I am trying to find out the optimal size for a DWC bucket. I am using 2 gallon buckets right now and I just think the plants don’t get big enough. I know that the roots like a lot of space but the plants only get so big and the roots don’t fill the whole bucket. The weed is real good but size does matter. I am only getting about 1 oz per plant. I use 2 gallon buckets in a 3x4 closet. I use a ProGrow 400x led light and Advanced nutrients PH perfect along with the hobbyist bundle.
How many plants/2 gallon buckets in your 3x4 area? I assume it is in square feet, but we get a lot of people that do speak english but are from Australia or England/Europe that use the metric system, so I just want to be sure.
~MacG
I use 5 gallon buckets for DWC.
Hi Mac,
I use 4 buckets and one plant per bucket. The closet is 12 sq. feet. I just wasn’t sure if the smaller bucket makes that big a difference? I understand there are a number of variables and # 1 might be the LED light even thou its rated as a good one. I also got a new air pump and air stones to try and get more bubbles. I might have to try a HPS light this winter and use the led in summer. The only reason I use the smaller buckets is to conserve on the nutrients but if you think larger buckets is better I will switch. Latewood said he uses 5 gallon. I thank you both for your advice in the past and you guys have me growing killer weed, I just want to harvest more. Thanks Smitty
I use 5 gal buckets. when I get them done their useally 3/4 full roots .iwas using A/N grow ,micro,bloom .plain stuff, but recently switched to A/N conisuer.
Try using 5 gallon buckets, that’s what I use
Thank you. I got 5 gallon buckets and refined a few mother things and it
has seemed to help
wish i could get 8 gallon buckets my self 
Hammer
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There should be a set of buckets that can all use the same lid.
Start at 3 gallon, then a 5 gal, then an 8 gallon…small to start, as the plant grows, give the roots the room they need…
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Make sure you do not use buckets that had anything other than food of some sort, or was new and never had anything toxic in the bucket, previously.
No need to use anything bigger than 5 gallon. 
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Thank you all my buckets are all brand new.
Sometimes we forget to clarify this important info. Happy growing
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@kabongster yes the reason a person mite want 8 gallon buckets, is to keep some space between the bottom of the bucket and the roots ,so as to allow the air bubbles to flow around roots …mine usually fill a Standard bucket FULL or root mass . and this tends to block the air to only a few spots just above the air stones more volume of space would go a long ways to getting the oxygen around all roots … Hammer …
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The roots grew for me, for my first DWC effort filled with mistakes and disease…I thought, like you, if the roots had grown any larger, they would benefit from more space and better airflow.
5 gallon is what people use, and honestly, after all the waiting and patience needed to grow, 5 gallon will work for me to grow enough ounces of medicine.
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I think that one of the Biggest challenges in DWC is maintaining water temp at ideal temps, for a reasonable cost and low maintenance…Hammer
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My water temps were low. I learned how to raise them near harvest.
The tent was in my cellar with one wall against the foundation, dry and cool in the winter (when I grow indoors).
I kept my air pump outside the tent, it was always pushing 62F air into the reservoir.
The water temps were 65F (or lower). Air temps were usually mid 70’s.
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My bad . thought you were having disease on the roots , which is usally related to warm water in dwc , . and i still say the water temps is what gives most root probs in DWC…Hammer
I did have disease, dunno what started it, something I did, something I put in there…in the center of the root mass it was dark and liquid…something that had started early and I never got rid of, just kept it “under control”.
I used tried hydrogen peroxide, then Great White (thought beneficial bacteria would help), back to H2O2, and finally harvested. Just guessing, but the cool water might have helped?
One plant wasn’t doing well…leaves were dying quickly so I harvested, early mostly cloudy.
The second was harvested a few weeks later, it was time…
Here’s a photo from my journal…that dark spot never went away, stayed in the center…
that’s root rot !! uugg sorry dude …now the REASON i said what i did on bucket size is this reason …Got to get the bubbles aroand all the roots . or this happens … my water temp is my trickiest part .or this happens Or my bubble stone’s get trapped into a part of the root mass so it does not aerate … the water all around the roots well … as the roots float pretty well . having an extra 5-8" below them would help …normaly about half way thru a grow i open lids and carfully remove the T fitting from the stone ,pull the air hose out of my roots then hook back up and place Back under the root mass…it really makes a diff when your working with DWC. my estimate is 3 Gallons of mass In Roots …LOL too bad we cant smoke em . Hammer
Actually @hammer, I read an article saying that the roots contain more CBD than the plant itself. Not sure if it’s true, so don’t hold me to it, but I thought it was really interesting. I’ll try to find the link.
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