Busy, busy, busy!
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The supplies I ordered arrived yesterday…that was SUPER QUICK!
I got the reservoir and controller set up - pumps and lines in and out.
Next…this TALL stack of buckets needed cleaned, inside and out - inner and outer buckets.
I had to separate them first. That required a few tools, a J-Bar and shop made fork used for prying. Then a sweep inside and out…
then…Splish Splash a C.A.P. Ebb&Gro System is takin’ a Bath! 
Not quite 1/2 done, but my back needed a break.
I’ve never taken a bath here (that was my Niece’s and her children’s primary method of body hygiene - although I don’t know why! 
) but now the Ebb&Gro system has!
IF it ever comes up in a Trivia game; how many 2 gallon C.A.P. Ebb&Gro buckets can you fit in a bathtub?
The answer is 10! You can thank me later!
1/2 done with inner buckets - Ouchies!
My ‘Drying Rack’ 
Then, since I started this, I was wondering how I was going to rinse this many Geolite Clay Pebbles
In their home, obviously! 
I know I have a 5 gallon bucket with holes in the bottom for this purpose but it’s not here at the schoolhouse…must be in storage still…
While composing a post I heard that bag of Geolite pebbles fall off its perch!
That was a job!
I got the clay pebbles rinsed BUT I started on the bucket that got the last of the bag…
This stuff is DIRTY! That bit went in the trash can.
I almost stopped. My back was telling me to stop! But, I got a too small bucket to sit on and marched on…
All of it went through my colander. It didn’t go in a bucket drain until it ran clear in the colander.
I ‘think’ I’m done for now (subject to change , I really want to do a system test) - I ‘may’ be IR later today. That really hurt!
Good morning!
Make it a great day!
,
WHAB
7 Likes
I wasn’t ‘done’, of course! 
I filled the reservoir enough to test these 14 2 gallon buckets using the “Fill” pump that was residing in and is residing in again.
By manually manipulating the timer on the C.A.P. EBB1 Ebb&Gro controller I told it to fill. It kept filling, even intermittently at times (as designed), until they were full - one more than full than I expected…
I had the bucket test strung out in the only two walkways that are here 
First fill of the Ebb&Gro controller in more than a decade!
Then going out to the buckets.
Thrilled to see it working again!
IF I’m not IR later on I’ll have it up in the loft…
I just tried to get into the refrigerator…a challenge!
really done this time
Make it a great day!
,
WHAB
4 Likes
The girls are still struggling. They’re alive, but struggling. The pH was high, I used pH Down and it went down…too much. I added some Supernatural Green Stay (only because I saw it in the box and figured it couldn’t hurt 
) and a small amount of Veg nutrients, also Supernatural. They are perking up…
BUT, not two ways around it - I screwed up!
The two I thought were going to die did…on one I accidentally broke the one live root that was on it (still not sure how I did that, it was going to die anyway, but still). There is another one that just refuses to sprout any roots.
When I bought the Clonex I thought I was buying the Gel. What I have is not the Gel. I didn’t realize it wasn’t the Gel until about the third time I used it :facepalm: I didn’t know they made a Solution…I assumed what I was buying was the gel.
The Cloner is hanging right at a pH of 6.5 and has for about a day. I moved it and the T5s today to put the Ebb&Gro buckets on the side of the loft nearest the water supply and drain. I did the Egyptian version, moving ‘extra’ buckets ahead of my path and repeated as it cleared those buckets 
In moving it I took the top off - just to see what was going on - I saw that two of the 90 degree and one 360 degree nozzle weren’t working (that’s what all the moisture you see on the floor of the loft is). I replaced them. I’m going to build another manifold for sure. The corners aren’t getting enough spraying action and to add two more rows of 360 degree nozzles. The nozzles on that manifold are sparse, probably because I couldn’t afford more…
And, now I’ve spent several hours trying to figure out the ‘best’ way to empty the Ebb&Gro buckets. I don’t know how anyone accomplishes it! What a right PIA! I used offcuts of wood to prop up the opposite side to the port.
