Diy Switchable Grow Tray (Flood/Drain & Dwc)

zem

Well-Known Member
due to the request of some fellow growers, i will post a brief hopefully understandable DIY method of how i make my grow trays. this has come after years of experimenting and trying different things and i find this to be the best and the cheapest. the key is to find the black geomembrane, it is black nylon specially intended to make huge deep outdoor ponds. i found it in greenhouse supply companies who sell all kinds of greenhouse plastics for tents and so.
list of things you need:
-wood sheets, any thickness that can be screwed into a shape of a box and be sturdy, 1/2"+
-L shaped aluminium bars
-2 drains
-hoses screws and fittings
-geomembrane
-a small piece of vineyl or rubber sheet(optional) 5"x5" would do

it's very straightforward, shape the wood like a box and drill holes where you intend to make the drain and overflow. the holes should be bigger than the drains.
shape the geomembrane inside the box and screw it to the walls with the aluminium bars.
now cut holes in the nylon where you want to place the drains. i chose to reinforce it using the vineyl sheet. you can however cut several pieces of the geomembrane sheet and use them for this purpose. just make the same size drain hole in each piece and place them under the first nylon layer so that it comes in between it and the wood in bottom of the box. sorry i got no pics for this...
now all you have to do is screw the drains to the holes, you dont need to tighten too much, it becomes waterproof as soon as you start tightening. 3rd pic you can see the overflow hole with the hose. all i have to do is raise it to desired level or raise it above table if i want to switch DWC. i can fill this table with rocks and use it flood/drain or i can fill it with water and place a lid with holes and use it DWC. the lid just lays perfectly on the L shaped aluminium bars. pics tell the whole story. i use PVC boards with some insulation for the lids.
the nylon is guaranteed for 3 years in outdoor sunlight conditions and under high pressure of deep ponds so i guess i will grow old before i have to replace it indoors lightproof shallow conditions lol and i have a roll of it for cheap. my tables are about a foot deep.

enjoy!
 

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bulla

Well-Known Member
i used 3 homade ebb & flows in a 15x18 room...i took 3 4x8 sheets of plywood and screwd 2x6 boards on it for the walls..i then got a 1 gallon can of liquid nails and coverd the entire in side and lined it with the white and black plastic i put on my wall..white side up...i did 3 lawers on each just to make sure it was water proof and i used a clean putty knife to flatten it out ...they worked like a champ and for 1/2 the cost of buying one from a shop i made 3 ....i used a 30 gallon and 25 gallon rubber made tote connected together for a resavoir for each table . i now grow in soil but i have them against the wall for future use
 
Zem,
This is exactly how I make my resevoir. I lined the inside of the closet with pond liner, put a ledger around the walls and lay 2x4's across the top as a floor. I basically built a resevoir under a raised floor. This way the floor of my grow space is clear.
 

zem

Well-Known Member
yeah it's a great way to make a cheap and durable res, i had tried many ways before including old vineyl, epoxy pain, and plexiglass, but this way seems just right
 

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
IMG_3538.jpg_MG_4189_0122.jpgEven cheaper, even easier. Plywood, 2x6, and sheet of shower pan liner. Also, A 55 gallon REz that costs $20 and does not bulge out and deform when full
 

My420

Active Member
This is awesome. I'm going to do this instead of buying 200-300 dollar flood and drain setups
That is very nice to save $. I just got myself a 115 gallon rez so it was easier to move/clean etc. Here are some pics of my grow.. Will try to post more when light comes on at 7pm EST. And where can I find me a 2-300 F&D setup sheesh my rez alone was like $250 lol. 4x8 was like 210. :p


https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/429274-experimental-grow-pics-please-comment.html#post5680747
 
i'd love to get a hydro setup. this is the method i would use to have my perfect scrog grow. the whole room would be cutom fitted for maximum use of space to increase yield. custom fit reservoir along with custom fit screen and good plant training. designer plants in my eyes. full enviromental manipulation with good planning and a good grower. cultivation perfection. be a while till i get there though guys. only 7 weeks into my first true grow ha ha ha. ya never stop learning with this hobby its great
 

problemsolver

Active Member
due to the request of some fellow growers, i will post a brief hopefully understandable DIY method of how i make my grow trays. this has come after years of experimenting and trying different things and i find this to be the best and the cheapest. the key is to find the black geomembrane, it is black nylon specially intended to make huge deep outdoor ponds. i found it in greenhouse supply companies who sell all kinds of greenhouse plastics for tents and so.
list of things you need:
-wood sheets, any thickness that can be screwed into a shape of a box and be sturdy, 1/2"+
-L shaped aluminium bars
-2 drains
-hoses screws and fittings
-geomembrane
-a small piece of vineyl or rubber sheet(optional) 5"x5" would do

it's very straightforward, shape the wood like a box and drill holes where you intend to make the drain and overflow. the holes should be bigger than the drains.
shape the geomembrane inside the box and screw it to the walls with the aluminium bars.
now cut holes in the nylon where you want to place the drains. i chose to reinforce it using the vineyl sheet. you can however cut several pieces of the geomembrane sheet and use them for this purpose. just make the same size drain hole in each piece and place them under the first nylon layer so that it comes in between it and the wood in bottom of the box. sorry i got no pics for this...
now all you have to do is screw the drains to the holes, you dont need to tighten too much, it becomes waterproof as soon as you start tightening. 3rd pic you can see the overflow hole with the hose. all i have to do is raise it to desired level or raise it above table if i want to switch DWC. i can fill this table with rocks and use it flood/drain or i can fill it with water and place a lid with holes and use it DWC. the lid just lays perfectly on the L shaped aluminium bars. pics tell the whole story. i use PVC boards with some insulation for the lids.
the nylon is guaranteed for 3 years in outdoor sunlight conditions and under high pressure of deep ponds so i guess i will grow old before i have to replace it indoors lightproof shallow conditions lol and i have a roll of it for cheap. my tables are about a foot deep.

enjoy!
I finally know the difference between pool liner and pond liner, and it's called Geomembrane. I once nearly lost my mind one day trying to find a generic name for the stuff. I knew there was a difference.
 
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