Duelling flood tables

Major Blazer

Well-Known Member
When I ran flood and drain it wasnt important to get every last drop to drain. The roots loved growing out of the pots and into the channels that held just a little water.
Yeah I agree, I'm running a cocomat this run to see if it makes any difference - hoping to promote that.
 

TheHarvester

Active Member
Your second table would have to be an NFT variation.

I don't see any way to flood it to a certain to a height and drain it with gravity feed water.

Like someone mentioned earlier. There is and inlet (lower level) and a drain pipe (tallest) in an EBB and flow.

The pressure from the pump fills the table up to the over flow tube, then once the pump turns off, all the water flows via gravity back down the inlet. Then the cycle repeats on a timer.

The tables would have to be pretty even in height to use one pump.
unless you rigged up a solenoid valve to open and close the inlet to each table at different times when the pumps on/.


 

TheHarvester

Active Member
Flooding and draining both at the same time would be ideal. one res, one pump, 4 pipes, 2 grow beds. Pretty simple.

Put valves on the inlets since they are at different heights that way you can control the flow. The lower table will get more flow so you close off it's valve a bit until it flows evenly to the top as well.
They might not fill at the exact same rate but it shouldn't matter and you should be able to get it close enough adjusting the valves.

Then when it turns off all the water flows back down the inlet into the single res.
 

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Major Blazer

Well-Known Member
Did you already notice a difference?
When the grow is over I'll be able to answer better, but I can assuredly say that there's at least enough growth that my pots are stuck to the mat bc of the roots (meaning try to lift a pot and the mat comes up with it).
 

Keesje

Well-Known Member
When the grow is over I'll be able to answer better, but I can assuredly say that there's at least enough growth that my pots are stuck to the mat bc of the roots (meaning try to lift a pot and the mat comes up with it).
I am curious if it will make any difference in yield.
So far I can't think of any reason why it would be better or worse.

What I do think however, that it will be easier to clean your tray or whatever you use after harvesting.
Roots always try to find something to hold on to. (so it seams)
And instead of the tray and the microscopic holes in it, it has the cocomat or polyester batting where it can grow into.
 

ANC

Well-Known Member
Your outlet is of the most concern
I feed my water on one side of the table, it slowly percolates through the roots and batting until it reaches the other end of the tray, where it leaves via a 2" hole.
That hole gets constricted really fast if I don't stay on top of cutting it clean.

With small sog plants, there aren't many roots, but when you run a few larger ladies
....
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