I built mine from scratch using 1 1/2 in PVC.I never get clogged roots.I really dont see why anyone would need 30 gallon totes to grow average size plants.Thats to much wasted nutrients.Rapid Start and other root accelerates are expensive.Its unnecessary.A nice 8 gallon root mass can feed a very large plant with no problems.Its not soil so the roots are constantly being supplied.The key to not having root clogs is to prune your roots back after 3 weeks or so.There will always be longer roots on the mass.There will be 1 or 2 maybe 3 that just get super long.You pinch them off and thats it.No more problem.
The bucket designs with the adapter that comes off the side is nut a true pass thru and is hardly effective at recirculating unless you dump into each bucket.with 1 1/2 PVC i never have any problem whatsoever with any buckets over filling.I do not like the way UC runs the pipe out of there control bucket.I have double pass throughs on mine that go down each side.Works flawless and i built my system for less than 200 dollars.You dont need expensive bulkheads or uniseals.I use a gate cuppling its 1.50 at lowes and use the 1 1/2 inch plastic sink nuts to screw them on.I use 5200 marine caulk and seal the outside of the fitting and let it all dry a day than cut my PVC to fit and glue the shit all together on 21 inch centers.The buckets were the most expensive part of my builds.I ran all my return lines under the floor and insulated it and my pump is easily accesible.It has to be in case you get a rock in there.I have a shut off valve and also have a drain plumbed into the system.Everything is looped into a 1/4 HP chiller and im running 47 gallons on 6 buckets setups in 5x6 scroggs.All the buckets are insulated with R19 insulation and wrapped over that with bubble foil wrap and taped up.My chiller barely runs compared to before i insulated.
here is the fitting i use.Igts cheap as hell and you just caulk it with marine eurathene 5200 on the outside of the bucket.Put these in first and than caulk them up.let it dry caulk it again and thats it.You just cut your PVC pipe and glue the buckets together.
6 bucket setup using EZ store buckets.they come in 8 gallon and 13 gallon.The 13 is just taller.I never gad a need for bigger buckets with a 5 week veg.If i was growing 8 foot plants under gravitas i would have 17 gallon totes.you can see i have a pump at the end that pulls water from the center pipes and pumps it back to the control bucket.This shit works flawless.
6 plants and 47 gallons total.Less cost on wasted nutes and gets the job done.Never have any issues whatsoever with spotted leaves or weird shit
a simple 2 bucket system i made
straight up killed it under 600W HPS and 14 gallons total with a top off res.
Sinceive moved to a 3 bucket in there and redisgned the system giving me a faster veg time now.
Scotts OG clones running as we speak on the 7th day of flower.3 week veg
