For All Cap Ebb and Grow Users

horsepower850 said:

I found paver bricks at Home Depot that work great. No more buckets sitting in water.

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The reason we recommend PVC is because you can buy a enough for a dozen buckets for $2. PVC wont break down in water like your paver bricks will, and even though the paver bricks arent exactly going to crumble apart, its full of debris and sand from its composition and that could spell problems for your pumps over time.

I'd strongly recommend ditching the bricks. Plus them bricks are freakin heavy!! The water at the bottom of the outer bucket is supposed to be there, if any roots travel through the bucket this keeps them in better shape than open air and no Hydroton.

The systems work as they are sold, and these types of modifications provide no benefits...............

Im thinking keep the airstone on high and add a tablespoon of 30% h202 everyday,,, once my plants get about 6-8" ... should keep nasties out and give the roots a little feeding.... worked nice on on one grow journal I read.......

researchkitty said:

The reason we recommend PVC is because you can buy a enough for a dozen buckets for $2. PVC wont break down in water like your paver bricks will, and even though the paver bricks arent exactly going to crumble apart, its full of debris and sand from its composition and that could spell problems for your pumps over time.

I'd strongly recommend ditching the bricks. Plus them bricks are freakin heavy!! The water at the bottom of the outer bucket is supposed to be there, if any roots travel through the bucket this keeps them in better shape than open air and no Hydroton.



The systems work as they are sold, and these types of modifications provide no benefits...............

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The benefits are that the coco I"m using dosen't stay wet by lifting the inner from the outer bucket. i'm using a 60/40 mix of coco/hydroton. Why did you say "No hydroton"? I have been told that using straight hydroton as a medium is what works best with this system. The real issue is my floor. It's not level. I have to elevate the buckets at the far end to get a drain. The other problem I have is the individual buckets that I ordered came with the old style outer bucket. The expansion kits come with the new style bucket with a recess in the bottom to allow for better draining. I had to return 36 inner and outer buckets because of this and pay the extra money for the expansion kits.

horsepower850 said:

The benefits are that the coco I"m using dosen't stay wet by lifting the inner from the outer bucket. i'm using a 60/40 mix of coco/hydroton. Why did you say "No hydroton"? I have been told that using straight hydroton as a medium is what works best with this system. The real issue is my floor. It's not level. I have to elevate the buckets at the far end to get a drain. The other problem I have is the individual buckets that I ordered came with the old style outer bucket. The expansion kits come with the new style bucket with a recess in the bottom to allow for better draining. I had to return 36 inner and outer buckets because of this and pay the extra money for the expansion kits.

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I dont recommend discontinuing Hydroton use. My post suggests the OPPOSITE. KEEP the Hydroton, DITCH the Coco.

The different bucket sizes is a real bitch. I have 2 gallon, 2.5 gallon, 3.5 gallon and 5 gallon sizes all scattered around. For 8000 watts of lights I'm sticking with 16 plants per light and 2 gallon buckets and those will be here in a week (Check the grow journal sig, we'll eventually be up to 24,000 watts of light and a few hundred plants plus a mushroom op). Even some of the same capacity buckets dont fit the same size, they fit the original bucket it came with so you just have to keep them together as a pair.

107 pages jeez..... well i got C.a.p ebb n gro 12 bucket system. the instructions are horrified so i would like to know how to put it together? i put those plastics in the
controller bucket but i dont know if i have to put the plastic pieces all the way? ???

or do they stick out? i suck at building things so its very complex for me.

wow. . . . .

gus738 said:

107 pages jeez..... well i got C.a.p ebb n gro 12 bucket system. the instructions are horrified so i would like to know how to put it together? i put those plastics in the
controller bucket but i dont know if i have to put the plastic pieces all the way? ???

or do they stick out? i suck at building things so its very complex for me.

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I'm far from the brightest bulb in the drawer but even I found the directions adequate to put it together and work fine.

yeah i have conditions which i cant , if i could i would of just built it instead of buying... but thanks. can anyone who replys help out ?

gus738 said:

107 pages jeez..... well i got C.a.p ebb n gro 12 bucket system. the instructions are horrified so i would like to know how to put it together? i put those plastics in the
controller bucket but i dont know if i have to put the plastic pieces all the way? ???

or do they stick out? i suck at building things so its very complex for me.

