Roseman's DIY Bubbleponics Tutorial

Time to check out my Irrigation Hubs, also called Irigation Manifolds.
To clean them, I start reeming them with a piece of wire, and then use a can of compressed air to clean them. Then I always reem them out good with a 1/16 drill bit, then do them again with a 5/64 drill bit. I want to make sure each outlet is not clogged up. I do not want a big stream or flow of water, I only want a slight trickle.






Of course this is not necesary if you start with a NEW pump or hub.




They appear to be unclogged and working great after I cleaned them! Before I cleaned them, half the outlets were clogged.




You see a FLOW or a stream in these pics, but after the water pumps are also drawing in BUBBLES, there will be more of a trickle than a stream of water.





I am glad I had the electric drill, the can of compressed air and the small wire to clean them with.

Now I am going to soak my water pumps in some pH balanced water. Those filters in the pumps might still have a speck of root in them, and that would sure cause havoc to my pH later.

A couple years ago, I went to Lowes and bought two feet lenghts of 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch and one inch clear pastic tubing. Each tube will very tighly and snuggly fit into the next bigger size and I use them to connect my water pumps to the Irrigation Hubs. I can cut them to the needed lenght and they fit just right on any brand of pump or irrigation manifold.

I also use the one inch tube to drain my tanks.

If you have to ask questions, or start a discussion off topic, go here:

Questions about Bubbleponic Growing Thread
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QUESTIONS will be answered faster here:

Questions about Bubbleponic Growing Thread
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OK, the third pump, a new one, will go into the DIY 5 gallon bucket.

I checked the Irrigation Hub and it works fine. I used a 7 inch long 3/4 inch plastic tube to attach the pump to the Hub. That is a customized fit for my 5 gallon bucket. After I tested it and put it in the bucket, I saw 7 inches was too long, so I cut it back to 4 inches.

The KIT comes with what you need to attach the pump to the hub.





If you buy the kit, the hub and pump come matched up and already fit together.
If you DIY, you will need to rig up something between the pump and hub, and I think using the clear plastic tubes work best. Certainly cheap and easy enough.
ALL water pumps come with several attachements just for this purpose.
These pics show a strong stream of water coming from the tubes because the pump is not drawing in a lot of AIR like it will in the tank. Then, the tubes will emit a bubbley trickle.









I had used a 7 inch piece of clear plastic in those pics to connect the pump to the hub, but when I tried it in the bucket, it was too tall, so I went back and cut it down to 4 inches.

I got the pumps and hubs all cleaned and I hope I start the seeds soaking and germinating soon.

Let me remind you that IF you are using a New Kit, you can avoid most of the work I have detailed thus far. I am working with OLD, USED equipment and having to clean it up and prepare it for another grow. I did buy new tubes and air stones.

I am also trying to detail a DIY HOW TO using a 5 gallon bucket grow, with 3 grow cups.


I bought my bucket for $5.00 and the lid was $2 extra. The 3.75 inch grow cups were about 60 cents each.
The grow cups are perfect for hydroponic growing, being like little baskets that allow air and water to flow through the roots.

First I get the lid and a grow cup and a black magic marker.
I am using what was called a 3.75 inch grow cup. It is actually 4 inches wide at the widest and it fits into a hole 3.5 to 3.75 inches wide.
Here I am tracing my grow cup with a black magic marker.








After I trace the three holes, I go back and make an inside circle that is 1/4 inch narrower.








I am using a DREMEL power hand tool, to cut the holes. You could use a razor knife or a heated knife blade or a hole cutter from the hardware store.

Now I take my drill, and make a hole very near the top, actually two holes, leaving enough room for the lid to fit on the bucket, but not too low. These are holes for the air stone tubes.








One hole on both sides of the bucket. I could have put them closer to each other.

Now I cut a hole for the Water pump wire.






And Ta Da!



My DIY 5 gallon grow bucket.

QUESTION:
What is with the Water Pumps and Irrigation Hubs?

ANSWER:
One word, BUBBLEPONICS!


