so me and a friend been checking out the uc systems and we want a 12 site system and are going to try the diy approach. so im wondering if five gallon buckets will be good enough and using the fives would it be ok to use 1 1/4 pipe instead of the two inch that current culture uses with the 8 gallon rectangle moduals. we are just going to build a four site system to see if diy is going to work with us. and will be using a danner drive 250 gph as well. thanks any who respond.
I have seen many people be successful with 1" or 1 1/4" pipe, but almost all of them have to unclog the lines later in the week with massive root growth growing and all of them are doing 6+ oz. I would recommend using 2" pipe and be selective on your buckets. Definitely want a thick side-wall so the uni-seals get a good seal. Dont cheap out on a hole-saw as being precise with those measurements can make all the difference when building a water-tight seal. save yourself time and do 2" and if possible further down the road upgrade to bigger buckets. 14 gal rubber-maids have been suiting me fine
instead of uniseals, try 2" threaded electrical conduit fittings. male end goes the hole on the inside of the bucket, then an oring over the threads on the outside and then the female threads on from the outside of the bucket. I ended up having to use DAP marine silicon sealant to stop a few leaks, but not all of them needed it(but i used it on all of them as a preventative).