Bubblelicious, New York Power Diesel, and Super Skunk in DWC

[Twils]

Yeah, found a leak, but I know which bucket it is (one of the older painted ones where I didn't realize what I was doing wrong), so that needs to come out.

In the meantime, I've decided to change up the system again and go with more of what Train1 designed.

Yup, changing it again.

Seriously.

But it shouldn't take too long, just making it a true passive system, as I can't seem to get the circulating system to work - gonna connect each bucket to the rez as opposed to connected to each other, and it's only a matter of drilling the rez a few more times.

In case anyone at home is trying to keep score, I've tried to upgrade Train1's original plans twice and am now copying his system exactly.

Humbling - demeaning: causing awareness of your shortcomings; "golf is a humbling game"

Wait don't do that you'll hurt your head! put a helmet on first

Well at least you know that it is going to work, good luck with a swift and smooth change over!

Burn on!

 

[Bob Smith]

Wait don't do that you'll hurt your head! put a helmet on first

Well at least you know that it is going to work, good luck with a swift and smooth change over!

Burn on!

Lol, definitely a bit of a kick in the nads, but nothing too bad - gonna do some more research for a bit just to make sure about the route I'm going this time, but in any event, I'd like to be finished by tonight.

This is getting ridiculous.

 

[Bob Smith]

I lied, not gonna be finished tonight.

Tried Train1's system and I've even got a leak or two with that.

I wish I could put into words my frustration level right now.

Anyways, need to find something that will quickly and easily fix the occasional leaky bucket - I originally thought of some kind of plumber's putty, but if anyone has any other ideas for a quick and permanent solution to a dripping bucket, I'm all ears.

Edit: something like this - http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgf/R-100648874/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

 

[Twils]

I lied, not gonna be finished tonight.

Tried Train1's system and I've even got a leak or two with that.

I wish I could put into words my frustration level right now.

Anyways, need to find something that will quickly and easily fix the occasional leaky bucket - I originally thought of some kind of plumber's putty, but if anyone has any other ideas for a quick and permanent solution to a dripping bucket, I'm all ears.

Edit: something like this - http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgf/R-100648874/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Hot glue my brother!

I'm sorry about your frustrations, I'm right up there now trying to figure out how to build a 5 gallon dwc bucket with remote reservoir.

I'd like it to be recirculating but keep over flowing the grow bucket, if its passive will it draw enough water by gravity alone to the grow bucket?

Where and how do you adjust your PH? In the passive reservoir or grow bucket it self or both?

IS this the same thing you were trying to do?

Burn on!

 

[tmsculli]

Bob, the shit is just chillin below the fan for you huh? You should get a shovel and spread that shit out before it hits the fan haha. Just Kidding brother, shit happens. Plus, if you are having all of this shit happen now, you should be good to go later. I went through 3 tubs trying t make all my shit work, I had leaks everywhere haha. It happens

 

[Bob Smith]

Hot glue my brother!

I'm sorry about your frustrations, I'm right up there now trying to figure out how to build a 5 gallon dwc bucket with remote reservoir.

I'd like it to be recirculating but keep over flowing the grow bucket, if its passive will it draw enough water by gravity alone to the grow bucket?

Where and how do you adjust your PH? In the passive reservoir or grow bucket it self or both?

IS this the same thing you were trying to do?

Burn on!

Yeah, you think hot glue will work? Bought a gun but haven't used it yet, plus emptying out the buckets each time there's a leak is a fugging headache.

Bought some plumber's putty from Home Depot, hoping it'll do the job.

Also, from now on when I make these systems, I'm gonna reinforce the grommets with some clear plumber's epoxy which should ensure no leakage going forward.

And yeah, what you're doing is EXACTLY the frustration that I had - basically your return hose needs to be much larger than your output hose (from the rez), or you'll overflow your grow buckets every time because of the power of the pump, even with a little 185GPH guy that I've been experimenting with.

