For All Cap Ebb and Grow Users

[morrisgreenberg]

yes, thats the beauty of this system, i keep a rez approx 6ft away from the controller, i would keep the controller inside only because your going to have more feed lines going from controller to buckets, as opposed to only 2 lines from rez to controller, plus you want the lines from controller to buckets to be on the ground

 

[redduke]

Glad to find a forum for the CAP system. This is my first grow using the system with
32 buckets in Veg I just returned to room after a few days away and I have a few questions that I would really appreciate any help on.

The foliage on the plants look really pale.

Could a high PH be preventing nitrogen uptake? thus making pale green?

How many times should I have the system watering per 24 hours, in Veg?

I am using Technaflora pura vida nutrients with a PPM at around 640. Is this too high?

 

[thehiena]

Finaly I've found a thread I can relate to, I also use the ebb n grow buckets but I haven't been able to fine tune it 100%, I drilled some more holes on the inner buckets because the roots were clogging the holes at the bottom so I made holes on the side of the inner buckets, now the roots come out of those hole too but not enough to clog them.
The only problem I have is something call the claw, I've tried diffrent nutes but always end up with the claw don''t know what causes it.
I water my plants 5 times a day, and I change the rez every 18 days and I flush for 1 day in between.

 

[morrisgreenberg]

hey Hiena, your plants look chunky no matter what the issue is, perhaps that claw effect is from too much nitrogen? i have had it before and many others on these forums but still no definitive explanations i have found, i do know that too much N will make your leaves look so dark they almost turn blue, then the edges where its serrated turn downward, this is all that happens right before actual nute burn, and on the strains that have longer skinnier fan leaves this can happen. cleaning this system is a major pain i found that its easier to just get new hosing than clean the old ones, i use PBP and it builds up so thick that it needs to soak in hot water to get out all that sewage, plus personally i get paranoid about not being totally clean so i opt for hose replacement every cycle

 

[Lovin'JK]

Looking to purchase an ebb n gro, this thread is helpful. Why not build your own controller and system for around 300? Any REAL Guides?

 

[morrisgreenberg]

if not so mechanically inclined, i would pick up this system from plantlighting.com, they have it for $399, you cannot find a better deal anywhere else

 

[fluffygrrrl]

Do you guys veg in your ebb n gro or veg separately? I bought a flood & drain table for my veg room. Can anyone recommend what they like best and the size of pot or cube needed to veg with? I was thinking of buying 4" square pots and filling w/hydroton, but I've also seen people using rockwool cubes.

 

[morrisgreenberg]

yea the 4inch pots sound good, aslong as you use clay pellets its easy to transer to buckets, i am sure you start cuttins or seeds in some sort of RW cube, thats just fine, i veg in the buckets but i too started using a tray and 5.5 inch pots

 

[doogleef]

I LOVE my CAP E & G. Glad to find a thread of like-minded growers. I too am running it with GH nutes + H2O2 to keep shit clean. 24site 3kw. The BEST way i've found to flush and clean the system is to use a wet/dry vac to empty the buckets completely. If not you WILL have a wet floor.
Anyone else add an airpump to the res?

I

 

[doogleef]

Do you guys veg in your ebb n gro or veg separately? I bought a flood & drain table for my veg room. Can anyone recommend what they like best and the size of pot or cube needed to veg with? I was thinking of buying 4" square pots and filling w/hydroton, but I've also seen people using rockwool cubes.

I've vegged in it and used it only as a bloom kit. Either-or is fine. Don't use rockwool cubes for anything other than cloning.

They do make 4" coco cubes that look kind of cool 4" pots of clay pebbles will be fine for your veg table. Using Lucas all the way thru?

 

[fluffygrrrl]

I've vegged in it and used it only as a bloom kit. Either-or is fine. Don't use rockwool cubes for anything other than cloning.

They do make 4" coco cubes that look kind of cool 4" pots of clay pebbles will be fine for your veg table. Using Lucas all the way thru?

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

I like the idea of using a wet dry vac..sounds easier than a pump. I think I will stick with hydroton in pots on my veg table. 4" or 5.5 like Morris. Rockwool seems to hold water too much for me. I also made a bubble cloner with airstones in a rubbermaid tub. I tried rockwool, hydroton and sure to grow 1.5" inserts in net pots. They looked good in it for 2 weeks, but none of them rooted. I then stuck them in a peat/vermiculite mix in regular dixie cups and they all survived and rooted! I've got to figure out what I'm doing wrong with this cloner.

 

[doogleef]

Bubble-cloners keep things too wet most of the time. That's y i still use oldschool rockwool cubes, hand-watered. To increase your success rate on your cloner I would find a cycle-timer for it so it runs 5 mins on 5 mins off. If the stem is constantly wet it has no incentive to root. Good luck!

 

[morrisgreenberg]

just place your cloning/seed start media 1/2 inch above bucket flood line, never have to worry about wet RW again, i myself am big on aero cloning but still run RW, nothing more trust worthy to me. as for the bubble cloner issues, are you sticking stems directly into the water? i believe the proper way of doing this is to have the stem tips just above the water line and have the bursting air bubbles misting the stem tips, once they root they will sit in the water and be just fine, or you may need a stronger air pump

 

[smokingrubber]

Love the thread. I'm just getting started. I'm interested in any info you have on disifecting the system. Ive read Im supposed to do it every month or so?

