12/28/07
I am finding out that it is hard to keep the ph and nutes ballanced in all 8 containers.
So I figured out out to convert the system to an Ebb and Flow. That way all the water
goes to one reservior where it is easer to ballance and feed. Here is a diagram.

First, this is how it works now, the reservior is above the controler and gravity fed
with a float valve to stop the feed at a certian height.

Ok, now here is a diagram my idea.

I am going to try it tomorrow.

12/30/07
Week 4

Well things didn’t go as planned today; I wasn’t able to test the ebb and flow.

When I got there the door to the grow room was closed.
Turns out my friend was passed out and the door was closed for a couple days.
The temp in the room was 110 degrees. The two monsters and one other survived.

Yellow lower leaves and the upper green ones are a little brittle but I think we will be ok.
I gave up on 2 plants that were cooked. Turns out they didnt root.
I think we will end up with 3 plants out of this.
The two large ones, Looks like one Atomic haze and a Dutch Dragon.

and this one, looks like a smaller Dragon.

So, I Drained the controller and stations, there was about two inches left in res.
I used that and added tap water set ph at 5.0 figuring there was still some left over water in
the rest of system and it would balance out at 5.5

I went full strength flora nuets week four on there chart. Watering 3 times a day for hour each time.
I hope they are still there next week, things don’t look very good.

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1/7/08
Week 5

OK we are back in business, They are comming back.
I notice the new growth is strong, some yellow in the lower fan leaves
I trimmed up a few. These pics were taken with the grow lights off and just the flash.
Check out the stock on the dragon.

I drained the system and added a second reservoir and converted to the ebb an flow.
It was a success.
I liked the bubblers and drip ring setup so drilled my overflow valve a little low
so the containers would get the same amount of water as they were getting.
But now it gets mixed in the lower reservoir than dispersed to the containers.

That way they all get balanced nutrients and it’s a hell of a lot easier
to balance the ph in one reservoir than in eight different containers.

It’s the Ultimate Waterfarm now.

Here’s a shot of what I did.

This is the controller; the open hole you see is where the inlet to the float valve was.

Basically I just turned it around and drilled a 1/2 overflow hole and added a lower res.

Then got a 150 gph power head/pond pump and pumped up through the lower 1/2 hole that was the feed to the containers.
Now I put the water pump on the same timer as the air pumps for the bubblers.
It takes 10 min to fill all the containers and controller to 4 inches of water, when the water gets
high enough the bubblers raise the water to the drip rings.

This could easily be a true ebb and flow. All you would do is use the Open
hole where the control valve was as your overflow instead.
I assume you would want to drill a few more holes in the bottoms of the growing containers.
You would probably want to add an air stone the lower res.

I used a underbed storage tub I found at home depot for $9
and cut the corner of the lid Notched the decking for gravity drain.
Then I needed a way to easily drain the lower reseviour so I put a tee on the water intake,
short hose and a valve on both sides.
One goes to the controler, one is to drain with.

I still use the original res. to mix my nutes. Its much eaiser.
Once mixed I just bend the tube over to the lower res and fill it.
Then I fill it again to have a pre mixed soulition to top off with durring the week.

This is week 5 so its time to start flowering. I wanted to clone today but we desided to
wait till next week. Give them time to fully recover from there exposure to high temps.
Here is a shot of the tops of the plants at the end of the vegitation cycle.

We are going into flower with the 400w MH and two 250W HPS lamps.
I know its time for a 400w HPS I have been looking at a cool tube but that means
that I would need a fan to cool it. Around $320.00 with a 170 cfm inline fan and a
switch able ballast. I could do it for about a third of the price with standard ballast
($100 eBay) and just use the fans we have... hum.

Filled with Flora neuts, week 5 of there feeding schedule. Watering twice a day now,
once when lights go on 7:00 and once at 5:00. Lights changed to 12 hours.

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