That only helped a little bit.
I wound up using a battery powered transfer pump I bought for my SIL (that’s she’s not used once , but to be fair, I bought it late in the season and maybe she really hasn’t had a need to use it).
Then I began pouring the farthest bucket into the next bucket then while holding the empty buckets as I went along until I got to the controller then used the transfer pump again to get the last little bit. That hose and the hose when I emptied the 55 gallon drum got away from me a couple of times!
I realized at that point that I don’t own a mop
The transfer pump came in handy today. I’m going to devise some method of improving that activity. I’m thinking about putting another barb fitting lower in the last bucket and use my external pump to do the job. Unless I can come up with some other way OR any of you all have a better idea (I’d love to hear it!), that’s what I’m going to be puzzling over before I have to empty them again.
I’ve been wondering if something like this would help - a spring loaded lift. IF I put the buckets at an angle on a sort of shelf with the fill/empty ports on the low side then place them on something like this (with the controller on the same level until an emptying activity), it might work 
. It could raise things up just under 6.5 inches (165mm).
They’d only help in a straight line grow. I am thinking I’m going to try to put the buckets in a circle, not a straight line. Not sure what I’ll end up with - man, it’s been a long time!
In the test run some of the fittings did leak. But they are the old grommets still. I expected them to leak - just a few did. The grommet or fitting/hose on the top of the controller leaked though.
I’m going to change them all out. I have enough grommets and barbed T’s, and Elbows, but somehow forgot Straights. I have some here, not sure how many I’ll need at this point.
I jettisoned boxes of cloths from the loft. Gonna need the space and there was no getting around it. I thought I could put them on the edges and work within that space. That’s just wasn’t going to get it done. There is a small shed with a dirt floor associated with the schoolhouse I can put them in but I need to build shelves out there for them. I actually have a good bit of treated lumber (my niece left them for me ) that I haven’t used anywhere else because it is treated…this is a project for them!
But, I took a break from that madness to rearrange a couple of things again and to put a board through the Jointer then the Thicknesser for the first time. It’s a piece I cut away from using in the T5 frame. It was badly bowed, badly dog-legged and had two big knots in it. It was still a joy to push them across the machines for the first time!
It came out parallel to within about .001 inch (0.0254mm)…
Gonna try and get the grommets changed out and call it a day…it’s been a long one!
Good morning.
Make it a great day!
,
WHAB
4 Likes
Got the grommets all changed out, on the buckets and the controller.
I noticed the other day that I have a mix of buckets types (seen above segregated). I don’t remember why that is. While I’ll need to light block them all, the odd ones are more transparent than the others. I’m sure I bought the system used…maybe the previous owner added the odd buckets. They nest differently. That’s when I noticed the difference, when I was trying to separate them to clean them…some are stuck together pretty good! I still have one of the buckets on the left, the less transparent, more opaque bucket…it’s stuck, I haven’t worked to separate it…I may have to in the future, but I have 14 buckets right now with that mix above…I’m going to try to pair them up with their like inner paired buckets.
I have the reservoir where it will tentatively reside. I’ll have to come up with some sort of bulkhead fitting to pass the Fill and Drain lines through the floor once a wall is up on that East side. I’ll have to dig into that at some point but for now this will work. I will trim the hoses to a better fit once everything is in its place.
The controller on the loft…
Then I was working with bucket arrangement. I really want to do a circular arrangement because I really want to run the light vertically ala Prawn Connery. 2 6 bucket circles with 2 1000W lights would work better, I’m sure…but, I have what I have right now. I measured across the circle as it sits in the picture and while they’re not precisely arranged, I measured 36 inches (914mm) in between the inner edge of the buckets. That’s a lot less than what I thought it would measure just looking at them.
