This system can be made with up to 8 plant buckets! So 2 plants , 3 plants 4 or 6 or 8. Just lay out how you want to position and make sure there is an in and out from 1 bucket to the next and that they connect back to the reservoir. Plants can even be in a line, just loop the last bucket in the line back to the reservoir. Thanks for watching :) Please like or follow or share. Gary
I missed this question sorry , you can put on top of reservoir if you want but I try to get it out of grow area to help keep it cooler, just make sure it's above water level incase of a power failure ( it can siphon water back into pump) Thanks for watching! G
Everyone needs to give this man reps, for over a decade now no one has been sharing this information! Or even doing proper how to videos with this level of detail, including item lists/hole sizing/ etc. Kudos Gary!
Thanks for not trying to sell me stuff and just showing us how to do it. Because of that I just bought the fittings and pump from ya! Cant wait to get it set up! Thanks fellas!!!
Received my two bucket RDWC system the other day. Assembly was straightforward...the UA-cam videos are a great resource for assembly, so be sure and watch them prior to assembly. After assembly, I put about four gallons in the system and fired up the pumps. Everything works as it should,. I had to adjust the water pump down a little to balance out the volume between the two DWC buckets and adjust the air pump up to max pressure for plenty of bubbles. Only issues I am having at this point is leaking at the 3/4 fittings. All of them leaked initially, had to tighten down the threaded "nuts' very tight to stop leaks where the rubber washer and bucket meet (and yes, I made sure I was well above the curve on the bottom of the inside). I now see leaking at the 3/4 hose to barbed fittings on three of the fittings. Have just added hose clamps to those to see if that stops the problem. Will update as time goes by.
Yes, a very warm water soak of all the plastic during assembly, even the fittings, is helpful. The fittings will conform to the curve of the bucket better. Just heat a pot of water on the stove to very warm water, so as to submerge a hand and not scald, PEOPLE. It works! So does this Video!! Thanks!
I would like to give a big shout out to Gary for getting the DIY 2 bucket with resevoir shipped out to me just how i described it and how i wanted the parts. All came shipped to me within 2 days! Granted i have Hydro stores here in Mich.that i could have bought from, but none would do what i asked Gary to do. Love his videos and is a great person to deal with. Thanks Again Gary, Joe B :)
Also i meant to ask you can you put a float like the one you show on the top off just in the resevoir thats recirculating and the other bucket for gravity feed to it? Thanks Gary
Thank you Gary!! I ordered a 'Kush Grow Kit' 7 months ago and Now, for my health, I have been learning and I am ready to grow! (my intention: Juicing & creating my own RSO, eventually) Starting very small until I get the knack, don't want to kill my Babies :) I Love your videos 1, 2 3 with your Bucket Systems! I am starting with the Kit/Tote with 4 plants in the lid. I am going to alter it to include your water level tubing and drain system :) Here's too Learning as I Grow! Happy New Year!!!
Thanks to this video I just finished a 3 plant 1 reservoir build in a 3 x 3 tent and I love it! This will make everything so much easier now with just one res to monitor :-) I do have one suggestion though.......When I set up the system and tested it, it was perfect, but when I moved it and re-installed it in the tent, I found 2 leaks that could not be fixed by adjusting the bulkheads......Worse, I had about 10 gallons in the system that I had to pump out to fix the issue...I disassembled everything and used Flex-paste on all the bulkheads inside and out, reassembled and it was perfect....I put the water right back in without waiting for it to cure and even put the plants back in and they were completely unaffected........So my suggestion is FLEX PASTE THE BULKHEADS!!!
I'm in a bind! This looks like such a fun simple build to try, and yet you've set it out and explained it so well it almost feels like I'd be cheating if I copied it... I've been binging your vids from the first single bucket build, and am convinced if I keep watching, eventually you'll be drilling holes in buckets to form some giant waterpowered japanese attack robot.
Thanks for taking the time and making it clear to us noobies. And I don’t really comment but i admire your humbleness. There are a lot of people insisting that you should do some things different when your just giving us a base idea and told us that there are many different ways to do it. So Instead of telling them off you just agree with them even though it’s something like “don’t use marker, use tape” like wtf who cares what you use to mark the main point is to drill a hole. I didn’t even mark them at all nd they came out good lol. Anyways peace ✌🏾
Thanks! I don't really mind criticism and new ideas, hope these videos help people get the "spark" to take it to new levels and invention! Have a good day! Gary
You should include a complete parts list in the discription and possibly even a link to your website with a DIY kit we could buy from you with everything included
Thanks Micheal for watching, we just got a new website company that is kicking butt, we should have a store up in a month, honestly didn't think this many people would be watching these :) I will get a part's list going for this, some of our newer videos have a part's list. Sorry about that. Gary
Thank you. We watched the first 3 and we wondered if you would video how to adapt the buckets for a tower garden in a bucket and a fogger bucket and a reservoir bucket. We want to use a 6 in thin walled 5 foot pipe as the tower. The fogger bucket receives water through a flapper valve from the reservoir/nutrient bucket. The fogger bucket is fan driven and pipes into the top of the tower. The reservoir has a pump and dripper line to top of tower. Very well done videos.
Thanks for watching :) Your system sounds cool, I'm not a big fogger fan, the ultrasonic disks always got salt build up and stopped vibrating when I messed with them years ago. I will put a tower system in the works for 2019 but it could be awhile. I already have a few more videos to do before that comes. It will probably be next summer. Thanks again! Gary
Generally speaking, what nutrient mix do you want? I currently have, for one gallon; •2g MasterBlend Tomato 4-18-38 •2g Calcium Nitrate 15.5-0-0 •1g Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) That sound about right?
Hello, I could say a lot about nutrients from running this store for10 years, the big secrets is THEY ALL WORK it's just a matter of knowing how to use them , some taste better some grow faster there is organic, non organic. I find it best to go with a nutrient company's schedule, they have already spent millions on testing so that people don't have to try to figure things out like what you are doing here. As for your mix it looks right but some factors come into play like if your using R.O water, or well water, that would determine how much calcium and magnesium you would want. Also the kind and size of plant you are growing, that's a lot of nitrogen so during fruiting and flowering when you need more calcium but less nitrogen that form of calcium might not be good for you. So yeah there are a lot of factors to consider, the master blend alone may be a good way to start. Give it a try and see. Hope this at least gives you some ideas. Thanks for watching.Gary
Thanks for the series of videos. I appreciate the simple and concise explanations along with physically building the system. Most of the videos you find on UA-cam just can't seem to put 2 and 2 together in a usable manner. You're also the first guy I've seen suggest the use of a de-burr tool, which is a fantastic idea. I should have thought of that considering I use them at work regularly.
Better still a step down drill or step up bit is 110% more efficient at precision holes, step down so precise you got to thread & force fitting, bulk heads into the holes = no leaks.
Do you clean the buckets that hold the plants during your grow or does RDWC stay clean on its own? I usually do this weekly with DWC. I'm just trying to see the benefit in this other than being able to check ph and add nutes without messing with your plants. I change my water every week to keep it clean and add what i need. when i do this, i use a different clean bucket and swap them out. This method would save me some time and labor if it does.
Hello, you have good points about cleaning, with this system if you drain it there will be still an inch or more of water in all the tubs, I personally don't mind that, it can transfer some biodiversity into next nute fill. I think a big advantage would be if you scrog and net everything you will still be able to change out nutes from whole system without moving plants out. This system also keeps things stirred up really well so each plant will have exactly the same PH and nutes. When the grow is done I recommend immediately cleaning all the biofilmand salts out of buckets before it dries onto them. Thanks for your comment and thanks for watching :) Gary
You said the distance required is 27" between the two that sit side by side. If you have a 2x4 tent can you just run the reservoir out the tent and still use this system?
I plan on purchasing this three bucket setup from you here soon! Missouri just got the green light for medical cannabis. Keep up the great work and thank you for the great information.
