This is my first bucket, first post, fifth grow (but first in this kind of DIY indoor garden) so I'm a noob all around. I'm very happy to have found about the idea of bucket grows.
The build is still a work in progress, but its done for the moment and I want to sahre it with the community. BUILD SPECIFICATIONS
For the main container I'm using a 121L (32Gal) garbage bin, as it should provide extra room to grow my plants. It will give me a lot of room to work with, something very useful for plant training. The good thing is that the bin is already lightproof as it it doesn't let absolutely any light out when the lid is on. I use a mylar space blanket as a reflective surface, it is a bit of a pain in the ass as it has a lot of fold lines. I left a few extra inches of mylar off the top of the bin: once the lid is in place, it covers the gap between the 2. I'm also using a lot of zip ties to secure the componets to the main container, mainly the power strip and fans.
AIRFLOW
For the bucket ventilation I'm using a combination of different kind of fans. The main intake is a 6 inch 110v fan that was really easy to install, just plug and play and you are done.
This is a powerful fan that creates great circulation inside the container. For the top exhaust I'm using a mini fan that should be enough to extract the heat for the light bulbs. I think I might add elbows to the fans to prevent light leaks, I am more concerned with light getting in during flowering than light getting out, so I will cross that bridge when I get to it.
LIGHTING STUFF
For the lighting configuration I'm using 4x23wCFL + 1x26wCFL on the lid, with adjustable height and a 5 meter, 300 LED strip (5050) outdoor use, pure white color. As the plant grows, the cords can be tied to raise the level of the light source. This is essential if you are using
CFL bulbs, as they are most effective when placed really close to the leaves.
