DIY Clone 5gal Bucket

I know there are a ton of DIY cloner Tuts here but I

since i got the good deal on the pump and already had the net cups and inserts my cost was $25. if you have to buy the net cups and neoprene inserts that should only add about $10 to the price.

Items Needed:
1 x 5 gal bucket
1 x 5 gal bucket lid
2” net cups (optional but recommended to hold the neoprene inserts)
2” Neoprene Ez Clone inserts
1 X Water Pump (I’m using NGW EcoPLus 633 gph Submersible Pump - picked up at home depot on sale/clearance for $20)
3 x 90º ½” threaded pvc elbows
3 x 2” ½” threaded PVC nipples
2 x 4” ½” threaded PVC nipples
2 x ½” threaded PVC caps
Timer (optional - i ran 15 minutes on/15 mins off, but you can also run 24 hours if you like)


I drilled 8 - 2” holes in the lid with a drill mounted hole saw.
You can use regular non threaded pvc parts and glue the together but I chose the threaded pieces for ease of breakdown for cleaning, and i dont like the idea of pvc glue mixing with my water.
The nice thing about the NGW pump is that it has a ½” threaded port on the top which makes for easy attachment of the sprayer assembly.
Assemble pvc parts into an E shape with the 4” lengths on the outside and the 2” section forming the T, and the middle section connected to a 2" nipple and threaded 90º which connects to the top of the pump.

Drill a row of holes in the top of each tube. (for my first incarnation I just drilled 6 holes in the top. 2 on each side. Next time I might drill more holes just smaller) the holes I drilled were approx 6mm in diameter.
Cap the ends.
I had roots beginning to form in 48 hours, and was able to transplant after 1 week. All of my clones are thriving and doing wonderful.

Looks good and compact. is your pump running 24/7

do all hd sell that pump????

I made the same thing once but I also popped in ezclone sprayers. They just popped in when I used a good looking drill bit. They popped out for cleaning too. Took five minutes. I used a 20 dollar pump from eBay.

CivicCX said:

do all hd sell that pump????

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not sure if all HD carry it. i know my was on clearance last year when i picked it up.

i was going to use ezclone sprayer but misplace them so i just drilled the hole in the pipe and let it rip.

magowner said:

Looks good and compact. is your pump running 24/7

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i ran 15mins on/15 mins off

oh ok thanks i just built something similar to this and wasnt sure how long to run the pump

magowner said:

oh ok thanks i just built something similar to this and wasnt sure how long to run the pump

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yeah i really didn't see any difference between running it 24/0 of 15on/15off.

What about the actual spraying. Do you want to actually spray the roots or do you just want the water splashing around?

How far from the lid should the pipes be?

Do you have to mist them? or could/should you build a dome?

the water in the bucket just sprays against the lid, thus splashing water on the stems. the holes i drilled in the pipe were perhaps as small as a pencil. approx 4-6mm. this size worked just fine for me, next clone run a may use smaller holes just more of them. the sprayers are probably 6" from the lid.
i dont use a dome or mist the leaves, i just clip the tips of the fan leaves and let the water do its thing in the bucket.

this really has made this round of clones the easiest ever. i had troubles cloning in my aero garden, jiffy plugs, rockwool, i've tried them all and had mediocre results.

with this setup i really just took the clones, added some rooting hormone to the clippings and turned the water on with a few drops of superthrive.