What's new
  • Happy Birthday ICMag! Been 20 years since Gypsy Nirvana created the forum! We are celebrating with a 4/20 Giveaway and by launching a new Patreon tier called "420club". You can read more here.
  • Important notice: ICMag's T.O.U. has been updated. Please review it here. For your convenience, it is also available in the main forum menu, under 'Quick Links"!

Multi-flow/Ebb&Grow Users: TIPS&TRICKS

E

eLiguL

Hello all you Multi-flow/Ebb&Grow Users,

In about a months time I will be running a six site systems myself. I was wondering if any experienced users could chime in with their battle stories.

The most I have heard that was produced from this system is 6#'s from two 1k lights, CO2, A/C, dehumi and 17 buckets (source: SeeMoreBuds vol:3[the last segment]). The norm seems to be 2# per 1k light once you have your shit dialed in.

Ideally what kind of structure am I looking for in a strain? Tree? Bush?

Watering times? 3 times? Every 6 hours? Lights off?

Bucket within bucket? 10in Netpot lids?

Rez changeouts? Never change it?

Light distance from canopy? Static light height?

Medium? Hydroton? Perlite?

A/C? Dehumi? How many fans?

Special wiring requirements? Subpanels?

Please come and share so we all can learn a thing or two about this productive grow method.

UPDATE:
*information based on 5 unique participants

It seems that everyone using the system has broken the 1lbs per light marker (RedXIII on his first attempt no less). Also, the average yield per bucket of 70-100g’s seems to be the norm. Anything in the 60-80g range on my first run should be considered par.

I also noticed that the amount of light is not in direct correlation to the amount of yield produced. The same can be said about amount of buckets used.

All participants who used 1000w+ also used A/C. All grows using more than 35 buckets used a dehumidifier, only one grow used CO2.

Rez change outs ranging from weekly to bi-weekly are acceptable. I will try to go longer and see if there are any ill effects. Aeration does not seem to affect yield in any drastic way.

The average flowering height is approximately 1ft and finish height is on average 3ft. All participants used some kind of device to hold up their girls, this seems to be a must and should be planned ahead of time.
 
Last edited:
L

laidbackgreen

Member
Did you look at the thread at all? There is so much info about ebb and flow it is ridiculous, both buckets and tables. I just started doing Multi-Flow buckets and I was very nervous before starting. After reading that thread I was confident going in.
 
E

eLiguL

I have read through the first 10 pages when I was researching Lucas formula. But as I stated before in my previous post I was looking for more system specific info from experienced users. Lucas has much to offer but for my purpose I would rather have wisdom from experienced users of this system. Much of Lucas's advice is theory and not practice based, that is just my opinion.

You mentioned that you are currently using Multi-Flow buckets.

What strain are you running?

How long do you plan to veg?
 
L

laidbackgreen

Member
eLiguL said:
I have read through the first 10 pages when I was researching Lucas formula. But as I stated before in my previous post I was looking for more system specific info from experienced users. Lucas has much to offer but for my purpose I would rather have wisdom from experienced users of this system. Much of Lucas's advice is theory and not practice based, that is just my opinion.

You mentioned that you are currently using Multi-Flow buckets.

What strain are you running?

How long do you plan to veg?
Click to expand...

Aye. They get alot into the specifics of flood and drain somewhere in that thread. As for what I am running: 18 site multi flow, 3x600 watt hps (air cooled with 6" can fan) Am running Ak47 from Serious. And I am hoping I can veg for 2 weeks (this after being in a peat pellet for 9 days then into 3.5 inch rockwool cubes for 12 days) Gonna see how the rockwool works and if not so well I am going to transplant the peat pellets into 5.5 inch net pots then into multi flow buckets next time around.
 
E

eLiguL

laidbackgreen said:
Aye. They get alot into the specifics of flood and drain somewhere in that thread. As for what I am running: 18 site multi flow, 3x600 watt hps (air cooled with 6" can fan) Am running Ak47 from Serious. And I am hoping I can veg for 2 weeks (this after being in a peat pellet for 9 days then into 3.5 inch rockwool cubes for 12 days) Gonna see how the rockwool works and if not so well I am going to transplant the peat pellets into 5.5 inch net pots then into multi flow buckets next time around.
Click to expand...

So if I am following correctly you will have a total of 35days or 5 weeks before flower?

AK47 is known for its stretch, im scared to think of the giants you will be housing (HAHA). Have you thought of a plan to hold up your girls?

From my research it seems that 3ft is the ideal finishing height with buckets at a distance of approximately 10in. Tomato cages seem like an ideal support structure and will fit nicely into hydroton.
 
L

laidbackgreen

Member
eLiguL said:
So if I am following correctly you will have a total of 35days or 5 weeks before flower?

AK47 is known for its stretch, im scared to think of the giants you will be housing (HAHA). Have you thought of a plan to hold up your girls?

