For All Cap Ebb and Grow Users

love this thread and just wanted to say hi. Please check out my journal and share ideas. Just started a new 12 pot grow.

smokingrubber said:

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert in this field.

TDS meters don't ACTUALLY measure tds. They measure the EC (electric something) then convert it to a Total Dissolved Solid measurement. Some meters figure it using a .7 conversion and some use .5. The .5 is more common in Europe (I think), and the .7 is found in the US (I think). I have no idea why they would not just stick with one freakin way of doing it ... but that's what I do know.

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Smokingrubber: Recall you answered my pm about this meter and I researched it (along with others) Correct me if I'm wrong but I understand your meter to have a .5 conversion factor. Here is the link: http://www.cwpmeters.com/combometers.php

Note the specs call for a 1382 PPM/2.76 EC for calibration? 1382/.5 =2764. Also you will see that the cal procedures will state 500ppm = 1 EC. I attached some snapshots of the documentation.

If you were feeding your gals with 1400 @ .5 that would be an EC of 2.8 to 3. Fairly hot but not uncommon. Many feeding charts such as Dutch Masters call for an EC of 3 with 3/4 strengh! http://www.dutchmaster.com.au/nutrient_calculator.php?language=english

A good way to find out for sure is to get a gallon of RO and mix 1 mic and 2 bloom (8ml/16ml) GH Lucas base. See what the reading is. If its 950 or so you have a .5 , if its 1300 or so you have a .7

I am running 1200 @ .5 (Hanna cheap ass Primo meter) or EC 2.4 no problem. Couldn't afford to get your Mercedes meter !!

smokingrubber said:

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert in this field.

TDS meters don't ACTUALLY measure tds. They measure the EC (electric something) then convert it to a Total Dissolved Solid measurement. Some meters figure it using a .7 conversion and some use .5. The .5 is more common in Europe (I think), and the .7 is found in the US (I think). I have no idea why they would not just stick with one freakin way of doing it ... but that's what I do know.

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Here is a very complete explanation of the whole TDS/PPM/EC business:
https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/14207-ec-tds-ppm-what-differences.html

In it he says this about conversion factors:
There are three conversion factors which various manufacturers use for displaying ppm's...
USA 1 ms/cm (EC 1.0 or CF 10) = 500 ppm
European 1 ms/cm (EC 1.0 or CF 10) = 640 ppm
Australian 1 ms/cm (EC 1.0 or CF 10) = 700 ppm

Seems as if we all used the EC value (if you can)then there would be some measure of consistency for comparison. That said, I got a Truncheon so that I'd have access to all the readings.

i was wondering if anyone ran c02 with their system, i was told it can do great things, does any one know how you could rig the ebb & gro up for some c02?

boxing, get yourself an airstone, theres no such thing as wasted money on an airpump/stone. walmart i hear has decent pumps for dirt cheap, like $12. if you have a hydro shop nearby pick up the el;ite 801, thats $12 with a stone $4. we can agree that healthy roots produce healthy plants yes? its all intergrated, water, nutrients, temps, and oxygen are critical. adding co2 can be productive or can be a serious waste of money. like if your primary means of cooling is thru ventilation/exhaust then it would get sucked out of the room, but what if summer comes around and your a/c isnt cutting it, room temps are 85-95F and plants are suffering big time? add co2. especially since your using an a/c you dont want that cool air getting sucked out, this would be the ideal time to use co2, plus higher levels of co2 in your room will allow the plant to not only survive the heat, but thrive in it. at higher temps is when co2 should only be used, since at normal temps 72-78F the co2 is useless, you will not notice any faster growth

thanks for all your help in explaining that to me, i did pick up an airpump/airstone for the rez it was under 20 bucks so no big deal, i was just reading the grow bible and they were saying how amazing c02 can be for plants so i thought id ask

i have a question im planing on getting a ebb and grow system 48 site for my room right now i have a aero flo 36 site and i have 3 2x4 tables a 4x4 table and a 4x8 table im getting sick of the tables because of all the res changes i have to do i have to change my 4x4 once a week and i use ro water even tho i have to ro's one is 100gpd and the other is 200 gpd it still takes forever the question i have is if your using a 48 site ebb and grow with the one 55 gallon drum res how often do i have to change that res that is alot of plants for just 55 gallons like i said i use a 40 gallon on my 4x4 and it seems like after 1 week my pump is already sucking air before it gets to the drain connection i see this being a big problem when it comes to the ebb and grow i just dont see 48 full sized plants in flower with only a 55 gallon res if anyone has some insite on this please let me know should i go with 2 24 site ebb and grows with 2 55 gallon res

NVMYTREES said:

Hey ... just finished reading up on this thread. I purchased the Ebb & Grow system last week and am trying to do as much research as possible before I make an attempt. This will be my first time... Hopefully I didnt get myself in over my head. I was wondering about nutrients. The kit comes with the technaflora BC nut. It doesn't sound like many people are using them. Is there another brand of nutrient I should use or will the BC nuts do ok for me? I want to thank everybody ahead of time for any help as I am sure I will have alot of questions.

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Some folks have had great results with the technaflora recipe for success. Just follow the directions. It's too many products for a dumbass like me, though!

NVMYTREES said:

Hey ... just finished reading up on this thread. I purchased the Ebb & Grow system last week and am trying to do as much research as possible before I make an attempt. This will be my first time... Hopefully I didnt get myself in over my head. I was wondering about nutrients. The kit comes with the technaflora BC nut. It doesn't sound like many people are using them. Is there another brand of nutrient I should use or will the BC nuts do ok for me? I want to thank everybody ahead of time for any help as I am sure I will have alot of questions.

