For All Cap Ebb and Grow Users

Hellraiser...anyone??? LOL...I tried running the E&G for a daily watering to make sure everything is in working order...and I'm a bit lost, do you have to plug your res. pump power cord into the plug-ins on the side of the control bucket?
For some reason, got a small amount of water in controller and buckets (like an inch-two) and it just stopped there...so I turned the timer till the drain light came on and it didn't drain everything, damn I must have the tubing setup wrong...it says in the very inadequate instruction page,says "cut a piece of 1/2" tubing long enough to connect the pump to the bottom of the right hand straight connector" I assumed this was right hand side viewing the control bucket from the front? Then on the left I have a piece about 8' long that runs outside the room to the res.
I am just curious what the pump in the res does all of the time, because they normally pump when plugged in, right?
So I tried filling the control bucket,but it was draining down the "special vacuum elbow" back into the res...and after I unplugged the pump in the res, it bubbled for about 5-7 min...is this normal?
So where it stands, It won't fill up the control bucket all the way, and I get only 1-2" of h2o in my buckets....somethings not hooked up right or my controller is a dud...
anyone else have such issues?
Please let me know asap...as the girls are going to be needing this to run here pretty soon..
Oh, and I am not entirely sure how to set the programmed timer..is each cog like a 15 min or 1/2 hr interval? And how long do you have to set it to fill and drain 2x a day? And do you set it to the current time like on the light timer??

Thank you in advance for any help, it is much appreciated..
C.

newwb said:

Hellraiser...anyone???

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Hard to read your writing but I'll try to help.

newwb said:

LOL...I tried running the E&G for a daily watering to make sure everything is in working order...and I'm a bit lost, do you have to plug your res. pump power cord into the plug-ins on the side of the control bucket?

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Yes, the "Controller" controlls both pumps. The pump in the res should be plugged into the FILL plug. The pump inside the controller should be plugged into the DRAIN plug.

newwb said:

For some reason, got a small amount of water in controller and buckets (like an inch-two) and it just stopped there...so I turned the timer till the drain light came on and it didn't drain everything, damn I must have the tubing setup wrong...

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The water will only drain from the buckets to the lowest point of the connectors. The older style buckets always had an inch or so in the bottom. If there is two inches of water still in the controller though, you have a problem. 1. Make sure the float valves are not obstructed by any hose or the pump. 2. Make sure the pump inside the controller is facing DOWN. Look at the pump and you'll see one side with a little mesh filter, that's where the water is sucked in though. If the sucker part of the pump is not faced down it won't be able to get all of the water out.

newwb said:

it says in the very inadequate instruction page,says "cut a piece of 1/2" tubing long enough to connect the pump to the bottom of the right hand straight connector" I assumed this was right hand side viewing the control bucket from the front? Then on the left I have a piece about 8' long that runs outside the room to the res.
I am just curious what the pump in the res does all of the time, because they normally pump when plugged in, right?

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I'm a little lost here. The pump in the controller should be plumbed to drain water back into the res (thats why it's called the DRAIN pump). The pump in the reservior should utilize the "special vacuum elbow", and it should be plumbed to dump water into the controller (it's the FILL pump). The vacuum elbow does exactly that, it breaks the syphon effect between the res and the controller. Without it, the fill pump will kick on and won't stop until you run the res dry (it will cause a major flood).

newwb said:

So I tried filling the control bucket,but it was draining down the "special vacuum elbow" back into the res...and after I unplugged the pump in the res, it bubbled for about 5-7 min...is this normal?
So where it stands, It won't fill up the control bucket all the way, and I get only 1-2" of h2o in my buckets....somethings not hooked up right or my controller is a dud...
anyone else have such issues?
Please let me know asap...as the girls are going to be needing this to run here pretty soon..
Oh, and I am not entirely sure how to set the programmed timer..is each cog like a 15 min or 1/2 hr interval? And how long do you have to set it to fill and drain 2x a day? And do you set it to the current time like on the light timer??

