Any Ideas on How to Obtain a Table for an Ebb n Flow, also a Tray

Build a support table out of pvc. You could use 2x4 or plywood for additional support across the top.

Also, check the pond section at garden centers, you might find a decent flood table for $10-$20

Xcon said:

Build a support table out of pvc. You could use 2x4 or plywood for additional support across the top.

Also, check the pond section at garden centers, you might find a decent flood table for $10-$20

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Sweet! for some reason I was never notified I had a response, I just decided to stick with this picnic table I had laying around I did the measurements and its 3X6 so im pretty happy! its 29 inches off the ground.

NOW I just needa worry about a flood tray that can fit the whole table. Which makes me wonder how big of a resovoir I'd need to upgrade too (i dont think itll be much considering the whole tray will be filled with hydroton.

I checked nursery and they have a flood tray but they are a tad bit small.. but they are 1.49 each. I was wondering if itll be bad if I cut one side of the wall for each one and used aquarium silicon to seal the walls together so they join together..

Now that I am getting a lot closer to my ebb n flow set up, I need to start planning the pump line, and the flood and drain line, also the OTHER hole on the bottom of the tray to make sure all the water is draining.

Right now I just have a DWC set up so the drip system is attached to a small pole that is attached to my submersible water pump.. I see if I head out and buy a longer pole to reach out to my flood tray it MAY work.. but since its an ebb n flow is it necessary for me to have anything attached to the pole where it will be pumping water?


Heres a pic of my question, I hope this link works.


on the right picture the black represents the flood tray. now that I think of it.. it will be impossible for me to attach a pump to that line and have it drain (since it will have to work AGAINST the turned off pump)

So my question is, How exactly am I going to get an extra line on there to be leak proof and also I prefer flexible hose lines, not metal rods. Thank you so much in advanced!!


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I've built an ebb and flow out of storage totes, and I haven't been able to find a drain that won't leave standing water in the tubs. (that's a huge no-no) The solution is small drainage holes poked right through the plastic that drip back into the res. Trick is to not put too many holes so that it's draining quicker than the pump is filling it. You can also attach whatever you want with caulk to guide the dripping water if it gets messy.

You're overflow pipe is a different story though, that is attached the same way as your flood fitting so basically you have 2 of the same pvc fittings. 2 pvc pipes coming up, one of them floods the tub, the other one drains it when it reaches your pre-determined flood level (four, five, six inches, however long the pipe is will determine your flood depth). Without an overflow pipe, your table will ...overflow.

I can take pics if you need a visual, there's so much room to play with these configurations that sometimes it's difficult to see how they all come together

edit: it's also a good idea to take measurements and figure out exactly how many gallons your flood will be to help you in selecting a reservoir.

Xcon said:

I've built an ebb and flow out of storage totes, and I haven't been able to find a drain that won't leave standing water in the tubs. (that's a huge no-no) The solution is small drainage holes poked right through the plastic that drip back into the res. Trick is to not put too many holes so that it's draining quicker than the pump is filling it. You can also attach whatever you want with caulk to guide the dripping water if it gets messy.

You're overflow pipe is a different story though, that is attached the same way as your flood fitting so basically you have 2 of the same pvc fittings. 2 pvc pipes coming up, one of them floods the tub, the other one drains it when it reaches your pre-determined flood level (four, five, six inches, however long the pipe is will determine your flood depth). Without an overflow pipe, your table will ...overflow.

I can take pics if you need a visual, there's so much room to play with these configurations that sometimes it's difficult to see how they all come together

edit: it's also a good idea to take measurements and figure out exactly how many gallons your flood will be to help you in selecting a reservoir.

Click to expand...

K I managed to get a tray and I drilled two holes in em got the nozzles on em. Now I just need a fan system for my bigger built room. it gets very stuffy when the windowas closed. and my budget is running short now so I can only get 1 equip at a time. Inlet, Exhaust or mini AC? Im thinking mini AC as summer is soon to come, also it acts as an inlet by pulling air and making it cold yeeee! so I think its a 2 in 1 for me :]

BUT!!! I need some good deals m8!!! Would I have better luck online or local? cuz online has the shipping and handling charge which is a make or break factor.

some things to consider: a giant table like 3x6 will need a bunch of water.. maybe 40 gallons or more?