I’ve been reading some forums and they bring up a good point about the roots interfering with the drains. If the roots get too big and get in the way or even into the drain tubes in each bucket, wouldn’t that affect flow?
@@joejoedancer Yes it will if you grow monster plants in here, Usually mid flower before any issues like that. Even if you end up having to turn circulation pump off it is still an awesome dwc and you will still be able to fill and drain and flush system. This is why the big expensive systems are better like our Fallponic systems - they will NOT get clogged. As for this system we have sold a lot and I have had excellent feedback from customers! Thanks for watching. Gary
PA Hydroponics thanks for the reply, Gary. I appreciate it. I may still go with this setup with out pre-drilling it and possible add bigger lines to it or maybe even a catch in the bucket itself to contain the roots away from the drain tubes but still submerged in the water. Thanks again!
Hey Gary, great videos, thank you!!!QUESTION: why use a pump to circulate the water? Why not let gravity do the work and have a bubbler in each bucket to stop the water from stagnating? Top up reservoir when needed... Thanks in advance.
So is the pump pushing the water or sucking? Couldn’t see your hand position describing flow direction! What I did see was it looked like you were showing it sucking! Great step by step thanks !
Thanks :) This pump is pushing the water and forcing it out the tube to the next bucket and that bucket has nowhere to go except the next one and so on and eventually back to the start. Thanks for watching! Gary
PA Hydroponics That’s what I thought but just wanted to make sure! Thanks Gary. Wish you did more online I would love to buy your products. I am not super far away in northern NJ but not really that close to be able to run out and grab a fitting or two!! Thanks again for your reply and I am now a sub
I hear that, its very hard to put single pieces online and try to figure shipping out and if I did flat rate on single fittings it would cost way to much, I am planning to try to put a whole lot of parts online by the end of year and a whole new drip system department ( our next video) :) I think I will end up doing a random part kit for like 10 bucks or something along those lines so keep an eye out. You can always email a parts list and I can do a quote info@pahydroponics.com. peace. G
PA Hydroponics thanks Gary! Would you be agreeable to a bulk order say of pumps, buckets, net pots, hydrogen, and fittings and air supplies, etc? I am basically a total beginner but oh so interested in this process! For yrs I’ve been a traditional soil grower but after a stroke and triple bypass I’ve been told in no uncertain terms no more! So to keep the growing going and so much more control I am committed to hydroponic
@@Trackhoe075 You dont even have to do a bulk order , I will ship anything! Small parts would only cost about 4 dollars to ship anywhere. Have you seen our kits on our website? They are affordable in my opinion. Peace. G
I have a 3x3 tent and am in the process of setting this same system up but with 3 buckets instead of 2. I’ve watched the 4 bucket fallponic videos and was planning to add the “fallponic” part to this system. Is it worth it considering the restriction of the 1” tubes? I’m not sure if it’s worth the cost and labor, but was interested in your thoughts.
Thanks for the great videos. I ordered 2- 8 bucket DWC systems. What do you do with the plants as they grow larger? It looks like the system with a reservoir is easier to change the water. Can mine be modified to the reservoir version?
Just for future reference I’ve found drilling with a step down drill bit more efficient especially when worried about accuracy & drips. A step down drill bit can drill to precise hole so fittings are really snug & you actually got to kind of thread them in. Remembering the J step on inside of buckets, when tightening a lock-nuts or bulkheads to both inside & outside of you fittings, or drum tap which is great for water exchanges. Great tutorial tho Gj 👍
Question: If i already have 2 5-gal DWC buckets with level indicators... Can i convert them to use a RDWC and possibly a larger reservoir? Like a 17-gal tote or something similar?
Hi Gary, , I purchased a RDWC / without buckets. I fix the buckheads seams, A question on water pump, doesn't seem like enough flow ? The pump is working, the 3rd bucket has very low flow if any ?
Hello, sorry we pretty much just build stuff here, it is basic hydroponics, you can use the pump that is in the reservoir to pump out the water from the system, temps must be below 80 or you will have bacteria problems, ph between 5.8 to 6.5. Maybe we will get into some more videos like this to help, just not enough time in the day! Gary
I want to build a RDWC system. 2 bucket with reservoir. I want to make it in a triangle. Kinda like yours. But have a pipe running through.middle that has a tee connection. And connec to both buckets. Am I able to do that? I want to do it that way so I can connect a tap for easy emptying. My question is. Can I have the pump pumping through the middle which connects to 2 buckets. Or do I have to pump earthier from left to right or other way round. I really hope you got my question it's hard to explain it lol
i keep saltwater fish and installed swimming pools for a decade before doing hydroponics . any way i used my fish exper. after burning out 3 air pumps in 4 months . i link each bucket with 2 inch tiger flex piping so each bucket gets flow . inside each bucket i put a 250 gph marineland powerhead with a fluval foam filter centered . powerheads have a airline to outside of bucket . cut a small notch to get power cord out of each bucket . since my grow is in a 2x4 closet i have 4 buckets in line the res in in the middle . for light i use a marshydro sp3000 and with a t5 10k single on each side of the led for the last month of flower . i only grow black domica and this year im at gen 12 . the first 10 gens were grown outside . if you want dead silent huge grow try the powerheads out . they are $17 on amazon and ive had them last 10 years in fish tanks !
How often does your pump turn on and for how long? How much water do you start with in each bucket? When you refill the res do you factor in that you are pushing 10-11 gallons thru the system. Still don't see how the water/nutes is factored in to this great system.
Thanks , I haven't done any videos with small systems like that, some plants can drink a gallon a day. The less water in the system the more the PH can swing also. I do plan on doing a small system for lettuce but it will be just be 1 tub. Thanks for watching! Gary
Hi. I bought this system from you online and I gotta say I like what you do and prices were fair. Question ❓ you talked about the roots clogging up the pipes. is there any sort of screen or protection you could get to stop that from happening? Also I just wanted to give you a tip about the video when watching it at home the tool noises and bucket sounds get super loud almost blowing our speakers and the voice parts are really low. I don't know if maybe you could speak up louder and clearer that way the volume can be turned down so those drill noises aren't so loud, or move the mic I'm not sure. but I do really appreciate what you do man thanks!
Bought the stirponic 4 plant setup from you and have a question concerning the water/nutrient level in the buckets. I noticed somewhere in your replies that 4 gal. per bucket or 20 gal. total. Would that be for total duration of grow or is there a different level once roots have developed and have reached the water? Concerned about seedling getting water to develop root system. I know your busy, thanks for a reply.
Great three part series. I've begun setting up my tent and am going with a hydroponic grow system like this. So total water will essentially be 3x that of two independent buckets to maintain an equal level in all three buckets. Does this mean we add 3x the nutrients for a single setup to ensure the nutrients are the same in all buckets, or just use as many nutrients as you would for both combined?
Hey Dane, good question. Pretty much you want to add total volume of water in gallons and then look at your mix chart and times all that by amount of gallons used since mix charts are usually per gallon, in this system the buckets wont be filled to rim so you probably have 4 gallons per bucket X 3 so mix for 12 gallons. Hope this helps! Gary
You could probably fit a row of 3 but 4 would be tight, little tricky on putting res outside, you should check out our waterfall video for that.Thanks for watching :) Gary
Hello, If you drain the reservoir all the other buckets will drain with it. As for water changes I recommend for vegative growth at least once every 2 weeks but during fruiting and flowering changing every week once will greatly increase yields. Hope this helps! G
My tent is 5' tall and no openings on the bottom, so I have to run the 1" tube up about 4' to get thru the opening of the tent. Will this pump push water that far?
Thanks for this video I'm about to set up a 4x4 tent and I'm gonna use this method. What about having 4 grow buckets and one bigger tote in the middle for your reservoir?? Just curious thanks!
