Killer Bucket System - First Try

I'm starting a Killer Bucket.

This is my fourth grow, but the other three were all in soil. I want to try the Killer Bucket, also known as Krusty Bucket or Freedom Bucket, because I want to increase yield and cut down on grow time. In the past I've tried closet grows and outdoor gardens. In the closet I suffered from the heat pretty bad and eventually moved the little devils outside. My outdoor gardens couldn't get enough sunshine and they stretched. Also the yield was pretty low even though I had 11 girls. I got about an ounce dry total.

I'm dipping my toe into aeroponics now. I'm looking for a hobby grow that I can live with forever regardless of the season. Keeping it down to one plant should allow me to be flexible with my location. I'll put her in a closet in the garage this winter and hopefull harvest before spring. If the yield is low then I will expirement with cooling, buy more and better lights, and/or move the garden to a better closet.

Yesterday I came home with the following supplies:

• 5 gallon black bucket
• 3 gallon black bucket
• bucket colander that fits on the top of the bucket
• two airstones
• clay media
• 1 5u 125W CFL in 2700 K for flowering
• socket to make a hanging lighht fixture from it

I already own:

• a pile of smaller CFLs for veg
• roll of mylar
• small air pump
• small water pump
• a couple of fans
• tools and stuff

My plan is to:

• assemble the bucket system and test it to make sure the air and nute hose systems work correctly
• modify the closet for heat to escape and to accomodate the KBS
• use yeast and sugar water to make CO2
• veg until 3" tall
• flower until ready
• 

Here's how the system will work, basically:

It's a three bucket system. The bottom bucet is the reservoir, the middle bucket is agitated nutes, and the top bucket is full of holes and is the home of our seweet lady. The lady's roots dangle from the top bucket, through the holes, and into nutes water that's full of bubbles. This nute water is kept at a level just barely below the bottom of the top bucket. The bubbles are very violent and they keep the roots immersed in an exploding atmosphere of nutes and oxygen. There are drain holes in this bucket to keep the nute level in the right spot. The bottom bucket is the res and has bubbles as well to keep nutes from seperating. there's a pump in the res that constantly supplies nutes to the middle bucket, which explodes with O2 and drains int to the res constantly.

I'm staring from bagseed and will buy better seeds after I see some success. then it'll be clone time. I may have to try more than once if I get males. bear with me during this particular trial and error segment.

I'll sprout my seed in rockwool and hand water until the roots hang far enough down through the growth medium.

I'm goin to hang my lights vertically right near the plant so as to let the heat rise off of them. NO HOOD to reflect heat.

Please stay tuned in. I will document this grow for you.

I'll post pics of the entire process here, including all bucket mods and closet mods.

I was at Lowe's picking uyp a yard tool and I wen t ahead and ogt a couple of 100 W CFLs in 6500 K for Veg.

I drilled holes in my buckets and made plans. As well as work on the grow space. Cleaned it up a little and installed a hook to hang the light from.

Supplies used on today's work:

• Black 5 gallon bucket
• Black 3 gallon bucket
• Colander basket that fits in top of the bucket
• Plywood closet on wheels in my garage
• Small aquarium air pump
  • various hoses and fittings
• Small aquarium water pump
  • various hoses and fittings
• Black caulk
• 2 air stones
• power strip
• Metal hooks
• Fan
• Growth medium (clay)

Steps taken


CLOSET

1. Drilled a 2" hole near bottom of closet for power cable
2. Drilled vent holes near top of closet
3. Made a shelf with a hook to hang lights on
   1. the lights will be easily movable up and down
   2. The lights will hang down from their own power cables and will be horizontal to the plant
   3. will add more hooks later
   4. made the shelf pretty narrow so I can move it forward and back if I need to move the lights
4. attached power strip to wall near floor to keep it out of any spilled water
5. stapled reflective Mylar film to all walls and ceiling in the closet, as well as the shelf with hooks

