general/random growing questions

I'm looking at making a cabinet, it'll be about 6ft high, 3ft wide, and about 2.5ft deep with a 400 hps running inside. I'm going to go for an ebo & flow/flood table design. (I like the mechanics of it)

Starting out with 8 small pots and hopefully (given the law of averages) end up with at max 4 females

I’ve been round to all the local stores and sourced prices for pumps, ventilation, reservoirs, wood, fans, lights etc etc.

But I have a few details which I would like to clarify before getting going.

so here goes

• While I’ve found a good plastic Rubbermaid style container for the reservoir, I’ve been unable to find a suitable water proof container to act as the flood table (in which my pots will sit) that will fit my space. The closest I could find was only 2 + 1/2 inches deep. Even if I had a 3 litre pot this wouldn’t get a quarter way up the 3 litre pot when flooded. So that doesn’t really meet the requirements to flood between 1/3 and ½ ways up the pots (as I understand is needed). I was thinking I might just create a flood table to fit my space exactly out of wood and line it with pvc/pond lining in order to get exactly what I want but I afraid it might leak and flood my place. Any hints on this or on making an water proof container?
• Since this is hydro I understand that the plants root won’t need to be as extensive since the goods are delivered directly, what is the minimum pot size for a 2 foot plant using a hydro method? (kinda relates to my previous question and the depth of my flood table)
• Drip or ebo and flow. I’m easy either way and I understand (somewhat)what is needed to set this up, but I’m not 100% on the advantages of each. Can anyone clarify)
• Using a drip system, is this an always on slow drip (drip, drip, drip), or a scheduled flow with a similar timing to the bottom up table flood) or does it matter
• Given that ebo and flow are susceptible to power outage would it be usefully to use self water pots(you know the ones that hold a small res of water in the bottom) which could help my plants survive if power went out and the table didn’t flood in time, or would this cause other problems
• Squirrel Cage fans/ Inline duct fans do these need to be connected to the main power supply or are their version I can just plug it.. I’m not all that up on wiring and would not take this on myself. Then again I’d be reluctant to get an electrician around to wire up one of these in my attic without a good excuse,

Thanks for any help or hints.

 

anyone ?