Hello, and welcome.


I'm a little bored with soil growing, so to raise my interest level I'm about to commence simulating a mini Flood & Drain system, that I hope will take over the way I grow - For Now!



I've had a go at NFT a few times and Flood and Drain once in the past. NFT for me has never been a success. But I was new to growing back then. I've since done much reading and communicating with like minded people to realize a few general areas where I was going wrong. Feel like I'm writing a book!


I bought a large gravel tray a couple days ago to place one of my blooming ladies on to catch run off. As I sat and smoked I had a brain wave. The gravel tray appeared ideal for some kind of water culture. I went to look around the place to see what bits I already had suitable for implementing hydro and found that my need to spend a lot of money to set it up had quickly disappeared. I'm not going to waffle on too much here.


I'll do a photo step by step with a bit of info about the pics.

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Hardware:

1 Large Gravel Tray
4 Net Pots
16mm Supply Tube
25mm Supply Tube
16mm Tub Outlet
25mm Tub Outlet
2 Supply Filters
1 Supply Extension
1 Water Pump
1 Air Pump
Some tubing for Air Supply and a few tube connectors.

I may need a few more items, but this is where I start.



The pic doesn't show everything. The net pots I had from previous hydro ops. Same for the Air pump, Air tubing & Connectors, Water Pump, and featured bucket. some stuff looks dirty, which is true, the used items haven't been washed since their last use yet, but it will be done.

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First thing was to drill the 30mm holes for the Tub Outlets. This caused me to have to go to the hardware store and buy some tools, but that isn't much of a problem as tools are always useful.

Unfortunately, the shop didn't have a 30mm bit, so I bought a 28mm and hoped for the best. I had to mess around a bit but the 28mm bit did the job, though I will get the right bit to ensure any other similar job I undertake will be done correctly and without extreme force.



The Tub Outlets had to be forced in and it took creativity to tighten them in.


.

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After assembling the Tub Outlets, tightening nuts and placing the filter and outlet extensions in their right holes, I made a hole for my Air Supply that will oxygenate the flood tray.


Not the best quality pic!



There is a little connector that joins two tubes holing the Air Supply line in place.


The near finished assembly.

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Next I found a place to put the tray, a home in the garden. I then chopped the right lengths of Flood and Drain Tubing and attached them to the appropriate Outlet.


I didn't make this in the exact order I'm typing it in. I put these tubes on before I drilled my air supply hole etc.


Overall, it didn't take very long to construct. I shall be cutting some corriboard for the top tray with holes in for the net pots and also cutting a piece to keep the light out the bucket. I suppose I better switch it on and flood the place!

Stay tuned as I will soon be taking clones from my vegging cheese plants, rooting them and putting 4 clones onto this system and simultaneously I'll be doing a soil cheese grow to compare?!?!

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yes, looks a very simple effective set up. i like it

That looks like an ingeneous set up. why didn't you just go all the way to dwc with it? Sorry for the stupid question but your pictures are too big to fit my screen so I can't really get a good look at it.VV

Hello and thanks VictorVIcious,

Well, when I get my lid(s) in place and made a few adjustments I should be able to run DWC style without any probs. I have a variety of fixtures and fittings around me that can let me do top/drip feed, as is flood and drain and with more consideration to air DWC. DWC was the objective with all respect, though the design is that of a flood and drain. There seems to be such a fine line. If I used misters and pots on top of the tray I could turn it into an aeroponic system. For now though, it will be just a simple flood and drain.

I may put another one together once I know how well it performs and may also try the mentioned methods.

cheers

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thanks mann!

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I've run the system and it has teething problems.

The pump I installed is a little powerful, even on slow mode, so it is getting replaced with a less powerful one. The bucket as a reservoir idea works, but my 10L isn't enough, will change it for a molded 25L storage container that the top tray may well be able to sit on which would be nice. And finally I need to cut some corriboard to size and place the holes for the pots. I'll then add an air stone to the new reservoir. With a little clean up the new system should be good to go. I will be taking 4 cuttings in a day or two and will be adding them to this system as soon as they are rooted. Simultaneously I will introduce 4 plants into the room in soil. They are the same strain. Difference is the potted plants would be near on 80 days in veg but the clones will be only just rooted. To save confusion the potted plants will be in the other thread found in my sig.

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