is ebb and flow competatively effective ?

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gopot

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is ebb and flow competatively effective with most other hydro systems? I have the chance to score sore really good used white 4*8 tables for almost nothing but is ebb and flow anywhere as productive as other hydro systems?
 
it is my favourite system, using growrock and a good control res, when done right, eliminates most if not all root related problems, as the plants are growing in air, I strongly recommend it, personally prefer it over DWC because it needs less equipment and tubing, no airstones less humidity less things that can go wrong, it is very easily automated with a simple timer, recycling is also very easy and is very clean unlike coco or soil.
 
Unlike Zem, I tried ebb and flo, but did not have the success with it that I have with DWC. I have no idea why mine did not do well, but I did go back to DWC, as that was easier and more successful for me. I think it depends on the grower--not all methods work equally well for all people. Do you have the room, the lights, and the time to run multiple 4 x 8 tables?
 
I agree with THG on the effectiveness of "ebb n flo" or any of the hydro methods really depending on the individual. All of the "standard" hydro methods are very effective and under the correct conditions, totally competitive with other methods for yield and ease of use.

I myself prefer my own method, which I devised by hybridizing several different methods. I customized my grow to fit my space, local environment, and personal preference of how my body allows me to work.

I say look carefully at your space and local environmental conditions, your personal likes and physical abilities to care for and clean your system, and talk to those like Zem who use this method and make sure that it will fit your needs. But then keep your mind open as you will discover ways to either tweak the given system to better match what serves you best, or completely change things like I did with mine to get it optimized to your unique environment. :)

Don't be afraid to try it out if it looks like it will work for you. But also don't lock in on a single method. Allow yourself to try different adjustments or changes if you aren't satisfied with the results. However, don't get impatient and jump from method to method. And absolutely don't try to make changes in the middle of a grow unless the grow is seriously struggling. Only make changes when starting the next run not during the run as that can derail the whole run and give you bad information for optimizing the next grow. Good luck, and get ready for some fun :)
 
Keef, that looks like a typical aero setup to me....what makes it "not quite aero" ?
 
THG --- Hopper ---Those roots quickly reach the nute water underneath where the bubbler lives --- After that the top 8" or so of the roots get sprayed the rest are floating around !--- Lost power for 8 hours once and ran my bubblers thru an DC/AC inverter off a battery !-- No problem !--but I wouldn't want to go any longer !---I run the filtered pumps 15 on/15 off filter keep the intake of the pump from eating the roots and the sprayers from plugging up ! --Besides spraying the roots it aerates the nute water as well !--- The bubbler is mostly for air exchange in the box ! --So the top 8 " or so of roots is aero and anything below that is DWC! !
 
In true aero doesn't it spray the roots with nute solution which then drains away to a res. Then sprayed again !---All I know is I copied that first aerocloner on a larger scale and the system works no matter what it's called and I'm O.K. with that !
 
:aok: You find what works for you and your situation :) My system is RDWC with top-feed into coco coir/pearlite filled smartpots that sit in the large 12"dia baskets. I love hybridizing, you get the best of all worlds when you get the right balance. :)
 
it is my favourite system, using growrock and a good control res, when done right, eliminates most if not all root related problems, as the plants are growing in air, I strongly recommend it, personally prefer it over DWC because it needs less equipment and tubing, no airstones less humidity less things that can go wrong, it is very easily automated with a simple timer, recycling is also very easy and is very clean unlike coco or soil.

This rings true for me too. Soil feels good but it's messy. First time out with RDWC I got pythium, I also couldn't settle on how to use the drip lines, and I'd knock them out or they'd slip and spills, pain in the ***. Tiny rez is a disadvantage too, lots of fussing.
but this Ebb&Flow, I'm just starting a new 2x4 table... it's elegant.
The line about the water rising and pushing the old oxygen out and then draining and pulling in fresh oxygen got me. I'm even converting my 5 gal buckets to Ebb&Flow.
As for yields, hahaha, not my dept, I kinda suck at growing

I did some googling on other forums and the consensus seems to be that RDWC has the edge in yield
disappointing, seems it's better that the roots hang in water than air.
 