Hey there, I am working on a whole lot more videos for the summer of 2020 so bare with us! Nute mixing will be some of them, check out Just4Growers for some good tips on that, he is a good dude, talks a little fast but knows his stuff. Have a good day! gary
Awesome videos, thank you. I'm considering creating a bubble bucket for two plants out of a rectangular container. With one extra net pot hole for access (blocked off from light) Using that access hole to siphoning out/in the water for changes. Would there be any issues with that design? Do you need the water level indicator? Thank you.
Hello, the water level indicator is not necessary but nice to have. I don't see a problem with your system except if something happens to 1 plant you wont be able to get it out of system, it's roots will be stuck with other plant, also when 2 plants are together in any grow situation they tend to fight for the light and you could get stretching. That's just my thought's - hope this helps! Gary
Gary, thanks for a very informative and thorough video. One quick question ... do all the growing buckets need to be on the same level or can you set them up on different levels like shelves vertically? I'm curious because I have limited space inside my home.
Hello, good question but unfortunately that wont work with this kind of system, you could just do individual bubble buckets on each level or there are other types of systems like NFT ( Nutrient film Technique ) that use rails or tubes and can be set up vertically. Hope this gives you some ideas. Gary
When I did my first hydroponic setup, I did a bato/dutch bucket system to go vertically. The buckets containing plants have to be fully above the reservoir bucket, and you completely fill those buckets with the clay pebbles to retain moisture since they won't be able to stay filled completely with water/nutrient. You pump the water up to the top of the plant bucket using much smaller irrigation tubing - one for each plant, and let it drain out the bottom back into the reservoir. It means needing a more powerful submersible pump that can handle moving all that liquid upward, but it's a nice half-way point between bubble buckets and NFT. A bit more susceptible to something like the power going out, but as long as you set the drain holes a little above the base of the buckets, some water will remain in them at all times that will be wicked up by the clay pebbles and can carry the system through several hours without flow.
I've got a question. I just started the 6 bucket system and are you saying that I should change the nutrient solution every week? I'm retired and on a fixed income & that would be cost prohibitive. What happens if I use the same nutrients throughout the flowering stage? I just don't understand why the nutrient needs changing, does it become contaminated or it loses its nutrient factors? Thanks
Good question, plants take what they want from the nutrient solution, if you don't change it out and just keep adding more nutrients then there could very well be a build up of something the plant doesn't need or want and that can cause problems. I have seen people get away with it but there plants don't end up as nice. Hope this clears up some confusion. Gary
I change my nutes twice. I always feed half strength keep your environment right and your quality will be fine. Sometimes i will add a bit back if i have a ppm meter. But it is fine to just add water. I just do a water change at flip and call it good. I add some goodies along the way but sparingly because it doesnt leave the system. Oh yeah i re use everything. And run my water through coco 24/7 same pump for years. Spend for cmh led isnt there yet. Unless you are rich. Hps is king. Im using cmh now gottem free. And rain spas are simpler and you can add a self leveling res. And even further you can use an air line to circulate the water no heat build up. My ways easier though.
This video series is great. Could you please list the pumps and air stone size u use? I'm looking at a 4 bucket system and would appreciate your expertise.
Hello, for your setup you should use a 4 output airpump, Active Aqua AAPA15L, 4 airstones round Active Aqua ASCM, and for the circulation pump from this video is Eco 66 ( 75 gph model 728490), you will have to neck the output up to 3/4 inch tubing to fit into back of drain connectors as for what you asked for part numbers We sell all that and would ship it for 59.95 in continental USA, Just give us a call :) 717-528-4175, Hope this helps! Gary
Good question...The circulation pump can be cycled on and off to give the stir. However you do need to continually run your air pumps. Thanks for watching
Hi! Thanks for the very informative videos!!! One Question: What is the size of the holesaw drill bit you use to cut those holes for the 1 inch bulkhead?
There is a five foot section of 1/2" black vinyl tubing that comes with the kit. That hose is meant to connect to your pump and can evacuate your nutrient solution out of the system.
Yea thanks Gary , another good quality video. Informative as usual and you have a shop but don’t try flog us shit we don’t need and teach us how to make stuff we do need. Probably not the best business model ever but it does make you a fracking good bloke. Respect to you dude
Hey, I usually start with about 12 gallons total in that version, 4 gallons per bucket, you need to make sure the water is up far enough to touch your starter cube or cutting, but later the water can drop down a lot and plants will be fine once roots are big. Have a good day! Gary
Yes for sure! would drill holes a bit different and you would need longer hosing, if you order kit put in notes to leave hose 1 long piece. ( I would throw in some extra hose for you) Thanks for watching! Gary
Thx 4 the info. Good thing to know that *getting the strongest waterpump* is a bad idea (4 people like me who would have used an 1800L/hour in 2 bucket system) u didnt miss a thing, just wondering with a waterchange.. How do u get all water out? Or is ok to let 1 inch water in, or does the pump take 100% out
Hey there, there will be an inch left, I have dumped an extra 5 gallons in after it was drained and then sucked that out to help get it flushed, most of the time I just drain as much as I can and not worry about the 1 inch and have done fine. Yeah and believe me I wanted to run big pumps too but it just wont work with 1 inch lines. Thanks for watching! Gary
Would I have a issue running 3/4” line. I am doing a similar setup with 4gl square buckets. I am running a 200gpm pump but with a waterfall system into the buckets.
I have seen a lot of people build water fall systems but hardly non have a finished grow video because they get clogged and over flow, we will be doing one soon to address these issues. If your going to use 3/4 inch at least have 2 returns to the reservoir to help but I would guess 3/4 is not going to keep up with 200gph right away. I truly wish you the best on this and hope I'm wrong. Gary
Hello, yup we have done up to 10 but with10 the circulation didn't flow good enough, so 8 plus rez is max in my opinion , as for pump size about 75 gallons per hour is what we found works good , just enough to keep it stirred with 1 inch fittings, I have tried a 250 GPH pump and the water levels were way off, first bucket after pump was high water and last bucket was very low. Hope this helps, there are lot's of different ways to make this system. Gary
Don't think that would work to well, as for holes not being level it would be fine if you have large space between buckets, only time I had a problem with holes not being level was when I used Uniseals and 2" pvc pipe. G
When your done the grow don't let it dry out before cleaning, I suck everything out with a wet vac or bottom feed submersible pump, then I use a rag to scub out the rest, then I rinse it out and suck out that water. The tubing is hard to get off and it may not seal right if you put it back on, tubing is hard to put on in the first place, I recommend putting the pieces of tubing on a bowl of hot water when you are building, it will help. So yeah it can be a pain to clean. Most multiple plant hydro system's are hard to clean so yeah.... Hope this help, and thanks for watching! Gary
Your videos are amazing. I’m super pumped to start one of these and will probably order everything from you. I want to do 8 plant buckets + reservoir. Would you recommend 2 separate systems or just one with 8 buckets and reservoir. I’m planning on doing 3 or 4 types of veggies so would splitting into 2 systems make sense based on nutrient requirements for the different veggies? Thanks again for putting these videos together.
Hello Lee, thanks for the complements! The 8 bucket system can have more leak issues due to the weight of the water but it can be done. I think 2 - 4 plant systems would be better for that reason and also nutrient requirements. I will be putting the 4 plant system on the website today so keep an eye out or check back tomorrow. Thanks for watching! Gary
PA Hydroponics ... I just bought this system, but with only 2 buckets. What confuses me is that you stated you don’t want to have a stone in the reservoir bucket because you don’t want bubbles getting into circulating pump, but the kit is sold with 2 stones. One going each of the buckets. Could you please clarify ? Thanks
hey there, the stirponics has 2 grow sites and 1 reservoir bucket . the stones go one in each grow site, you may have it confused with regular bubble buckets? The regular bubble buckets are just DWC and dont have a circulation pump, each plant is separate. Let me know. G
PA Hydroponics ... this is the DIY 1 Plant Stirponic RDWC System COMPLETE KIT ...(NOT DRILLED)...This system includes one 5 gallon bucket with 6" bucket basket and one 5 gallon reservoir bucket. The whole system is connected with 1" soft tubing, and recirculates with a submersible 75 gallon per hour water pump. This system also includes our water level indicator kit that is in our video. ...I took this from the description on your site. I’ll probably just give you ANOTHER CALL later today. My apologies on the multiple calls. You’ve been more than accommodating and extremely helpful. Thanks G.
