Hello everyone, I am looking for a large scale ebb and flow design. I understand how I would build one, using one reservoir and a table with a tray on it, above it. My question is, If my tray could fit, 10 flowering plants. and I was growing 60 plants in the flowering room, (6 tables, 10 at each table), is there a way to build the system, so I can use just one reservoir? The initial plan in my mind, was to use a seperate reservoir for each table/tray, but I was thinking, and it would be easier and more cost effective, to have all the tables being fed by one larger reservoir. So, can I simple add more holes to the bottom of my reservoir, and rune the tubing to each table, and just get a very powerful pump to pump the liquid to all the tables? Would this work? If this would work, can anyone shed some light on how many gallons my reservoir should be, and how powerful of a pump I will need. The water will need to be able to be pumped across 13 feet of tubing (That is the entire length of the Flowering Room I am using), so it will need to be a pretty powerful pump. Thanks, hoping someone can shed some light on this for me. All of the how-to and instructions I have found, have been based on small operations, so I am not sure if my idea will work, or if all the tables will not be fed properly for some reason. Thanks, Shrek
You could use the same reservoir as long as you use a separate pump for each table. Just set the timers to turn the pumps on at different intervals. (One will go on at 6:00 and shuts off at 6:15 the next pump goes on at 6:30 shuts off at 6:45 and so on. You want to give each flood table enough time to drain before the next pump goes on) This way you only need a reservoir big enough to fill one flood table and your pumps don't have to be so massive. Just make sure your reservoir holds at least 50% more water then needed to fill one flood table because 60 plants will drink a lot of water as the get bigger..
you will have to check the pH levels and TDS levels CONSTANTLY with that many plants feeding out of one resevoir...but with sixty plants I would imagine you will have meters to check, moniter, and add nutes and pH up/down accordingly
thing is you thing you will be saving time by not having to fill up and balance six seperate resevoirs but you will need to fill that 1 resevoir up 6 times as much.... I mean I could see if you were trying to save money on the pupms but balancing all that with 1-3 pumps would always be hastling you..
Great advice, I did not even think of having the pumps go off at different times, that sure made me feel silly lol.
Yes, I will be purchasing a Nutra-Dip Continuous Tri-meter as seen on this page. http://www.advancedindoor.com/phtds.html That should be good enough right?
why not get 2 of those 70 gallon resivors with 3 pumps each? you'd need another one of those meters though.
Very similar to a past grow. The problem I was having is one res just wouldn't cut it for me. I had to constantly add water and do the balancing of ph and nutes way too often for my taste.( they drink!) Solution for me, I added a 2nd res before the first one with an auto fill etc and I could manage it alot easier.
All you need is 3 normally closed 2 way solenoid valves. If you're a hydro grower you're no fool when it comes to electricity. Here's how you do it: Needed: 1 Pump capable of filling two tables simultaneously with enough water. Plenty of Hose 3 timers 3 2 way Solenoid Valves Wire each timer to one of the solenoids and the pump. Be sure to use safe wiring techniques. ie. soldered connections with electrical tape and perhaps a conduit from the solenoid. As other's suggested, program each timer so no more than one is on at a time. As each timer clicks on it will start the pump and open the appropriate valve. You could wire it so the pump is always on if you have it plumbed for nutrient circulation. Make sure the timers are spaced properly so you don't drain the res and burn up the pump. This may seem over the top but I think it makes more sense. 6 solenoids will be more expensive and the only payoff is a smaller res. I think with 60 plants you would want as large a res as possible to buffer the ups/downs of the nutes/ph. You could always use 1 3-way solenoid valve and make it water 3 tables at a time. If you use solenoids make sure they are "Normally Closed" this way they only open when energized. my 2 cents