I'm going to tear this down and upgrade to 24 buckets - 2000kw - 4x8 tent in about 2 weeks. Stay tuned.

 

[doogleef]

I use H2O2 to keep my rez and controller bucket nice and clean. I use 2 ml/l of 35% h202 every 3-4 days and it stays very clean and bacteria free. I just finished dumping and filling the rez for the first time in a month (I use Lucas with addbacks) and there was no bad odor or nasties on the bottom of the tank. Love it. This can, of course, only be used in a sterile, in-organic feed. H2O2 does not care about your organic "beneficial bacteria" and kills it. Those things don't have any place in a hydroponics setup anyway IMO, but to each their own.

To anyone reading this thread wondering if this system is worth the $$. The answer is yes. I considered doing a controller bucket DIY using one of the guides I found online but to do it to really match with dual vales on both high and low water marks makes it a real pain in the neck. CAP makes a great product here and the controller is worth the price of admission. For all you ebb/flow guys moaning about the lost height from your tables and reservoir, Chk this out!!

I will say that the expansion pots can easily be recreated using everyday stuff found in any hardware store so only get those if ya got some $$ to burn.

Good Luck!

 

[morrisgreenberg]

hygrozyme works perfect in this system, for me hygrozyme is a must have, but for this unit it helps big time, since more often than not you will have roots find its way into the water lines and break off, any dead/dying organic matter will be dissolved by the hygrozyme and is good to go with organic based ferts like PBP and FN

 

[johndoecangrow]

I use this ebb n grow system and I use the General Hydro keep it simple nutrients also called the flora series part ;A flora micro part; B flora grow and part;C flora bloom I start with rooted clones and my nutrient schedule as followed week;1 part;a=2tspn per gallon part;B=2tspn per gallon part;C=1tspn per gallon
week;2 part;A =2tspn part;B= 2tspn part;C=1tspn
week;3 part;A=2tspn part;B=2tspn part;c=1tspn
week;4 part;A=2tspn part;B=2tspn part;C =1tspn
start flowering start flowering
week;5 part;A=2tspn part;B=2tspn part;C=2tspn
week;6 part;A=2tspn part;B=2tspn part;C=2tspn
week;6 part;A=2tspn part;B=2tspn part;C=2tspn
week;7 part;A=2tspn part;B=2tspn part;C=2tspn
week;8 part;A -2tspn part;B-1.5tspn part;C=2.5tspn
week;9 part;A=2tspn part;B=1.5tspn part;C 2.5tspn
week;10 part:A=2tspn part;B=1.5tspn part;C=2.5tspn
week;11 part;A=1.5tspn part;B=1tspn part;C=2.5tspn
week;12= part;a=1.5tspn part;B=.5tspn part;C=2.5tspn
week;13 part;A=1tspn part;B=0 part;C=2tspn
should be close to done
my actual feeding schedule is week1=4min on feed every 45 min off time
week2=4min on 1.5 hours off time
week3=4min on 2hours off time
week4=4min on 2.5hours off time
week5 threw week13=4min on 3hours off time
hope this helps because it took me years to figure this out on my own GOOD LUCK

 

[smokingrubber]

I use H2O2 to keep my rez and controller bucket nice and clean. I use 2 ml/l of 35% h202 every 3-4 days and it stays very clean and bacteria free. I just finished dumping and filling the rez for the first time in a month (I use Lucas with addbacks) and there was no bad odor or nasties on the bottom of the tank. Love it. This can, of course, only be used in a sterile, in-organic feed. H2O2 does not care about your organic "beneficial bacteria" and kills it. Those things don't have any place in a hydroponics setup anyway IMO, but to each their own.

To anyone reading this thread wondering if this system is worth the $$. The answer is yes. I considered doing a controller bucket DIY using one of the guides I found online but to do it to really match with dual vales on both high and low water marks makes it a real pain in the neck. CAP makes a great product here and the controller is worth the price of admission. For all you ebb/flow guys moaning about the lost height from your tables and reservoir, Chk this out!!

I will say that the expansion pots can easily be recreated using everyday stuff found in any hardware store so only get those if ya got some $$ to burn.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the tip on the H2o2. I'm using GH full recipe. They have some product I'm supposed to disifect with. Should I dump and clean the barrel, then refill and run the disifect, then dump and clean again, then refill again and nute? Thats a lot of wasted water. Unless I don't use the RO water for the disinfect cycle? What do I do with the plants while I'm disifecting. They're a pain in the ass to set down with all those roots.

I too am very happy with the CAP system. For anyone NOT wanting to use the pots can simply build a frame for your flood table (3½" thick 2x4) without legs. Set the CAP controller on the ground and plumb it up like it was connected to a pot. Minor adjustments to the heigth of the controller will adjust the flood level of your table. Simple way to get all the height out of your tent and still have a traditional flood table.

 

[johndoecangrow]

i USE THE CAP 2GALLON PLANTER BUCKETS BUT THAT IS IT.I DON'T USE A CONTROLLER BUCKET

 

[doogleef]

I run just a few gallons of water in to rinse and then pump it back down the drain. NO need to refill totally. Good idea on the table substitution.

The controller bucket is the heart of the system.