Ebb n Flow

i need a few folks to brainstorm with me.

must i use those exact ebb and flow fittings? or can i rig up something else?


the water will flow back down once the pump is turned off right? so why cant i have a flood tray with a tubing for the pump going straight down as well as an overflow on the side?


i need to make a ebb and flow system compact as possible. im thinking of using 3 to 5 gallon buckets as my res. and having flood trays suspended above the buckets.

im thinking something like converting that multi-flow system into trays....


just have one tube flooding and draining the tray....

What the hell are you talking about? VV

dont worry about it vic....

LoudBlunts said:

i need a few folks to brainstorm with me.

must i use those exact ebb and flow fittings? or can i rig up something else?


the water will flow back down once the pump is turned off right? so why cant i have a flood tray with a tubing for the pump going straight down as well as an overflow on the side?


i need to make a ebb and flow system compact as possible. im thinking of using 3 to 5 gallon buckets as my res. and having flood trays suspended above the buckets.

Click to expand...

You na use what every i like to jimmy rig things so i would just go to a plumbing store and get what you need. Why not just use a 20 gal rubbermaid container and put your table on top and run a submersible pump straight up from your res. It would be shorter that using pails?

no, the pails arent a problem, actually its kinda better for me, as i don't need a big ass res. the size of that is not the problem, im trying to think of another way to flood and drain the tray.

another problem im having is the tray size that i want. i do not want to build it out of wood, nor pvc. i'll probably just find a deep enough bin/tote that i like and cut it longways and shortways (vertically, horizontally) take off an inch both ways or whatever is needed, silicone it...epoxy whichever. it just all depends on when i can find these trays, been going to walmart and other stores looking....


but my thinking about the trays with the flooding and draining is that it won't really matter because with the pump on, the water will flow upwards and when it turns off gravity will pull the water back down right? so that means i could possible have a overflow on the sidewall and use something like a sink drain for the flooding? shit man iono. just trying to make it compact as possible.

some cool links when i was searching around for diy ebb and flow alternative designs:

- (AlternateThoughts.com) DIY Hydroponics - 1.5
- Simple & Effective D.I.Y. Ebb and Flow System - Marijuana Growing - PlanetSkunk
- Home Made Hydroponic Ebb and Flow System - AOL Video
- Hydroponic Systems.Created By PuffinDaHerb A.K.A. Matty C. - AOL Video


preciate throwing some ideas out creeder, instead of "what the hell are you talking about"

hang on a second l.b i got some ideas for ya.
first i gotta ask ya. why not say to hell wit the r.w bs and just setup a drip setup on that canna coco yous talkin bout earlier in pm?

hows bout a lil rubbermaid like dis shit for your drain table folk? mines been diy into a cfl reflector for seedlings.....
you could just pvc drain it all into your tank again.

ya im picking up what your laying down here. I would suggest a large res though cause the larger the res the less trouble you with have with ph up/down and ppm. With a smaller res your ph or ppm can drop or increase real fast and hard to catch and maintain. If you have a real large res its easy to controll everything and you have lots of room for error. As your plants take up water in a small res your going to struggle to maitain proper nutrience levels. If you have a large res it will take a long to deplete the levels and more time to play. Personaly I think the bigger the res the better. How many plants are you looking for I guess that would be a good place to start then a guy can go from there.

man i aint fucking with no RW.

im flooding loose canna coco in coco pots... im going to use coco boss blocks (just like rockwool blocks but coco)


and i was thinking about drip, but imma just fuck with ebb and flow...because i may not have to flood alot, and my drippers might clog...so if the ebb and flow dont work out to my liking, i will convert to drip

creeder said:

ya im picking up what your laying down here. I would suggest a large res though cause the larger the res the less trouble you with have with ph up/down and ppm. With a smaller res your ph or ppm can drop or increase real fast and hard to catch and maintain. If you have a real large res its easy to controll everything and you have lots of room for error. As your plants take up water in a small res your going to struggle to maitain proper nutrience levels. If you have a large res it will take a long to deplete the levels and more time to play. Personaly I think the bigger the res the better. How many plants are you looking for I guess that would be a good place to start then a guy can go from there.