In true aero doesn't it spray the roots with nute solution which then drains away to a res. Then sprayed again !---All I know is I copied that first aerocloner on a larger scale and the system works no matter what it's called and I'm O.K. with that !

I was looking into this aero stuff and got so friggin' deep into it that I was even researching orifice sizes, the parts list was getting awful but it was fascinating (being stoned is not an advantage here) and I felt like a kid with mecano set.
I got too freaked out about power failures though.
Neat how your hybrid solves that with bubblers on battery back-up.
 
I love DWC,,,THG and Andy42 got me hooked back in 2008.
 
Keef & I do grow aeroponically, but the plants sit over the reservoir & sometimes their roots reach into the water. It has worked well for us.
 
Aeroponics is a solid method. The only problem with certain systems like aeroponics is making sure your pots and containers will hold the weight of flowering plants as they can get quite heavy.
 
the aero misters are known to get clogged often, and then you need a relatively powerful pump which means more power usage. When i chose ebb and flow, i wanted the roots to grow in air similar to aero, and growrocks provide this environment. It baffles me whenever i hear good growers say that it does not work for them, in my case, everything that i put in that system, be it weed or even veggies, grows great.
 
That is the funny thing about grow methods. One method can work flawlessly for one person and fail miserably for another (in similar conditions). I think its because there are so many variables to contend with that someone who isn't highly experienced can easily forget to account for this myriad of variables that are present, and themselves vary depending on the grow method used.

I know that I have used similar methods under similar conditions and couldn't understand why they failed until I found the method that worked, and discovered that there were a few variables that I forgot to account for, which led to the failures, ie, cloning methods. :doh:

But spray valves are definitely bad for clogging up, even with the best of nutrients. The reason is often due to pressure causing changes in the solution which lead to minerals precipitating out of the solution and collecting around the sprayer valves. Pressure and temp changes can definitely affect the way solids dissolve in water, and stay dissolved or precipitate out.
 
That is the funny thing about grow methods. One method can work flawlessly for one person and fail miserably for another (in similar conditions). I think its because there are so many variables to contend with that someone who isn't highly experienced can easily forget to account for this myriad of variables that are present, and themselves vary depending on the grow method used.

I know that I have used similar methods under similar conditions and couldn't understand why they failed until I found the method that worked, and discovered that there were a few variables that I forgot to account for, which led to the failures, ie, cloning methods. :doh:

But spray valves are definitely bad for clogging up, even with the best of nutrients. The reason is often due to pressure causing changes in the solution which lead to minerals precipitating out of the solution and collecting around the sprayer valves. Pressure and temp changes can definitely affect the way solids dissolve in water, and stay dissolved or precipitate out.

Ya hit the nail squarely on the head there,HP... it's a game of DETAILS
and DYNAMIC! Things are growing, things change EVERY day
fascinating, all I do is read and I still flounder hahaha
 
the aero misters are known to get clogged often, and then you need a relatively powerful pump which means more power usage. When i chose ebb and flow, i wanted the roots to grow in air similar to aero, and growrocks provide this environment. It baffles me whenever i hear good growers say that it does not work for them, in my case, everything that i put in that system, be it weed or even veggies, grows great.

I've just started ebbing & flowing and something about it I like, it's a neat hybrid of aero and DWC,
I'm excited about it and love the automation stuff I must confess
Please pop by and keep an eye on things, I've read a lot but I still screw things up, I like to post what I'm doing and folks catch my gaffs often :)

I'm trying some Moringa in pots with dirt, tempted to stick one in a bucket
 
We use a filtered 396 gph pump for our aero boxes !-- I feel ya on the plugged micro sprayers but since I switched to a filtered pump I have not had a single plugged micro sprayer ! -- In my opinion heat was a far worse problem !-- My res. temp hits 80 or above I get white slime !---- Small cloners are the worst !-- I run my pumps 15on/15 off !---- I run about 12 gallons in my 35 gallon boxes and my Temps stay in the mid 70's !---The 3 problems I had to solve in aero were sprayers hitting the lid just right and leaking out --- Caulked my lids !--Problem solved !-- Plugged microsprayers --Filter fixed it !-- and Heat !-- More water can obsorb more heat --started at 6 gallons ---12 gallons or more and the temp stays down !--
 

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