Click to expand...

The timer should be set to the correct time of day. Push all of the tines in, but push two out (if you want to water twice). One tine equals 15 min. The first water should happen around the same time the lights come on, and the second one a couple hours later. I water every 4 hours fyi. Make sure all of your connections are correct then run again. If this doesn't help then we may need some pictures of what you've got going. Good luck

Thank you in advance for any help, it is much appreciated..
C.[/QUOTE]

ok, in lies my problem, I have my res in my laundry room about 8 feet from the controller(my idea to keep the res sol cooler..)but that wont work if it needs to be plugged into the control bucket, sorry, I actually saw NOWHERE on directions that said the pumps needed to be plugged into the 2 plugs on controller, and just thought they were extra plugs for peripheral equipment..lol..so I just found my problem thanks so kindly to you for your time in answering my question!, I had the res just plugged it into the wall of the laundry room, no wonder it didn't know what to do =-O...sighs..lol...see what I mean by mechanically challenged =-\
A day you don't learn something new is a day wasted...
And happy Holidays!!

Thank you soo much smokinggrubber!!

Now my only real problem is on the controller, each side has 3 straight connectors for the 1/4" tubing, at least one on each side is leaking any time there is water in it...
I have also thought of going up to 1/2-3/4 ID tubing(or even PVC at some point), when those of you whom have made this mod, have you also changed pumps, or just the connectors?
They just seem be very cheap and pump failure could be an epic fail...
what do you guys think

1/4"? I thought that all e and g's have 1/2" barbs coming out of the side. As for changin the pumps, it would be a good idea to since u would want to fill up the buckets faster. Active aqua makes some decent pumps for cheap and are available at any hydro store.

ohh..I think they're 1/4"...not one E&G user had/has leaky grommets in their controller?
Of course, I would have to be THAT ONE!
lol..seriously...you've heard of Murphy's law? Sheesh, I even got a tube of liq nails, like a clear silicone, went around all of the control bucket grommets, and now instead of 2 bath towels, I'm "only" soaking 2 dish towels, but still not where I can leave everything plugged in and just be gone for a day, or whatever.So I plug the controller in to do my 2 daily water/feedings, then unplug before it starts flooding the buckets a second time, where is my "easy" button? haha
That IS why I got this thing, the automation of it all..
Have another question, my ph was stable all day at 5.6, I just finished a flood and drain, now it is reading 6...wth..I only have 6 pots hooked up right now with 13 day old baby girls...(they will be 2 weeks from popping tomorrow)
I am using the lucas form, I am starting to see a LOT of threads that say this isn't the best for vegging? I am starting to notice the newest growth is a shade lighter green, must need more N?
Will post some pics, perhaps some nice person will make a comment/suggestion, and please let me know what to do if they are looking N deficient, as it is I am at like 480 ppm on 2 wk olds..they're hungry girls..
Merry Christmas all...and Happy Holidays..

rsxr0884 said:

1/4"? I thought that all e and g's have 1/2" barbs coming out of the side. As for changin the pumps, it would be a good idea to since u would want to fill up the buckets faster. Active aqua makes some decent pumps for cheap and are available at any hydro store.

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My apologies, they are 1/2".

Newwb if your useing lucus you should go to 5/8/16 to up the n!
As for gromits leaking! Hmm ive never had one leak! Maybe have
Cap send new ones