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Well Bro, The first thing I did was to run some hot water on the rubber grommets, and squeeze them in your hand to loosen them up. Have your barbed fitting that you want to use ready. Insert the grommet, MAKING SURE that is seated all the way around. With one hand on the inside of your bucket apply pressure to the area around the rubber grommet. Work the barbed fitting into the grommet by wiggling back and forth GENTLY while pushing in. On the PLANT buckets, I inserted them until the first "barb" cleared the grommet and then pulled back slightly until it was flush with the grommet. If you are connecting another line, like you do on the inside of the controller bucket, usually you want the barb fitting seated all the way in, to where the MIDDLE mark is flush with the outside of the grommet. This leaves a little room to connect, like 2 barbs, a line on the inside. MAKE SURE you use the clamps provided there. This is where the the lines like to pop off, especially on the drain pump line.Hope this helps. Just take your time and remember that the hot water here is your friend. Soaking your 1/2" line in it also helps uncoil it and makes it easier to install, especially on the pump fitting. Good Luck

juzzsmokelt thanks bro! yes helps better then nothing. and i also tried looking for vids on how to install but no luck

Heres some pics of a system i just put together.

It aint rocket science, every bucket has a T connector which allows water in and water out. Connect them all in a line then to your control bucket. If you cant figure out the basics, you should have seen or read up before even buying it....... This is the easiest way to grow too, so good luck!

researchkitty said:

It aint rocket science, every bucket has a T connector which allows water in and water out. Connect them all in a line then to your control bucket. If you cant figure out the basics, you should have seen or read up before even buying it....... This is the easiest way to grow too, so good luck!

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So easy, we have all this dead time to surf the threads!!! Plug & Play He'll ge it....
maybe...?????

im super glad i found this thread... im going to pick up my CAP ebb and flow system this afternoon. looks like i have plenty of stuff to sift through on here. from a few videos on youtube, i already know that ill need to make spacers to keep the net pots elevated, and that ill need to use an airstone in the res. but is there anything else to know right off the bat?

Hey guys any tips for clones in this system? im on my 9 th grow with the ebb and gro and always have problems with keeping small clones alive in the system... any tips???

i always top feed for the first week orso, once a day and keep the flood sched. the same as reg. just helps the get watered when roots arnt reaching to the flood level

boxing119 said:

Hey guys any tips for clones in this system? im on my 9 th grow with the ebb and gro and always have problems with keeping small clones alive in the system... any tips???

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Well, I'm with Mr. Duke on this one. A little top feeding until they have formed a good root system works. Also, if you are elevating your buckets for drainage, maybe wait a couple of weeks before you do that, to allow the flood level to be higher and actually reach your clones. When you raise your buckets, you lower your flood level. The water left in the bottom of the buckets is really only a factor once your root mass has reached the bottom of your buckets and sits in it for too long, until then, leave them on the floor.
Also, are you Aero cloning or using RW? just curious. good luck

I would think along the lines of veg them further and dont fill the buckets with so much Hydroton would be the two variables that would help here................ Each buckets hydroton should only be filled to the line of the bucket its inside of.....

JuzzSmOkeIt said:

Well, I'm with Mr. Duke on this one. A little top feeding until they have formed a good root system works. Also, if you are elevating your buckets for drainage, maybe wait a couple of weeks before you do that, to allow the flood level to be higher and actually reach your clones. When you raise your buckets, you lower your flood level. The water left in the bottom of the buckets is really only a factor once your root mass has reached the bottom of your buckets and sits in it for too long, until then, leave them on the floor.
Also, are you Aero cloning or using RW? just curious. good luck

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this wasn meant for me, but i was wanting to jump in. first, what do you mean bo "top feed" second, ion the lines of clones, i was about to splurge for an excloner, but im considering using rapid rooters....i just didnt know how rapid rooters would affect the pumps if they washed away a little. im a nub to hydro and this system in general, but im humbled by what ive read in this post, and i have dozens of pages left to read.

Yes, it is an amazing thread. Took me days to catch up. What I meant by "top-feed" was taking a container of nute solution, maybe a 1/2 gallon or so, and pouring directly into your inner buckets during fllood times. Depending on how low you place your clones root mass at first, the flood level might not fully saturate them, therfore top-feeding for the first few days would ensure full saturation until your roots grow down and can be feed correctly. I have only had to do this on very young clones that I didn't transplant deep enough to begin with. I suupose if you do what Kitty says and only fill your inner buckets to the hieght of your outside, then you probably wouldn't have this problem 2 begin with, smart gurl. I have only used RW cubes for my clones but I wouldn't recommend using rapid rooters. An E-Z Cloner or the like is good for this system though. If you take your inner bucket, filled with Hydroton, and submerge it in a tub of water (or mild solution) until the Hydroton starts to float, you can sink your hand (and roots) into the Hydroton. Hold the stem of your clone where you want, and pull the bucket out of the tub, the roots are pulled down into the bucket as the water drains and is firmly planted without having to fight pouring dry Hydroton all over tender roots. This works with RW cubes as well.