Using my DIY Ebb and Gro setup

Kinda bored so figured Id post up a few pics of my home mad ebb and gro bucket system in use. Total cost for me to make the system was just under $100 for 18 site setup with pumps and res.Strain is my long time friend which I was blessed with about 12 plus years ago. Its from a cutting off the original mother chosen to creat the original Bubblegum. It was from the Ohio grower who gave it to the Indiana guys who crossed it few time to make bubblegum. It has been clone only since then as far as I know only myself and 3 others have kept it going. I just started to go ahead and feminize seed it for preserving it. Its a 100% indica strain all I know for sure it is told to be a kush decent... Ok lets start with a few quick looks at some of the system..

55 gallon food grade barrel bought new on craigslist 2 for $20

I have a small sump pump in it to fill the system on demand had one laying around so free. I keep a small 150 gph pump in the res just to keep the nutrients mixed and flowing.Had that from ebay cost $8 delivered new. I added small air pump which from an old aquarium setup I had so free.


Here is the brain unit or controller I built.. I Used a 35 lb kitty litty tub tidy cat so it was free. I have a 350 gph pump from ebay cost $15 new delivered. The hull thrus cost me $1.50 for the 3... The black project box and inners cost me about $8 and the spa timer I found online delivered for $18 on sale.


Look inside where I have the pump and 4 electronic float switched which got on ebay for $8 delivered.

Basically how this works is the controller has 4 floats that work with the timer. The timer comes on and turns on the fill outlet which kicks the sump pump in the res on and fills the controller bucket to the level where 2 float switches cut the power when it gets to the set height. The water flows through the hull thru to the 3 lines of pots each with 6 in each row total 18 pots. These have a continued line bucket to bucket. i used 3 gallon buckets I got at the dollar store on clearance at 50 cents each each pot has a fill bucket then another with holes drilled in them to allow fill which is placed in the connected buckets. When the controller gets all buckets to the same level as the controller set level it holds them there at the preset 15 minutes. Then the timer turns off the 2 other float switches turn on the drain pump which pumps the water back to the res kicking on and off as the drain back from the system fills the controller then pushed switches up turning on pump again until the level in all buckets are at the set low point which leaves all buckets with about 1 maybe 2 inches of water. This cycles 4 times a day every 6 hours set at 15 minute fills.

Ok some other pics of the sites in use at different stages. I have this set up in a 4x8 tent 7 feet tall 3 rows 6 pots each row so 18 sites under 2 600 watt lumatek digital dimmable ballast and 1 400 watt lumatek dimmable digital ballast. I used netting to help support then have 3 fans moving air in the tent. One 4 in inline bringing fresh air in a 6 inch fan on a carbon scruber in the tent. Using 2 cool tube reflectors 1 bat wing and I use 30 lb co2 tank on a timer to co2 boost tent.

Ok hers a few stages of it in use....
Young clones rooted after about 7 days from cut ready to go into buckets then covered with hydroton


Here are the clones now in the setup for 2 weeks on 24 hours light on lights dimmed to 350 each and the 400 watter off.


More of same stage


Same stage I did forget that I cut down tomato cages shorter to add for structure supports in each bucket


This shows the bucket sites.

Here is week 2 into flower.

Here is about a week later just starting to show flower sites




Heres some looks at the fan leaves and size.

I am running the Fox Farm trio package of Grow Big, Tiger Bloom, and Big Bloom. I supplement at different stages with Fox Farm Beastie Bloomz and Cha Ching. I also add Andvanced Nutrients Bud Candy. I also runHumboldts own Gravity and Purple Max along with my own Black strap unsulphured Molasses mix. I keep the ph right around 5.5 to 5.7. PPms up around 1500 right now

Heres some showing the hairs and sites starting to come in

Just right around week 4 flower

close up sites coming in




Enough for tonight Ill post up the rest of this one later..Thanks for watchin

Here are some pics of this grow at week 9 finish, 3 days of flush with 3 days to go before they were cut.

Ill post some of them down and drying in few and some numbers I guess lol

Looks good! I love DIY stuff...