Ebb and flow flood schedule conflict of opinions

[Stormcooker]

Ok Ok, there are many factors that affect the best flood and drain schedule. Some set-ups would require more frequent floods than others. Some strains may benefit from more or less frequent floods. Root space, aeration and air-flow, use of C02, strength of nutes, grow medium type, these are all things that determine best flood schedule.

I want everyone to give their opinion on this. Tell us YOUR success you're having, your grow medium, your flood schedule dark and light.

I use Hydroton, 6" x 6" x 7" square grow pots. I flood evry 3 hours for 15 minutes in light AND dark cycle. Most would disagree with this but I dont see anything wrong with it since my set-up and plants are thriving with it.

Cut and paste this and fill in the blanks please. I want to get a poll going and maybe come up with some kind of happy medium.

Flood frequency and duration in LIGHT:

Flood frequency and duration DARK:

Grow medium:

HYdroponic system:

Wattage of light:

grow pot size:

reservoir size in gallons:

number of plants:

Veg and flower time:

Strain type.....max yielder? nute-burn sensitive?

Extra air-circulation to root zone? fans directed at root zone?

Co2 usage?


Your answers will be benefitting many ebb and flow growers and I will post the results in true poll result form. If you have any links to this kind of information please include it in your answers. All opinions and theories will be appreciated.

[Stormcooker]

also include grow space dimensions please

[Stormcooker]

hmmmmm

[Hi Tech Hydro]

Flood frequency and duration in LIGHT: Flood every 3:15 for 15 min

Flood frequency and duration DARK: Flood every 6 hours for 15 min

Grow medium: Vermiculite/Botanicare blend

HYdroponic system: Hydrofarm ebb and flow, 8 pot

Wattage of light: 400watt HPS

grow pot size: About 1/2 gallon

reservoir size in gallons: 10 gallons

number of plants: 16

Veg and flower time: 1.5 weeks so far, plan on 3 veg 5-7 flower

Strain type.....max yielder? nute-burn sensitive? Super Bag Shwag

Extra air-circulation to root zone? fans directed at root zone? air bubbler in Resv and fans on canopy

Co2 usage? No

Do I win a prize for being the first and only response?!? Anyway I think it's a good thread storm.

[Stormcooker]

thanks for the reply. Your answeres are very helpful to me and others. Your prize? a good crop this grow and forever after.

[turtle420]

Hey storm,

You seem to very very pro-ebb&flow... I'm going the NFT way on my 1st grow, but I'd like to know why you like e&f so much. I'm not dissing you or anything
But, I'm guessing, if you're like me, you're thinking about your e&f about 20 hours of your day... so I guess you have some ins and outs thought out.

Did you plant that kick-ass system you built yet?

Peace out & flow,

-turtle420 :cool:

[nexusmick]

Flood frequency and duration in LIGHT: Flood every 3:00 for 3 min

Flood frequency and duration DARK: N/A

Grow medium: Hydroton Clay Pebbles

HYdroponic system: Esoteric ebb and flow, 2 pot

Wattage of light: 450watt HPS

grow pot size: About 1/2 gallon

reservoir size in gallons: Approx. 6.6 US gallons = 25 UK litres

number of plants: 4

Veg and flower time: 1.5 weeks so far, plan on 4 veg and 5-8 flower

Strain type.....max yielder? unknown

Extra air-circulation to root zone? fans directed at root zone? H2O2 in res and fans on canopy

Co2 usage? No

[TerraPharma]

Flood frequency and duration in LIGHT: 15min every 6 hours

Flood frequency and duration DARK: 15min every 6 hours

Grow medium: rockwool/Growstone

HYdroponic system: Ebb and Flow DIY

Wattage of light: 600 + cfls at base

grow pot size: 1 gallon

reservoir size in gallons: 20

number of plants: 1

Veg and flower time: 25 days veg/ 35 days (and counting) flower

Strain type.....max yielder? nute-burn sensitive? AK48

Extra air-circulation to root zone? fans directed at root zone? Fans at roots

Co2 usage? No

[iRayone]

Flood frequency and duration in LIGHT: 4 times per day 15 min. They say don't water with lights out???

