How delightful! {{gwi:998412}}

I hope you have lots of room. pumpkins require a lot of space. Its not uncommon for the vines to run 12-15 feet.
I grew some butternut squash one time but the results were disappointing. I later read their family need silica from the soil to properly develop the rind. I then bought some, but never tried growing them again. At least not with hydroponics.

I have a whole unfinished basement for the vines to grow. I purposefully put it where it can grow without interfering too much. I figure I can maybe string it up and run it back and forth every 5 or so feet.

Thanks for posting that tidbit about the squash, I'll keep that in the back of my mind.

On another note. I harvested my first ever vegatable. I picked a 6" zucchini off my plant in the basement. Probably the most expensive vegetable I've ever owned if you include all the hardware and expense required to produce it.

I'm hoping for a cucumber in a few weeks. And then maybe more vegies to offset the cost. Maybe someday I can break even on the cost of growing vs cost of buying from a store.

Yeah, good luck with that. Let us know when you "break even." I'll tell my grandkids to watch for that announcement. ;)

I know--I sink my money into it, too...

tbaleno you should make the bottom of the bucket have more small holes, or buy a large 10" netpot fill it with lava rock and add an airstone and pump to your bottom reservoir. If you liked hydroponics before this should amaze you, it's called deep water culture.

I may try that some day. But for now wick is cheap and easy and a known quantity.

Can I get away without air stones in my current set up (I'm currently not using any in the buckets) or do the clay pebbles allow for enough air to reach the roots?

I think you'll find your root system generally will grow along your wicks and then into your nutrients below. I don't believe the clay balls will be in contact enough to keep them entirely saturated through wick action. That's also why you need more or larger holes, so they roots can get down into the solution.
Once they grow into the solution, you will need to add oxygen to said nutrient or you'll see the roots begin to die from asphyxiation.
Once the roots start out the bottom of the top bucket, set it into a 5 gallon bucket with some air stones and you have DWC. wick systems are good for controlled watering of soil plants and for starting many plants into hydro systems, but are not themselves the best stand alone hydro system.