Im looking into building a similar setup can i put the buckets in a line with a hose going from front bucket to the back bucket instead of the triangle type formation you have the buckets in? my space is limited width wise but i have room length wise. And also do you sell kits to build this?
Hello, It should work putting them in a row, just don't use to big of a pump to circulate or they wont be even water levels. We sell all the parts in stock but no kits due to everyone wanting different bucket spacing and amount of buckets. We can put together your kit custom for you in about 5 or 10 minutes when you get here. Hope this helps! Gary
So gotta ask I take it you have to fill the buckets to where the mesh pots are submerged for new clippings that don't have long root growth that hangs out of the mesh right?
Hello, yes you got it, At first fill them up so they are touching the roots, then after the roots are going big you can let the water level go down, the bubbles make the roots stay moist if you are away for a few days. Hope this help! Gary
Checkout hydrofarms GROW FLOW 2.0, I think your talking about a flood and drain system like this, I have had customers try to build these and use multiple timers in place of the systems "Brain " I don't trust timers enough to try to build one but this type of ebb and flo system is better because the root's aren't hanging in water all day so you don't have to worry about root rot in warm water or chillers. G LINK: www.hydrofarm.com/p/GFO7KT5
Would there be any advantages to slightly modifying this to a aero panic system if so I would love to see how to go about it as I’ve seen and heard that you get a far healthier Root zone is this something you could possibly do a video on I would buy all the components from you but I’m based in the UK and I don’t believe you ship here I would love to have a shop like yours on my doorstep don’t even have anything that comes close thanks guys and keep up the good work I didn’t so much from you keep it coming👍👍👍👍
Hi. Can you over aerate a dwc system.. Is there a Litre per hour min/max advised? Ie.. if I split a 800l/ph airpump between the two 5 buckets.. would it be too much, likewise too little if I attached a 50l/ph airpump.. Thanks in advance
Gary, I really like this. How would this work if I was running a 12 week grow schedule? Would I just drain and add the updated nutrient solution each week?
Hey Mikey, I still recommend the 75 gallon per hour, I have tried more gph and water levels don't stay even with 1" tubing, not enough water flow thru 1". Don't try to grow huge 6 foot plants in this system roots can clog things up as well. hope this helps! Gary
Sorry revised price :) ( That was the hi-flow price from other video) This I just added up it's 92.76 plus tax at our stores, including a 10L bag of clay rocks. Hope this is a better price LOL. Gary
Oh no :( You should find your local indoor garden store and show them the video! They should easily be able to get the part's, we don't ship out of the continental US unfortunately .
1st off, THANKS Gary for taking tome to help us all out. Next, I wanted to do a 3 each 5 gallon ... like you did here..... I have most everything in stock.... but I can't find the ECO66plus. 35 gph pump.... I believe that's what you called it. Do you have a Part number? Or did u use a 53 gallon and rail it back? Please let me know. Again thanks
Hello, the pump is a 75 gallon per hour Ecoplus Eco66 part #728490, I'm sure there are other brands to use just remember going over 75 GPH might have uneven water levels in buckets because flow wont keep up with 1 inch tubing. Hope this helps! Gary
Hey, 1" drains for 1" tubing, 5 gallon buckets with 6" bucket baskets from Hydrofarm, 75 Gallon per hour circulation pump, you should use a 4 output airpump and medium round airstones, there are many tips and tricks in this video series. G
For seedlings in rockwool, the water should be just at the bottom of the net pot, as the plant grows, reduce water level to about one inch below net pot
This system can be made with up to 8 plant buckets! So 2 plants , 3 plants 4 or 6 or 8. Just lay out how you want to position and make sure there is an in and out from 1 bucket to the next and that they connect back to the reservoir. Plants can even be in a line, just loop the last bucket in the line back to the reservoir. Thanks for watching :) Please like or follow or share. Gary
Do you set your Air Pump on top of your reservoir? Or would you suggest they have High locations of their own?
I missed this question sorry , you can put on top of reservoir if you want but I try to get it out of grow area to help keep it cooler, just make sure it's above water level incase of a power failure ( it can siphon water back into pump) Thanks for watching! G
What about chilling the water? I have also read that you can half the nutrients with it.?.? I would appreciate your opinion.
I just watched your chiller video good info now just curious about the nutes
Everyone needs to give this man reps, for over a decade now no one has been sharing this information! Or even doing proper how to videos with this level of detail, including item lists/hole sizing/ etc. Kudos Gary!
Thank you!!!! Gary
Dean he took care of me. Definitly well informed videos!
@@JB-li3go I still plan on making a trip out to him for a custom build, one of these days I will get off my ass.
Gary's the jam!
I really wish UA-cam would have just shown me your Channel when I was getting into Hydroponics this could have saved me so much time and money
Haha I agreee
Thanks for not trying to sell me stuff and just showing us how to do it. Because of that I just bought the fittings and pump from ya! Cant wait to get it set up! Thanks fellas!!!
Received my two bucket RDWC system the other day. Assembly was straightforward...the UA-cam videos are a great resource for assembly, so be sure and watch them prior to assembly. After assembly, I put about four gallons in the system and fired up the pumps. Everything works as it should,. I had to adjust the water pump down a little to balance out the volume between the two DWC buckets and adjust the air pump up to max pressure for plenty of bubbles. Only issues I am having at this point is leaking at the 3/4 fittings. All of them leaked initially, had to tighten down the threaded "nuts' very tight to stop leaks where the rubber washer and bucket meet (and yes, I made sure I was well above the curve on the bottom of the inside). I now see leaking at the 3/4 hose to barbed fittings on three of the fittings. Have just added hose clamps to those to see if that stops the problem. Will update as time goes by.
Yes, a very warm water soak of all the plastic during assembly, even the fittings, is helpful. The fittings will conform to the curve of the bucket better. Just heat a pot of water on the stove to very warm water, so as to submerge a hand and not scald, PEOPLE. It works! So does this Video!! Thanks!
I would like to give a big shout out to Gary for getting the DIY 2 bucket with resevoir shipped out to me just how i described it and how i wanted the parts. All came shipped to me within 2 days! Granted i have Hydro stores here in Mich.that i could have bought from, but none would do what i asked Gary to do. Love his videos and is a great person to deal with. Thanks Again Gary, Joe B :)
Also i meant to ask you can you put a float like the one you show on the top off just in the resevoir thats recirculating and the other bucket for gravity feed to it? Thanks Gary
Thanks Joe!!! G
Best instructional video on UA-cam for building your own system!👍
Thank you Gary!! I ordered a 'Kush Grow Kit' 7 months ago and Now, for my health, I have been learning and I am ready to grow! (my intention: Juicing & creating my own RSO, eventually) Starting very small until I get the knack, don't want to kill my Babies :) I Love your videos 1, 2 3 with your Bucket Systems! I am starting with the Kit/Tote with 4 plants in the lid. I am going to alter it to include your water level tubing and drain system :) Here's too Learning as I Grow! Happy New Year!!!
