Thanks cmd420.
The Claw,
WELCOME TO THE FORUM, I haven't seen your name before but there are a lot of old timers that I don't recognize.
There are nearly as many different types of bucket hydro systems as there are hydro systems so you need to decide what type of system you want to build, ebb -flo, flood-drain, DWC, drip feed with a remote reservoir, or the WaterFarm system like I use that is really a hybrid of a drip with self-container reservoir and a DWC system.
If you really want to get wild, you can even make a bubbler (where air bubbles cause the solution to get to the roots; or even a sprinkler or aeroponic system.
After you decide which kind you want to build, then you have to decide what kind of grow medium you want to use because that may change somewhat either the way you build it or how you use it.
While you're thinking about it, browse the DIY section and the Grow Room section because there are a whole lot of different ideas about how to do it. Remember,the fancier and more complicated you go, the more your risk pf system failure goes up.
An example of the different approaches to the same system, most of the WaterFarm growers here on the forum use them just as they come if you buy them -- with one air pump powering all of your drip rings and no additional aeration of the solution and square buckets. To me that imposes too high a risk of crop loss if your air pump fails. So I am adding the air stones used in DWC systems fed by a separate air pump so once the roots get long enough that they either reach the solution in the bucket reservoir or at least get close enough that the bubble will splash solution onto the roots, it will take a failure of two pumps at the same time to cause the plants to loose roots because of a lack of oxygen and water. Also, because I have several round buckets available I used one of them.
Either one of the DWC or the WaterFarm systems is the simplest since they both only require a light tight bucket with some kind of lid/pot assemble and one air line run to the bucket. In the case of the DWC the air tube runs through either the side of the bucket near the top or through the lid. For the WaterFarm, the air tube connects to the drip ring assemble that goes through the lid/pot.
Once you make up your mind, give me more information and I'll try to refer you or answer it myself.
Also, you need to decide how much money and/or labor you want to invest. Regardless of the type of system they have, I have never heard anyone say that it is too hard to build yourself rather than buying it, but I constantly hear people wishing the had built it, or had some one help them custom build it.
If you browse the DIY section you will get all kinds of ideas and feed back, both on what worked and what we had to fix. For example, I haven't even powered up my first hybrid system but I all ready have changes in mind for the next one, but those changes are just variato0ns on the same design. My DIY one uses round 5 gallon buckets but I remembered and inexpensive source of square buckets which have some inherent advantages over the round ones. that is the round ones you either have to buy or to carefully clean and dispose of their original contents but if you have cats, buy the litter in the plastic buckets, simply dump out the clean litter, rinse the bucket and lid and you are ready to rock and roll -- also the flat sides are easier to drill holes through and can be placed closer together. On the other hand the round utility buckets are more durable. If you decide to use the round buckets, I would recommend that you just spend the $3 or $4 to buy them new and clean and us net pot lids. If you don't wnt to worry about making the round ones light tight, then just get the balckones at a hydro or garden store instead of at the Home Depot or Lowes.
Anyway, give it some thought, check the DIY section and let me know if I can help.
Happy Thanksgiving and good smoking.