Flood frequency and duration DARK:4 times per day

Grow medium: bontanacare 4-6 waterings ready grow

HYdroponic system: eeb flow

Wattage of light:600

grow pot size: 1 gal

reservoir size in gallons:30 gal

number of plants:14

Veg and flower time: veg 6 weeksflower 8 weeks

Strain type.....max yielder? nute-burn sensitive? no

Extra air-circulation to root zone? fans directed at root zone? 2 fans

Co2 usage?dry ice at veg fans lights out

raise TDS EC from start 300 ppm raise each week 100 ppm to max out at 1200 ppm

[demoreal]

Flood frequency and duration in LIGHT: 1 time 15min

Flood frequency and duration DARK: N/A

Grow medium: rockwool 6" inch cubes

HYdroponic system: ebb and flow

Wattage of light: 400

grow pot size: 6" cubes

reservoir size in gallons: 10 gal

number of plants: 8

Veg and flower time: veg=1 week / flower = depends

Strain type.....max yielder? ounce to ounce and a half a plant

nute-burn sensitive? some strains

Extra air-circulation to root zone? i have a aerator in res

fans directed at root zone? no , bellow plants and right above

Co2 usage? no, if i did i would flood twice a day.

[demoreal]

this is a good thread.
People fill this out.

[xbrad420]

Flood frequency and duration in LIGHT: Every 6 hours, for 5 minutes

Flood frequency and duration DARK: N/A

Grow medium: Rockwool, Coco

HYdroponic system: Ebb n Flow

Wattage of light: Grande

grow pot size: 4" RW every 6 inches in a 2'x4' table

reservoir size in gallons:14 Gallon

number of plants: 18

Veg and flower time: 6 week/9 week

Strain type.... NYCD (High yielder, very sensitive

24" High power fan directed at table, they love it

Co2 usage? Never

[SpaceNeedle]

I have put pots similar in size to what you have, placed them on an E&F tray, and ran a 1/4" tube to each plant and just pushed it into the top part of the hydroton and let her rip for 24/7 and it worked as well as E&F.
In E&F I water every 4 hrs for 15 min.

sn

[Prodaytrader]

Flood frequency and duration in LIGHT: Flood to depth of 4" every 3 hours, takes 90 seconds to fill, about 2 minutes to drain.
Flood frequency and duration DARK: same
Grow medium:hydroton, switching to coco this week, so may change flood freq
Hydroponic system:custom
Wattage of light:600hps, 6x24"T5ho veg
grow pot size:6x6x7 square, 4" flood vents
reservoir size in gallons: aprox 25 gallon
number of plants:4-6
Veg and flower time:4 veg 9-12 flower
Strain type.....max yielder? nute-burn sensitive? white widow, unknown yield, have not burned a single leaf yet
Extra air-circulation to root zone? fans directed at root zone? 6" inline ac duct fan sucking ac directly to flood table, duct partially sits across flood table further chilling water
Co2 usage? no but I really like that dry ice idea I just saw earlier.


I have played, let's call it for what it is, wasted all kinds of money on all sorts of hydro concepts. For some reason the idea of spending 400 dollars on a pre built systems was too ludicrous, but for some reason ill go on the hook for well over 2k from HD and Lowes. Ebb and flow was by far the most effective, simplest and straight forward design of all the systems I played with. I tried high pressure aero, low pressure aero, foggers and bubbleponic systems. I still clone in bubblers, but for anything other then cloning, the rest of the systems are either too complicated, not every effective or have such critical flaws as to seriously hinder your ability to even grow. E&B seems simple and easy, but there is some very powerful magic that happens in those grow rocks as the heat evaporates that water. E&B also tolerates higher temps usually in the mid 80's when other systems will shut down above 75.

[dbud1369]

Flood frequency and duration in LIGHT:ever 4 hrs, takes 90 sec to fill and stays there for 2 min the drains, takes another 90 sec.
Flood frequency and duration DARK: every 3 hrs.. same as above
Grow medium:
HYdroponic system: Ebb & Flow
Wattage of light: 2 X 1000 Wt 2700K
grow pot size:about 2.5 gal i think
reservoir size in gallons: 55 gal
number of plants: right now only 9 in hydro in flowering.This system has been said to allow up to 48 BUT yet to try.
Veg and flower time: too long in veg, shooting for 9 weeks might take some sooner, can't force them.
Strain type.....? Finally got strains.. BellaDonna, BigBud, AK, and one from seed that has done AMAZING.
Extra air-circulation to root zone? 2 fans, one for lights and channeld out, the other for canopy and underneath. Had a airstone in control tank, but was informed that it doesn't difuse the O2 small enough.. any thoughts on this.. ????
This is my first Hydro grow/flower, I've been growing for about 2 years and am now just expeirmenting with Hydro. LOVE IT. My clones are set up as this:
1 5 gal bucket
10 holes in top with 2" net pot, 2" neoprene stopper with slit in it for clone to sit. Inside the bucket there's a pump with a rainbow 360 deg. sprayer and it gets all the exposed area on the lid. After just days I've got a 2cm root , I'll have to post pics, this thing is crazy.
ONe LOVe !