Your opinions on Stealth Hydro Bucketeer DWC???

Hello I am a total newbie. I read, researched, and started a soil grow with cfls. Plants only reached about 6 weeks. I have decided to perhaps try a hydro grow. Although easy enough to fabricate, I prefer stealth hydros already made and ready to go systems and nutrients. They suggested the standard bubbleponics kit to me. But I am not really looking for the hassle and crowding of six plants. Nor the expensive, I am on an ultra budget. If I can reach full maturity with a single plant I'd be thrilled, and maybe consider adding a bigger system. So I have been looking at the single bucketeer as a starter system? I understand the ph is harder to control than a smaller system? However it's not bad for $50 as I will still need to invest in nutes, and decent lighting. I am thinking of investing about $100 more for lighting and their prepackaged nutes. Any one using DWC, bublleponics, or a similar system have advice?

you will also need a ph meter and an EC or TDS meter. whatever style you want to ultimately grow in, soil or hydro, is what you should learn on. hydro is more expensive to start up but mos people say its easier in the long run. if you are on a very tight budget, be sure you have lighting and ventilation covered before you drop a bunch on a ready made hydro system. i loved my dwc when i had it, i was a simple DIY system in a Rubbermaid tub. worked great in my closet for a couple years. you may want to buy the larger system and only run a few plants for now

is this the system you are looking at http://www.stealthhydroponics.com/product.php?xProd=93
if so it looks good just like mine but the bucket they use is black 5 gal bubble buckets work really good and are very easy to work with for a newb to hydro pretty easy to maintain and what not. like scca said about ventilation and all that and i would invest in a good light and fan for room climate control the plant will only grow as good as its room conditions will allow you would be surprised of the success rate you will have with a diy 20 dollar system just like that one and some good room conditions and lights.

Thanks for the advice and pictures. I was really wondering what kind of results I could get from a single bucket system. Seeing is definitley believing! How often do you have to measure ph? What kind of lights would you suggest for under $100? I was thinking of going with the dual spectrum II from stealth hydro.

Thanks for your advice. Is an inexpensive ph meter better or more accurate than buying ph test strips and ph up and down? What is an EC or TDS meter? What kind of ventalation do I need in a simple closed closet besides an oscalating fan? I planned on using cfl's for low heat.

PuffDaddi5 said:

Thanks for the advice and pictures. I was really wondering what kind of results I could get from a single bucket system. Seeing is definitley believing! How often do you have to measure ph? What kind of lights would you suggest for under $100? I was thinking of going with the dual spectrum II from stealth hydro.

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i measure ph when i do a fresh water change and then i do it in the middle of the week. i change water once a week that plant can drink almost that entire 5 gal bucket in 3 days so i add water in the middle of the week as well. for a light i would recommend at the least a 250w hid at my local hydro store they sell a hydrofarm reflector with built in convertible ballast MH/HPS so you can veg and flower by flipping a switch and changing a bulb that easy cost is about 130 all in bulb included. i have seen some awesome single plant 250w grows believe me it will pay for itself check ebay and amizon sure you will find one.

here is one on ebay for 135 with digital ballast http://cgi.ebay.com/250-WATTS-HPS-MH-DIGITAL-GROW-LIGHT-BALLAST-/270698083528?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f06dcf4c8
here is the one im talking about but its not made by hydrofarm http://cgi.ebay.com/250-Watt-HPS-MH-Sun-System-Grow-Light-W-Both-Bulbs-/280593859722?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4154b2848a

I wish someone would have told me when I bought my first bucket setup, the one really important thing about DWC in 5 gal buckets... You will grow large trees haha. What I mean is, they grow very tall and branch out like crazy. The reason it was an issue for me was ceiling height. My basement has lower than normal ceilings. I didnt even try and I got a 4 foot tall x 3 foot in diameter plant... Im not complaining but you can only grow really good bud in the areas with nice light penetration. The bigger my plants got, the less the lower part would get. I had to remove large fan leaves and stems from the lower part almost daily. I will say, if you are going for just one plant and want to make it count, I would go this path. Just make sure you have the height to grow (just look at drgreentm's pics) because it gets tall fast. I liked that I could fill it up with water and just check it every other day and it was okay. The buckets need filling like once a week at first and then like every 3 days when you are in full bloom. The Ph control is simple. Check every other day with even the dropper and solution works pretty good for DWC. If you are about 6 +/- like .3 in those things, the plants grow just fine. The only thing that you need to have and make sure you dont skimp on is the air pump. get one that can pump two of the larger 8" airstones. When you get good air flow in there, you wont get slimy roots (which inhibits nutrient uptake) plus the plants roots need lots of oxygen added since the water would otherwise be stagnant. I say just get like a 600 hps and do it right. You will get good light penetration and if you ever want to go bigger, then you wont be held back. I am glad I got my 600 because I was just like you and wanted just a plant or two until I started to understand it all but now I have 3 600s HPS lol

Thanks for the valuable information. I didnt really know to expect literally growing a tree despite it being a single plant. I really was hoping for shorter bushier plants. Would a 6 pot bubbleponics system give me smaller plants or just 6 huge trees sprouting up!!?? I will have to use cfl lighting, and need for it to penetrate and get to all of my herbs. I can invest in up to the dual spectrum II. I am growing at a close friends that can offer no assistance. So I will need a setup that can be left unattended for 5 to 6 days at a time. Although I can visit more often as time goes by. As for airstones you mentioned adding extra and bigger pumps? Is the 4 inch circular airstone and pump insufficient in these ready made setups? Would it be ok to go to a pet store and get a supplimental airstone and pumpt to increase healthy root growth?