resivoir changing question

i am about to switch from bucket DWC system to an ebb and flow system(with an 18 gallon res)...i changed the res in my buckets weekly and flushed every 3 weeks...how should i tackle the ebb and flow res change and flush schedule?

i have 4-70 gallon resevoirs and using an extra pump and running a length of hose to the bathroom, I pump it out, prop one end up on a piece of 2x4, pump till it won't pump out anymore then I use a hand bilge pump (available at plumbing or irrigation supply houses) to pump the rest out into a bucket, clean with my h2o2 solution and fill for re-use. All 4 get done on the same day (every 10th day) and take about three hours to change and clean thoroughly.

I do the same thing with my aerocloner which holds about 18 gallons, except when it is almost pumped out I just dump it by hand.

it depends on how much water your resevoir holds. mine hold 3 gallons and i change it once a week. now if you have one that is 18 gallons you probably can make it two weeks. watch your evaporation rate i had problems with that at first and had nute burn. learned my lesson. good luck fella

reefrigerator said:

it depends on how much water your resevoir holds. mine hold 3 gallons and i change it once a week. now if you have one that is 18 gallons you probably can make it two weeks. watch your evaporation rate i had problems with that at first and had nute burn. learned my lesson. good luck fella

Click to expand...

were you only running 3 gallons on your ebb and flow tray? how big was your tray if you were? because i'm thinking about a 3' x 3' tray, and those resivoirs have at least 18 gallons...let me know

by the way thanks for all the help!!

I have a 40gallon reservoir and a 2x3 tray. I change my nutrient solution every 2 weeks. I do that when the level gets low enough that the pump will no longer fully fill the reservoir and makes some noise as it sucks air through.
I think if you measure the PH and PPM and they stay within normal range you can change your reservoir when it gets low.

I flood 11 gallons on a 3x3 tray to go 2 inches up the sides. Once you have chosen the tray size you will then need to size a res for the tray. The calculation for this is quite simple: Height you wish to flood in the tray (H) x Width of the tray (W) x Length of the tray (L). For this calculation it is best to convert feet into inches. Then multiply the cubic inches by 0.0043 to convert it into gallons.