And based on that dude Train1 whose system I'm copying, gravity will indeed feed the bucket enough, and adjusting the pH is the same as it ever was, but just in smaller increments, and only in the reservoir, as the grow bucket will simply take water from the rez when it drinks its "own" water.

Lemme know if that's clear or if I'm rambling again.

 

[Bob Smith]

Bob, the shit is just chillin below the fan for you huh? You should get a shovel and spread that shit out before it hits the fan haha. Just Kidding brother, shit happens. Plus, if you are having all of this shit happen now, you should be good to go later. I went through 3 tubs trying t make all my shit work, I had leaks everywhere haha. It happens

Yeah, I'm clearly making "progress", but I would've liked a steeper learning curve, that's for sure.

Slow and steady wins the race, though - if it was easy, everyone would do it.

Anyways, I appreciate the kind words from both of you, sometimes we all need a little pick-me-up.

 

[Bob Smith]

So, plumber's putty didn't work - heading back to Home Depot to get the epoxy, take all the buckets apart, and put them all back together again.

I'm saying a prayer (and I'm not even religious) that this is the last time.

 

[Integra21]

that's some luck you got. What did you use to drill the holes again? I only drilled 2 buckets, used a 7/8th's drill bit, making sure the hole was clean(round) and removed all the rough edges with my finger nail, put in grommet and valve, and filled. 1 leaked a very small amount, the other not at all. Came back to see how bad the leak was after an hour, and the leak had stopped. I think you have to use a 7/8 bit and get a clean hole for it to seal properly. Hopefully the epoxy helps. Good luck Bob, I think I want to see this setup up and running almost as much as you. Just remember, patience is just about the most important thing when it comes to growing good herb.

 

[Bob Smith]

that's some luck you got. What did you use to drill the holes again? I only drilled 2 buckets, used a 7/8th's drill bit, making sure the hole was clean(round) and removed all the rough edges with my finger nail, put in grommet and valve, and filled. 1 leaked a very small amount, the other not at all. Came back to see how bad the leak was after an hour, and the leak had stopped. I think you have to use a 7/8 bit and get a clean hole for it to seal properly. Hopefully the epoxy helps. Good luck Bob, I think I want to see this setup up and running almost as much as you. Just remember, patience is just about the most important thing when it comes to growing good herb.

Yuppers, sounds like we used the exact same method - just hard to get round holes with that 3/4" bit.

Hopefully this epoxy will do the trick; most of the buckets are fine, but a chain's only as strong as its weakest link, unfortunately.

Did you have any issues getting a clean, round hole? Every fourth or fifth one it almost feels like I'm hitting a "knot" in the plastic, similar to drilling/nailing into a knot in wood.

 

[Integra21]

Are you using a 3/4? I found it was easiest to get an actual round 7/8 drill bit(not paddle) and make a small starter hole. Then it was all about slow sppen and light pressure. Took an average of 1-2min to make the actual hole. As long as your moving slow and stop if the bit really bites in hard, it should go fairly smooth. I also took a bucket and turned it into swiss cheese figuring out the best way for me to make good holes. The guys at the grow shop said over and over how important it is to make the holes perfect.

 

[Bob Smith]

Are you using a 3/4? I found it was easiest to get an actual round 7/8 drill bit(not paddle) and make a small starter hole. Then it was all about slow sppen and light pressure. Took an average of 1-2min to make the actual hole. As long as your moving slow and stop if the bit really bites in hard, it should go fairly smooth. I also took a bucket and turned it into swiss cheese figuring out the best way for me to make good holes. The guys at the grow shop said over and over how important it is to make the holes perfect.

I'm actually using a 3/4" wood bit (because the round bit I bought at Home Depot wouldn't fit into my drill), but I think that I have good and bad news.

The good news is that my buckets should be leak-proof right now because I'm pretty sure the grommet and hole issues are fixed, but the bad news is that they're still leaking, and I'M PRETTY FUCKING SURE IT'S BECAUSE THESE PARTS FROM NGW AREN'T WATERTIGHT!!!!!

