My Ebb and Flow grow

I’m on my fifth total harvests using this method and equipment. On my second harvest since moving to this new location that allowed me to build a larger flower room with taller 10 ft. ceilings I had to settle for a smaller crammed veg room though.

My 24 5-gal buckets are set up in 4 rows of 6 that have net pots filled with hydroto that run to a 13-gal controller bucket that feeds every 4 hours for 30 minutes. My reservoir is 200-gal cooled by two 1/8hp chillers. I have a blue lab reader for the ppms, temp, and ph.I run the FLORA SERIES of GENERAL HYDROPONICS with MAMOTH P.

My have 6 1000w phantom DE’s that I have slammed up the ceiling. My humidity hangs out around like 40% and my room currently 82F degrees while the lights are on. I‘be been keeping the lights at 875watts because of the heat.

I feel I have a good understanding of growing but I still have a lot to learn and trails and errors to go. Heat was a big obstacle in this grow. Like I said unfortunately I can’t turn my lights all the way up because I’m at 82F degrees so first thing first I will be getting a mini split for future grows. Also would like to upgrade my water chiller to something that has no problem keeping my 200-gal res at 66F degrees.

I had real issues with root devolpment this grow and my harvest is for sure going to reflect that. I’m hoping to see 6lbs this run when I know I could be pulling 10-14 with this set up. My hope with this post is to get some feed back. Aside from the heat constant mite attacks really put a damper on my growth. I sprayed with multiple different products but mainly stuck to mighty wash about once every other week somethings every 3 weeks. I’m going to do my best to bring that to a consistent Once a week thing. I’ve been advised to use a sulpher spray during veg and I may introduce predatory bugs to the veg room on top of the mighty wash.
I’ve also considered using less nutrients because I feel that I lock my plants up a lot probably by letting my ppms get to 900-1100 mid flower.

Although this is in the recommended level on the recirculating floral chart I just don’t feel I ever have success trying to keep it so high. The tap water I start with is about 300-400ppms and 6.9-7.1 ph. I don’t plan to use any R.O. System as I can’t afford it but I’ve been led to believe that shouldn’t be a significant factor. I was thinking about staying like 500-600 all veg and top at like 850 end of veg. Also been advised to flush for 2 days with just ph adjusted tap water every 2 weeks which is something I didn’t implement before, just changing the reservoir every 2-3 weeks.

I also have a titan propane c02 burner that I will be using this next run. I haven’t ever used it before so I’m new to the idea of running c02 but will be playing around with it once I buy the ppm controller that plugs in the wall.

That’s all I can think to spew out lmao. I’ve been on this website since I was a kid years and years ago researching so it’s pretty awesome to me to be making my first post about an actual op on here. Let me know what you think and I would love any advice how to take this to a 10lbs+ grow every time.8D3943BF-FD3C-4EDE-AE17-BC123613EDF1.jpegA8952D02-2B5B-4B0D-B9A5-FF0170C30518.jpegE28DD1E6-EBEE-4E7B-A806-32D305FF9FC3.jpeg7F7376BF-5A0D-4B8A-8364-1AE37EE269A9.jpeg
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Nice job. Do you have more pictures of your room and plants? I also love the GH Flora. You are using chillers with a flood and drain, may I ask why? I never needed to worry about nutrient temperatures with flood and drain since the roots get plenty of oxygen between floods. I have been considering building an over sized ebb and grow type system for my grow. Get rid of the need to top feed by hand.
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Never mind the ask for more pics, I didn't see the one that didn't have a preview. Nice clean room, good job.
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Check out my grow, I built some sweet trellis rigs with galvanized pipe, you might wanna look into something similar. PVC sucks for trellis rigs.
 
Check out my grow, I built some sweet trellis rigs with galvanized pipe, you might wanna look into something similar. PVC sucks for trellis rigs.
That galvanized pipe does look tough. I like that you have the veritical hanging lights for the side lighting too. Do you ever have any mite issues?
 
Nice job. Do you have more pictures of your room and plants? I also love the GH Flora. You are using chillers with a flood and drain, may I ask why? I never needed to worry about nutrient temperatures with flood and drain since the roots get plenty of oxygen between floods. I have been considering building an over sized ebb and grow type system for my grow. Get rid of the need to top feed by hand.
I was told that I want to keep my reservoir at 66 degrees for the roots liking and so it doesn’t build any bacteria in the water. Not sure how much of that is a fact or whatever just trying to go by what I hear to be right. I know since I’m flood and drain my plants should be getting plenty of oxygen but I was even considering putting an air stone in every buckets but I’m sure that’s probably over kill but i have about 2 inches of standing water in the buckets between feeding and I was wondering if that might keep the water fresh.
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
That galvanized pipe does look tough.
I lay a 2x12 across the trellis rig and sit on it to change bulbs lol The one thats not hooked to a wall will wobble a tiny bit but it's stable enough for my fat ass.
Do you ever have any mite issues?
I haven't had a problem with mites in years. I don't ever go in my rooms if I have been outside until after changing clothes and taking a shower. They are pretty well sealed up from the outside. Last time I had mites it was in veg from clones I took in without a dip, that was like 6 or 7 years ago. Always dip and quarantine incoming. In veg I will use Forbid 4F but I haven't had the need in a few years, really only gets used on new clones coming into my grow. Can't have any residual forbid but after the time it takes for them to grow and cut clones, those to grow and then flower there is no residual forbid.
 

A2Michigan

Well-Known Member
I was told that I want to keep my reservoir at 66 degrees for the roots liking and so it doesn’t build any bacteria in the water. Not sure how much of that is a fact or whatever just trying to go by what I hear to be right. I know since I’m flood and drain my plants should be getting plenty of oxygen but I was even considering putting an air stone in every buckets but I’m sure that’s probably over kill but i have about 2 inches of standing water in the buckets between feeding and I was wondering if that might keep the water fresh.
I use an air stone in my buckets and I’m using a ebb and flow recirculating system. Looks like we live in the same state too. I use general hydroponics as well. Are you using mac strength for recirculating? What’s your ph at?
 
Meant to say max strength
I’ve tried to push my plants to the higher end of their recommended ppms but honestly I don’t really like the results. I don’t want to go any higher than like 850 this next grow and see where I’m at because I get a lot of sludge build up on my pumps and I seem to lock my plants up with nutes. My ph stays between 6.1-6.3 usually. Sometimes it’ll drop kind of drastically to like 5.6 so I figure my plants aren’t eating and it’s time to change the res.
 

Growoolit

Well-Known Member
I’ve tried to push my plants to the higher end of their recommended ppms but honestly I don’t really like the results. I don’t want to go any higher than like 850 this next grow and see where I’m at because I get a lot of sludge build up on my pumps and I seem to lock my plants up with nutes. My ph stays between 6.1-6.3 usually. Sometimes it’ll drop kind of drastically to like 5.6 so I figure my plants aren’t eating and it’s time to change the res.
Change in pH is an indication that the nutrients are being taken up/consumed and exchanged for ions which affect the pH.
 

gr865

Well-Known Member
I know this is an older post but I am hoping to find an answer here.
I run the Active Aqua 5 gallon Gro and Flo and have heard I need to be concerned with roots plugging my drains. Was recommended I use copper screen in the bottom of my outer bucket and that the roots won't grow thru them. Is this fact?
 
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