Oh, I knew before yesterday that there is no electrical outlet on that North wall under the loft but I was reminded of it last night when I gathered the cords I’ll need to plug in for the controller and the pump in the reservoir…it hit home . There is an underused outlet above the washer about 4 feet (1219.2mm) away that I can use with a extension cord. I will upgrade the electrical down there at some point. I was going to install a light down there. Now I’m leaning towards not. I have a clamp on light with a green bulb, visible in many pictures (including these pictures), already in that space.
I already have the 1000W ballast up there on the loft and I have what I know to be a vertical socket up there. I word it that way because I know I have another large socket and cord set but I don’t remember what it went to, what it was paired with. I know the one is a vertical outlet because of the hanging hooks on it, which I know I have the socket side of that hanging hardware here.
I’ve been doing all of this on very limited funds and allocating those funds as best I can where I can and when I can. It’s been a tightrope.
I have a propane bill I’m anxious to even open the envelope 
. The propane delivery driver knocked on the door the other day and told me that I had 45% of the 500 gallon tank. He didn’t say he had added any. I assumed by the conversation that he checked the % and he thought I didn’t need any and he didn’t add any.
I received a envelope from them yesterday . He did say propane costs are up right now and again, from the conversation, I thought he had just checked it and was letting me know there was 45% and I should keep on eye on it and he told me that if it got to 20% to give them a call and they’ll come out and put more in…he did say that since the cold season is almost over and maybe I wouldn’t need much more to get through the last cold days. But Winter is not done with us here. My last bill was $400+ (although I’m not sure how long a period of time that covered). I’m on a arranged ‘route’. They check it when they are in the neighborhood and fill when needed, it’s not a ‘monthly’ thing, it’s a usage thing.
The money thing is why I haven’t changed out the white 2 gallon buckets with either black 3-1/2 gallon or 5 gallon buckets (I think 3-1/2 gallon buckets would work great here - but BIGGER is better! ). It’s in my plan for the future. I just can’t swing it right now and likely won’t be able to do that for this grow for sure and maybe the next one. I have it on my list of things to do. I want the black buckets for their opacity but more importantly I want to make them bottom fill and drain buckets (and gutting this 2 gallon controller parts to swap them to the larger buckets as a controller for them. I do like how this controller is set up. nice float valves). I know these buckets not emptying out completely can cause problems. I am aware of those problems. I will protect these buckets from light (on their tops and around their sides). I have six or so bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide I bought for my last grow and never used. IF used preemptively I’m pretty sure I can control things. That’s why I bought the black hose. But, I did the math last night and if connecting the buckets in a 3 foot circle I’ll need 18 feet. IF connecting them in a 4 foot circle I’ll need 25 feet (both the inside and the outside diameters of the buckets in a circular arrangements). I only bought 20 feet. It’s all I could afford without pushing into my safe zone, regards funds on hand. That’s why I’m still running the Fill and Drain hoses in the blue hoses, I knew I didn’t have enough black hose to do the buckets and the Fill and Drain lines. Nutrient won’t be spending much time in those hoses and will be less susceptible to allow for algae growth, just up and down, back and forth.
Although I’m pushing my $ safe zone, I’m going to order another 20 feet of the black hose and another 40L of Geolite clay pebbles.
Any ideas on augmenting bucket medium that can be used with clay pebbles would be very helpful if anyone knows what will work in this system
Now on to the next hurdle! (my legs are getting tired on this course!!! ).
,
WHAB
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I have mine set up, that I call when my 500gal gets to 20%. I get to do a pre buy every spring, Paying for the propane at that price. I get 1000gal every spring.
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Hi @G-paS 
.
Yes, that option was offered to me. However, I thought I was moving to Texas. In fact, I did move to Texas. Then I moved back. 
.
,
WHAB
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I’ve been at it nearly non-stop since my last post. I couldn’t wait for the stars to align perfectly. I had to nudge the stars in my direction - not without some difficulty.
