Flush questions - Hydroponic Ebb & Grow, Rockwool & Hydroton

Welly well well....This is my first grow.

I will be doing a flush cycle this weekend between reservoir changes. Been searching flushes and there is tons of information and mixed opinions. So this is what I have decided to go with....Please offer any suggestions, critique or a link to some additional reading/advice/help. Thanks in advance.

Currently on week 4 of my first grow, using FF/Bushdoctor schedule/nutrients
http://www.foxfarmfertilizer.com/FoxFarm-Hydroponic-Schedule.pdf

Being my first grow I am following this schedule through to harvest, including Bushdoctor nutrients and Sledgehammer flushes. Using an 18 pot ebb & flow, Rockwool, Hydroton medium with a 35 gallon reservior (have a 2nd reservoir to make things easier). Flushing for 2 reasons...1 - Want to follow the schedule to the 'T'....2 - Want to prevent salt buildups, which I understand seems to be of concern with FF nutrients.

Planning to perform a Sledgehammer flush this weekend and having some different ideas about achieving this.

1. Setting up a reservior with Sledgehammer solution, manually start a flood/drain cycle (debating how many cycles to run). Tap water, Sledgehammer, pH balanced

2. Same as above, but substitute R/O water for Tap water.

But If all I am truly trying to achieve is wash/rinse my hydroton from salt buildups, why not...

3. Mix a flush solution (R/O or Tap), manually activate the drain pump and start manually pouring 3-5 gallons directly over the hydroton from top-side.

I'm really beginning to lean towards option 3.

Please chime in...with your opinions or advice.

Sorry no Journal as of yet....working on it though

Flush cycle performed today.

Ran a mix of R/O water with FF Sledgehammer (pH to 5.8 ) for the little girls bath. Set up the reservoir and set 1 hour continual fill/drain cycle on timer. Cleaned up lines and meters and set-up week 5 nutrient solution.

Hope you get this today. This is a pretty old thread, but when you mixed your 0.5 TSP per gallon of sludgehammer did you get like foam inside of your res? I have so much foam in my res after I mixed. I am also using RO water and The FF Nutrient line. Please help!

MoradaJoe - I ended up using half the dose per gallon of sludgehammer. My system only uses 12 - 13 gallons to fill the system, so the steps I performed were:

• 15 gallons R/O water
• don't recall the exact amount of Sledgehammer (half strength/gallon)
• Continuous Flood/Drain for 2 hours
• Forgot to/But wanted to - wet/vac hydroton debris left in fill pots
• Implemented the following week nutrient regime (half strength)

Yes - Foamy is a word for it....really glad I only used 15 gallons to flush.

I would like to add that the grow was running on a quarter strength nutrient regiment. The garden was looking good and getting more vigorous, so I stepped it up to half strenght after The Flush.

Within 3-5 days I started seeing, what ended up being determined, nutrient burn in mid and old growth. I had to do some pruning of horror, Topped a few, Fim on 2 subjects and then switched the reservoir back to a quarter strength. Within 2 days everybody started jumping and growing and getting real pretty.

PM me if you have any questions and I'll try to help if I can.