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Hydroponic gardening - Ebb and Flow Hydroponic system
Here is another container we have chosen to act as the planting area in this Hydroponic Ebb and Flow system. In this project we will be using a container that is 33"x15"x6" deep. A 5 gallon nutrient bucket will be used here and located underneath the container where the nutrient solution will flow back and forth flooding the growing pots.
This Hydroponic system uses the same fill and drain method utilizing the same hose for both operations. Shown here is the 1/2" upper hose installed into the 5/8" drilled hole with the 13mm rubber grommet installed into the hole creating a very snugly fitted water tight seal. The water level never reaches to the grommet of this hose so it is completely above the water.
Having the hose running through the side of the growing container and not through the bottom eliminates any restriction problems with the bottom of the growing container. It can be placed anywhere on any flat surface with no problems. There are also no worries about later leakage of the container and by using the rubber grommet here all bulkhead fittings and gaskets have been eliminated completely.
Hydroponic gardening - Ebb and Flow Hydroponic system
Here is a closeup of the upper fill and drain hose installed into the 5/8" drilled hole. We have reversed the grommet positioning in this fitting to show that it may be installed either way.
It is much easier to slide the hose through the rubber grommet first before working the grommet into the drilled hole. It is very difficult to do it the other way.
Also it is easier to remove the hose from the container later if the grommet is installed the other way around with the larger flat side on the outside of the container instead of inside the container. If you look at this photo you can see why. You actually have to remove the grommet from the hose first to get the hose out of the container this way. It all works the same. It is just too much work later on installed this way. If you never plan on removing the hose it doesn't matter. I tend to never say never.
PH 200 METER- Here is a great little gadget for monitoring your pH level as well as temperature at the same time! The PH 200 METER features include measuring pH and Temperature and auto ranging three point calibration with digital fine tuning.
One really great feature about this meter is that it has DIGITAL CALIBRATION (push button) which is much nicer than using a little screwdriver. It also has an auto-off function. The PH 200 METER has a large easy to read display and comes with a lanyard for carrying. It reads pH from 0-14 and has a temperature range of 0-80 degrees C. This meter is extremely easy to use as well as extremely accurate. This little unit is only about 7 inches tall, waterproof and it floats!
This is a very nice little pH meter and is great for all Hydroponics, water purification applications, pools and spas. It uses three 1.5 volt button cell batteries (included) that last a very long time before needing replacing. This little unit only weighs 3.4 ounces and is a great way to easily check your pH in your Nutrients!
Look for this and other pH meters in our Nutrient Meters section!
Hydroponic gardening - Ebb and Flow Hydroponic system
Here is the inside of the Hydroponic growing container showing the upper hose installed with the grommet into the 5/8" drilled hole. The 3/8"x3/8" WATTS PL-350 NYLON HOSE BARB ELBOW is installed in both hoses. This barb fitting can be found at Home Depot or almost any hardware or plumbing store.The short hose has been carefully trimmed at the bottom to match the slope of the floor and is cut just a little long so the top hose is pushed and angled up a little.
This will cause a slight downward pressure holding the short lower hose snug against the floor making a tight fit. Next we will install the lower overflow hose by drilling another 5/8" hole at the correct water level location. The best way to figure the best location is to place one of the pots you will be growing in next to the side wall and marking the side wall about 3/4 of the way up the pot. This will insure that the grow pots get flooded to the proper level.
BIG BUD FROM ADVANCED NUTRIENTS makes Flower buds Swell up faster and larger! BIG BUD creates more floral growth and higher quality flowers and produce. BIG BUD ultra premium flower power Hydroponics formula uses Amino Acids and other special ingredients to make plants devote all their energy and resources to making massive flowers! This Hydroponic Nutrient produces larger flower diameter as well as weight and density.
There are some weak Hydroponic Boosters on the market containing unstable and unusable ingredients. BIG BUD is the World's leading formula and no other Bloom boosting product comes close to it! Look for this great Nutrient and others in our Hydroponic Nutrients section!
Hydroponic gardening - Ebb and Flow Hydroponic system
The lower overflow drain hose is now installed at exactly the correct height so that all the growing pots are flooded to the correct level. The Hydroponic system is tested and the overflow works perfectly.
When the water level reaches to about 2/3 of the lower hose opening it remains exactly at that level and also sucks in air, gurgling in the bottom of the Hydroponic tank to enrich your Hydroponic solution with oxygen.
Note that the water level here is about 3/4" below the top edge of the growing pots and it barely touches the lower grommet. This is a perfectly designed Hydroponic system and very simple to build. This Hydroponic garden can be used with a pump timer to flood the plants for whatever times you need and always remain at the same correct water level. This Hydroponic system would work equally as well if the container were filled with the growing medium instead of using pots. The pots make for easier relocating of the plants.
GLOW PANEL 14 WATT GRO LIGHT- This LED GROW PANEL has the perfect Blue and Red light spectrum for plant growth! It uses 80% LESS ENERGY than old convential grow light systems and is more more efficient for plant growth. It emits no heat and can be placed very close to the plant canopy without burning. It rivals the output of a 60 watt Metal Halide/HPS system and costs only a small fraction to operate in energy costs. It also outlasts those other systems by leaps and bounds! This particular unit covers 1.5 square feet. Perfect for Greenhouse, Hobbyist, Hydroponics, Plants and Vegetables, Wheatgrass growing and more!
These LED units come in different sizes and wattages in our GROW LIGHTS section!
Hydroponic gardening - Ebb and flow Hydroponic system
Here is the completed Hydroponic system in operation with all the pots flooded and the water recirculating from the nutrient tank below. The growing container is shimmed a little from underneath to give it a slight slope so the water flows towards the drain hose when emptying.
It is good to test the draining action first before installing the growing pots to make sure it is working and draining to the right direction. The large thick paint stir sticks from Home Depot work excellent for the shims. In this photo they would go in the far back area and also on the left side. They make the water drain very effectively toward the drain hose. This Hydroponic system is using Hydroton as the growing medium. Some of these are just starter pots and will be moved to another system once the plants are larger giving more spacing for the rest of the plants.
We use what we call "sentry" pots of Haydite in each Hydroponic system. Haydite is used to make lightweight concrete products. Haydite holds the nutrient solution longer than Hydroton and takes longer to dry out. This gives us a very good indication by comparison of what is going on within the system. If the plants are a little "waterlogged" in the Haydite we know the Hydroton is probably just right. If the plants in the Hydroton are growing slower than the plants in the Haydite we need to water more often or increase our flood times.
We like these special nursery pots rather than net pots. They have specially designed drain holes that are sloped off of the bottom floor surface. Also we don't get the root mess moving the pots in and out of the systems. They flood just as quickly as the net pots without all the mess. Remember - easier is good.
Now that you see how easy it is to build an Ebb and Flow system it is time to build the real heart of the Hydroponic system - the nutrient tank that will flood and feed the plant growing area. This hydroponic system utilizes a 5 gallon nutrient tank. We have installed an Eco Plus 185 gallon per hour water pump which would work fine for a Hydroponic system two or three times this size or more. We also installed an Aqua Culture 2800 cc per minute dual outlet air pump to introduce oxygen into the Hydroponic nutrient solution.
The Hydroponic nutrient tank is the other half of this system and is the real heart of the Hydroponic system. Our nutrient tank section can be found in another area of this site.
Do be sure and VISIT OUR MAIN HYDRO STORE for all your Hydroponic supplies! We have everything you need for your Hydroponic gardening and delivered right to your door!
Hydroponic gardening - Ebb and flow Hydroponic system
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