Minumum Resivoire and Pump Size?

[EldestChron]

What is the minimum volume my Reservoir should hold? What pump rating would be sufficient? Also if one could provide a proportion of: plants to volume to pump rating, that would be very helpful. Thank you!

 

[massproducer]

what are you trying to do? What type of system are do you have or are you trying to set up?

 

[EldestChron]

A DIY Ebb & Flow, probably <=6 plants

 

[massproducer]

your rez and pump size are not that important in ebb & flow, basically as long as your rez will hold enough to fill your table then you are cool. So if your table holds 2 gallons then a 5 gallon rez would be more then enough.

Once again as long as your pump is strong enough to pump the water up to the table then you are fine, but you really don't need a strong pump. A cheap fountian pump will do for a small set up.

I would also suggest getting a small air pump and a couple air stones as well to bubble your rez between feeding adding more dissolved oxygen.

 

[Shockeclipse]

Please correct me if I am wrong but isn't it the bigger the res the less you have to correct your nutrient solution? Because everytime the plants feed they use up some of the nutrients and reduce the ppm of those nutrients?

 

[massproducer]

Somewhat, but it is all relative to what you are doing. For example using a 10 gallon rez for 6 plants on 1 small table is kind of over kill, and in the end it proves to be less efficient because every week that you chabe your rez you are throwing away huge amounts of un eaten nutes. It is literally throwing nutes down the drain.

When you feed a hydroponic system each week, it is designed to give the plant everything they need for the week, so while the ppm will slower lower and the ph will slowly rise, this is what we want to happen, this is what allows the plants to have access to some other less availible minerals, as not all minerals are absorbed at the same ph and ppm level.

 

[Puffin Afatty]

:farm: I use a 20 gal res for my 30 inch wide by 24 in deep by 12 inch tall root container, I use the smallest fountain pump I can find and it is way more than enuf :aok: I like a bigger res, I dont have to change as often and it is more forgiving if I am late to add water :hubba:

 

[massproducer]

sounds good puffin, for your set up I wouldn't classify your rez as too large or overkill at all. Your table can probably hold quite a bit of water during flooding, sounds like it could probably hold close to 15 gallons.

When I would say its overkill, is if your table held 2 gallons and your rez was 20 gallons or even 10.