Thanks to this video I just finished a 3 plant 1 reservoir build in a 3 x 3 tent and I love it! This will make everything so much easier now with just one res to monitor :-) I do have one suggestion though.......When I set up the system and tested it, it was perfect, but when I moved it and re-installed it in the tent, I found 2 leaks that could not be fixed by adjusting the bulkheads......Worse, I had about 10 gallons in the system that I had to pump out to fix the issue...I disassembled everything and used Flex-paste on all the bulkheads inside and out, reassembled and it was perfect....I put the water right back in without waiting for it to cure and even put the plants back in and they were completely unaffected........So my suggestion is FLEX PASTE THE BULKHEADS!!!
I'm in a bind! This looks like such a fun simple build to try, and yet you've set it out and explained it so well it almost feels like I'd be cheating if I copied it...
I've been binging your vids from the first single bucket build, and am convinced if I keep watching, eventually you'll be drilling holes in buckets to form some giant waterpowered japanese attack robot.
Thanks for taking the time and making it clear to us noobies. And I don’t really comment but i admire your humbleness. There are a lot of people insisting that you should do some things different when your just giving us a base idea and told us that there are many different ways to do it. So Instead of telling them off you just agree with them even though it’s something like “don’t use marker, use tape” like wtf who cares what you use to mark the main point is to drill a hole. I didn’t even mark them at all nd they came out good lol. Anyways peace ✌🏾
Thanks! I don't really mind criticism and new ideas, hope these videos help people get the "spark" to take it to new levels and invention! Have a good day! Gary
as a newb this was the best vid for me Thanks Gary.
You should include a complete parts list in the discription and possibly even a link to your website with a DIY kit we could buy from you with everything included
Thanks Micheal for watching, we just got a new website company that is kicking butt, we should have a store up in a month, honestly didn't think this many people would be watching these :) I will get a part's list going for this, some of our newer videos have a part's list. Sorry about that. Gary
So glad I found your vids. Curious, What size hole saw is that? 1-1/8 , 1-1/4?
Been watching your video's as therapy. Now I just build hydroponic systems as and gift them to friends. Wierd how addictive it is.
Yea! Exactly, find myself building more systems than growing 😂
I never seen the idea of a reservoir bucket before this video, good information
It is great to have so you dont have to move plants to drain and adjust PH etc. Thanks for watching! Gary
Wow.
Learned a lot from the three part series.
I use a Grey Sharpie on my buckets.
Cant wait to see your web store up and running.
Thanks a lot :) Gary
Thank you. We watched the first 3 and we wondered if you would video how to adapt the buckets for a tower garden in a bucket and a fogger bucket and a reservoir bucket. We want to use a 6 in thin walled 5 foot pipe as the tower. The fogger bucket receives water through a flapper valve from the reservoir/nutrient bucket. The fogger bucket is fan driven and pipes into the top of the tower. The reservoir has a pump and dripper line to top of tower. Very well done videos.
Thanks for watching :) Your system sounds cool, I'm not a big fogger fan, the ultrasonic disks always got salt build up and stopped vibrating when I messed with them years ago. I will put a tower system in the works for 2019 but it could be awhile. I already have a few more videos to do before that comes. It will probably be next summer. Thanks again! Gary
Generally speaking, what nutrient mix do you want? I currently have, for one gallon;
•2g MasterBlend Tomato 4-18-38
•2g Calcium Nitrate 15.5-0-0
•1g Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt)
That sound about right?
Hello, I could say a lot about nutrients from running this store for10 years, the big secrets is THEY ALL WORK it's just a matter of knowing how to use them , some taste better some grow faster there is organic, non organic. I find it best to go with a nutrient company's schedule, they have already spent millions on testing so that people don't have to try to figure things out like what you are doing here. As for your mix it looks right but some factors come into play like if your using R.O water, or well water, that would determine how much calcium and magnesium you would want. Also the kind and size of plant you are growing, that's a lot of nitrogen so during fruiting and flowering when you need more calcium but less nitrogen that form of calcium might not be good for you. So yeah there are a lot of factors to consider, the master blend alone may be a good way to start. Give it a try and see. Hope this at least gives you some ideas. Thanks for watching.Gary
Thanks for the series of videos. I appreciate the simple and concise explanations along with physically building the system. Most of the videos you find on UA-cam just can't seem to put 2 and 2 together in a usable manner. You're also the first guy I've seen suggest the use of a de-burr tool, which is a fantastic idea. I should have thought of that considering I use them at work regularly.
Comments like this are why I still do these videos! Thanks for your kind words :) Gary
Use your drill with the hole saw in reverse for a much cleaner hole cut and less danger of cracking the plastic.
Thanks! good tip,I actually do that when I do big holes, these little ones pop right thru tho. peace. G
Better still a step down drill or step up bit is 110% more efficient at precision holes, step down so precise you got to thread & force fitting, bulk heads into the holes = no leaks.
@@stevenadams4429 And to get a step bit of that size will run you about what a 2 or 3 bucket setup will. Roughly $100+
Thank you for this 3 part series .
Thank you. I am so glad I stumbled onto your awesome videos. Much appreciated.
Do you clean the buckets that hold the plants during your grow or does RDWC stay clean on its own? I usually do this weekly with DWC. I'm just trying to see the benefit in this other than being able to check ph and add nutes without messing with your plants. I change my water every week to keep it clean and add what i need. when i do this, i use a different clean bucket and swap them out. This method would save me some time and labor if it does.
Hello, you have good points about cleaning, with this system if you drain it there will be still an inch or more of water in all the tubs, I personally don't mind that, it can transfer some biodiversity into next nute fill. I think a big advantage would be if you scrog and net everything you will still be able to change out nutes from whole system without moving plants out. This system also keeps things stirred up really well so each plant will have exactly the same PH and nutes. When the grow is done I recommend immediately cleaning all the biofilmand salts out of buckets before it dries onto them. Thanks for your comment and thanks for watching :) Gary
You said the distance required is 27" between the two that sit side by side. If you have a 2x4 tent can you just run the reservoir out the tent and still use this system?
I dont find myself liking many videos.. I Def dont comment often..
You get both sir.. this is a GREAT tutorial
Thank you, more to come - stay tuned :) Gary
I plan on purchasing this three bucket setup from you here soon! Missouri just got the green light for medical cannabis. Keep up the great work and thank you for the great information.
Congrats! Thanks for watching :) Gary
I’ve been reading some forums and they bring up a good point about the roots interfering with the drains. If the roots get too big and get in the way or even into the drain tubes in each bucket, wouldn’t that affect flow?
@@joejoedancer Yes it will if you grow monster plants in here, Usually mid flower before any issues like that. Even if you end up having to turn circulation pump off it is still an awesome dwc and you will still be able to fill and drain and flush system. This is why the big expensive systems are better like our Fallponic systems - they will NOT get clogged. As for this system we have sold a lot and I have had excellent feedback from customers! Thanks for watching. Gary
PA Hydroponics thanks for the reply, Gary. I appreciate it. I may still go with this setup with out pre-drilling it and possible add bigger lines to it or maybe even a catch in the bucket itself to contain the roots away from the drain tubes but still submerged in the water. Thanks again!
Thanks , just watched video, so i can put together my 2 bucket RDWC , That i just got from PA hydro!! 😎
I love you're video's bud I have learnt so much since finding you're company thank you for your time and effort.
Comeing all the way to the UK
Thanks so much :) Gary
Hey Gary, great videos, thank you!!!QUESTION: why use a pump to circulate the water? Why not let gravity do the work and have a bubbler in each bucket to stop the water from stagnating? Top up reservoir when needed... Thanks in advance.
Loved the videos, thanks for all the information. I ran 2 buckets independently last time. Now I will add a reservoir this time.
Thanks :) Its a lot easier to manage when you have the reservoir and don't have to take plants out to change system. Gary
So is the pump pushing the water or sucking? Couldn’t see your hand position describing flow direction! What I did see was it looked like you were showing it sucking! Great step by step thanks !
