The Ebb's & Flow of Time and growing (The Doctor Grow)

DR......Lets get this part started.need to see the location off the controller.It has to be on level ground with the buckets,or you will hold water.ill show you a pic to get an idea
Ebb2.jpg

try to keep the lines straight to stop bacteria build up.lower your light to 20 to 24 inches over you buckets.give me a shout i am here for you my brother, worked with this system for years.any questions just stop in the vipers nest or pm.most members in the vipers nest have Ebb,s.they are good guys
 
I'm working on my first grow with the Ebb & Grow so can offer a few tips from mistakes I've made. These aren't pro-tips but rather some noobie mistakes to avoid.

First throw away the tubing that came with the system and get something sturdier. The walls are too thin so the tubes kink easily and, at least for me, quite a bit of the tubing comes off the spool already kinked. Even if you smooth out kinks they seem to reoccur either from the flood/drain cycle or the cooling and heating of the tubes from the lights. I had a couple hoses that would not stay straight and had to be replaced. Sturdier tubing than what CAP provides seems to be much less likely to kink up on you.

Make sure you have plenty of tubing to spread the pots as the plants grow. It's a messy pain in the ass to replace tubes once the system is filled but can be done. It's my first grow and I seriously underestimated the length of hose I would need. Remember you're going to need to rotate these plants. It's easier to just rotate the outer bucket rather than lift out the insert but you'll need extra tubing to accomplish this, it can break your fittings loose and cause leaks or if you're not careful you can kink a hose and cut the flow to some pots. Always double check your tubes if you move any pots around. Hell give them a quick visual inspection whenever you're in the room.

Run some water through before you plant so you can check for and fix leaks. You'll also want to make sure all your pots are filling at roughly the same rate. This will help you find kinks that you may have missed when laying out the tubing.

When you plant remember the height of the outer bucket is below the insert bucket. Next grow I'm going to be planting an inch or two down from the top of the inner bucket. We planted all the way to the top of the inner bucket and the ladies had a rough first week in the ebb & grow since we weren't getting the water up to most of the roots. Once they dropped more roots everything ran fine. At least that's my theory on why the transplant was a major stress for them. Could have also been my source for clones leaving them sitting in stagnant water for 5 hours before they were planted. Not so impressed with my "mentor" these days.

I found drilling some extra holes in the sides of the insert pots will help to break the vacuum seal that develops so you can lift out inserts when needed. My aforementioned "mentor" also believed my plants were root bound after three weeks in the pots and recommended this be done to fix that. I don't see how that would really help fix them being rootbound but it did make it easier to break the vacuum seal that develops between the two pots.

Other than that, good work putting your reservoir out of the room. It'll heat up fast under lights. Wish I had done that to start with. My next reservoir change will probably include running some new lines and moving the reservoir out of the grow room.
 
DR......Lets get this part started.need to see the location off the controller.It has to be on level ground with the buckets,or you will hold water.ill show you a pic to get an idea
Ebb2.jpg

try to keep the lines straight to stop bacteria build up.lower your light to 20 to 24 inches over you buckets.give me a shout i am here for you my brother, worked with this system for years.any questions just stop in the vipers nest or pm.most members in the vipers nest have Ebb,s.they are good guys

Cool PitViper thank you, and that is one sweet room you have there my Bro.

I wanted you to see the tubing, 3 on one side and 3 on the other, instructions say it will fill faster if all distributing ports are used???

The light are setup to get as close to the pot's and the inhabitants 20" to 24" closer is needed as they set now they are 13" above the pot's but don't worry no plant's in yet! tomorrow I wil have six white widow clones hopefully!!

A question I do have is should I take the water I tested the system out and put fresh water before starting the feeding process, this good to have someone to help out.

This how I have the pot's laid out right now! will this be a okay formation to work with, I will make adjustments if needed for the best results I have plenty of tubing just incase of mistakes extra 50' purchased today.

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I'm working on my first grow with the Ebb & Grow so can offer a few tips from mistakes I've made. These aren't pro-tips but rather some noobie mistakes to avoid.

First throw away the tubing that came with the system and get something sturdier. The walls are too thin so the tubes kink easily and, at least for me, quite a bit of the tubing comes off the spool already kinked. Even if you smooth out kinks they seem to reoccur either from the flood/drain cycle or the cooling and heating of the tubes from the lights. I had a couple hoses that would not stay straight and had to be replaced. Sturdier tubing than what CAP provides seems to be much less likely to kink up on you.