From my research it seems that 3ft is the ideal finishing height with buckets at a distance of approximately 10in. Tomato cages seem like an ideal support structure and will fit nicely into hydroton.
Click to expand...

35 days is correct although the first 2 weeks are under T-5s then the third week 400 mh.

I grew this same plant in dirt and at the tallest it was 32 inches (that was with 4 week veg in 3 gallon grow bags under the 600's) Of course I just staked the ones I needed with bamboo. The tomato cages seem like a good idea and I should try and find some if there are any left for sale (out of season). Prolly just go with trellis netting or maybe duct tape the stakes to the sides of the buckets or see how they do in the hydroton.

Edit: How long do you plan on vegging? What medium are you cloning in?
 
E

eLiguL

Veg until about 8-10in, I chose height over time as I found this to be more important. Most strains stretch 3-4x and that would give me close to my ideal finishing height of 3ft.

I clone in 2in rockwool cubes.
 
Last edited:
RedXIII

RedXIII

Member
I'm runnin a 6 bucket multi-flow myself, hydroton, under a 600w on a light mover. The multi-flow system is pretty damn simple, once you get it going its pretty much set it and forget it. Thats whats so nice about it, it does all the pain in the ass watering for you! I set mine to flood every 4 hours round the clock, and its worked excellent for me. First time around got just shy of 19 zips from this setup. 2nd run had to chop it all down at start of flower cause of a damn inspection. Just finally got running again after all that for round 3.

Its a bucket in bucket setup, no netpot lids needed. The only thing you have to do is check your pH and reservoir levels daily to make sure they are in check. I like to do a full res changeout every 2 weeks, but thats up to you, some do it more often, some never changeout. I also like to fill the rez up with plain water and run that through for a flood every other changeout to help flush any salt buildups. Keep your rez temps in check, I have mine set for 66-68 degrees. You will want to keep your rez light tight or you could have algae problems, I did a little bit the first go around. Now I have a UV sterilizer.

Always keep your light the closest you can to the canopy while still maintaining the proper footprint over your garden and not burning the plant tops. I like to use LST to form short squat bushes, and a garden trellis spread out over a pvc frame once flowering is induced. Once they stretch, you can pull all the tops under the netting to fill in your canopy and even it out, creating tons of budsites that receive more light than they would have.

As far as the wiring and A/C and dehumidifier, thats all growroom dependent, doesent matter what system your running. Always shoot to maintain the proper temps and whatnot and all that as needed.

Heres a couple pics of my old setup and the new one...

Old:






New:








:rasta:
 
E

eLiguL

Hey RedXIII

RedXIII said:
I'm runnin a 6 bucket multi-flow myself, hydroton, under a 600w on a light mover. The multi-flow system is pretty damn simple, once you get it going its pretty much set it and forget it. Thats whats so nice about it, it does all the pain in the ass watering for you! I set mine to flood every 4 hours round the clock, and its worked excellent for me. First time around got just shy of 19 zips from this setup.
Click to expand...

So if im following correctly:

System: Multi-flow from Greentrees?
Space: LxWxH??
Light: 600w on a mover
Buckets: 6
Watering: 4hrs non-stop
Avg yield: 19oz/532g
Rez size: ??
Rez change: 2 weeks, 1 flush flood before nutes
Rez temp: 66-68F/18-20C
Style: Bushes with trellis
A/C: Y/N??
Dehumi: Y/N??

Your setup seems efficient :rasta:

What strain are you running?

What height do you induce flowering?

What is your final plant height/height of your trellis?

RedXIII said:
Its a bucket in bucket setup, no netpot lids needed.
Click to expand...
It seems as if the biggest downside to this system is cleaning the hydroton afterwards. I believe 50L is the recommended amount of hydroton for 6 buckets (source:HERE). Using a netpot lid would significantly cut down on the amount needed/amount needed to cleaned.
 
Last edited:
RedXIII

RedXIII

Member
Yeah its the muliflow from greentrees. my space is 3.5 ft wide X 4.5 feet long. I know thats larger than what a 600 normally covers, but with the light mover being added it works out great. My rez size is a 25 gallon from botanicare. I don't need a dehumidifier.

I have a 6" vortex in the attic pulling air from my room, through the light and then out a carbon scrubber (Can 33). No A/C in the room, although its still a bit warm here so it would be nice at the moment, but its about to start cooling down for fall. I have an a/c across the hall in my bedroom that I keep going to keep the intake air cool though.

I ran mostly Reservoir seeds Apollo Mist, (Apollo 11 G4 X Kali Mist) and Double Strawberry Diesel. I flowered at about 14" I believe, but that was after tying down the plant many times to bush it out. I had my trellis at about 17", just a few inches above the tops at start of flower. Final plant height was a bit over 3 feet I think.