BUCKETS

1. Made a mark on the outside of the 5 gallon bucket to indicate the location of the bottom of the 3 gallon bucket when nested inside
   1. This is so I can easily gauge by sight the length of hose needed for the air and water pumps. The bottom bucket (5 gallon) will have air and water hoses
2. Made a mark on the outside of the 3 gallon bucket to indicate the location of the bottom of the growth medium basket
   1. this is where I drilled my drain holes because I am going to try to keep the water level just below the level of the growth medium
      1. drilled 6 drain holes 1/2" wide in the side of the bucket at the level of the bottom of the colander basket
3. Drilled a drain hole on the side of the 5 gallon bucket
   1. attached a fitting to allow a drain hose to be attached
      1. the drain hose will be 24" long and will be clamped to the top of the Freedom Bucket System
         1. this will allow me to see at a glance the level of the water in the bottom bucket
         2. when i'm ready to drain i will simply un-clamp the end of the hose and bring it to a height BELOW the Freedom Bucket System
            1. this will drain the system completely
4. Drilled a hole in the bottom of the 3 gallon bucket and inserted the water pump hose. This returns the water from the bottom bucket (5 gallon) to the 3 gallon bucket
   1. the hole is slightly smaller than the hose so the hose fits in it tightly
   2. gently filed off a burr
   3. cut the hose to the correct length
      1. it sticks up through the hole in the 3 gallon bucket about 1/4" or less and hangs down to attach to the small aquarium water pump on the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket
   4. insert the hose and caulk around it both inside the bucket and on the bottom
5. Drilled a hole in the bottom of the 3 gallon bucket and inserted the air pump hose. This will deliver air to the air stone in the 5 gallon bucket
   1. the hole is slightly smaller than the hose so the hose fits in it tightly
   2. gently filed off a burr
      1. cut the hose to the correct length
         1. it sticks up through the hole in the 3 gallon bucket about 1" and hangs down to attach to the air stone on the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket
   3. insert the hose and caulk around it both inside the bucket and on the bottom
6. attach an air stone to its hose hanging from the bottom of the 3 gallon bucket
   1. this air stone only agitates the water in the bottom of the bucket and may not be entirely necessary for plant growth.
7. attach the water pump to its hose hanging from the bottom of the 3 gallon bucket
8. insert the 3 gallon bucket into the 5 gallon bucket, taking care to allow enough slack for the water pump's power cable
9. attach a "T" fitting to the air hose in the 3 gallon bucket
10. attach an air stone to the "T" fitting using a very small length of hose
11. run another air hose from the "T" fitting up through the colander basket and out to the air pump
12. nest the colander basket in the 3 gallon bucket
13. The system is now assembled. make sure the entire system is clean and disinfected
14. in a separate bucket, fully rinse and clean the growth medium
15. fill the colander basket with growth medium and the Freedom Bucket System is now ready to use
16. test the system by pouring 3 gallons of water in and turning it on. Look for bubbles. Watch for the water level to change.

I haven't done much in the past day or two other than buy a few supplies such as hoses, PH Up and Down, and some plumbing fittings.

You may wonder why I'm putting two reservoir chambers in my bucket. I've been wondering this myself. the reason why is that i want to see what happens when the bubble res is very small, about a gallon. I think that the nute water will be NOTHING BUT BUBBLES and that the roots will EXPLODE in it.

We'll see, huh?

I've changed my plan slightly. i want the hose from the water pump to pump water all the way up to the plant until the roots hang all the way down to the water. then i want to have the pump only pimp nute water to the top res. i'll accomplish this by using a second hose, a smaller one that just fits into the water pump hose, to carry it up to the plant. afet r two weeks I'll yank out the smaller one, leaving just the orginal pump hose 1/4" above the bottom of the upper res.

After reading the first 70 pages of Roseman's DIY Bubbleponics Tutorial I've decided to get rid of the 3 gallon bucket and just use the 5 gallon. It will be a simpler machine and a better way to learn bubbleponics.

I should have a little more news of progress after tonight, as i plan to get a little work done later.

I didn't do much last night. I cleaned out the closet completely and sprayed it downd with pesticide. hopefuly i won't get any bugs, but i don't mind the spiders, really. as long as none get on me or in my bowl, that is.

I like it when there's a spider in my charcoal. i get a kick out of burning them in the grill.

ia also rinsed the hydroton a little bit and will rinse it again later.

mostly last night i spent rtrying to make a logical plan of what my next steps will be and whtere or not to drill a drain hole in my bucket.

tonight i'm going to put up the mylar and staple the power strip to the wall. and maybe drill a drainhole in the bucket.

I'm going back to read Roseman's tutorial some more right now.

I'm listening. Would love to see pics of everything (as do most RIU'ers). You're doing great planning, implementing, and documenting. Keep reading, and don't be scared to ask questions. You're on the path to success. The small reservoir idea sounds noble, just be weary about nute concentration. Thanks for sharing, and keep at it!

I have been searching everywhere for a detailed DIY tutorial on krusty buckets that has pictures. can any one point me in the direction? i have a better understanding when i can see whats going on.

sorry for posting in the wrong section or derailing your thread. you just seem to know the most about these buckets out of any one i have found.

WAAAAAY too complicated, man. I've seen people run 25 excellent plants without putting 1/2 as much effort into it.
You need ONE four or six hundred watt bulb, a space larger than a closet (or incredible ventilation), good nutes & PH control - the end.
With all due respect, this plan (while a little old .. 2011?) is just like other's where someone spends far too much time attempting to out perform mother nature. Most of those grows end up very disappointing. Give the plant decent temps, decent PH, great food & great light. 25 years of experience is screaming KEEP IT SIMPLE at you.

bradweather said:

I didn't do much last night. I cleaned out the closet completely and sprayed it downd with pesticide. hopefuly i won't get any bugs, but i don't mind the spiders, really. as long as none get on me or in my bowl, that is.

I like it when there's a spider in my charcoal. i get a kick out of burning them in the grill.

ia also rinsed the hydroton a little bit and will rinse it again later.

mostly last night i spent rtrying to make a logical plan of what my next steps will be and whtere or not to drill a drain hole in my bucket.

tonight i'm going to put up the mylar and staple the power strip to the wall. and maybe drill a drainhole in the bucket.

I'm going back to read Roseman's tutorial some more right now.

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