Make sure you have plenty of tubing to spread the pots as the plants grow. It's a messy pain in the ass to replace tubes once the system is filled but can be done. It's my first grow and I seriously underestimated the length of hose I would need. Remember you're going to need to rotate these plants. It's easier to just rotate the outer bucket rather than lift out the insert but you'll need extra tubing to accomplish this, it can break your fittings loose and cause leaks or if you're not careful you can kink a hose and cut the flow to some pots. Always double check your tubes if you move any pots around. Hell give them a quick visual inspection whenever you're in the room.

Run some water through before you plant so you can check for and fix leaks. You'll also want to make sure all your pots are filling at roughly the same rate. This will help you find kinks that you may have missed when laying out the tubing.

When you plant remember the height of the outer bucket is below the insert bucket. Next grow I'm going to be planting an inch or two down from the top of the inner bucket. We planted all the way to the top of the inner bucket and the ladies had a rough first week in the ebb & grow since we weren't getting the water up to most of the roots. Once they dropped more roots everything ran fine. At least that's my theory on why the transplant was a major stress for them. Could have also been my source for clones leaving them sitting in stagnant water for 5 hours before they were planted. Not so impressed with my "mentor" these days.

I found drilling some extra holes in the sides of the insert pots will help to break the vacuum seal that develops so you can lift out inserts when needed. My aforementioned "mentor" also believed my plants were root bound after three weeks in the pots and recommended this be done to fix that. I don't see how that would really help fix them being rootbound but it did make it easier to break the vacuum seal that develops between the two pots.

Other than that, good work putting your reservoir out of the room. It'll heat up fast under lights. Wish I had done that to start with. My next reservoir change will probably include running some new lines and moving the reservoir out of the grow room.

Thanks for the tips PerpetualNoob, every little bit of information helps out to get to a finish result, I am new to EB also yes! but have been growing indoors for the past year with BP/DWC, I did planned this room out! and having ran into Res Tank temp problems the first thing considered was the tank out of the room along with ballists for the lighting, fan's and enclosed lighting with a venting by an inline fan 452cmf, I don't like tripping over crap either! so the room has just what it needs for growing other than a floor fan or 2.

So right now as this this room set's! it lacks only a few things ie. greater size! co2, A/C, dehumidifier all that is down the road for future grows and of course the ebb and flow of cash lol, I look foreword to working with you! a new to EB growing like me let us stick together we can help each other out here!

I have six clones coming tomorrow (Saturday the 22nd and hope to make any last minute adjustment if needed or required! so who ever you may be chime in I am open to good suggestion from the experienced EB growers.

Thanks Bro! much luck to you also.

:surf: Doctor Who

AKA: The Doctor
 
Hello! today I decided to install the A/C unit just in case of any bad heat spells, the room will be much more efficient than my tent was any day of the week! so it shouldn't run as much as it did when on my 6x6x6 tent, that thing leaked horribly! this grow room is close to air tight! now just have to get the fan's all timed to make it work right, maybe temperature control unit's for the venting and the fresh air will have more of an efficiency impact than timers, have to what and see.
 
;)So since I don't have clones yet! I have pe-set timer on the intake fan to cycle on every 15 minutes and off for 15 for and the exhaust timer is set to come on every 1/2 hr for 15 but I think temp controls on them would work much better in combination with the A/C, but this will work out just have to see what time settings on the fan's bear the best results for now.

Sure wish those guy's would have come through for me! I am real disappointed:cool:, but what the heck I've waited this long what's a few day's more right! besides what choice do I have!

By the way I do have some lowryder autoflower seeds for outdoors and some No Idea what the hell strain seeds these are:) in a baggy enough for 30 or fourty sprouts but 10 or so will do! I would hope 4 or 5 out of 10 would be female:grinjoint:.
 
;)So since I don't have clones yet! I have pe-set timer on the intake fan to cycle on every 15 minutes and off for 15 for and the exhaust timer is set to come on every 1/2 hr for 15 but I think temp controls on them would work much better in combination with the A/C, but this will work out just have to see what time settings on the fan's bear the best results for now.

Sure wish those guy's would have come through for me! I am real disappointed:cool:, but what the heck I've waited this long what's a few day's more right! besides what choice do I have!