I could copy and paste a bunch of technical info here but I'm trying to keep it simple. Earlier, I explained the different Hydroponic systems, and this is about Bubbleponics, the very most efficient fastest growing hydroponic system available. The word BUBBPLEPONICS is actually registered and owned by a friend of mine that owns Stealth Hydroponics.
Simply, it is a system of pumping oxygen enriched and nutrient enriched water to each root base, even when there is no root base and the seed is first germinating and starting its first single root. It is not a stream or strong flow of water, that would drown the sprout. It is just a trickle of a lot of air and a little water, rich in nutrients. As the water is trickled onto the base of the sprout, the roots are fed and then they follow the trickle of water as it falls into the bottom of the tank and re-circulated. The airstones provide a lot of oxygen to the water and the water pump then pumps that oxygen and water to each sprout.
The water pump also moves and stirs the water, and we all know stirring water is cooler and more oxyegenated as it is moved.
I could go on and on, explaining, but the real explanation is in witnessing the rapid growth, especially the first 3 or 4 weeks. I actually have to raise my lights an inch higher every day due to the rapid growth, the first 4 weeks.


To believe it, you will have to see it.


ten days



12 days


15 days



17 days





20 days

I started 3 seeds in soil the same day, to make a comparison, as you see in the pics.

Those first 3 weeks is when the feeding tubes really make a difference.


I started seeds in the soil and in the Bubbleponics system at the same time in these pics. See any difference?

BTW, never bring soil near the Hydro system. I should have never done that. There is a danger of bugs and bug eggs in the soil getting to the baby plants.

I am rinsing my tanks and bucket very good with hot water, they have to be clean, then I am rinsing them again by wiping them down with a thick paper towel full of vinegar.
Then I wipe them dry again.







See the extra holes in the ends of the tank, for adding extra air hoses and air stones:






I cut out that little 1/2 inch cut out to put my wire that runs to the water pump, making it easier to close the lid.








And here you see the black magic marker line I made to show me the 6 gallon water level line.

Here, I am cutting my tubes to a 12 inch lenght, to run each from the Irrigation Hub to the Grow Cups. I will probably trim them shorter later when I attach them. They should not all be the same lenght. The cneter ones can be just 7 inches long.
And again, if you bought the kit, they come already cut and attached. My old lines were full of calcium and lime deposits, commonly called water salts or water minerals, so I bought new tubing.










I needed SIX for each tank or bucket.

Attached Thumbnails

Time to assemble the 5 gallon bucket contents together.

I am attaching the Feeder Tubes to the Irrigation Hub.









I use some 1/2 ounce fishing weights to hold my airstones down. I 've seen some growers just allow them to swim around. They do tend to want to float. I've seen some growers glue them down too. In my first couple of grows, I simply ran the air line UNDER the water pump to hold down
the air stone. Then I used a 4 inch round airstone, they put out a lot of air too. The more I learned about more OXEGENATION makes faster growth, the more I figured an additioanl air stone was wise. To add more air, I simply added a 2nd airstone. I highly recommend a 2nd air stone be added, but it is not necesary. I've seen successful grows done with a one inch air stone bubbler, made for aquariums.
The smallest of airpumps will power two airstones easily.
You shouldn't churn the water violently with air and damage baby roots.


Attached Thumbnails

I used two weights on each airstone tied with plastic fishing line.
These are smaller, 8 inch air stones.






Attaching the Air Tubes.





In the bucket they go.


The top of the Irrigation Hub should be centered in the bucket. The airlines run through the holes, out of the bucket, to the air pump.


Attached Thumbnails

I have too much feeder tubing, and I will trim it later. I run it into the center of the grow cup. It will butt right into the rockwool cube. On this 3 cup bucket, each cup will get two feeder tubes.





Attached Thumbnails

Time for the 8 gallon, 6 cup tanks to be assembled.

I sat this assembly in the floor just to show you what it looks like, completely assembled.







For these tanks, I am using two 14 inch airstones. Overkill? Yes, but I believe in lots of oxygen to make them grow faster.





The air lines are seen here.

I am trying to show different angles in the pics, to give you an idea of how it is done.
Here is the last pump and hub.









I reach through the holes in the lid, to find a feeder tube and insert it into the grow cup. My feeder tubes are too long, and I will cut them shorter, when I put the rockwool cubes in.





The above lid will easily snap shut. It will snap shut without the cut out. I just think it helps some. I guess I am a little articulate or meticulous about this. (I bet that was misspelled), correct later)
You don't have to be as precise as I attempt.

