own.
 

Dabhead710

Well-Known Member
Well I was told it would be shortly and next year is 2mo away...As I spoke w Michael and that's what he told me...and exactly right like u fucktards i need a lid that seals so the misters don't spray water every where not a drip cap...Also my buddy uses the cubecaps and likes them better than the flora flex caps...But ya I'm fuckn close to having some 3d printed if I can find sum1 to do so which shouldn't be too hard but ya bro I hear ya I'm close to making my own too as I would like to go aeroponic too id have a lot less media to clean and sterilize between grows and a lil easier w everything I agree...Well lmk if u get any lids made and I'll do the same
 

Kdotwash

Member
Top feed, drain to waste utilizing solely rockwool cubes is my favorite hydro setup. 7 years of successful harvests with these methods
 

Offmymeds

Well-Known Member
Well I was told it would be shortly and next year is 2mo away...As I spoke w Michael and that's what he told me...and exactly right like u fucktards i need a lid that seals so the misters don't spray water every where not a drip cap...Also my buddy uses the cubecaps and likes them better than the flora flex caps...But ya I'm fuckn close to having some 3d printed if I can find sum1 to do so which shouldn't be too hard but ya bro I hear ya I'm close to making my own too as I would like to go aeroponic too id have a lot less media to clean and sterilize between grows and a lil easier w everything I agree...Well lmk if u get any lids made and I'll do the same
I will. I might have a lead on a 3D printer but I'm not sure.
 

Dabhead710

Well-Known Member
That would be dope make sure it can do the size tho is the main thing w them is how big they can print..U will need a micrometer for measurements for it tho Ya I may see if I can find sum1 local who could do it for me post a ad or something and go from there as it would be dope esp for both my 1.2 and 3g buckets id pry use the current culture 5.5in net pots too actually lol
 
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