One thing, I remembered having Panda Film. I didn’t, it’s P+S (Poly Shield) . And, just as my pH Truncheon isn’t being made or supported, I don’t find Poly Shield anywhere any longer
I can’t wait to construct any of the spaces right now. Likely do it in between grow stages. And, I’m not entirely sure I’ll have the funds this month to get it done. I am still going ahead with putting the headers in to support the trusses. I can fill in the rest as I can.
I slung this P+S up by myself and in a hurry. There are only a few straight lines in it! . Now, except for a door (entrance) of some sort, it’s done well enough to throw some plants in it. It WILL have to be redone in the future.
I bought some 3/4" plywood for the attic support plates. I put in on the floor of the loft not the attic.
First I had to get that 12 foot long and nearly 100 year old floor joist down off the loft - by myself.
I got it done without damaging a single thing! I am going to do something neat with it. Maybe a frame for the painting of the schoolhouse. Keep them together forever
Then knowing I wouldn’t be able to access the attic from where I had been accessing it from but I still will need access to it I cut the luan down and installed the piece of it that will now be closed off to me at least for a while.
And left open a section I will access the attic from until I can get the attic ladder installed. I’m also going to run the exhaust hose from the A/C unit up into that opening (again, temporarily).
I filled the reservoir 2 days ago knowing it is best to let it settle in, then make changes as required. I had it nailed at a pH of 5.7 two days ago.
Then, I was going to put the Poly Shield on the floor, that’s why I struggled to get the 1/2 sheets of plywood up there. That’s why I took the picture of the step in the joint where the 2 pieces meet in the middle. I knew that IF I put a plastic sheet down and that plywood rubs against it as I step on and off that joint, I screwed it down. Just at that joint to bring it fair.
Then, I got the buckets arranged and plumbed. BUT, as I was finishing it I got to thinking, this isn’t going to work very well. I only ran one fill/drain line. I thought it would simply things. I was wrong. I ran it last night. I was going to transplant the clones into the space last night. I made a mistake. Not only is one fill/drain line wrong, it took FOREVER to fill or drain.
Maintaining a pH of 5.7.
Fired up the light and watched it get really hot!
I completely redid all of that work. Now I have 6 fill/drain lines. I didn’t have enough black hose to do that all. I have more due in tomorrow. I’ll rerun those lines again. I have more Geolite Clay Pebbles due in tomorrow, too.
I fired up the light last night in preparation of transplanting last night. It quickly got very hot in there. I knew this entire time that I would have to address the heat problem. It got to 87°F (30.8°C).
So after reworking all of the plumbing, I ran another test. It was still VERY, VERY slow. I think it took about 25 minutes to not fill all the way up. At that point I knew that wasn’t going to get the job done. So I knew I had an external transfer pump and I quickly put that in line. I ran another test. But, before I could get up to the loft to witness it rapid filling of the system, I looked over the edge and saw the nutrients spraying all over the place with great force! One small hose clamp! Which I did put on after the flood! Gonna have to top of the reservoir now!
That was clean laundry on the dryer. Sprayed everything!
After I remedy the flooding situation I ran it again. It filled the buckets in 5 minutes, but it took another 5 minutes for it to equalize in all 12 buckets. A much better fill time.
The transfer pump is noisy, but it got the job done very quickly. Who has a 1/2 hour to fill buckets? That’s 
!
Then I knew what I had to do and that was get the Soleus LX140 14,000btu Heat Pump up there. Man, that was a job. Again, by myself.
As soon as I got it set up in there it dropped the temps 5° in 10 or so minutes. It was at 69.4°F went I got down off the loft.
Now, the only thing I need to do is re-center the light fixture - middle has moved. I was able to get a little more room to spread out with this plumbing arrangement. And, make the transplant - IF nothing else goes wrong.
I had the pH level nailed at 5.7 for the last 2 days. After the flood and loss of nutrients, I’m not sure what it is at now. I’m not sure how much of the reservoir I lost.
I still have to duct the A/C exhaust out the ceiling, temporarily. It will go out the gable end when I get to that point.
