couple buckets

Here are some pictures of what i have been working on its still all a project in the making but feel free to ask any questions.

Specs
16 5g dwc
3-4k
10x10
In construction
The room is only about half done hence the reason for only 8 buckets im sitting on one ;) But you get the idea the lines with the tubes coming out the tops are air. I have them in pvc because the other type of tubing stretches some and you lose pressure over longer runs to buckets. This way I can use one pump with lots of pressure at each bucket. The large blue lines you see coming out are the over flows this is were the water will flow up to and then over in to a reservoir on the other side of the drywall. The water gets pumped up though the bottom and overflows, Reason for this.. pump failure means that no water will over flow and it will drain back through the pump line till the system levels itself. so what I use is a large tall tub that way normal operation is bellow drain line but it can fill up to be even if the pump fails. If that makes any sense

Pictures help..

Ok so after taking a closer look at my pictures there are a few things that could seem confusing.
First pictures everything is kind of laying on its side The blue lines will connect to 1.5inch pvc and be glued in place. I found that the pool flex pvc connects right into 1.5 inch adaptors. These will all connect on a line as well.
The second pic those to lines at the bottom are my input lines. I hard line everthing so the to nipple will be connected.
The third pictures shows the inside of the bucket the round thing at the bottom in soaker hose and is not connected to the pump line just all black.
Mylar is half up and the floor is getting painted and the buckets will be raised on blocks..

any tip or advice would be helpfull.

Ok still looking for advice and tips on this or any problems that people can see happening in the future. The room will be pretty much fully automated ph controller, co2 controller, ac, timers and all have been bought and set up.. waiting for my lights...
Anyways here is the progress on the buckets I put text tags on it so people know whats what.. the bottom part of the net pot sits in the water all the time about a 1.5" I use lave rock as a medium... but am thinking about mixing in hydrotron with it.. The water is pumped up from the bottom and then assisted by the airlift bubbles that also add more o2 to the mix.. they overflow and drain back out throught the 1.5 inch drain line that are all connected.. i havn't run this system yet, but some close. This is pretty much just a mutt of hydro using this and that from all the diffrent ones.
I have to make 8 more buckets for the other side of the room, which will go in 4 weeks later. if anyone wants i can do a how to if you like my design.. if it works ;)

Pic 1 this is a close up of the 2 buckets next to each other.
Pic 2 This is the system minus one bucket i messed up on.. all is glued sealed and almost ready to test rock and let run for a few days to build the benificials.

Damn wish I had the bucks. Looks good. Lets get some plants in there. LOL What strain are you growing ?

looking good. */beware/* alot of people report having ph consistency from bucket to bucket in system designs like yours...but, you added an overflow, which recirculates the system consistently, so you
might have solved that issue. That is what I would do. You wanted opinions.:thumbsup: Cool?

The thing I had hoped for would have been for you to fill thru the top, thus eliminating the potential for leakage of barbed bulkhead design. That design is only necessary if you are going to be cutting the pump off for periods of time, thus creating an ebb and flow...(although you could take advantage of this feature, also)...

anyway, I am bulding DWC that has no lower inputs, and will fill from top "sort of" [patent pending], and will use air as you have..."sort of".:D

anyway, You have built a real nice unit, regardless of my ideas. consider this for future. If you have an overflow, like you designed...and you add oygenation like you have...and, basically you just want to recirculate...24/7; Then there is no reason for the bottom fill tube, especially
if you have oxygenated the rez...You could fill from top...in several ways. Hint, hint,.:smokin:

think about it. and I agree...get some plants in that thing.

good job...HazeyWonder, :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I am going to link this thread to my hydro thread at top of page, if you don't mind...that way people will always be able to run across it; If it drops. That way you can seperate it from grow thread...If you want.

thanks for taking the time to show everyone your efforts...

latewood:) :stoned:

lw

Latewood... thats pretty much why I used the recirculating system to break free from the ph problems I had with just connected buckets. I think as long as their arnt any dead spots in the system it should be ok..
The top enty like bigtokes bio bucket over at icmag.. are great, I only have a problem with it becouse, I think it creates to much water in the bucket.. What I mean is does the water really make it to the bottom with the entry point 18 inches up top and the drain 12 inches away.. the idea I had was pump it up from the bottom let it drain out the top.. the only problem that i see with this system is that i may not have a strong enough pump to push up through the bucket... The other problem that I saw with the design you are talking about is drainage. i use AN 2+ and have to change the Res. which means I would have to go to each bucket and suck the water bellow the lines out.. and im not for that.. So I put a second valve on the input line so i can cut the pump and drain it through the other valve. Taking out most of the water.. something you might want to think about.. im going to be running 16 of these and didnt want to deal with it. The barbs are good.. i have never had a leak and thats saying alot. ace sells really nice rubber grommets for 30 cents, with some silicone and they are all good to go. The goal of the room is to move in to automation so that its not quite so labor intensive... hehe thats why I got these bad boys..

Loc.. right now it looks like it will be 2 haze's afgan and grapefruit.. I just choped the afgan and it looks nice... but then again so was the bud that i smoked when i was gifted the seeds.. On the other side of the panda wall i have my veg room which kinda sucks becouse im starting from seed.. uggg, i think im going to just go to the med clubs and get some clones for the first run while the mothers progress.... but i hate rockwool that they come in haha....

I guess in answer to your question's...which were confusing

1st In bio bucket system generally the rez in topped off and never totally changed.

2nd. As far as feeding thru top...If you are concerned about rez agitation, you could run feeder tube all the way to bottom of bucket, but none of this stuff really matters, because you have already built your system.

3rd...extra valves to redirect flow, already have them.

well goodluck, there isn't much I can do for you. I put your thread in my sticky, so it will be there for people to come across. lw

Late no worries i ask becouse i have another 8 to build on the other side and could change it or do a compare side by side . Im not really opposed to making the other system.. I might just try and run straight bio buckets on that side what do you think.. any ideas you said yourn buckets were going to deliver diffrent through the top diffrent care to share it with me, or let me try to run it in my system?

thanks again.. point 3 in your system how did you redirect them to work? did you use a add on tube like you suggested?

been busy so here is were I'm at. Went to 2400 watts and maybe when it cools down im gunna go ahead and drop in my mh on a mover in the center.. temps good i think im going to just go ahead and run them as bio-buckets droping the 50/50 dwc idea.

temp 84-78
ph 5.7
tds 400
first side is ready to rock

i covered the buckets and have a fan under there blowing air. the lights are 4 - 600 in glass tubes. everthing else is in the pictures..