I was asked by a member to show how I make my Ebb & Flow tables.....err..tubs. I make almost all my E&F's......the hydro store wants too much for a table and a res. The only thing I can't find any where but the hydro store is the fill and drain fitting ($4.95) and the overflow kit ($3.95)
They look like this......
OK......pretty much any tupper ware tub can be used for a res. Depending on what size you need ...... they sell it. Here are a few examples I had laying around the house. I think they are only like 5 bucks for a large one........
I like to use a 55 gallon drum. I have access to free ones from a chinese warehouse. They get there Soy Sauce in 55 gallons drums from there factory. The guy has hundreds of them. Nice little resource :wink: They wash up fine with no smell. I usually only use the bottom half, and just cut it to size I want. They come with gallon markings on the side in 5 gal increments. The top has two caps....but I used once before ....and it started to leak one day....so I do not use the tops anymore.
OK....Now you have a res to hold the water. Now you need a table to go on top to hold the plants. Try and find one that has a pretty flat bottom. If not you can make a rack like I am about to show to help even it out. You can use any of the above tupper ware that you used for a res and use it for a table. Just cut it down to size. I like the long tupper ware tubs ....holds more plants.
The inside of the tub has the sides a little lower then the middle. I found these racks behind my grocery store.......the ones that are on the bread racks.......I thought they were trash....they were outside
So I take this rack.....
cut it to size.........
Fit it inside the tub.......
and cut holes for the fill and drain kit.
Use the smaller piece of the rack and cut it to size to fit in the tub......You can see in the pic how the rack creates a flat surface so the plants sit level.
Also lets the roots grow down into the rack and not be smashed under pots.
The fill and drain kit can be put on either the end or on the side or middle.....which ever you prefer. I use a 1-1/8" bit for the drain and a 1" for the fill. Pictured is the top and the bottom once installed......
You connect the 1/2 hose to the bottom of fill plug and connect the other side to the pump inside the res. Plug this pump to your digital timer. You need a second pump inside the res that runs 24/7. You want to constantly stir the nutes in the res to ensure proper distribution to the plants. The drain plug comes with a 1/2" PVC pipe that you cut to size according to the size of plants you are using. It is a overflow pipe that lets you set the level of water in the table while being flooded.......which runs right back into the res.
I needed a table for my 12 White Rhino clones to get some root develpoement before going into buckets........so this was good timing.
I cleaned the tub....res and drain kit. plugged in pumps....set timer to water at 8am....4pm....12am. I added a air pump and 4" air stone to help ciculate the res. I also used two slats of wood and put under neath res to help keep good support. I have two systems under a 1000w HPS. My other 2 mH's are being used.
To sum it up.....all you need is a container to hold water......a container to hold plants. Try and make a flat surface inside for plants to sit on. Add fill and drain kit. Connect hose to fill pump. plug in circ. pump.......set timer.
You are ready to grow.
They look like this......
OK......pretty much any tupper ware tub can be used for a res. Depending on what size you need ...... they sell it. Here are a few examples I had laying around the house. I think they are only like 5 bucks for a large one........
I like to use a 55 gallon drum. I have access to free ones from a chinese warehouse. They get there Soy Sauce in 55 gallons drums from there factory. The guy has hundreds of them. Nice little resource :wink: They wash up fine with no smell. I usually only use the bottom half, and just cut it to size I want. They come with gallon markings on the side in 5 gal increments. The top has two caps....but I used once before ....and it started to leak one day....so I do not use the tops anymore.
OK....Now you have a res to hold the water. Now you need a table to go on top to hold the plants. Try and find one that has a pretty flat bottom. If not you can make a rack like I am about to show to help even it out. You can use any of the above tupper ware that you used for a res and use it for a table. Just cut it down to size. I like the long tupper ware tubs ....holds more plants.
The inside of the tub has the sides a little lower then the middle. I found these racks behind my grocery store.......the ones that are on the bread racks.......I thought they were trash....they were outside
So I take this rack.....
cut it to size.........
Fit it inside the tub.......
and cut holes for the fill and drain kit.
Use the smaller piece of the rack and cut it to size to fit in the tub......You can see in the pic how the rack creates a flat surface so the plants sit level.
Also lets the roots grow down into the rack and not be smashed under pots.
The fill and drain kit can be put on either the end or on the side or middle.....which ever you prefer. I use a 1-1/8" bit for the drain and a 1" for the fill. Pictured is the top and the bottom once installed......
You connect the 1/2 hose to the bottom of fill plug and connect the other side to the pump inside the res. Plug this pump to your digital timer. You need a second pump inside the res that runs 24/7. You want to constantly stir the nutes in the res to ensure proper distribution to the plants. The drain plug comes with a 1/2" PVC pipe that you cut to size according to the size of plants you are using. It is a overflow pipe that lets you set the level of water in the table while being flooded.......which runs right back into the res.
I needed a table for my 12 White Rhino clones to get some root develpoement before going into buckets........so this was good timing.
I cleaned the tub....res and drain kit. plugged in pumps....set timer to water at 8am....4pm....12am. I added a air pump and 4" air stone to help ciculate the res. I also used two slats of wood and put under neath res to help keep good support. I have two systems under a 1000w HPS. My other 2 mH's are being used.
To sum it up.....all you need is a container to hold water......a container to hold plants. Try and make a flat surface inside for plants to sit on. Add fill and drain kit. Connect hose to fill pump. plug in circ. pump.......set timer.
You are ready to grow.
