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My First System - DIY Ebb & Flow


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  #1  
Old 09-08-2011, 08:53 PM
GoodGilligan GoodGilligan is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Southeast Florida
Posts: 23
Default My First System - DIY Ebb & Flow

Hello All -

I'm new to the forum and new to hydroponics. I used the information you have generously posted to this forum to build my first ebb & flow system. I figured I would post a few pictures as a bit of a thank you to you all.

This first picture is of the entire system. Sorry it is a little dark. I took these with my tablet which doesn't have a great flash. As you can see it is a simple 27 gal storage bin with a smaller flood tank. I used a 130 gph pump and a simple round air stone.
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This next picture is a close up of the flood tank. I chose to use the expanded clay pellets in 4" baskets. This worked out perfect as the nutrient solution just reaches the top of the media at full flood. I plan to use spacers to lift the baskets up a bit once the plants get a little bigger. You can also see in the picture that I am using T5 lighting at this point. It has 6500K bulbs installed in it. I will probably get a few more as I add more plants.
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Finally, the first sprouts of leaf lettuce. I have 7 seedlings so far in two of the baskets. I actually germinated these in a Tupperware container in toilet paper and then transferred them to the basket once the root was exposed. I had pretty good success with this method as 7 of the 10 seeds started actually germinated. The seedlings have made the transition to the system quite well. After only 2 days in the media, I can see that the roots are growing down and already are providing enough support to allow the stem and leaves to reach for the light.
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I am using Cocos A & B as my nutrient solution. This was recommended by the locale hydroponic shop. I have a few questions on the usage of this solution, but I will ask them in the nutrient forum.

Anyway, not bad for about a week of research, a day of construction & two days of operation. All thanks to the info you share on this site. I will update my progress in a few weeks.

Thanks
GoodGilligan

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  #2  
Old 09-10-2011, 05:26 PM
fintuckyfarms fintuckyfarms is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Southeast Washington State - Right on the line of growing zones 6b & 7a
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Looks like a great system! Keep posting so we can call learn something new.
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  #3  
Old 09-10-2011, 06:14 PM
GoodGilligan GoodGilligan is offline
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Location: Southeast Florida
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Thanks fintuckyfarms -

I'm really happy about my progress so far. In fact, here is the same plants from my last post. It is only three days. I may have moved these to the system too early, but they seem to be doing fine.
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I've now started to germinate a few more vegatables to try. I'm thinking I already need a bigger system!!

GoodGilligan
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Old 09-11-2011, 08:47 PM
GoodGilligan GoodGilligan is offline
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Location: Southeast Florida
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Well I've hit my first issue. It seems like either some of my old seeds were bad or my budget propagation system wasn't such a good idea. I ended up with some not so pretty black mold in my second batch of seeds I germinated. So I made a decision to toss the whole batch to prevent anything getting into my system.

Therefore, I broke down and bought a proper seeding tray. I've filled it with perlite and seeded it with some new seeds I picked up at the local hardware store. If these take off, I'm going to have to purchase some seeds from an actual seed producer for the future.

I've also moved things around a bit. Moving the flood tray to access the solution in the reservoir got tiring real quickly. So I moved the reservoir down a shelf and put the flood tank on a separate shelf above it. This also gave me additional space for the new propagation tray and a second T5 light.

Here are some new pics.
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GoodGilligan

Last edited by GoodGilligan; 09-11-2011 at 08:51 PM.
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  #5  
Old 09-13-2011, 09:31 PM
GoodGilligan GoodGilligan is offline
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Hello all -

Here a a few pictures of my progress after one week as a newbie hydroponic gardener. The original 7 leaf lettuce planes are doing quite well. I am also seeing a couple of brocolli & romaine lettuce seedlings popping up in the propagation tray. I'll post pictures of them once they can been seen without 10x zoom :-)

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GoodGilligan

Last edited by GoodGilligan; 09-13-2011 at 09:38 PM.
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  #6  
Old 09-23-2011, 07:25 PM
GoodGilligan GoodGilligan is offline
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Sorry all -

Been a little busy these past few weeks. Here are some more pictures of my gardens progress. My biggest issue is that I have more plants than room in my system. I never expected so many of the seeds to germinate. Oh well, lesson learned.

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GoodGilligan
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  #7  
Old 10-03-2011, 08:51 PM
GoodGilligan GoodGilligan is offline
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Location: Southeast Florida
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Hey all -

I just thought that I would let you all know that I took my first lettuce harvest today. I was able to make a pretty good salad for the family.

Although, I have learned that I need a bigger system, so that i can spread my plants out a bit more. I'm thinking that I may look into a system similar to what CrossOps is building here.

I'll keep you updated

GoodGilligan

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