Worthy eb-and-flow grow... *Input needed*

Hello everyone, (Settle in - if you're reading this; It's going to be a long one so hit the bowl one time)

Been a long time since I've been around here (I forgot my username actually lol - haven't logged in since after I got out of the Army in 2010). I was growing (legally) before in Michigan for a year where my business parter (Not life partner - I don't party like that lol) and I were growing using soil. At first using Craigslist clones (Was legal in MI), and only getting 2-2.5 oz a plant flowering under a 600W HPS. Second grow, I mixed half Craigslist clones (10$ each) and half TGA/Subcool seed co clones (More like $25 each), and increased the lighting to 1000W HPS. So we got about 5 oz a plant, but there was a noticeable difference in the Craigslist trash and the TGA/Subcool seeds so third crop we went with 5 or 6 1000W HPS lights - all TGA seeds and had a pretty good run; getting about 10 oz a plant average; 12 ounces and an 8/th off the biggest Cataract Kush plant we had in 10 gallon super soil smart pots. Anyway. So I'm not super experienced growing or anything, but I understand what its like...the complications that always seem to need to be overcome. I'm ok with that. Well this time I'm moving back to MI and have about $5,000 to invest in my grow op. Having bought and replaced several things before, I know there is some parts of the grow that I'm certainly just going to want to buy quality because...down time and equipment is pretty much unacceptable because someone cut a corner on cost. I mean, I look at it like...It might cost me an extra $100 but if it produces an extra 8-10 grams then its paid for itself.

So I've decided I want to build an eb-and-flow room, but am open to the possibility of flood tables. I've seen a lot of zero day veg grows (Here on the forums) and think I may pull something like 7 days of vegging (from TGA/Subcool clones right from one of the guys; Top tier clones I would suggest to anyone) off before I flower then (who knows, maybe even 14; maybe somewhere around 12 inches tall). So the exact method of growing I haven't figured yet, but I think those are 2 solid options. I know I have to change my reservoir every now and then, thats not an issue for me. If you've ever filled 50 milk jugs with water from a hose and added 4 different nutrients to each jug - twice to water your plants...You would understand. Coming from soil, I know there will be some changes and a lot to learn. That's why I've come here. Regardless of how it will be grown, there is some equipment that will be purchased (Maybe I'm overpaying on some stuff because I got name brand or quality or a feature I don't need...).


  • 24 clones (To start - eventually progressing to 72 plants - Legally) * $20 = $480
  • 5000W Generator (Homelite HU5000) - $600
  • Growing medium (None chosen - rough estimate) - $200
  • Co2 (without controller) - $250
  • Atmospheric controller (w/ Co2) (Cap xgc-1) - $600
  • Carbon Filter - 8" HO Fan (Can-100) - $500
  • Nutrients (None chosen - estimate) $200
  • High temp shutoff timer (Hlc-3) - $115
  • Reverse Osmosis 200/gal day - $310
Then my lights will be purchased, I have a 400W MH left over from my last grow I'll use when they are wee babies and will be picking up a handful of 1000W lights (2 to stay within initial budget, and then maybe picking up another light a month as the plants grow into it).



  • Hortilux bulb - $75 * 2 = $150
  • Quantum ballast - $205 * 2 = $410
  • Magnum XXXL 8" hood - $240 * 2 = $480
Lights = $1040

So this leaves me about $705 to work with after the fact to figure out exactly how I'm going to grow these. I'm going to fast turnover but I want some fire ass chronic (Don't we all - One second while I hit the bong) Ahh much better.

I was thinking about something like this:
http://growershouse.com/grow-flow-eb...Fc0-MgodtFcAmg

Maybe one per twelve plants; I know each phenotype may take nutrients in at different rates let alone each strain will most likely be different and it'll be easier to manage each strain individually to have 3 - 55 gallon drums in each of my two rooms rather than just the one in each. Changing the water might be more of a chore, but i also read you can just add 10% of your water/mix to your solution every day in order to avoid changing it at all. (Yes, I read some 50 page threads before posting - NO WAI). Now at the same time this seems more like a pain in the ass now and is making those floods trays seem realllly nice right now. I mean, I could have as many plants in there as I want and space them out as they're growing. Probably could run two tables and have 2 - 1000W HPS lights over them each with that fatty 8" high output fan blowing through those Raptor hoods...Controller should have the co2/fans working right. I'll have heat/AC when the seasons come. I'm hoping for a good grow...

Any input? Ideas? Advice? Maybe I'm high and forgot something? (Of course I'm high. Maybe I forgot something
)

I did! The walls will be either painted or covered with the black/white poly tarps. I'm not sure which is preferable. The Elastomere paint is supposed to reflect 90% of light and the poly tarp is only supposed to reflect 75-90% of light - so whichever seems simpler at the time. (Shit maybe even the C3 film if I can find it at a good deal since I'll be growing on the top floor. Yes, I'm legal but...No reason to give them a reason to come knocking.)

This is all going down in a month, my brother has been wanting me to do this for/with him since I spent the year in MI a few years back growing and now his renter is moving out so he has a nice 4 bedroom house waiting all for me...

*Rubs hands together*

I can't wait, I have until the end of the month to figure out exactly what my plan is....If the input from the community is enough - I may even start a grow journal (Under an IP from France lol
).

Will update often will information as I figure it out.