And, I still have to create a light proofed access point (not really sure how I’ll accomplish that at this moment, but I’m going to leave the clones on a 24 hour cycle for a few more days and that will give me some time to solve that problem).
After I get done with this post I’m going to go move the clones, turn the light back on and watch the temps. I think with the A/C in there it should make the temps manageable.
Oh, my back IS FUCKING KILLING ME. And, it has for the past few days. I thought about taking a rest break. I couldn’t. I can’t. Also, as a side note - I’ve had a very bad toothache for the past 2 days. I was tempted to yank out myself and still may do that but, I’m hoping it settles down at least for a little while.
My back needs a break! BUT, no rest for the wicked!
,
WHAB
7 Likes
My back hurts just reading your posts WHAB! Cant wait to see your system up and running though. 
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I transplanted the 6 with the most developed roots…that’s all the Geolite clay pebbles I had enough of to fill the buckets.
Trivia question: How many 2 gallon buckets can one 45L bag of Geolite Clay Pebbles fill?
6 is the answer!
There were 4 with excellent roots…this is the first one I transplanted.
There are 4 other that ‘may’ get transplanted IF their roots become more developed. There is one that is just refusing to root. It’s got nubs like roots are trying to break through but they are just refusing.
There is one I am sure is dead BUT it has viable roots still. I’m going to keep giving a try if it is going to keep giving itself a try. I don’t think it’s going to make it, though.
One of the ones I did transplant, a Tangerine Dream x Cindy 99, had the least developed root system of the clones I did transplant BUT after I removed it from the puck I ripped out roots that were WITHIN the puck. I never saw them. It’s the one nearest the camera. Damn! After all this, and it was trying, and I ‘may’ have killed it today! 
I also didn’t put all the clay pebbles back in that bucket. I buried it a little deeper than the others or that I would have liked to have buried that one but the roots I ripped out were near to top of the clone. I just never saw them. I know this is the time when clones are their most vulnerable and special care must be taken with their root system. I held all the clones in one hand in one steady place in the buckets as I hand filled the clay pebbles around the roots so as not to damage them in the transplanting process. I hope she lives!
As I was pulling the clones out of the cloning machine I kept noticing that many of the opening didn’t have any spray spraying. I’m not sure what the hell is happening under there but I’m going to find out. As, as I said before, I’ll be building a new, better manifold.
It’s a wonder any of the clones survived.
This is when I finished.
I plugged the light in…
I ran down (figuratively, not literally! ) and gave the girls their first actual meal!
Then I sat and watched them as the buckets filled. I also watched the temps. This is what the temperature was when I walked away…
6 minutes to initially fill - really, does ANYONE wait for 30 minutes for their buckets to fill? - and it equalized in another 4 minutes. That’s 10 minutes for the whole process. When I mentioned reaching the 25 minute point and going and changing the pumps out, I failed to mention that in those 25 minutes before I changed the pump out, the buckets weren’t full. They were a little over 1/2 full.
I want the girls to not have to wait for the food - 30+ minutes! That’s . And, that’s no slouch of a pump either. It’s a ProPump 275.
But, another benefit of changing that pump out is that the ProPump is submersible. This Dayton 1P579F (which it looks like they’re not making that any longer! ) is external and won’t be heating up the reservoir.
I had planned to make that change anyway because of that reason once I got they system running.
Now, go get’m girls!
And, now… I have to lay down! I could rest for a damn week!
Good morning everyone!
Make it a great day!
,
WHAB
4 Likes
I wish I lived near you. I would have helped just to learn. I don’t usually follow hydro. Yours in the 1924 Brick School House is so interesting.
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My hours would kill a normal person!
And, thank you, @G-paS …I appreciate the sentiment and the appreciation, sincerely! 
,
WHAB
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This is going be a awesome setup once have just how you want it I have no doubt about it! Looking good.
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Thank you, @Gonepostal
I know the system can do it. I know the plants can do it.
I am the only unknown in this equation!
Feets don’t fail me now!