A reminder, In the pics showing the water pump pumping water out of the Irrigation Hub, you do not want that much of a stream in the reservoir tank. 1.5 gph is recommended by me.
It is a lot more, more than needed, more than wanted, more than desired and safe, because the water pump is only sucking up water.
AFTER the water pump is in a sea of bubbles, and those air stones are going full steam, the water pump will gargle and gurgle and suck up half water and half air bubbles, slowing up that stream to a bubbley slight trickle.

Now and only now that I feel confident that I have a good LOCATION, and have done my PREPARATION, and will not have to run to Walmart, the Aquarium Fish Store, Hardware Store, or order some more supplies off of the Internet, I am ready to soak some seeds today.

I 'll let them sit a while in a dark kitchen cabinet.

I am throwing a dozen Northern Light seeds and 5 of a strain I only know as SKUNK in coffee cups, in an inch of luke warm water, to be soaking, while I prepare my hydroton and rockwool.

(I only had 5 of the Skunk seeds)

Time to start soaking the Rockwool Cubes in some pH balanced water.
First I take up one gallon of water. My faucet water averages 7.2 to 7.5, depending on the temperature and how long the water was running. I have a deep well for my water source.

I am using an extra clean water jug that I save and re-use often.







I poured a small amount in a glass, and tested it. I got 7.03 pH




I'd like to get it to 5. something to 6.0, to soak my rockwool cubes in. 5.0 would be better.
My pH powder says to add .2 (two-tenth) gram, to make a change of .1 (one-tenth) pH. I want a change of 1.0 to get it to 6.0, so I need ten times .2 gram of pH DOWN. I estimate that to be 2/3 of a fluffy teaspoon of pH Down. (NOT PACKED DOWN) I'll use 2/3 teaspoon and get it to 5.0. I am shooting for anything betwen 5.0 and 6.0. I 'll pour some of my water in a quart jar, adjust it, and pour it back into the jug.
I'll guess at an eye-balled 2/3 teaspoon, and see what I get.





Back in the jug it goes. A good cheap funnel really helps.

So now I pour some in my glass again, and test it again.




5.01 is slightly lower than I wanted, but I'll take it, it will work fine. The books say shoot for 5.0, so I did good. The purpose is soaking the rockwool cubes in some low pH to lower the pH of the cubes, and 5.01 is low enough.


I'll pour that into a bowl with my cubes to soak them a short while. Books suggest 4 hours to 24 hours.


I think an hour is long enough to soak the cubes, but I will follow the books and soak them overnight. Airstones need to soak 4 to 8 hours.

Let me say here, I test for the pH in a small glass, and never in my tank.
I always let my pH meter sit at least 30 seconds, to read it. I let my TEST STRIPS only sit in the sample water for 5 seconds.

I have been collecting info on rockwool cubes a long time. Let me share what I have learned.

Rockwool comes with a warning label, like abestos, to not handle it dry, because it has carcegens in it, or can cause cancer IF you breathe in enough of it's dust.
SO, you do need to really soak it A LONG TIME to handle it, but it will only take a minute to soak it and make it safe from DUST flying around. It will take a few hours or more to soak it to adjust it's pH.

The instructions on rockwool sent with the SH BB kit says to leave the plastic on. That is because they fear for our safety and do not wnat us exposed to carcegens. I remove the plastic but I do soak it. I butt the tube into the side of it when I prepare my cups.


Rockwool is probably the most popular growing medium on earth. Rockwool was originally used as insulation and was called "Mineral Insulation". It was developed for gardening in Hydroponics in Denmark and is used extensively around the world for "Drip-Style" hydroponic systems.

Rockwool is made by melting a combination of rock and sand and then spinning the mixture to make fibers which are formed into different shapes and sizes. The process is very similar to making cotton candy. The shapes vary from 1"x1"x1" starter cubes up to 3"x12"x36" slabs, with many sizes in between, which makes rockwool one of the most versatile growing mediums.
The advantages to rockwool are many, however there are several disadvantages to this type of growing medium as well. The pros and cons are listed below.


Advantages of Rockwool






Disadvantages to Rockwool






Before you use rockwool you must first soak it in water adjusted to a pH of 4.5 to 5.0. To soak rockwool cubes use a bucket or other water tight container, just put the cubes in the water and let them float around. To soak the rockwool slabs cut a hole in the bag around the slab and pour in pH adjusted water until the slab is totally saturated, let soak for up to 8 hours to be safe. Then cut drainage slits in the bottom.

Using Cubes