Thanks :) This pump is pushing the water and forcing it out the tube to the next bucket and that bucket has nowhere to go except the next one and so on and eventually back to the start. Thanks for watching! Gary
PA Hydroponics
That’s what I thought but just wanted to make sure! Thanks Gary. Wish you did more online I would love to buy your products. I am not super far away in northern NJ but not really that close to be able to run out and grab a fitting or two!! Thanks again for your reply and I am now a sub
I hear that, its very hard to put single pieces online and try to figure shipping out and if I did flat rate on single fittings it would cost way to much, I am planning to try to put a whole lot of parts online by the end of year and a whole new drip system department ( our next video) :) I think I will end up doing a random part kit for like 10 bucks or something along those lines so keep an eye out. You can always email a parts list and I can do a quote info@pahydroponics.com. peace. G
PA Hydroponics thanks Gary! Would you be agreeable to a bulk order say of pumps, buckets, net pots, hydrogen, and fittings and air supplies, etc? I am basically a total beginner but oh so interested in this process! For yrs I’ve been a traditional soil grower but after a stroke and triple bypass I’ve been told in no uncertain terms no more! So to keep the growing going and so much more control I am committed to hydroponic
@@Trackhoe075 You dont even have to do a bulk order , I will ship anything! Small parts would only cost about 4 dollars to ship anywhere. Have you seen our kits on our website? They are affordable in my opinion. Peace. G
Thanks Gary excellent job and explained well.
Thanks ! G
Could you add a link to the model drill you're using? I have been looking for one for this purpose and it's hard to know which ones are good.
I have a 3x3 tent and am in the process of setting this same system up but with 3 buckets instead of 2. I’ve watched the 4 bucket fallponic videos and was planning to add the “fallponic” part to this system. Is it worth it considering the restriction of the 1” tubes? I’m not sure if it’s worth the cost and labor, but was interested in your thoughts.
Thanks for the great videos. I ordered 2- 8 bucket DWC systems. What do you do with the plants as they grow larger? It looks like the system with a reservoir is easier to change the water. Can mine be modified to the reservoir version?
Just for future reference I’ve found drilling with a step down drill bit more efficient especially when worried about accuracy & drips.
A step down drill bit can drill to precise hole so fittings are really snug & you actually got to kind of thread them in.
Remembering the J step on inside of buckets, when tightening a lock-nuts or bulkheads to both inside & outside of you fittings, or drum tap which is great for water exchanges.
Great tutorial tho Gj 👍
Question: If i already have 2 5-gal DWC buckets with level indicators... Can i convert them to use a RDWC and possibly a larger reservoir? Like a 17-gal tote or something similar?
Hi Gary, , I purchased a RDWC / without buckets.
I fix the buckheads seams,
A question on water pump, doesn't seem like enough flow ? The pump is working, the 3rd bucket has very low flow if any ?
Do you have videos on the maintenance of the hydroponics system... how to change the water in the reservoir... ph temperature etc
Hello, sorry we pretty much just build stuff here, it is basic hydroponics, you can use the pump that is in the reservoir to pump out the water from the system, temps must be below 80 or you will have bacteria problems, ph between 5.8 to 6.5. Maybe we will get into some more videos like this to help, just not enough time in the day! Gary
Your an amazing humanitarian...
I want to build a RDWC system. 2 bucket with reservoir. I want to make it in a triangle. Kinda like yours. But have a pipe running through.middle that has a tee connection. And connec to both buckets. Am I able to do that? I want to do it that way so I can connect a tap for easy emptying. My question is. Can I have the pump pumping through the middle which connects to 2 buckets. Or do I have to pump earthier from left to right or other way round. I really hope you got my question it's hard to explain it lol
i keep saltwater fish and installed swimming pools for a decade before doing hydroponics . any way i used my fish exper. after burning out 3 air pumps in 4 months . i link each bucket with 2 inch tiger flex piping so each bucket gets flow . inside each bucket i put a 250 gph marineland powerhead with a fluval foam filter centered . powerheads have a airline to outside of bucket . cut a small notch to get power cord out of each bucket . since my grow is in a 2x4 closet i have 4 buckets in line the res in in the middle . for light i use a marshydro sp3000 and with a t5 10k single on each side of the led for the last month of flower . i only grow black domica and this year im at gen 12 . the first 10 gens were grown outside . if you want dead silent huge grow try the powerheads out . they are $17 on amazon and ive had them last 10 years in fish tanks !
How often does your pump turn on and for how long? How much water do you start with in each bucket? When you refill the res do you factor in that you are pushing 10-11 gallons thru the system. Still don't see how the water/nutes is factored in to this great system.
Also oyu can use white paint pens which wash off. they are good for the cost of them, last a while and write on wet surfaces as well.
Thanks for the tip! G
do you need an air stone per bucket, excluding the reservoir
I would, they will grow bigger and faster and they must have oxygen in the root zone. peace. G
Nice work, thanks for the help. Do you have any video of only 1 gallon?
Thanks , I haven't done any videos with small systems like that, some plants can drink a gallon a day. The less water in the system the more the PH can swing also. I do plan on doing a small system for lettuce but it will be just be 1 tub. Thanks for watching! Gary
Hi. I bought this system from you online and I gotta say I like what you do and prices were fair. Question ❓ you talked about the roots clogging up the pipes. is there any sort of screen or protection you could get to stop that from happening? Also I just wanted to give you a tip about the video when watching it at home the tool noises and bucket sounds get super loud almost blowing our speakers and the voice parts are really low. I don't know if maybe you could speak up louder and clearer that way the volume can be turned down so those drill noises aren't so loud, or move the mic I'm not sure. but I do really appreciate what you do man thanks!
Bought the stirponic 4 plant setup from you and have a question concerning the water/nutrient level in the buckets. I noticed somewhere in your replies that 4 gal. per bucket or 20 gal. total. Would that be for total duration of grow or is there a different level once roots have developed and have reached the water? Concerned about seedling getting water to develop root system. I know your busy, thanks for a reply.
Great three part series. I've begun setting up my tent and am going with a hydroponic grow system like this. So total water will essentially be 3x that of two independent buckets to maintain an equal level in all three buckets. Does this mean we add 3x the nutrients for a single setup to ensure the nutrients are the same in all buckets, or just use as many nutrients as you would for both combined?
Hey Dane, good question. Pretty much you want to add total volume of water in gallons and then look at your mix chart and times all that by amount of gallons used since mix charts are usually per gallon, in this system the buckets wont be filled to rim so you probably have 4 gallons per bucket X 3 so mix for 12 gallons. Hope this helps! Gary
@@PAHydroponics thanks so much for the response! Your videos are very helpful. My plants are thriving!
Would this be a good set up for a 2x4 tent? Could I put the reservoir outside using longer hoses?
You could probably fit a row of 3 but 4 would be tight, little tricky on putting res outside, you should check out our waterfall video for that.Thanks for watching :) Gary
How often do you change the water? Also do you have to change it for all (in my case) 5 buckets or just change the reservoir water?
Hello, If you drain the reservoir all the other buckets will drain with it. As for water changes I recommend for vegative growth at least once every 2 weeks but during fruiting and flowering changing every week once will greatly increase yields. Hope this helps! G
My tent is 5' tall and no openings on the bottom, so I have to run the 1" tube up about 4' to get thru the opening of the tent. Will this pump push water that far?
Thanks for this video I'm about to set up a 4x4 tent and I'm gonna use this method. What about having 4 grow buckets and one bigger tote in the middle for your reservoir?? Just curious thanks!
Please do a video on mixing nutes for hydro and soil Ava's the importance on the order
Hey there, I am working on a whole lot more videos for the summer of 2020 so bare with us! Nute mixing will be some of them, check out Just4Growers for some good tips on that, he is a good dude, talks a little fast but knows his stuff. Have a good day! gary
Awesome videos, thank you. I'm considering creating a bubble bucket for two plants out of a rectangular container. With one extra net pot hole for access (blocked off from light) Using that access hole to siphoning out/in the water for changes. Would there be any issues with that design? Do you need the water level indicator? Thank you.