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I used the Technaflora that the system came with, but half the bottles were empty after the first fill-up. I wanted simple and effective, so I am using General Hydroponics recipe here: http://www.generalhydroponics.com/calculator/index.html
Plus Pro-Silicate, SM-90, & H2o2. viola!
(I said simple and effective, not cheap)

TheOth3r0ne said:

i have a question im planing on getting a ebb and grow system 48 site for my room right now i have a aero flo 36 site and i have 3 2x4 tables a 4x4 table and a 4x8 table im getting sick of the tables because of all the res changes i have to do i have to change my 4x4 once a week and i use ro water even tho i have to ro's one is 100gpd and the other is 200 gpd it still takes forever the question i have is if your using a 48 site ebb and grow with the one 55 gallon drum res how often do i have to change that res that is alot of plants for just 55 gallons like i said i use a 40 gallon on my 4x4 and it seems like after 1 week my pump is already sucking air before it gets to the drain connection i see this being a big problem when it comes to the ebb and grow i just dont see 48 full sized plants in flower with only a 55 gallon res if anyone has some insite on this please let me know should i go with 2 24 site ebb and grows with 2 55 gallon res

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This subject was chewed up and spit out a few pages back in this thread, but we all agreed 48 is way too many.

would 2x600w lights be enough for 12 plants, im running 2x1000w right now but i hear 600's are just so much more efficient

boxing119 said:

would 2x600w lights be enough for 12 plants, im running 2x1000w right now but i hear 600's are just so much more efficient

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efficient is different than "better". 1000 is better (based on density of canopy). 600 is slightly cheaper to operate per lumen. Would you accept smaller buds and less coverage if it saves you $50 a month on the elec bill? I wouldn't.

is it 50 dollars a month difference for 2x600w vs 2x1000w lights? and 50 may not seem like much with two lights but if your running like 8 lights that could really add up right?

Figuring out the power $ difference is easy. Just plug your figures into this formula:

watts/1000 * rate for power per KWH (mine is $.11)*12*30 = Cost for 12/12 bloom

watts/1000 * rate for power per KWH (mine is $.11)*18*30 = Cost for 18/6 veg

So for 600W it would be .6*.11*12*30 = $23.76 per lamp
1000W = 1*.11*12*30 = $39.60 per lamp

doogleef said:

Figuring out the power $ difference is easy. Just plug your figures into this formula:

watts/1000 * rate for power per KWH (mine is $.11)*12*30 = Cost for 12/12 bloom

watts/1000 * rate for power per KWH (mine is $.11)*18*30 = Cost for 18/6 veg

So for 600W it would be .6*.11*12*30 = $23.76 per lamp
1000W = 1*.11*12*30 = $39.60 per lamp

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And assuming you yield an average of .5 gram per watt, a 2k system would yield 1000 grams. It would cost: $39.60 x 2 lamps x 2 months = $158.40

A 1200w system would yield 600 grams. It would cost: $23.76 x 2 lamps x 2 months = $95.04.

That's a difference of 400 grams, at a cost difference of $63.60

Assuming all other things are equal and you can adaquately handle either size. It's kind of a no-brainer imo. Now I'm sure Cheech the Green Thumb can squeeze every lumen out of that 600 and make it dance like a 1k ... but I ain't him. I need all the freakin help I can pay for.

Any suggestions on how to clean/ flush between res changes??? Cleaning solutions or just plain ph'ed water???

NVMYTREES said:

Ok with my set up I purchased a 1000w with a 6' light rail How many plants would be suggested with this light configuration? The total are I have to work with is 8' X 15' with 8' ceilings and a amall attic area i was planning on putting my can 50 filter at. I can make the area smaller once i figure out how many plants. I plan on framing temp wall to have the correct amount of floor space and also purchased Mylar to line the walls. Also.. When I start my seeds should I do it rockwool? I've read different opinions as far as leaving them in the RW but should be fine if I make sure the rw doesnt get completely soaked is my understanding. If any body has any tricks ir techniques they would like to share on getting them started I would appreciate it. I'm excited to get started but dont want to rush things and screw it up.

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1. 1000w w/ 6' rail will cover a 5'x10' area. I would suggest 8 plants in that footprint.

2. The Can filter should be inside your grow room, with dirty air being sucked into it and expelled somewhere else (attic).

3. Mylar is not the preferred material because it creates hot-spots. You should line the walls with Panda Film (white on one side and black on the other) or fire blankets (i don't know what they're called). Or flat white paint if you've got paintable surfaces.

4. I tried just putting them in RW and 1 of 10 germed My normal and future method is the cup of water. Place the beans in a cup with about 1/2" of distilled water. Just pour em in and stick the cup in the dark. They crack open in about 24 hours. Then I carefully place them (root down) in the RW. They sprout from the RW the next day. I'm at about 75 of 85 success rate like that.

NVMYTREES said:

Right on Smoking thamnk for the advice. What is better the paint or the panda film? I have paintable surfaces but I would buy the panda film if it is better. Panda film available at hydro store? Also I havent bought any seeds yet. I have some that I have saved up over the last few months They are the occasional seed you get out of some good product. Will these be ok to try and work with?

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Panda film is good because it resists mildew, and you don't have to paint anything. Yes it can be purchased or ordered from the hydro store.

Bag seed is not what I would recommend. You can save them and do them later if you want to, but 8 out of 10 bagseed are scraggle-crap imo. No matter what bag it came from. It's not ALL crap, but you're gambling a lot of time, money and energy on this hobby. Start with the best genetics you can get and gamble as little as possible.