Also purchasing:
Future Harvest Tri-Meter Continuous Monitor - $170
 
I'm not really familiar with the nutrient brand I should be running (I'm thinking of having an Eb and Flow system with 12-24 larger plants and two flood tables with veg plants or maybe to run full cycles of autoflower or 0 day veg plants) with these systems, or to what dosage/concentration they should be run.

What temp my water should be. I mean...there's just a lot I'm unsure of hydro-wise it would be great for someone to lay it down for me. I read through most of the stickies (Goddamn 100 page posts) and didn't find anything entirely too valuable or which wasn't contradicted soon after.

Help!

Thanks,

J
 

AdamBlack760

Well-Known Member
a couple Q's
whats size room are you working with or are you going to build a room( if building how much power can you route to room)
why use a generator ( is going to cost more/watt)
for nutes i use house and garden full line
res teps anything below 70
 
a couple Q's
whats size room are you working with or are you going to build a room( if building how much power can you route to room)
why use a generator ( is going to cost more/watt)
for nutes i use house and garden full line
res teps anything below 70
This is one of what eventually will be two upstairs bedroom grow-rooms (One is estimated at 18x14 and the other is estimated at 14x12). I decided since my post I was upgrading to the Can-150 and running a 12" exhaust on 8" hoods (Obv through a reducer) so that when I connect all the lighting I won't have any heat issues (Better to spend the extra $150 now and need a fan controller to turn the fan down IMO than spend $450 and not have enough air getting pushed through the lights and exchanged for the plants).

The generator will just be sitting near (Not too near lol) 30 gallons of gas with the exhaust hooked up to it; Read to run. Simply as power backup (Its Michigan man, you never know) which will be backfed through a breaker to my circuit panel in case of snow/storm/general power failure so that I can still run my fans and at least 2 - 1000W lights per room. (Hell or even one light each, my fans, the microwave, and the tv! (As well as the beer fridge :P) The electrical itself is no problem - I'm not a self proclaimed electrical expert (Though scoring a 92% in my Automotive Electricity class helped with concepts) or anything but I know more than the average person (Even running things to code). Whatever power I need will be available. I was told the house may have a 200Amp in from the road; so I'll be running (thick) wires down to the electrical box if my load on 220 is greater than what I have available (or more than 80% of what I have available).

I'm new to Hydro, never heard of house and garden let me check it out.
http://www.house-garden.us/nutrient-calculator/

Holy shit, they have an impressive, detailed marijuana feeding schedule. This is the kind of shit I'm talking about. This may be what I'm running lol. I just needed someone to say run this at this concentration, this at that, adjust for this, then add that. They put it all out there perfectly. Thats honestly the scariest part for a new hydro grower. Just knowing what to put in, and at what concentration. Its like...I don't know. So much harder than following the Fox Farm feeding schedule for soil lol. At least more intimidating. I appreciate the input.

Reservoir temps below 70...65? 68?

I also have lately started thinking about running a flood table as well. Same mix as the eb and flow? Same temp? Water needs aerated in both?
 

AdamBlack760

Well-Known Member
ill explain my basic set up a 4x8 tray with 2 1k hps over. I stay away from oversized reflectors beacuse they want to spread the 1k beyond a 4x4
100 gall resi per 4x8 tray 48 plants per 4x8 adv is 3.5 to 4 lbs per 4x8

would run 3 or 4 4x8 trays in large room and run other room as a veg/mom room
 
With my math though...

3.5 -4 LBs in 48 plants (Remember - I am legally limited to how many plants I can have) really isn't all that impressive. 1.15 - 1.3 oz a plant >.<.

From the sound of it I'm better off just using a single flood table as a veg and then transplanting them into an Eb and Flow system where I can get god only knows how much per plant. I did get 5 oz my 2nd run in soil and 10 oz average my 3rd run. I think it'd be better to run one table with 36-48 clones and 3-4 55-gallon Eb and Flow systems like the one I ran above. I mean, not only would it produce more bud but I assume it would produce higher quality as well (Not stressing it - letting it takes its 'natural' grow cycle).

So it might take the extra month (50% more time), but I would be producing anywhere from 3.4 - 6.5x as much chronic (Factoring in the time it takes for that extra month to go full cycle).

So it looks to me like this Sea of Green method is really just for people who have an unlimited number of plants...because I max out at 72 (Certified for 24 already in my state - can and will expand as necessary) it just seems more efficient to run it this other way...

24 plants could produce 24 oz in two months, or 120/240 oz in 3 months. Let me see.... :P


I assume the same nutrients would work, i might even be able to speed up their natural cycle a bit by having ideal conditions but...I'm still thinking it's better to just grow mammoths.
 

AdamBlack760

Well-Known Member
ive found that asking for 1.5 oz per plant and having 48 plants is easier than than having 24 plants looking for 3oz per plant and is really beneficial to indoor growing
ive also made my own rdwc system and saw similar numbers growing trees and also scroging them for experiment
i kept with sea of green because it was easier for me and didnt have room to run 10 plus 1k hps
if i had to work with 24 plants i would flower 12-16 plants in rdwc scroged only because i dont like growing trees indoors
smaller buds are easier to trim and dont mold as easy as for arm sized colas

if you really want to get some weight build a green house and the the sun do its thing hear in san diego i can get three harvests if i pull tarp
even if you do one big grow outdoors your 24 limit can produce great results (up to 100 lbs) then build your indoor op to keep you busy the rest of the year
 
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