Hello, the water level indicator is not necessary but nice to have. I don't see a problem with your system except if something happens to 1 plant you wont be able to get it out of system, it's roots will be stuck with other plant, also when 2 plants are together in any grow situation they tend to fight for the light and you could get stretching. That's just my thought's - hope this helps! Gary
@@PAHydroponics That's a good point I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the reply!
Love this bro
Gary, thanks for a very informative and thorough video. One quick question ... do all the growing buckets need to be on the same level or can you set them up on different levels like shelves vertically? I'm curious because I have limited space inside my home.
Hello, good question but unfortunately that wont work with this kind of system, you could just do individual bubble buckets on each level or there are other types of systems like NFT ( Nutrient film Technique ) that use rails or tubes and can be set up vertically. Hope this gives you some ideas. Gary
When I did my first hydroponic setup, I did a bato/dutch bucket system to go vertically. The buckets containing plants have to be fully above the reservoir bucket, and you completely fill those buckets with the clay pebbles to retain moisture since they won't be able to stay filled completely with water/nutrient. You pump the water up to the top of the plant bucket using much smaller irrigation tubing - one for each plant, and let it drain out the bottom back into the reservoir. It means needing a more powerful submersible pump that can handle moving all that liquid upward, but it's a nice half-way point between bubble buckets and NFT. A bit more susceptible to something like the power going out, but as long as you set the drain holes a little above the base of the buckets, some water will remain in them at all times that will be wicked up by the clay pebbles and can carry the system through several hours without flow.
@@Nabbs07 Thank you both very much!!! Adam Sebring, that sounds like a great idea. I may try your variation and see how it works out!!!
hey , nothing wrong with beta buckets! , it is like a drip system and NFT together :) Thanks for watching ! Gary
@@PAHydroponics In Hawai'i we like luftpumps better than an airstones.. www.swisstropicals.com/filtration-shop/jetlifter-cubelifter-shop/
Excellent channel and great job on your builds!!!
I've got a question. I just started the 6 bucket system and are you saying that I should change the nutrient solution every week? I'm retired and on a fixed income & that would be cost prohibitive. What happens if I use the same nutrients throughout the flowering stage? I just don't understand why the nutrient needs changing, does it become contaminated or it loses its nutrient factors? Thanks
Good question, plants take what they want from the nutrient solution, if you don't change it out and just keep adding more nutrients then there could very well be a build up of something the plant doesn't need or want and that can cause problems. I have seen people get away with it but there plants don't end up as nice. Hope this clears up some confusion. Gary
I change my nutes twice. I always feed half strength keep your environment right and your quality will be fine. Sometimes i will add a bit back if i have a ppm meter. But it is fine to just add water. I just do a water change at flip and call it good. I add some goodies along the way but sparingly because it doesnt leave the system. Oh yeah i re use everything. And run my water through coco 24/7 same pump for years. Spend for cmh led isnt there yet. Unless you are rich.
Hps is king. Im using cmh now gottem free. And rain spas are simpler and you can add a self leveling res. And even further you can use an air line to circulate the water no heat build up. My ways easier though.
What size pump would you recommend for 6 buckets and a reservoir with 1" fittings?
Hello, I have had the best luck with a 75 GPH waterpump, bigger pumps flowed a bit to much and didn't keep water levels equal. Hope this helps! Gary
This video series is great. Could you please list the pumps and air stone size u use? I'm looking at a 4 bucket system and would appreciate your expertise.
Hello, for your setup you should use a 4 output airpump, Active Aqua AAPA15L, 4 airstones round Active Aqua ASCM, and for the circulation pump from this video is Eco 66 ( 75 gph model 728490), you will have to neck the output up to 3/4 inch tubing to fit into back of drain connectors as for what you asked for part numbers We sell all that and would ship it for 59.95 in continental USA, Just give us a call :) 717-528-4175, Hope this helps! Gary
when operating, do you need to keep the circulation pump running all the time or only 8 hours a day or something. Same question for the air pump?
Good question...The circulation pump can be cycled on and off to give the stir. However you do need to continually run your air pumps. Thanks for watching
Hi! Thanks for the very informative videos!!! One Question: What is the size of the holesaw drill bit you use to cut those holes for the 1 inch bulkhead?
shop.pahydroponics.com/1-1-4-hole-saw/
1 1/4 "
How do you use the pump to empty the system? And how often should i do so? I just bought this same kit from you up in NH
There is a five foot section of 1/2" black vinyl tubing that comes with the kit. That hose is meant to connect to your pump and can evacuate your nutrient solution out of the system.
@@PAHydroponics cool , thanks boss
Question: Wouldn't the "water level hose" since its directly exposes the water to the lights cause a bacteria issue if all 3 were kept inside a tent?
The water level tube is blue and blocks the spectrum of light that causes algae so it wont grow it. Thanks for watching! Gary
Oh. Interesting. Thanks
This is a great video. Thank you for sharing.
Yea thanks Gary , another good quality video. Informative as usual and you have a shop but don’t try flog us shit we don’t need and teach us how to make stuff we do need. Probably not the best business model ever but it does make you a fracking good bloke. Respect to you dude
Will the roots clog up the lines?
How do you make large round holes in the lids?
We have a drill press with two very sharp cutting blades that handle the large holes.
How full do those get? How much total water are you using per res change in a two bucket system?
Hey, I usually start with about 12 gallons total in that version, 4 gallons per bucket, you need to make sure the water is up far enough to touch your starter cube or cutting, but later the water can drop down a lot and plants will be fine once roots are big. Have a good day! Gary
Could I fit 2 of these buckets in a 2.5x2.5 tent with the reservoir outside the tent would I shop vac all the water out with change overs
Yes for sure! would drill holes a bit different and you would need longer hosing, if you order kit put in notes to leave hose 1 long piece. ( I would throw in some extra hose for you) Thanks for watching! Gary
@@PAHydroponics thanks I'll go the home depot route but thanks for the videos these are the best how to videos I have ever seen on UA-cam great work
@@gallagher831 It's all good! Thanks for watching - got some really cool stuff about to come out so check back :) Gary
is the 13 gallon better for a 5x5?
Thx 4 the info. Good thing to know that *getting the strongest waterpump* is a bad idea (4 people like me who would have used an 1800L/hour in 2 bucket system) u didnt miss a thing, just wondering with a waterchange.. How do u get all water out? Or is ok to let 1 inch water in, or does the pump take 100% out
Hey there, there will be an inch left, I have dumped an extra 5 gallons in after it was drained and then sucked that out to help get it flushed, most of the time I just drain as much as I can and not worry about the 1 inch and have done fine. Yeah and believe me I wanted to run big pumps too but it just wont work with 1 inch lines. Thanks for watching! Gary
Would I have a issue running 3/4” line. I am doing a similar setup with 4gl square buckets. I am running a 200gpm pump but with a waterfall system into the buckets.
I have seen a lot of people build water fall systems but hardly non have a finished grow video because they get clogged and over flow, we will be doing one soon to address these issues. If your going to use 3/4 inch at least have 2 returns to the reservoir to help but I would guess 3/4 is not going to keep up with 200gph right away. I truly wish you the best on this and hope I'm wrong. Gary
So could i make the same system but with 5 buckets one of witch being the res and what size pump would u recommend for circulation? Thanks in advance.
Hello, yup we have done up to 10 but with10 the circulation didn't flow good enough, so 8 plus rez is max in my opinion , as for pump size about 75 gallons per hour is what we found works good , just enough to keep it stirred with 1 inch fittings, I have tried a 250 GPH pump and the water levels were way off, first bucket after pump was high water and last bucket was very low. Hope this helps, there are lot's of different ways to make this system. Gary
use the first bucket as a template. slide the next bucket inside. The holes will be slightly higher but would it matter?
