DIY Ebb & Flow

SmokeyMcMedic

New Member
Greetings!! Smokey is going to take all you willing readers out there on a fun journey through the land of DIY. In this journal, I will be providing step-by-step instructions on how to build your very own flood/drain hydroponic gardening system; The McEbb&Flow.


Lets begin. In doing research for this project, Smokey discovered a few things:

A.) Pre-Built Ebb and Flow systems are expensive.
Period. There is no way around it. I have combed the internet, and local supply shops trying to find a great deal on a turn-key ebb and flow. There arent any that I have found. You will be lucky to find pre-fab for under $500.00.

B.) DIY imparts a sense of pride.
Anyone can order a system, receive it, put it together, shove some plants in and be growing. With a home built-system, however, the end result is much more gratifying due to the fact that you built your planter from the ground up with your own two hands and had great results.

C.) You will save money.
Not just a little bit, either. I mean, with this economy, who doesn't like saving money?




Lets begin. Most of what we will be using is pictured below:

S7304617.jpg


Here is the list of items in the pic;
(2) 15 gal Rubbermaid tubs
(1) 10 gal Rubbermaid tub
(2) EcoPlus 100gph submersible water pumps
(1) ActiveAqua 2 port air pump
(2) 6in. air stones
(2) 1/2in. drain bottom fittings
(2) Drain bottom screens
(2) Drain Risers
(1) 6-head irrigation manifold, 1/2in. feed
(1) Hose adapter
(1) pack of 20 small cable ties
20ft. 1/2in. ID rubber hose
30ft. 1/4in. ID rubber tubing
dust mask
 
We are going to begin by making our flood-table.

S7304622.jpg


Pictured above is our 10ga. tote, one of our drain fittings(R), and a hole-saw(L). The size of the hole-saw you will need will vary depending on the size of the drain fittings you will be using. I will be using fittings that accept 1/2in. ID tubing, so my hole-saw needs to be able to drill a hole that is 1 inch in diameter. There are many different sizes and styles of drain fittings out there, but they all have one thing in common; they are dirt cheap. I got mine for $0.87 a piece. Can't beat it.

Start by making two marks at opposing ends of the tote;
S7304623.jpg


It is important to make sure your drains are at the lowest possible points in the tote. Complete drainage is very important in this type of system, as water that remains in the bottom after the cycle has completed will become stagnant over time. The totes by Rubbermaid have a nice, wide trench in the bottom of their totes that suits this purpose almost perfectly. While any solid rubber/plastic tote may be used for this project, I would offer a piece of personal advice; stay away from totes made by Sterilite. While they incorporate trenches at the bottom of their containers, they are not nearly wide enough to accept any size of drain plug. I have found that Rubbermaid containers use superior materials in their construction that can withstand alot of punishment, and tend to remain water-tight for a longer period of time.


My father has been in the construction industry for years. They have a motto - 'Measure twice, cut once.' This is sound advice, as erroneous cuts ruin perfectly good materials, and this can become costly over time. Ensure that you mark accurately before you cut.


Now that we have decided where we want to place drain plugs, it is time to make our holes.
S7304626.jpg


IMPORTANT!!
A hole-saw can be dangerous when not used properly. Keep hands and fingers clear of the cutting area at all times. Do not use hole-saw against counter-tops, flooring, any metal surface, or any other surface that could be easily damaged by a rotating blade. Do not use hole-saw on wet surfaces.
 
You should now have 2 holes in your 10ga. tote, one at each end.
S7304627.jpg


After you finish cutting the holes in your tote, use coarse grit sandpaper or a de-burring tool on the edges of the holes to remove burrs or build-up left over from the cutting process.
S7304631.jpg


This is important, as anything left between the container surface and the seal on the drain plug could create a leak.

Next, we are going to install our drain plugs.
S7304628.jpg

These are the drain plugs I will be using. They come with a threaded nut, and a slilcon/rubber O-ring. To install them, unscrew the nut from the drain plug, then place fitting into the hole, with the O-ring on the internal side of the fitting. Then, replace the nut and hand-tighten. This should give you a good seal. If the fitting leaks, try de-burring, or use a silicon sealant.
S7304629.jpg


With one fitting in place:
S7304630.jpg


Now we have both of our fittings installed.
S7304635.jpg


At this stage in the project, it is time to begin work on the McResevoir. This step goes fairly quickly, as we are just basically setting up pumps. Shown below is the air pump and stone setup that I will be using to aeriate my solution.
S7304637.jpg


Oxygenation of the nutrient solution is very important. Smokey has found that without proper aeriation, bacteria, molds, and fungus can develop. This is especially true for those who have space constraints, where heat tends to become a larger issue, as a warm, nutrient-rich solution is a perfect environment for bacteria to breed. So we want to use this-
S7304638.jpg

To create this-
S7304639.jpg

There. Nice and bubbly, just the way Smokey likes it. These particular airstones are buoyant, so I will need to weigh them down. I don't know the best way to do this, so any input from you guys would be great!! The next step is to get the water pump ready.

S7304640.jpg

This pump comes with screw-in adapters to accept a wide assortment of hose-diameters. I will be using 1/2in ID // 5/8in OD clear tubing. I would have preferred black, but this was all I could find, without buying in bulk. We are going to secure the tube to the output on the pump with a cable-tie. This will provide a secure connection, and facilitate ease of disassembly later on.
S7304641.jpg


Next, secure the feed end of the tube to a McFlood Table drain fitting with a cable tie:
S7304642.jpg
 
Now we are ready to install our risers and screen fittings to the drain plugs. During construction, Smokey found that the risers he ordered weren't quite tall enough, so he must order at least one more. (Cheap, though.) It is important to cover the open drain holes for 2 big reasons;
1.) It prevents hydroton or other media from blocking nutrient flow.
2.) It prevents smaller particles from falling in-to, and fouling the pump.
S7304636.jpg

On the right is a 'drain-tower'. Smokey will add another riser to make it taller. On the left, is the main drain. We attached a hose in the same fashion as with the pump, only this hose just sits down in the McResevoir, acting as a water return. This open area in the McFlood Table will be covered with:
S7304647.jpg

Everyone loves Hydroton! It is a great growing media for just about any hydroponic application.

