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Why would standing water in ebb/flow matter?

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Now in technicolor
Veteran
In an ebb/flow system, the reservoir is generally not aerated because there is enough aeration done when water is drained back down into the res.

So my question is, why is every ebb/flow guide uptight about standing water on the bottom of a flood tray being a no-no, when the ENTIRE res is standing water already? The standing water in the tray will be aerated and mixed on the next flood cycle.
 
T

twowordz

I don't know about the quality of the water, I just wouldn't want water there to augment the humidity level in the room.

cheers
 
BlueberryLovr

BlueberryLovr

Member
Bugs love stagnant water and so do microorganisms. And it'll get stinky quick! Plus, that stagnant water will be at a higher temp than the res (depending on your setup). Double trouble.
 
S

Squire5683

Member
Im definately not the pro to log in here, but I run a 48 site E&F system that has nothing but problems right now.... Look at my posts... im trying to figure them out..... but anyways.... You never want stagnant water staying around, especially under your lights. Granted, its just water with nutes.... But hey... Youve got the sun showing on it with your lights.... H2O/Light = LIFE..Life means organisms/algae/funk.... drain everything, even my bucket system Stagnant water under my buckets=LIFE . Clean, Clean, Clean the factor of healthy life.... Im posting this after a few beers...but sounds clear to me
 
dgr

dgr

Member
Not aerated? Wish somebody had told me. Oh wait, no I don't. I'll keep my tanks smelling clean, mixed and DO in my water when it floods, not when it drains back, thank you very much. Al B Fuct is my hero and he improved his yields when he went back to aerating his tanks.

On topic, I wouldn't want the algae and the extra humidity. Any water that is heated by your lights is going to have reduced DO in it. I E&F coco and I don't need to create any more places for the fungus gnats to get their party on.

curious why you would want to keep the water there?
 
M

Marshall

Member
I dont want my roots sitting in water.

On a store bought tray, it isnt too much of an issue, pitch the table a little and it will drain. Plus you have all the channels that the water sits in and keeps the pots from sitting in the water.

On home made tables, they are flat and can cause the roots to sit in water


Thats my thought.

I always get algae and dont sweat it. Its not much and I just clean it after harvest
 
!!!

!!!

Now in technicolor
Veteran
I'm not saying standing water is good (it's not) but the reservoir IS standing water already. Anyway, some good points were made here.

It's an issue for me because I'm using a cement mixing tray, it's perfect except as mentioned above the bottom is flat, and I'm using the botanicare ebb/flow fittings so there's about 1/8th" of height before the drain (the height is for the washer and bottom of the drain attachment.) I will be drilling a hole in the tray for the excess water to overflow if this is an issue.
 
M

Marshall

Member
I have heard you can use heat and make a dent in the tray. Use a torch and something like a metal pipe to make the dent. That way the fitting will be flush

You could also drill a very small hole, and the tray would drain all the time. Small enough that the tray will still fill, big enough to allow the tray to drain completely.
 
L

lowerarchy

New member
Marshall said:
You could also drill a very small hole, and the tray would drain all the time. Small enough that the tray will still fill, big enough to allow the tray to drain completely.
Click to expand...

Couple problems there. Pump works harder than it has to, heats up your res and dies early. Also, something clogs the hole or your timer fails, you get a flood. Ideally your overflow should be at least 1.5x the capacity of the inlet.
 
Mr Celsius

Mr Celsius

I am patient with stupidity but not with those who
Veteran
BlueberryLovr said:
Bugs love stagnant water and so do microorganisms. And it'll get stinky quick! Plus, that stagnant water will be at a higher temp than the res (depending on your setup). Double trouble.
Click to expand...

This

Plus it drains back into the res when you flood next.

Also, aerate your res... its a good idea; for obvious reasons.
 
Mr Celsius

Mr Celsius

I am patient with stupidity but not with those who
Veteran
!!! said:
I'm not saying standing water is good (it's not) but the reservoir IS standing water already. Anyway, some good points were made here.

It's an issue for me because I'm using a cement mixing tray, it's perfect except as mentioned above the bottom is flat, and I'm using the botanicare ebb/flow fittings so there's about 1/8th" of height before the drain (the height is for the washer and bottom of the drain attachment.) I will be drilling a hole in the tray for the excess water to overflow if this is an issue.
Click to expand...

Put the wholes in your cement tray in the middle. The tray will sag when filled with water. You're talking about the trays they sell at lowes, right?
 
M

Marshall

Member
lowerarchy said:
Couple problems there. Pump works harder than it has to, heats up your res and dies early. Also, something clogs the hole or your timer fails, you get a flood. Ideally your overflow should be at least 1.5x the capacity of the inlet.
Click to expand...


A third hole.

You still have your normal fill and overflow fittings.

The third hole would be 1/8 to a 1/4 inch. That would not make the pump work harder


I had this issue on wood tables with liner. I used a bit that looked like a big router bit to countersink my fittings. But last time the bit was worn. So I used a saw saw and cut out a 4x6 piece. Then I cut a 6x8 piece of wood and attached it underneath. So now I had a 4x6 crater. Installed my fittings in the crater. This wont work on the plastic tub since the plastic is not that thick.

I used tubs in the past and I do not think the sagging trick will work
 
ThePizzaMan

ThePizzaMan

Active member
Veteran
cement tubs are great if you are going to fill them with aggregate....with pots...they fucking suck. Standing water is a no-no...there is a reason the commercial flood trays have zig zagging crater lines on the bottom. It ain't for show lets put it that way.
 
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