# best medium for ebb and flow



## mobby420 (Dec 23, 2007)

i would like to have the table divided into 4 parts...... and be able to move the plants around fairly easily, i was thinking rockwool, but what are my other options? and how would i set it up? using hydroton under it? hydroton floats...


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## chewy*barber (Dec 23, 2007)

If you want to move your plants easily then I think rock wool is your best option.

There really is no need to have hydroton in the ebb/flow if you are using rock wool for the entire grow. In fact, I wouldn't want my roots to grow from the rock wool into the hydroton if I planed on moving them around in the tray.

I use a DIY ebb/flow that uses hydroton. But, I use individual containers. 

If your not using individual containers and you want to move the plants around, then I think the rock wool is the way to go.


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## mobby420 (Dec 23, 2007)

i would like to try using a coco or coir based media....... i could buy little pots, but how does it work? do i get net pots or regular plastic ones with the holes on the bottom ? i would ideally like to keep each plant in its own self contained container... what kind of coco medium? what kind of pots etc? do i mix the coco with anything ?


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## FilthyFletch (Dec 23, 2007)

I advise not to use the coco medium as its messier and not so great. In ebb and flow tables I use 6 inch square pots with the holes in the bottom then 4x4 inch rockwool cubes in the pot and also hydroton packed in around the cube.I dont like to mve my plants much so I sometime also add rockwool slabs under each row of pots so the roots can grow from the pott into the rockwool slab and get a good hold.I then like to add a small layer of hydrotn pebbles to the table to help keep the roots out of the hid lights.You can skip the rockwool slabs and hydroton in the table though if your needing to move plants so much for some reason.Remember each strain has different needs so try to keep similar strain in each table using the same res as nute amounts will vary per strain as you will find or may have already.


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## email468 (Dec 23, 2007)

i use 6" net pots lined with coco-tech liners. i fill them up with hydroton and use halved rapid rooter plugs to hold the germinated seed in place. I wouldn't even attempt to move them after a month of growth though - the roots get entangled in the reservoir. the root pic is about a month old plant.


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## infamouse21 (Dec 23, 2007)

where is the rest of the plant in the pic? lol


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## email468 (Dec 23, 2007)

infamouse21 said:


> where is the rest of the plant in the pic? lol


here ya go


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## UserFriendly (Dec 23, 2007)

net pots filled with hydroton is all you will ever need. it's easy, clean, low maintenance, and reusable; it's perfect.


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## FilthyFletch (Dec 23, 2007)

Issue with netpots in a flood table is the roots get exsposed to lights unless you fill table with hydroton or use plant cover to cover the table


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## UserFriendly (Dec 23, 2007)

FilthyFletch said:


> Issue with netpots in a flood table is the roots get exsposed to lights unless you fill table with hydroton or use plant cover to cover the table


growing in a bed of hydroton would be ideal. if one wants 4 sections, it's the price you pay for mobility. however, in a hydro setup, having a small rootmass isn't an issue; especially when you can flood less than an inch of the tray all day long.


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## FilthyFletch (Dec 23, 2007)

I use the 6 inch square pots with the 4x4 cubes and then flood the table about 4 inches.The pots have the rockwool and hydroton in it. I do have bigger yields with rockwool slabs and the tray filled with hydroton as root mass is bigger and takes more o2 and food in


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## mobby420 (Dec 23, 2007)

you used to fill the table with hydroton, and then put the rockwool slabs on top? 



FilthyFletch said:


> I use the 6 inch square pots with the 4x4 cubes and then flood the table about 4 inches.The pots have the rockwool and hydroton in it. I do have bigger yields with rockwool slabs and the tray filled with hydroton as root mass is bigger and takes more o2 and food in


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## FilthyFletch (Dec 24, 2007)

No Mobby.I put a light layer of hydroton in the 6 inch square pot.Then my rooted plant in the 4x4 rockwool cube goes in the pot then I add hydroton to the pot.I then laid the rockwool slabs in rows in the table.They come in 3 foot by 8 inch wide slabs.I then put the pots ontop of the rockwool slabs so the roots can grow into the slabs.I then filled about 2 inches or little more over the slabs with hydroton pebbles.More roots stable plants and less watering needed


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## doc kron (May 27, 2008)

when you place the slabs do you completely remove the plastic from them or do you only take the plastic off on top where the pots go??


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## piFFstAr407 (May 27, 2008)

email468 said:


> i use 6" net pots lined with coco-tech liners. i fill them up with hydroton and use halved rapid rooter plugs to hold the germinated seed in place. I wouldn't even attempt to move them after a month of growth though - the roots get entangled in the reservoir. the root pic is about a month old plant.


can you get those coco-tech liners / toppers at most hydro stores or online anywhere? i like your setup.


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## bongjockey (May 27, 2008)

I use pellets in individual regular solid wall pots with drain holes (not netpots) in my flood system. I clone in 40mm rw cubes.

I flood small plants 3x day, up to about 13mm (1/2") below the bottom of the rockwool cube containing the clone. The flood level should not touch the cube. Saturating a rw cube with a small plant in it several times a day can cause overwatering symptoms.

I use the Hydroton brand pellets. Only a few pellets per kilo float for me, most sink. I don't flood that deep anyway. My pots are 175mm tall. I flood to 75mm deep for large plants and about 125mm for newly planted clones until their roots get down into the damp pellets.

Roots that escape my pot drain holes tend to to get pruned by exposure to air. They never have a chance to knit so plants can be moved around individually.


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## GangstaChronic (Jan 16, 2010)

for the ebb n flow - what if the plants are in 1.5 inch rockwool cubes and in 6 inch square pots with holes in the bottom with hydroton packed around the side and covering the top of the rockwool cube - and i use nothing (no hydroton) to cover the sourrounding area outside of the pots...

what if i cut the roots if it got too long / outside of the pot to prevent light interference... theoretically it shouldn't matter because the size of roots don't matter in a hydroponic system... Right?


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## smalltymer (Jan 16, 2010)

how big is your table? how many plants per table you wanna go? right im running a 4x8 with 6" pot filled with hydroton. i have 4 pots per sq foot. im wanting to switch over to rockwool cuz taking the roots out of hydroton is a pain and cleaning and plus they are heavy. too much vs rockwool. i just throw away the cube when im done and by more.


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## GangstaChronic (Jan 16, 2010)

it's 2ft x 3ft x 8 inches.

i hear ya about the the hydrton


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## Uncle Jimmy (Mar 11, 2011)

Whats every body's thoughts on using lava rock instead of hydro-ton ? I've seen it done in DWC . Its cheaper .


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## drgreentm (Mar 11, 2011)

pots are the way to go if you want to move your ladies around. i havent had a problem pulling 2 oz's a plant with 6x6x7 square pots. here is some pics one is how i do it in the hydroton.


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## Tiger Woods (Mar 11, 2011)

Uncle Jimmy- done it yes it acts similiar to hydroton but its also much more harder to clean. It also fucks with your ph like hydroton. Seems know matter how much id clean them, Id still end up with all that dust in my table/rez. Also hear(don't know how true it is) that its tough on your roots due to all the sharp edges. It worked but its a PITA and I def. wouldn't reuse it due to the fact its each rock has hundreds of small holes that roots find/grow their way into and its impossible to get out. Just to much trouble. I'll be sticking with perlite. 

Check this out https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/403516-whats-good-alternative-hydroton.html#post5223969

Peace and Good Vibes!


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