Don't think that would work to well, as for holes not being level it would be fine if you have large space between buckets, only time I had a problem with holes not being level was when I used Uniseals and 2" pvc pipe. G
Hi from Australia! Just interested in how easy it is to clean this? Do you need to disassemble parts to make it easy to clean?
When your done the grow don't let it dry out before cleaning, I suck everything out with a wet vac or bottom feed submersible pump, then I use a rag to scub out the rest, then I rinse it out and suck out that water. The tubing is hard to get off and it may not seal right if you put it back on, tubing is hard to put on in the first place, I recommend putting the pieces of tubing on a bowl of hot water when you are building, it will help. So yeah it can be a pain to clean. Most multiple plant hydro system's are hard to clean so yeah.... Hope this help, and thanks for watching! Gary
Your videos are amazing. I’m super pumped to start one of these and will probably order everything from you. I want to do 8 plant buckets + reservoir. Would you recommend 2 separate systems or just one with 8 buckets and reservoir. I’m planning on doing 3 or 4 types of veggies so would splitting into 2 systems make sense based on nutrient requirements for the different veggies? Thanks again for putting these videos together.
Hello Lee, thanks for the complements! The 8 bucket system can have more leak issues due to the weight of the water but it can be done. I think 2 - 4 plant systems would be better for that reason and also nutrient requirements. I will be putting the 4 plant system on the website today so keep an eye out or check back tomorrow. Thanks for watching! Gary
Thank you, sir. Will do
na passagem da agua a tubulacao principal e de 1/2 polegada?
PA Hydroponics ... I just bought this system, but with only 2 buckets. What confuses me is that you stated you don’t want to have a stone in the reservoir bucket because you don’t want bubbles getting into circulating pump, but the kit is sold with 2 stones. One going each of the buckets. Could you please clarify ?
Thanks
hey there, the stirponics has 2 grow sites and 1 reservoir bucket . the stones go one in each grow site, you may have it confused with regular bubble buckets? The regular bubble buckets are just DWC and dont have a circulation pump, each plant is separate. Let me know. G
PA Hydroponics ... this is the DIY 1 Plant Stirponic RDWC System COMPLETE KIT ...(NOT DRILLED)...This system includes one 5 gallon bucket with 6" bucket basket and one 5 gallon reservoir bucket. The whole system is connected with 1" soft tubing, and recirculates with a submersible 75 gallon per hour water pump.
This system also includes our water level indicator kit that is in our video. ...I took this from the description on your site. I’ll probably just give you ANOTHER CALL later today. My apologies on the multiple calls. You’ve been more than accommodating and extremely helpful. Thanks G.
Im looking into building a similar setup can i put the buckets in a line with a hose going from front bucket to the back bucket instead of the triangle type formation you have the buckets in? my space is limited width wise but i have room length wise. And also do you sell kits to build this?
Hello, It should work putting them in a row, just don't use to big of a pump to circulate or they wont be even water levels. We sell all the parts in stock but no kits due to everyone wanting different bucket spacing and amount of buckets. We can put together your kit custom for you in about 5 or 10 minutes when you get here. Hope this helps! Gary
@@PAHydroponics too*
Is the pump inside the reservoir connected to the 3/4 tubing hole going into the first plant bucket?
The tubing slides into the bulkhead fitting.
So gotta ask I take it you have to fill the buckets to where the mesh pots are submerged for new clippings that don't have long root growth that hangs out of the mesh right?
Hello, yes you got it, At first fill them up so they are touching the roots, then after the roots are going big you can let the water level go down, the bubbles make the roots stay moist if you are away for a few days. Hope this help! Gary
Any suggestions for a dual/quad buckets with an external reservoir system?
Checkout hydrofarms GROW FLOW 2.0, I think your talking about a flood and drain system like this, I have had customers try to build these and use multiple timers in place of the systems "Brain " I don't trust timers enough to try to build one but this type of ebb and flo system is better because the root's aren't hanging in water all day so you don't have to worry about root rot in warm water or chillers. G LINK: www.hydrofarm.com/p/GFO7KT5
Would there be any advantages to slightly modifying this to a aero panic system if so I would love to see how to go about it as I’ve seen and heard that you get a far healthier Root zone is this something you could possibly do a video on I would buy all the components from you but I’m based in the UK and I don’t believe you ship here I would love to have a shop like yours on my doorstep don’t even have anything that comes close thanks guys and keep up the good work I didn’t so much from you keep it coming👍👍👍👍
Hi. Can you over aerate a dwc system..
Is there a Litre per hour min/max advised?
Ie.. if I split a 800l/ph airpump between the two 5 buckets.. would it be too much, likewise too little if I attached a 50l/ph airpump..
Thanks in advance
You can't over do it, the only thing that could be bad would be if the air caused root damage from over bubbling. G
@@PAHydroponics That's good. I have a piston powered air pump. Loud as.. but will work then. Thanks!
Gary,
I really like this. How would this work if I was running a 12 week grow schedule? Would I just drain and add the updated nutrient solution each week?
Thank you Gary!
Hey if i wanted to to the same set up but with 4 buckets what size pump would you recommend?
Hey Mikey, I still recommend the 75 gallon per hour, I have tried more gph and water levels don't stay even with 1" tubing, not enough water flow thru 1". Don't try to grow huge 6 foot plants in this system roots can clog things up as well. hope this helps! Gary
@@PAHydroponics damn! I already ordered a adjustable 200gph pump. You think it would work if I'm using a 18 gallon rectangular reservoir?
How much does a setup like this cost? I have been reading into Hydroponics and this seems liek the best setup for access to plant care
Sorry revised price :) ( That was the hi-flow price from other video) This I just added up it's 92.76 plus tax at our stores, including a 10L bag of clay rocks. Hope this is a better price LOL. Gary
Definitely. Im in canada. What would it be to ship?
Oh no :( You should find your local indoor garden store and show them the video! They should easily be able to get the part's, we don't ship out of the continental US unfortunately .
Can't believe that 34 jerks gave a thumbs down! Thanks for teaching us how to make this easy to make hydro unit.
1st off, THANKS Gary for taking tome to help us all out. Next, I wanted to do a 3 each 5 gallon ... like you did here..... I have most everything in stock.... but I can't find the ECO66plus. 35 gph pump.... I believe that's what you called it. Do you have a Part number? Or did u use a 53 gallon and rail it back? Please let me know. Again thanks
Hello, the pump is a 75 gallon per hour Ecoplus Eco66 part #728490, I'm sure there are other brands to use just remember going over 75 GPH might have uneven water levels in buckets because flow wont keep up with 1 inch tubing. Hope this helps! Gary
can you doit out doors around a koi pond usings it for the plants, how do you set thats up out door on varying ground levels
hi can you please give me a list of parts name and sizes that u use for this system thank you great video
Hey, 1" drains for 1" tubing, 5 gallon buckets with 6" bucket baskets from Hydrofarm, 75 Gallon per hour circulation pump, you should use a 4 output airpump and medium round airstones, there are many tips and tricks in this video series. G
thank you very much great videos
Id kill to have the access to supplies like you do. Just everything I need is just a arms reach away.
Hope you can find part's ! They are out there... G
sorry one more thing i need to know is what drill hole size you use for the 1inch drains???
1 and 1/4 inch. Make sure the holes are cleaned up very smooth to prevent leaks. Have a good day! Gary
@@PAHydroponics what is the name of the tool to clean the hole
Hey, it's a deburring tool www.homedepot.com/p/Rapid-Deburrer-Tool-21660/203553868 . Gary
Do you have a supply list for this exact system but 4 buckets?
How much water do you start with for the 2 bucket setup?
For seedlings in rockwool, the water should be just at the bottom of the net pot, as the plant grows, reduce water level to about one inch below net pot