*The Official Flood & Drain + Ebb & Flow Thread*

ThaMagnificent

ThaMagnificent

Well-Known Member
I see alot of other types of Hydro growing techniques talked about, but very little when it comes to E&F or F&D. I think those of us utilizing this technique need a thread of our own!

My setup:

Veg - 3x3 tray under a T5

Flower - 5x9 tent
1 - 12 site E&F bucket system w/ suspended pots
1 - 3x3 F&D Tray
The E&F is under a Pro 9. The F&D is under a Johnson CX9

I run Veg+Bloom nutes. I use igloo coolers as my rezs. I figure the extra insulation keeps the water a little cooler over traditional rez.
 

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jeepster1993

jeepster1993

Well-Known Member
I have a flood and drain. Using 3.5 gallon buckets with net pots inside it with hydrocorn in that. A 55 gallon drum as the reservoir. Canna Aqua A and B as nutes. Home made led lights.

This is the control bucket.


The 55 gallon storage drum. The control bucket is sitting in front of it.


The 3.5 gallon grow buckets.
 
ThaMagnificent

ThaMagnificent

Well-Known Member
jeepster1993 said:
I have a flood and drain. Using 3.5 gallon buckets with net pots inside it with hydrocorn in that. A 55 gallon drum as the reservoir. Canna Aqua A and B as nutes. Home made led lights.

This is the control bucket.


The 55 gallon storage drum. The control bucket is sitting in front of it.


The 3.5 gallon grow buckets.
Click to expand...
Are you using tap? I also run an air pump. Some say unnecessary but I figure it doesn't hurt..
 
jeepster1993

jeepster1993

Well-Known Member
Yeah
Been told air is good. The more the better.
I run 4 air stones and feel this is not a lot. Air keeps "things" from growing in my tanks. The more air, the less things.
I have a piston pump that pumps, but it makes heat, so i use the vibrator style, its ok.
 
ThaMagnificent

ThaMagnificent

Well-Known Member
jeepster1993 said:
Yeah
Been told air is good. The more the better.
I run 4 air stones and feel this is not a lot. Air keeps "things" from growing in my tanks. The more air, the less things.
I have a piston pump that pumps, but it makes heat, so i use the vibrator style, its ok.
Click to expand...
Yea I Run a commercial one bud I suspend it with a bungee cord and run it on intervals because of the heat. It's powerful though. It has 6 hoses but I only use 3 and I get my whole 55gal rez to roll over like it was boiling
 
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packrat007

Well-Known Member
Love flood and drain. Rocked 4 x 8 bed's for years. 1/2 feed line, 1.25 "overflow, 5 flood cycle/ 24 hrs., 3" rockwool cubes, 2000 watts per bed. 45 gal reservoir, b/u resv on float valve Damn near maintenance free. Have tried many other systems, going back to E &F . Clean, fast turn around, etc, etc.
 
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packrat007

Well-Known Member
Only downside was disposal of rockwool cubes. Don't try to burn them, that doesn't work. And going to Hydro store in mid winter for boxes of cubes. Not to stealth.
 
ThaMagnificent

ThaMagnificent

Well-Known Member
The only issue I'm having with mine is the water. I'm using tap with 130ppm and 7.0pH, but I think it rises to fast after I adjust it due to whatever chemicals they put in the water to keep the pH high. I'm going to try ro and see if that clears it up.
 
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packrat007

Well-Known Member
My water is close to yours, 200 ppm, 7.0 ph. Are you using rockwool? I know on initial soaking of cubes at 5.5 ph, water can drain out at 6.2.
 
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packrat007

Well-Known Member
Ya, you would think PH would be stable . How quickly does it rise, and by how much? Does it do this all the time, or are you ever able to get it stable?
 
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packrat007

Well-Known Member
Wow, that's quite a bit. Would be interesting to see what it does if you run RO water. I have no idea why it's rising that fast. If you can, let me know what happens. Wish I had some suggestions for you.
 
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shambler

Well-Known Member
10% bleach solution. So you would use 5 gallons of bleach for a 55 gal res?
Just sounds like a lot of bleach to me.
 
jeepster1993

jeepster1993

Well-Known Member
I also use bleach, but VERY little. A tablespoon per gallon will kill almost anything. Bleach is an "additive"
Chemical. When diluted, your making more bleach, so it doesn't take a lot to do a lot.
I also throw away all the hoses between grows, never reuse any of them. Hoses are cheap.
I wipe the tent with window cleaner between grows, the ammonia will disinfect.
just do not use window cleaner AND bleach at the same time. Poison gas!
 
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packrat007

Well-Known Member
Like jeepster said, a tablespoon/ gal ( 200 ppm) will kill everything. If your cleaning out a 55 gal resv, just empty it, wipe I down with bleach solution, rinse, and your good to go. I used to run 4 x 8 beds, and would just scrub the beds with a bleach solution mixed in an ice cream pail, then rinse. I would put my pump in a 5 gal bucket of solution and pump it through to bleach the pump and lines, then pump straight water to flush. No need to mix up 55 gals of solution.
 
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