Click to expand...

each small flood tray will hold about 3-5 SMALL plants trimmed to sog style, single cola aka lollipopping

LoudBlunts said:

man i aint fucking with no RW.

im flooding loose canna coco in coco pots... im going to use coco boss blocks (just like rockwool blocks but coco)


and i was thinking about drip, but imma just fuck with ebb and flow...because i may not have to flood alot, and my drippers might clog...so if the ebb and flow dont work out to my liking, i will convert to drip

Click to expand...

chill homes. you must be outta weed bra.
i aint seen them coco blocks.....ill have to look into them tommorow.
what size light you pumping in dis cab? and true, you may not have to flood alot. my boy puts his resivor in a big rubbermaid that he drains and leaves the top on when starting the plants or whatever, just puts the stem through into the rw(in your case coco thank god) then snaps the lids on. and keeps shit from drying out so quick, meanng less flood.
sounds like you got your head right.

not completely outta weed, but i just rolled my last spliff of purple!!! i just feel the same way you do about RW...


as far as my lighting...shit im not sure.... 600 digi watt over aero

and i was going to get another 600 digi for the closet/cab, but everybody been talking shit about digital ballast as well as HTG's ballast....

shit i wanna put a dual spectrum mh/hps lighting in the cab(800-1000watts)....but im not sure if i should do it.

i really want ALL digital ballasts. thas the only thing that is stopping me. people put in my head that old school ballast DRAW more electricity and amps....and i dont need that.

Have you looked at these I have ordered one but im going to modify it for 5 gal pails

yes....too big.

maybe if i get a room

and fletch dont you even start to talk shit cuz im talking about coco...lol


you know i like to go against the grain bro

Ok Im smoked out and trying to see what your wanting to do.I see you wanna do a flood system right. you can buy drain through for like $4 each they are drains you drill a hole actually 2 in the bottom of whatever you wanna flood.They accept hose sizes in 1/2 inch.5.8,3/4, and 1 inch whatever you want.connect your pump to 1 an then the second just gets a hose to the res for draining. Then they make plastic risers about $1 each that fit on top of the flush drain your just made you stack them to the height you want the table to flood and then they let the water rise to that poin then it drains in the hose til the pump shuts off.This allows you to decide how hight to flood then you maintain that level til the pump shuts off then as the water drains below that riser drain gravity sucks the water back down the pump line. So a drain and overflow setup are like $12 and have gaskets just put them in whatever flood tray or tub you want and use a res big enought to hold enough water to flood plus a few gallons extra so the pump doesnt burn up....a I even close to what your asking I forgot..

okay feel me fletch.

im making flood trays right now because i cant find any premade trays small enough...im just buying bins and cutting them vertically and horizontally taking off an inch or two.

my whole deal is instead of using traditional ebb n flow fittings why cant i use other items. Have the overflow on the sidewall (as long as its draining back into the res) and have a drain like something that resembles a sink drain.


that way if i wanted to, i could layer mediums....using hydroton on the bottom, follow by the coco mat, than the coco pots sit ontop of the mat!

Thats how I do my grow tables back in the day. iuse rockwool slabs and then 4x4 rockwool cubes on those so the roots grow in the mat then I had hydroton in the whole thing.You know what size your looking to have for a table or pot or whatever? They make them in abunch of sizes and flower pots can be used like the 3 foot or 2 foot long window sil ones good for 3 or 4 plants cost about $8. you can get things like the plastic hull throughs at homedepot that are for the littl hose with the sprayer on your sink. It has 2 gaskets a twist tight nut and flush mount so it can be used as a drain and a piece of pvc in it makes an over flow tube.They cost like $2 buy the sinks.I have a 3x3 flood table setup in a diy tent Im gonna post some of that setup some time soon.

HAHAHAHA!!! i knew IF anybody had rigged up a flood table it woulda been you. I be in homedepot high as fuck just like you brainstorming up some shit!!!

the flood tables i need them to be 16"x8" i just wanna see what they look like. I will use 3'' coco pots (liners, whatever you wanna call them). with the coco pot sitting on the coco mat in hydroton.

i wanna use those 2" incher cocopots in the aero!!!