Holy fucking shit...........all that money and time, and now I see that the 1/2" hose doesn't fit very well onto the elbows, barbs, or "T"s, and can clearly see water coming from those connections and not the holes in the buckets - I'm at a loss right now, gonna do some investigating on the Internet and see if anyone else has had this problem, but then I need to find some new fittings, and my store only carries NGW.

Fuck me, but more importantly, fuck NGW.

 

[49ers49]

dude i been reading your post all day.i know your frustration it took me 3 weeks to set up my room the way i wanted to.got it all dialed or so i thought only to reliize when i cut the hole thru my flood table and my support table and installed the flood thing it was off centered .damn bro then when i almost got the fitting off iaccidentally cracked my table.i wanted to cry .long story short every thing is sweet.and i gained valuable knowledge on set up and what potential problems to avoid next time .im sure your experience will be no different its obvious you are no quitter.good luck.

 

[Twils]

Damn Bob that really blows...

I finally got my recirculating, remote reservoir system to work last night without over flowing, I'll set it back up tonight and take some pictures

I found that using a 3/4" wood drill bit, starting it off really slow and then letting the claws basically shave everything away, keep your drill at a medium speed and apply a slow steady light pressure, I then took some 220 grit sand paper and smoothed my holes out..

bought some 1/2" barbed threaded connectors, and 1/2" threaded female connector. The threads on the 1/2" Barbed connectors actually thread measure meant is slightly smaller than 3/4". Wrapped the threads in teflon plumbers tape, then threaded the barbed connector to the inside of the bucket. this smaller connection has been leak proof without the use of any caulk, or sealant of any kind, but for safety I hot glued the out side of the connection to the out side of the bucket.

Ran a 3/8" tube from the exhaust of the pump where it was capped off and "T" fitting was placed in the end, where 2: 1/4" feeder tubes feed the grow bucket

Grow bucket has a over flow tube so when the pump fills up the grow bucket too much it returns to the res.

I really think the rubber shit from the hydro shops are a waste, for 28-49 cents you can get every connector you need from the plumbing section in home depot.

I'll make a parts list and post a detailed how to on how I did mine, maybe it will work for you!

Keep your head up! It will all work out bro!

Burn on!

 

[Integra21]

I'm actually using a 3/4" wood bit (because the round bit I bought at Home Depot wouldn't fit into my drill), but I think that I have good and bad news.

The good news is that my buckets should be leak-proof right now because I'm pretty sure the grommet and hole issues are fixed, but the bad news is that they're still leaking, and I'M PRETTY FUCKING SURE IT'S BECAUSE THESE PARTS FROM NGW AREN'T WATERTIGHT!!!!!

Holy fucking shit...........all that money and time, and now I see that the 1/2" hose doesn't fit very well onto the elbows, barbs, or "T"s, and can clearly see water coming from those connections and not the holes in the buckets - I'm at a loss right now, gonna do some investigating on the Internet and see if anyone else has had this problem, but then I need to find some new fittings, and my store only carries NGW.

Fuck me, but more importantly, fuck NGW.

For the drill bit, they make reduced shank bits to fit into standard size drills, thats what I got. as far as the leaky hoses, thats an easy fix. You jus have to go down one size on the inner diameter. I have 1/2 fittings and when I put 1/2 inch tubing on it leaked like a bitch. Just switch to 3/8" inner diameter tubing and you should be fine.

 

[tmsculli]

Dang Bob, it happens to everyone though man. Like I said before, took me a million times before I got rid of all my leaks. Just keep working at it, once you get it right, you never have to deal with it again.
I would say keep trusting yourself and shop at the depot instead of hydro shops. You can use your imagination in Home Depot, not in a hydro shop where the guy tells you this is what I have that you need and rings it up. Get my drift? We are all intelligent, creative, diyers and you can definitely dig through the depot and make it work. My only words of wisdom is don't fuck with sealants. They just won't work, plain and simple haha.

Twils, your system sounds awesome, I am really excited to see pictures and a how-to for it.

