Ebb and flow NOOB

I'm having a hard time understanding how to setup the pump and drainage from the reservoir to the plants. I have a simple setup with 4 plants, each one in its own 5 gallon bucket. I want to have an ebb and flow setup but I have yet to find a good tutorial or explanation on how to set it up. Can someone please point me in the right direction here.

-Thanks
Darth

Do you have system already or are yu building one from scratch? You have the C.A.P. Ebb Monster system?

i'm building one from scratch. i'd like to build one out of (4) 5 gallon buckets and then another 5 gallon bucket as the res. but i really have no idea where to start. i have 2 plants in buckets and i'm hand watering them but its a pain in the ass and i don't think they are getting enough nutrients. i have the basic idea of how its setup. but i'm confused at how the water pumps into the buckets and then drains back out into the res.

phillipchristian said:

Do you have system already or are yu building one from scratch? You have the C.A.P. Ebb Monster system?

Click to expand...

that is essentially what i want.

SOunds like there are a number of better alternatives for you. Are you in soil right now. Ebb & Flow buckets are made to use with coco or hydroton. A 5 gallon reservoir wouldn't be enough for 4 pots of that size. Tou would need to get a control bucket as well. Seems like an awful lot to go through. If you are in soil or coco I would look into drip stakes. Then all you would need is a decent reservoir, a pump, timer, tubing, stakes. Probably could pick all of that up for less than $100.

i actually have a rockwool cube transplanted into 5 gallon buckets with grodan mini rockwool cubes, and they seem to dry out really fast. i actually just posted a thread about the drip stakes yesterday. do those really provide adequate water?

If your plants are in individual buckets? it will be alot easier to have a drip system then you only need to have a drain/control runoff. an ebba and flow will need 2 lines to each bucket that needs to be elevated higher than your resevoir. start adding up the pails and fittings and tubing and it could be a mess. I've only seen ebb and flow setups as a table with multiple plants sharing the grow medium.

those stakes are basically that i guess?

Those drip stakes work great. I would elevate your buckets and run a drip stake in each one. You'll have to dial in the pressure and timing but that won't take long. Just figure out how long you want it on and off and for how long you want it to come on. Then control the prressure coming out of the stakes by the twist top on the head of them. Pretty simple. Also, elevate your buckets and either run them drain to waste or collect that water back to a reservoir. Drain to waste is probably better cause who knows what the rockwool will do to the pH of your waste water. Also, try propping your buckets up to 1 side a little. This will help drain them better. By raising them higher than your reservoir or drain you will make the excess water run out quicker which will prevent any slime or mold starting.