,
WHAB
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What I’ve seen so far itll be done right with a bit of class to it!
Thank you for the kind words.
Just a forewarning! I’m am having to hokey a few things up right now but when it is done it will be done right. I have the plastic 5 inch exhaust hose off the A/C ran inside a 6 inch flexible aluminum ducting and into the attic (temporarily). That’s for the A/C. I’m contemplating cutting a hole in the ceiling panel to pull the hot air from the light out of the space. It’s getting a little warm…I knew in advance I’d have to do something…just haven’t decided on that thing .
But, I have it on 24 hours still, it’s bound to get hot in there. I’m switching to 18/6 around 6pm today and run it through the coolest hours of the night and to noon the next day.
I do have a few things on the way that will be great improvements!
Thanks again, though, @Gonepostal
,
WHAB
Not much going on today (yesterday now). I’m stinkin’ exhausted! (par usual)
I hokey’d the A/C exhaust duct. I ran the factory plastic 5 inch duct in a aluminum 6 inch exhaust ducting hose and up into the attic.
I’ll do something more permanent as I can. I’m not concerned about hot air meeting cool air up there. With virtually ALL of the fascia board long time gone, it gets a good fresh air exchange in there . I would not be surprised if some woodland creature isn’t using it as a sauna as I sit here! . It will go out the gable end…or, maybe I’ll go round-to-square and run it out with the open rafter tails (I just saw a round-to-rectangle duct - thinking about it right now, I ‘think’ it will fit perfectly ).
I’ll hang what I have from the ceiling and into the attic with bungee cords. I just found some. I knew I had some hanging around and it literally just hit me when I started this post! I’ve been thinking about where they might be for days!
The Geolite Clay Pebbles I need came in, along with the additional black tubing, and some LR44 batteries for my Intermatic DT620CH. I’ve been holding off switching the girls to 18/6 until I could get that up and running with the battery backup.
I’ll change the tubing out in lights out. I have a clamp on light with a green bulb just waiting to be put to work!
The Temps are looking AWESOME! That’s without exhaust the heat created by the light up and out the attic.
I have a nice 6 inch inline fan and a nice wall mounted oscillating fan, but I have not run across either one. I’m very sure I saw the wall mounted fan in a box when I moved that stuff to the 1924 Schoolhouse. It ‘may’ be in the shed. I thought for sure I’d run across the inline fan, but nope! 
I’m going to drill holes in this 5 gallon bucket when I get done here to prepare it to rinse the clay pebbles outside this time. Daytime temps should for allow that AND avoid the mess and back-breaking work in the bathtub.
The girls are looking GREAT! Whew! Even the one I thought I killed is perking up!
Oh,…I just bought these…(the modern iteration of what I remember and used - looks like it ‘might’ even be made better than its forerunner)
And these…
Those are in preparation for these (@Purple-N-Hairy ) …
I have them in my “Cart” but am having a hard time pulling the trigger. They only have 25lb quantities right now $118+ w/shipping 
I’m going to have to find a way to buy them now that I have their homes on the way!
I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but…that’s all for now!
Oh, I almost forgot! And it was literally shocking! I really am exhausted. I had a extremely brief closed-eye session in my chair (I can’t “sleep” sitting up) and that transfer pump started and I literally jumped out of my chair and ran (literally this time, I had to save what ever it was that was going wrong! ) to see what in the wholly hell had happened! : Gonna have to build a sound-proofed box to put over it!
Good morning!
Make it a great day!
,
WHAB
3 Likes
Hey @WhiteHotAfterburner, don’t forget to buy Greenleaf Nutrient’s “Bud Explosion”. It’s also out of stock in the smaller quantities on their website, but as I mentioned in my thread, they have A & B and the B.E. on Amazon right now.
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Hello @Purple-N-Hairy . No, I guess I had not read down that far, yet
They’re in my Cart - all 3 (in the smaller quantities).
Thanks, man!
,
WHAB
1 Like