By the way I do have some lowryder autoflower seeds for outdoors and some No Idea what the hell strain seeds these are:) in a baggy enough for 30 or fourty sprouts but 10 or so will do! I would hope 4 or 5 out of 10 would be female:grinjoint:.

wait for the clones
 
How much maintenance did you have to do when you grew in your tent? Did you have any heat issues? Just concerned because that is going to be my first grow. Not a bad setup by the way.
 
How much maintenance did you have to do when you grew in your tent? Did you have any heat issues? Just concerned because that is going to be my first grow. Not a bad setup by the way.

During the summer it can't be avoided easily, but yes there are issues that will have to be dealt with and if you prepear for them ahead of time you can avoid most issues, all depends on how big the tent is and where you set it up and what conditions exsist in that room or garage, is the room cooled or not, what's your climate like in your neck of the woods, all that and more has to be considered before you set up and start your grow.

Im my opinion these are main items that will up your sucess in a tent bear min. if you can DIY and build stuff yourself you can make most of this stuff.

Light encloser
Inline Venting
Fans

If you need more info just ask.
 
Cool I have all of that and some. Got my 6" inline duct fans plan on using one for intake one for out take and a Can air 6" inline fan high output from HTG supply. I have a cool max 6" hood I believe and plan on getting some oscillating and some small stationary fans mayb even some computer fans not quite sure yet though. I was just looking at the 6 site ebb and grow in the hydrofarm magazine I have looks like an awesome setup cheap too.
 
Thanks Bro's, I just put this in today 4 Hindu Kush and 2 Grape OG? anyway their in! I have the nutes on low low low! for now to ease them in to it, I dropped the amount in the Res as per some good info being passed on to me thanks guy's running only 25 gallon as recommended, only thing I didn't like is the w/r their in I hate the stuff, I put some autoflower seeds in grem for the outdoor pots and dropped a few bag seed in the ground for the hell of it too!​

Here we are on day #1 18/6 cycle to Veg them for the next week or so, I'am glad I'll be able to get some help here if I have some question, the room is running just like I had hoped so far, nice an cool, next up will be a chiller for the res tank but I have a little time before that is needed so I can save up till then.​

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looks good...clever covers but you wont need them at all. In fact...you will be hurting them. the system relies on a system of oxygen exchange....dont cover them up.
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when your plants get big..like bloom time you will want to increase the capacity to 40 gallons.....if not a lil bit sooner. thats whats maintains such stability due to a large capacity.
 
I'll remove the covers then! I think I may have to invest in a chiller the tank stay around 72 degrees and goes down nice when I add frozen water bottles to chill it down some.
 
I am snagging basically the same setup here in the next couple weeks, very interested in seeing a vet grower doing this from day 1 :)

SG

Keep checking back to I'll post any problems or other info that I run into on this start up, seems almost to easy like an auto system and that's when you keep your eye's open, never drop your defenses.
 
Keep checking back to I'll post any problems or other info that I run into on this start up, seems almost to easy like an auto system and that's when you keep your eye's open, never drop your defenses.

Just make sure you have a "check-list" of some sort when you do res changes, until you have everything down. Check that the weep/drip hole is clean and functional, make sure your pumps are back installed and plugged in. Make sure you don't have any kinks or obstructions that would block the filling of your buckets.

Last thing you want to do is come home to 40 gallons or so of water on your floor! Makes for a shotty day! :cheesygrinsmiley:

I think Pit will confirm that 72f is fine for your water temp. I know he mentioned he's been close to 80 previously. And my whole last grow was at 74.5, with no root issues.

What kind of flooding cycle are you doing now Doc?

Looking good Doc!

Sf
 
Just make sure you have a "check-list" of some sort when you do res changes, until you have everything down. Check that the weep/drip hole is clean and functional, make sure your pumps are back installed and plugged in. Make sure you don't have any kinks or obstructions that would block the filling of your buckets.

Last thing you want to do is come home to 40 gallons or so of water on your floor! Makes for a shotty day! :cheesygrinsmiley:

I think Pit will confirm that 72f is fine for your water temp. I know he mentioned he's been close to 80 previously. And my whole last grow was at 74.5, with no root issues.

What kind of flooding cycle are you doing now Doc?

Looking good Doc!

Sf

Ive been at 78-80 for 2 years..never had root problems
BUT..I would add a chiller myself...just havent done it
 
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