 

[Bob Smith]

Damn Bob that really blows...

I finally got my recirculating, remote reservoir system to work last night without over flowing, I'll set it back up tonight and take some pictures

I found that using a 3/4" wood drill bit, starting it off really slow and then letting the claws basically shave everything away, keep your drill at a medium speed and apply a slow steady light pressure, I then took some 220 grit sand paper and smoothed my holes out..

bought some 1/2" barbed threaded connectors, and 1/2" threaded female connector. The threads on the 1/2" Barbed connectors actually thread measure meant is slightly smaller than 3/4". Wrapped the threads in teflon plumbers tape, then threaded the barbed connector to the inside of the bucket. this smaller connection has been leak proof without the use of any caulk, or sealant of any kind, but for safety I hot glued the out side of the connection to the out side of the bucket.

Ran a 3/8" tube from the exhaust of the pump where it was capped off and "T" fitting was placed in the end, where 2: 1/4" feeder tubes feed the grow bucket

Grow bucket has a over flow tube so when the pump fills up the grow bucket too much it returns to the res.

I really think the rubber shit from the hydro shops are a waste, for 28-49 cents you can get every connector you need from the plumbing section in home depot.

I'll make a parts list and post a detailed how to on how I did mine, maybe it will work for you!

Keep your head up! It will all work out bro!

Burn on!

Yeah, the way you've got the recirculating bucket setup is what would be ideal for me, but I believe that's gonna be too much of a space eater for my little 4x4 tent.

We'll see though, need to do some more experiments.

Got my veg tent setup - not what I'd envisioned, but should be more than enough to get the job done.

 

[Bob Smith]

For the drill bit, they make reduced shank bits to fit into standard size drills, thats what I got. as far as the leaky hoses, thats an easy fix. You jus have to go down one size on the inner diameter. I have 1/2 fittings and when I put 1/2 inch tubing on it leaked like a bitch. Just switch to 3/8" inner diameter tubing and you should be fine.

Yeah, that sounds like the move; I just kinda expected that the fittings and hose would fit perfectly; on that note, anyone know where to get 3/8" black tubing besides the Internet? Would that be at any kind of a Home Depot-ish shop?

 

[Bob Smith]

Dang Bob, it happens to everyone though man. Like I said before, took me a million times before I got rid of all my leaks. Just keep working at it, once you get it right, you never have to deal with it again.
I would say keep trusting yourself and shop at the depot instead of hydro shops. You can use your imagination in Home Depot, not in a hydro shop where the guy tells you this is what I have that you need and rings it up. Get my drift? We are all intelligent, creative, diyers and you can definitely dig through the depot and make it work. My only words of wisdom is don't fuck with sealants. They just won't work, plain and simple haha.

Twils, your system sounds awesome, I am really excited to see pictures and a how-to for it.

Lol..........I may be intelligent, but I'm certainly not creative or a DIY'er (99.99% of the time).

Anywho, finally got something up and running so my ladies can have some real light and nutes, pics are attached - pretty simple setup, the two buckets with the all white lids are my reservoirs, and the other six buckets are for plants (one has a black cover on it because I thinned out the herd this morning and got rid of all the stragglers that I'd been harboring).

The mama under the light is my more indica dominant pheno from that bagseed, and in the upper right hand corner is the more sativa dominant pheno.

The seedlings are the Super Skunk, as they're doing the best out of the three strains - we'll see though, they were closest to the light in my old setup, so they're further out now with the Bubblelicious and NYPD getting the most light.

 

[Bob Smith]

BTW, I'm nowhere near finished with working on this veg tent - this is only a temporary fix, as all that wasted space directly under the light bothers the shit out of me.

Just needed to get them back and under some lights, but I'm by no means done with designing the system that I want for in there (and, hopefully, in my flowering tents as well).

FYI, going to try and root some clones in the bucket withe the black lid over top - gonna see if the clones can root in the fairly high PPM solution (~1000PPM) that the other plants veg in - I'm fairly certain that they can and will love it, but we'll see.