I replaced them, all 6, with brand new ones from my hydro store, am starting to think when they machined the holes, a few got fine cracks u can't see...I even used liquid nails clear sticky stuff all around the grommets, and as I said, I am down from soaking 2 bath towels to 2 hand towels, an improvement, but hell the thing is brand new, I'm just worried how long they may take to replace the controller, and I guess it would be ok to just hand water 2-3x a day while I'm waiting for the new one? Am at 2 weeks today on the babies, and only 3/7 have roots coming out the bottom of the 4"x4" rock wool, should this be a concern?
And what do you mean 5-8-16, I thought the whole point of the lucas method is that you save $ by not using the first part?( I only bought the micro and bloom) which to me, seems a bit low on the NPK, the 2 together only equal 5-5-5...I see foods out there with double+ those amounts (though they DID give my plants nute burn, and this formula hasn't as of yet..)I did have the freebie nutes that came w/ the CAP E&G (BC nutes) I added 2 capfuls of the boost and 1 capful of grow to the 30-35 gal in my res., it only brought my ppm back up to around 480, I should be ok there?After their first ebb and drain they are already looking less pale on the new growth *fingers crossed*
I had a 2 port air pump for a bubble cloner that never worked, I added the 2 stones into my res for a little extra o2..can't hurt I'm guessing. They just dangle 1/2 way through the nute solution, helping to mix in adds, and aerate.
Thank you for your ongoing replies, lol..you have been a huge help!
C

Saving money yes but not all strain can do good by lucas, some need more cause there more demanding

ok, do you know which strains don't do well, I am doing Icex3 and Bubbleiciousx4(I think same as "bubble gum" on n on nirvana site)seems to be a slight yellowing of new growth on the fastest growers, the bubbles...I even added more N to the mix..I think I am at 560 ppm, isn't that high for 2 week old babies?
They seem to be yelling "more!!" My tap h20 fresh out of the tap, surprisingly, is only about 50 ppm, so I reckon I don't need the R/O?
(what deficiencies may I run into with that low ppm in my well h20?Seems I read on one of these forums if your ppm is that low you may run into problems..) Is it calcium..?
The girls look like they are starting to go light green again at top with the newest growth, last time I bumped them from like 480 to 580 ppm..not showing any nute burn, that I am aware of, but bubble #3 has a tiny tear on the edge of one of her leafs, it could be nute burn, but my guess is she is closest to the tower fan I turned it down to low instead of high...
Am including birthday pics...2 weeks today! And it is so amazing to watch how fast they grow..I have a greater vested interest in them then the half dead, cut-for clones to death plants I had from the disp. that are all but 1 dead now...I actually need to find a home for the big girl...shes coming out of whatever happened when I put the oregonism xl into the soil...all plants I had died from that junk!
I can't justify running a 2nd 1,000 watt light for a single plant, so if anyone is a legal Washington patient, and you have some in flower or about to, I do have a pretty bulky indica, not sure of the strain but the guy who it came from grows a lot of romulanxgrapefruit, romulan..so chances are it's a head denter.
Has a thick tree like stalk, I believe it was a mother plant, though that was denied (it had over 20+ cuttings off it when I got it) I didn't know any better..will post her pic at the end of the baby girls 2 wk pics...
Thanks and happy growing..
BTW~~I AM PISSED...I called and wrote to CAP (makers of the ebb&grow) and they basically told me to buy another control bucket (over 300, when I paid 390 for the whole works!!) and send mine in to be looked at re: the leaky grommets, etc...that they would "credit" me back once my defective unit is received...bad gut feeling on this one...
Put a 5 year warranty on something then make it this damn difficult to get help if it isn't up to par...annoying!
So for now I am sticking with 2 dish towels to soak up the nutes it wastes every time I run a cycle on it
I have a general question regarding PH...when I get ready to flood the buckets I always look up to check my numbers on the monitor, I'm starting with 5.5 PH but after each fill and drain it does up over 6...6.3 was the highest...I read somewhere it going up is good, means they're growing, but should they go up that much?
it takes one cap full of the PH down to return it to 5.5 (not sure but I think I only have about 14-15 gal in my res.and I'm having to do this after each drain cycle...is something else going on I may be unaware of?
They are def. growing, better than some I see, not as well as others, I'd say average..
What would be the max ppm you'd feel safe going up to at their age (2 weeks today)??

