DIY Ebb and Flow

[HashAssassin]

Here's the ebb and flow system I have used for small spaces. For you apartment dwellers who have a porch with a closet you can fit 2 of these side by side easy. These instructions do not include the frame to hold the table.

Home depot ebb & flow table setup

Materials:
1. Concrete mixing tub from home depot (27.5"x19.75"x6") $5
2. Ebb&flow fittings from hydro shop $10( I'm sure you could also rig something up found in home depot's plumbing section )
3. black vinyl hose from home depot (5/8"inner diameter 1/2"inner diameter) $3
4. Submersible pump from hydro shop/fish store $10-$30 depending on GPH
5. white egg crate(In the ceiling tile section, only comes in 2'x4') $10.50
6. 18 gallon Rubbermaid tub $5 or your choice for reservoir

Tools needed:
1. drill
2. 1" wood boring bit
3. Snips for cutting egg crate

Directions:
1. Drill one inch holes where desired in the flood table
2. Screw in the fittings
3. Cut the egg crate to 18"x15" and 4"x4" holes in the egg crate for the fittings
4.Attach hoses to pump and fittings
5.Put pump in reservoir, fill with nutes, and you are done!

The beauty of DIY is adaptability. Here's the double tub version I used in the porch closet and in a 4x4 tent. You can also use the large tubs if desired.

 

[WeednFeed]

Great looking setup and a real nice job on the tub! That was a smart choice... black, sturdy and inexpensive. The egg crate was a wise pick as well and nicely done frame. Your work is neat and the detail is appreciated. What did you get for a yield on the double tub setup?

 

[HashAssassin]

14 oz with a 400W and 10 plants when flowering started at 12".

 

[WeednFeed]

Nice return. Well done.

 

[theroots]

Very nice! So you add a timer for the flood/drain cycles?

 

[HashAssassin]

Yes. A cheap one will do, preferably one with 15 min intervals.

 

[ptg701]

My last crop (Hindu Kush Auto) was an Ebb & Flow setup like Hash Assassin's.

I use the large 2x3 tub and a 27 gal reservoir.

I also pump air constantly into the solution like in a DWC.

I ended up with six plants for a yield of 10 oz.

 

[SmokeyMcMedic]

Hey man, very nice setup. Where do you get those mixing tubs at? I looked around and could not find them anywhere, and wound up going with RubberMaid tubs. Then again, I may not have been looking in the right places... Peace.

 

[Trunk5]

thoes trays are at home depot or lowes but there in the isle where all the quick dry cement is....

 

[HashAssassin]

My HD has them with the roofing supplies...go figure.

 

[SmokeyMcMedic]

Nice. Thanks for the tip. You got 14oz from a 400w? That is really awesome, and it also makes me feel really good about spending the money on one of them. I'm glad that I didn't go with the 250w, like I was originally going to. Peace!

 

[Hydrogrown]

Wow Hash this is an awesome system, way cheaper than any prebuilt system I just so happen to have a porch closet with some extra room I've been thinking about...

 

[UglyMuppet]

what do you set the timer for? i just set up a ebb flow set up and i need to know when the pump should flood the table. i am going into flowering lights on at 6am and off at 6pm.

 

[HashAssassin]

twice a day

 

[Stoned-Medic]

Sorry if this is a stupid question i'm new to hydroponic growing and have only ever used a soil medium i was curious about the water level...what stops the pump from overflowing the tub? is it time running, rate, something in the pump, or perhaps something on the ebb and flow fittings? thanks in advance

 

[Hydrogrown]

Dont worry about it stoned medic, the answer to your question is that it is in the fittings. You want to have the drain fitting set lower than the edge of the tub or drain table, and the intake can be set just above that. In the pictures, the black tipped one is intake water, green is drain out. Welcome to 420 magazine!

 

[cross1420]

Very nice setup! Well put together as well, thanks for the info. I am gonna have to find me some of those trays.

 

[ptg701]

Seems to be some confusion about the fittings.

In the picture above, the green fitting is both the fill and drain.
It fills when the pump is on, and drains back through the pump when the pump is off.

The tall fitting is the overflow pipe.
It prevents the tray from overflowing.

 

[Easyrider]

I have a couple of questions, before I get started. I don't see a lot of long time growers using this, and how secure is thiis site.

 

[budbro]

I have a couple of questions, before I get started. I don't see a lot of long time growers using this, and how secure is thiis site.

Look in the grow journals, tons of long time growers her. How secure is this site? A million times more secure than your ISP.