IMPORTANT!!
Hydroton must be thoroughly rinsed and soaked in low-pH solution prior to being used for growing. It comes coated in a fine dust that will foul pumps and destroy root-systems.

Before we add the Hydroton, we need to leak-test the system first.
S7304643.jpg

Success!! The pump is filling a tad slow for Smokey's liking, but it is doing it's job. The pump will eventually be plugged into a timer, set to run 3 times daily for a later-to-be-determined amount of time. Now, we just need to check for leaks.

Pump line on the left, Drain line on the right:
S7304645.jpg


No leaks. Smokey is pleased. There we have the construction of the McFlood table and the McResevoir. There are a few things that should be remembered with this type of hydroponic system; your resevoir must be lower than your flood table - this allows gravity to drain the table and not flood your house when you have a pump/timer malfunction. Keep your electrical gear above your resevoir, above your table if you can. This reduces the possibility of water-induced electrical shorts and fires. Nobody likes a burning house. This is a flood/return system. You could build a flood/waste system, with the drain hose depositing the used nutrient down the drain. Do not waste your nutrient water into a sump-pump well, as the area outside your home where the sump discharges will become suspiciously green with plant life.

Smokey hopes you all found this to be a useful blueprint for a DIY, home-built ebb and flow on the cheap. Stay tuned for more informative and light-hearted construction journals. Next up will be the table to hold your McFlood Table, and an effective McDrip drip-irrigation system for your seedlings, starts, and clones. Future projects include: Mother table and irrigation, mother chamber, and flowering room.
 
looking good i like the simplicity. +rep for sure. only one thing i would change swap out the clear tubing for the black stuff, after a while algae will start to grow where the light hits the water in the tubes. i know home depot, lowes, and ace hardware carry it in stock.
 
:goodjob:
I've been looking into ebb and flow systems for a smaller set up, difficult trying to find a 2x3 tray system, even just the tray would almost be the price of your set up!
So, obviously I'm gonna give the DIY system a shot, my only change at the moment would the the table, since the 10 gallon tote is 23.9" x 15.9" x 8.7" and my plan is to have 6 flowering on the table. My eye has been on a 23 gallon SuperTub 36"W x 24"D x 8"H. it' only 15$ at ace hardware, need to check if it can be fitted to drain well like the rubbermaid though.
Thanks, +rep :)
 
Thanks for all the positive vibes guys!!! @trunk - yeah, I think I will wind up changing over before too long... however algae isn't really an issue yet, as I am able to keep my res nice and chilly. I am on the market for a better DIY table. The RubberMaid is gettin it done for now, but it is a little difficult to work with.
 
:goodjob:
I've been looking into ebb and flow systems for a smaller set up, difficult trying to find a 2x3 tray system, even just the tray would almost be the price of your set up!
So, obviously I'm gonna give the DIY system a shot, my only change at the moment would the the table, since the 10 gallon tote is 23.9" x 15.9" x 8.7" and my plan is to have 6 flowering on the table. My eye has been on a 23 gallon SuperTub 36"W x 24"D x 8"H. it' only 15$ at ace hardware, need to check if it can be fitted to drain well like the rubbermaid though.
Thanks, +rep :)

Concrete mixing tub is 2x3 and only costs $5. Works great.
 
Hey Dude I had same air stones try some fishing weights they have them that are skinny tube looking things that we use on salmon here but lead works great. GL I love DIY stuff. Alot of store bought are nice but there isn't alot to them. Keep your Grass Green
 
Hey Dude I had same air stones try some fishing weights they have them that are skinny tube looking things that we use on salmon here but lead works great. GL I love DIY stuff. Alot of store bought are nice but there isn't alot to them. Keep your Grass Green

We sure do have some great fishing.I use to back my pickup half way in the middle of the bend and let her float down off my tail gate lol...I would secure my pole and turn up the radio a bit and I would catch trout all day long the secret weapon being the vibration running down the line from the radio.Every one thought I was fool of crap at first lol but proved them wrong pretty quick:yahoo:
 
Thanks for stopping in turttle!!! Using a 100gph pump, the "table" fills in about 45 seconds. You know something, it just occurred to me that I should know the answer to this question. I will time it and post the exact filling time later on!!

A fellow fisherman, eh? Man, I can't wait for the spring thaw. I have had the bug since right around new years... Not much trout around here, lots of bass though. I personally love hunting the largemouth. They are elusive as all hell, and when you get one on, they fight like champions.

only two more months.... :rollit:
 
post some pix of thta baby in action please!
 
oh cool thanks man, im in a deep water culture atm but i may switch to this style on my next group thanks for the post very informative! i'll follow ur grow too.
 
ooohhhh sikkkk homie! Damn That new tub looooks wayyyy more sturdier and supportive plus obviously roomie for those little guys. Fuck the Rubbermade, when I go this route i'll definetly follow that advice as well. I love 420magazine grow lounge! Dude my Young Shepard is def starting to get large and hopefully by the 7th or 8th i'll be swopping out this shitty ass two bar florescent for a 400 watt that'll be showing up!
 
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