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 magick81
Padawan grower
 
Registered: 09/21/11
Posts: 415
Loc: Narnia 
Last seen: 2 years, 15 hours
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 Flood and Drain aka Ebb and Flow, some questions please 
#615454 - 03/31/12 12:49 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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Hi guys,
Been thinking alot on how I can automate my watering/feeding. A couple times my plants have gotten too dry, i lost a couple of em :/
Anyways, I think I've settled on ebb and flow/flood n drain.
That way I just need to make sure the res is topped up every couple days.
I don't have much money, can't afford the luxury of buying a setup.
Anyways, this is what I have come up with. Shouldn't cost too much. The pump will fill the top tray up to flood, then it drains back through the pump for the drain cycle. Will also add air pump and airstone.
Just a couple Q.s
1. Will draining back through the pump be ok provided I have some kinda filter at the top to stop solids going through it? If not I guess I can install some kind of valve to return through another hose.
2. When its all setup, how long should the flood and drain cycles be, and how often?
Any other feedback or advice would be great too!
I have thought about other systems that are not recirculating, but I like the ease of this design. If it all works how its supposed to, I will only need to check/adjust/top up the res once every few days.
Sometimes I go one day without checking them, then the next day some have died due to dehydration 
(They are still is small cups at the moment, which is probably why the dry out so quick)
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In the human brain, the hypothalamus controls the four f's:
1. Fighting 2. Fleeing 3. Feeding and ...4. Mating
My Current Grow. Killing Fields & Heavy Duty Fruity!!!
My Grow Journal. First Grow EVER!!!!
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 Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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Re: Flood and Drain aka Ebb and Flow, some questions please [Re: magick81]
#615457 - 03/31/12 01:41 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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If you are doing flood and drain you need to get a spout in your tray so over flow will empty back into the res. If you don't you will have over flow. And there shouldn't be any solid material to flow back in through the pump. Unless you are going to put hydroton in there. In that case they make these really cheap little things to put over the intake and outpour holes to keep them from going into your reservoir.
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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KaptKid
Spaced Pirate
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 5,615
Loc: Bright Side of the Sun
Last seen: 11 months, 17 days
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 Re: Flood and Drain aka Ebb and Flow, some questions please [Re: magick81]
#615682 - 04/01/12 06:15 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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You will have to add water daily. Plants drink more than you think.
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Child of the 60's, Tripping ever sence.
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KaptKid
Spaced Pirate
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 5,615
Loc: Bright Side of the Sun
Last seen: 11 months, 17 days
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Re: Flood and Drain aka Ebb and Flow, some questions please [Re: KaptKid]
#615686 - 04/01/12 06:20 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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Also ck'ing EC(ppm) and pH
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Child of the 60's, Tripping ever sence.
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Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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Re: Flood and Drain aka Ebb and Flow, some questions please [Re: KaptKid]
#615689 - 04/01/12 06:23 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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Kapt makes a good point, if you have trouble remembering to water, how are you going to do daily maintenance on a hydro system.
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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