If you have a window in your grow room, just put a window A/C in there .

also, when yo usign up here, I do not think that "automatically subscribe me to threads" is checked... that confused me for a few days..

i checked it and now am subscribed to all threads I contribute to..

oh, and a kiddie pool is like $12 and great for a flood table
look here: [video=youtube;u8fjlDAly7k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8fjlDAly7k[/video]

I cut these food containers and made them into a complete ebb & flow. You can often get them at bread factories (i think they get molassis in them) See photo of the container here: Homemade ebb and flow system

For the flood table does the height of the wall matter? because I have a great flood tray, I put in a raised flood/drain nozzle.. but im thinkin a smaller one could suffice if the roots just will end up riding the bottom of the tray..(which would mean less hydroton to fill it up. BUT even if it makes BARELY a difference (positive wise) in performance than I will keep it at that level.

Brimi said:

I cut these food containers and made them into a complete ebb & flow. You can often get them at bread factories (i think they get molassis in them) See photo of the container here: Homemade ebb and flow system

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So you straight up went to a bread factory and requested a tray?

FriendlyGuy said:

So you straight up went to a bread factory and requested a tray?

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Yes - my friend and i just drove to the factory, where they had at least some hundreds outside. We just went to their break room and asked how much they would want for them. I paid a little less than $10 to their coffee box and got 2 containers ;O)

I even picked up another one later - i use it for rain water outside - holds 1000l so i always have rain water (i paid another $8-9 for this one - just because that was the value of the bill i put into their coffee box ;O)

the height of the flood tray matters.... you wanna flood your whole pots to a couple inches from the top...

if you just dip their feet, the top would stay dry..

I dunno about that, if you're using a cheap timer you've got a 15 minute minimum flood going, and an inch or two should be plenty for a 6x6x6 rockwool block to get completely soaked. Ideally tho, you're using the flood to prevent mold so you want to cover the root structure entirely, and that starts an inch below the top of your rockwool cube.
Most pumps don't have a 1 way bladder on them, so once the pump is off the water isn't restricted when it back flows. If your drain is at the lowest point in your bin and flush with the bottom you don't need a second drain, just suppliment holes for puddles to drain from if there are any and an overflow to set how deep your water is.

I like to use concrete mixing bin liners. They're sturdy since they're made for abuse with shovels, and they're 5 bucks at home depot for a 3x3. Some of them even had build in drains, but they were 1 inch and I was using half inch line so I opted for putting my own in.
edit-
also for a table, a box of screws is 6 bucks and 2x4's are around 3 dollars for an 8 footer. So about 20 bucks and a borrowed skilsaw and you're 20 minutes from a sturdy table thats the perfect height and size for your grow.

Good rockwool advice, but the post is about hydroton.
How big do you grow plants in the cubes in those cement trays?

I was sog'ing them 5 plants to a bin with a piece of fence for a net, so they only got about 2 feet from the top of the bin to the cola

FriendlyGuy said:

K I managed to get a tray and I drilled two holes in em got the nozzles on em. Now I just need a fan system for my bigger built room. it gets very stuffy when the windowas closed. and my budget is running short now so I can only get 1 equip at a time. Inlet, Exhaust or mini AC? Im thinking mini AC as summer is soon to come, also it acts as an inlet by pulling air and making it cold yeeee! so I think its a 2 in 1 for me :]

BUT!!! I need some good deals m8!!! Would I have better luck online or local? cuz online has the shipping and handling charge which is a make or break factor.

Click to expand...

I get better deals locally, picked up my a/c for $59 brand new. I'm always on the lookout for growing/processing equipment, whenever I see something useful for a great price, I buy it. I've been doing the same thing you're doing, buying hydro equipment when I can afford it for about 6 months now, I've finally got everything I need... just waiting for the right time. Since I've got a few soil plants going I'm in no hurry.

Something useful.... if you shop through google shopping, it will give you a list of retailers and how much they charge for shipping. Sometimes you see a retailer offering free shipping. I just got some aeration pots 4 for $20 including shipping, something I can't find locally, but still a decent price.