I found that going by ppms is not as good as converting to EC Some people have different meters than others and their ppms are different than others. If your using a hanna ur conversion would b at .5 and would give u an ec 1-1.1 Thats a bit high IMO but if it works go for it. If u see signs of stress try topping off with fresh water to lower the ppms. Here is the link for the conversion for EC http://www.gardenscure.com/420/hydroponics/96521-printable-ec-ppm-cf-conversion-chart.html

As for the cap issue, SOme people have bought a aquahub controller. Similar to the cap controller but eith a few more safety swithces. Here is the link and it is way less than the cap controller. Probably would be better to buy this and use it and send ur cap controller to the manufacturer for the warranty fix. Here is the link http://www.aquahub.com/store/product39.html

I was wondering about that, my hanna meter gives a completely different reading than my cwp instruments wall control thingy...and I have calibrated both off of the calib liqs that came with the cwp monitor/24/7..(read ppm, PH and res temp) and I JUST finally got a ppm meter, now u say I need to go by ec?
Hate to tell ya this, but I suck at math
Thanks so much for your reply!!!

Newwb you need more hydroton. You should put enough hydroto in the bucket to completely cover the rockwool.

You should also raise the buckets by 1 or 2 inches. I use upside down pot saucers. I use these: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202265241/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

My wall mounted Hanna meter completely SUCKS! For some reason it's interfered with by the digital ballasts. I am only able to get an accurate meter reading when the lights are off. I don't know if that is the same for you, but it's something to be aware of.

The only time my controller leaked was after I CUT my old hoses off. When I cut them, I scored the barbs and destroyed the water-seal. I had to hit them with a little sandpaper then they worked. Since then, I've upgraded all my hoses to 3/4". I had to drill 1" holes in all of my buckets and replace all the barbs. I ALWAYS throw away the old hose after every cycle and replace it with new stuff. This can be a little expensive, but it's better than dealing with old hose!

Ya, but older hoes still need to pay their bills somehow. Oh, wrong internet site. sorry.

NICE...EAT A COCK ^^^
and I know about the hydroton.., I bought another bag of hydroton, but then my truck broke down, it's sitting at a friends house in her garage, I'm sure one day she will bring it by, and all my buckets are raised on 2x4's.I like it, drains them fully, I really pre rinsed my hydroton, soaked it a couple days and rinsed, but I still get hydrton crumbs in the outer buckets, common?.
Thanks for the advice, and liking the dick above callihng me an old hoe

newwb said:

NICE...EAT A COCK ^^^
and I know about the hydroton.., I bought another bag of hydroton, but then my truck broke down, it's sitting at a friends house in her garage, I'm sure one day she will bring it by, and all my buckets are raised on 2x4's.I like it, drains them fully, I really pre rinsed my hydroton, soaked it a couple days and rinsed, but I still get hydrton crumbs in the outer buckets, common?.
Thanks for the advice, and liking the dick above callihng me an old hoe

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How the hell did you get me calling you a hoe out of that comment? That's a guilty concious right there! You must be one of those old dirty ass perverted motherfuckers. lol. Then girls were like "newwb, you want me to what...?!" You are outted now.

Has anyone tried using this 105 gal res with a 24 site system? Or would I just be better off with 2-55 gal drums linked? I know the 2 drums r alot cheaper but would like to save room too.
http://www.sunlightsupply.com/p-13841-105-gallon-stand-up-reservoir.aspx

Nvmnow that I think about would be a pain modifying and mixing nutes

Tryypod said:

Has anyone tried using this 105 gal res with a 24 site system? Or would I just be better off with 2-55 gal drums linked? I know the 2 drums r alot cheaper but would like to save room too.
http://www.sunlightsupply.com/p-13841-105-gallon-stand-up-reservoir.aspx

Nvmnow that I think about would be a pain modifying and mixing nutes

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That is an awful lot of water for twenty four buckets, isn't it? Or are you trying to set it up to operate on autopilot for a length of time?