Hello, I hope someone will have a good sugestion for this problem.
I have 2 five gallon bubbler buckets that are about 23-28 days in veg with 4 bagseed and one white satin (3 in one bucket 2 in another), I will need to leave them alone for 8 days in 5 weeks, all plants are on there fourth set of leaves right now. I am looking for any suggestions on how to leave these for 8 days without having to involve anybody else in checking on them. Any suggestions would be great.

Details,
1 5 gallon bubbler bucket 3 plants
1 5 gallon bubbler bucket 2 plants
(this may change as I will possibly be moving these into individual buckets when I sex them)
4, 200 watt cfls (this will be changed shortly to a 400 hps)

also I will, before the 5 weeks gets here be switching to flower

the one thought I have had is to somehow connect all buckets together with a larger resivior so that as they empty they are refilled
Thanks in advance, this is my first hydro grow
sorry no pics (no camera)

.... any suggestions besides letting someone else know about my hobby?
am I leaving any info out?
Thanks!

8 days is long time.

it should be possible to set up something but it's going to be real tuff.

Maybe, you could set up a Rez with a water pump on a timer. Work out how much water they are drinking and how long you ned to leave the pump on to replace the water.

It won't be great but might get you threw this tuff time.

IF you decide to do this you should set it up now and start practising with it, so that by the time comes that you have to leave them allown you will know how to use the system.

Good luck.

youve got 5 weeks you say . you can order a res off the internet or try to find some plans to build one . i dont know any sights (sorry) but if you search youll find the plans or a site that sells them

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thanks for the help, I am starting to think I might be screwed on this one, or have to show somebody my secret and teach them what to do in my absence.

Ok,
I think I have decided what to do, I would like feedback on this please.

I will continue to veg until I leave (under the 400 mh now)
I am hoping by that point some plants will show signs of sex
( I run 24 on right now, but will switch to 18/6 or 20/4 to slow growth...?)
I know when I did soil I had plants show sex in late veg...
I have 5 going and could possibly thin down to 1-3 females, which will be put into their own 5 gallon buckets before I leave. (my thought here is I can probably fit 6 buckets in my space, so that if I thin down to hopefully 3 max I can connect each individual bucket to another 5 gallon bucket via the drain spigot so essentially it will be a 10 gallon res per plant)

Also I will switch my lighting back to compact floros the day or two before I leave, for 2 reasons one so I don't have to worry about fire as much and also hopefully growth will slow

Right now I have been keeping the buckets full with GH Grow at about 1100 tds @ .7 ( i don't know if that is the right unit)

I wonder if I should let the tds fall before I leave so that as water is used the solution won't get to strong?

The point behind this is not that everything is perfect when I get back, what I am looking for is plants that are salvagable when I get back so I don't have to start from square one.

Thanks again everyone for the help.

I would flush the buckets and re-fill with RO and 25% nute load.

Reduce the light as much as possible,
either raise the 400w,
or turn on some floros.

Pray every day.

.

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It is not difficult or expensive to drill your buckets, and install automatic overflow hose leading back to, say a 30 gal tub res. Simply determine your max solution level in each 5 gal bucket, and if you like, the overflow hoses can be connected together returning to your res.
Then get a small waterpump/pond pump of 180 gph leading from your res to each 5 gal bucket using "Y" or "T" fitting. The pump can be put on a timer to allow for an exchange of solution as much or as little as you like. Of course, have your buckets elevated above your res to allow the overflow to work with gravity. It's pretty easy to tell how long and often you want your pump active by observing the solution exchange.

Your 5 gal buckets will not go dry, as long as there is ample solution in your res. (a rubbermade tub is perfect) Just before leaving, change your solution in each bucket, and put fresh solution in your res. Use about 50% solution, as the ppm will change as solution is used.

This is my fulltime bubbler setup, and works perfect for me once setup is complete. Hope this helps...Brussels

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Ya gotta love T5's

YE, that sounds good. I like it.

How do you deal with PH in a system like that?

Do you just check the rez or do you have to do each bucket?

Right now I do each bucket using the lucas formula (kind of )
very simple, so far...

ph keeps well adjusted by adding nutes and "occasionally" very small amounts of ph down 1cc