I agree, the worst part of it all is the hydroton. I tried cleaning the roots out, and did for a bunch of it, but man was it a pain in the ass. I eneded up just throwing it away and buying a new 50 L bag for 30 bucks, still have to rinse it, but it was worth it not having to get all the little bits of root out of the rock. I only have a bathtub to work in so maybe if you could have a better space you could make a better hydroton cleaning device. That part is the worst part of the whole process though, you are right.
 
E

eLiguL

mesh_basket_lid.jpg

This style of mesh pots is mainly used as a lid on top of the 3 or 5 gallon pails as it is designed to provide a better drainage.
I think ill try one of these and see how it goes.

RedXIII Specs:
System: 6 site Multi-flow from Greentrees
Space: 4.5Lx3.5W ft
Light: 600w on a mover
Buckets: 6
Watering: 4hrs non-stop
Avg yield: 19oz/532g
Rez size: 25gal
Rez change: 2 weeks, 1 flush flood before nutes
Rez temp: 66-68F/18-20C
Style: Bushes with trellis
A/C: N
Dehumi: N

Your specs are very similar to what im aspiring to do (1000wHPS, 3x5x7, 6site). Initially I thought that a dehumi would have been a must for this system but your living proof it is not. My goal is to get 100g per bucket . :jump:
 
Last edited:
E

eLiguL

islandgrow said:
Hey eLiguL

I'm in the same boat as you. Check this out.

http://www.ahlgrows.com/hydroUG.html

Very modestly priced. 2 year warranty, Looks to be a fantastic system. I'm contemplating it.
Click to expand...

Correct me if I am wrong but isnt that a recirculating top feed system?

It does look interesting but I prefer the multi-flow/ebb & grow system.
 
Last edited:
RedXIII

RedXIII

Member
100g a bucket and even more is definitely doable, especially with a 1000 watter and a good strain! I am aiming to hit 3 zips per bucket and I will be pretty happy :smoke:

The first go with these buckets I only had 5 females from seed and had to throw a little clone in at the start of flower to fill the 6th bucket. Plant weights varied on the 5 larger females to 2 oz's on the worst yielding pheno of DSD to 7 oz's on the best apollo mist pheno I had. It also took up the most room of the canopy though too lol, and crowded out others around it.

Throw up some pics of the multi-flow once you get it set up! The netpot in the lid sounds interesting, if it works out good it would be nice to have less hydroton to deal with thats for sure
 
E

eLiguL

RedXIII said:
100g a bucket and even more is definitely doable, especially with a 1000 watter and a good strain! I am aiming to hit 3 zips per bucket and I will be pretty happy :smoke:
Click to expand...
Im hoping 100g is doable for me :jump:

RedXIII said:
Throw up some pics of the multi-flow once you get it set up! The netpot in the lid sounds interesting, if it works out good it would be nice to have less hydroton to deal with thats for sure
Click to expand...
Ill report back with my findings on the netpot thing.




So this is the supposed room that yields 6lbs.

Room Specs:
System: Greentrees
Space: 5x8
Light: 2 1000w HPS in aircooled hoods
Buckets: 17-18
Watering: 6hrs
Avg yield: 100-120g a bucket
Rez size: 50gal
Style: Bushes with tomato cage
A/C: Y
Dehumi: Y
CO2: Y


In this pic you can see the tomato cages in action on those bushes, he spaces them about 10in apart. How tall do you think those girls are??


You can see the yield claims
 
Last edited:
L

laidbackgreen

Member
RedXIII said:
100g a bucket and even more is definitely doable, especially with a 1000 watter and a good strain! I am aiming to hit 3 zips per bucket and I will be pretty happy :smoke:

The first go with these buckets I only had 5 females from seed and had to throw a little clone in at the start of flower to fill the 6th bucket. Plant weights varied on the 5 larger females to 2 oz's on the worst yielding pheno of DSD to 7 oz's on the best apollo mist pheno I had. It also took up the most room of the canopy though too lol, and crowded out others around it.

Throw up some pics of the multi-flow once you get it set up! The netpot in the lid sounds interesting, if it works out good it would be nice to have less hydroton to deal with thats for sure
Click to expand...


Red do you use CO2 at all?

Eligul those girls look anywhere from 26-30 inches tall to me. You could measure a tomato cage and get a close idea to what they are also.
 
E

eLiguL

laidbackgreen said:
Eligul those girls look anywhere from 26-30 inches tall to me. You could measure a tomato cage and get a close idea to what they are also.
Click to expand...

411630051-thumb.JPG


I think your estimate is pretty accurate. His ideal height is quite a bit below my estimated 3ft finishing height.
 
OgreSeeker

OgreSeeker

Active member
I don't think that 10" netpots will work very well in this situation. Many/most of your roots will be hanging below the netpot without water and nothing (hydroton/RW/Lava Rock) to keep the roots moist in between waterings. The roots will dry out and dye off pretty fast if they are not kept moist. On the flip side...they'll quickly die if they are submerged for to long without oxygen (I'm sure you already know this).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Latest posts

Top