4’x4’x7’H room with white painted walls. 600 watt Virtual Sun HPS & MH dimmable digital dual ballast with air cooled hood & reflector. Earthworks 6” fan and carbon filter, SE stepped speed fan controller vented to outside through rigid 6” pipe. Routed through light with 6” flex to allow height changes. Digital temp and humidity monitors.
Ready to build a Dutch Bucket Top Water System. Expanded clay media?
How many 3.5 Gallon buckets can this system support efficiently? I have seen 4 to 6 - 3.5 or 5 gallon bucket set ups in such a system. I have also seen 16-2 gallon buckets in the same system.
I plan on 6 - 3.5 gallon buckets with clay media. 30 gallon Reservoir tank with aerator and 200 GPH pump.
Would this system be better watered with a high rate flush 3 or more times a day or a 24/7 drip system? Again, I have seen both.
On bucket systems with bulkhead type recirculation drains drilled 2” from bottom of bucket, a 2” standing water reservoir is left in the bucket. Is this ok? The other option is to make a water tight drain table and drill drain holes in the bottom of elevated buckets to allow complete draining to table with run off back to reservoir and leave no standing water in the bottom of the bucket. This situation exposes the nutrients to light while pooling and running back to the reservoir (chances of algae). What are your thoughts?
