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indoor Easy indoor outdoor DIY flood and drain hydro

Here's a simple to build flood and drain table. All you need it a stable base, plywood bottom, 2"x6'" or wider, and a pond liner. It can be used indoor or outdoors (pressure treated wood). The hose is 1/2" irrigation funny pipe, the ebb/flow fittings are store bought, rubbermaid Brute NSF trashcan for a reservoir, a Terta 60 gallon fish air pump, and the pump is a 500 gph Danner pump. Danner's are the best pumps on the market by a long shot. I prefer not to skimp because EVERYTHING is 100% reusable.

First is the base. I used steel table legs and fibergrate because I had them laying around in my warehouse. Cinder blocks or 2x4's work perfectly.
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Then I built a frame out of 2x10's and plywood I had laying around. This table is 8'x3" and will hold a ton of plants.
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Next goes in the pond liner. You can use a simple PVC liner available at Lowes or Home Depot but it's not potable water certified. I personally use a Permalon liner. It's a little more money but certified and it will last 20 years easy.
Then in goes the aggregate. Hydroton is very expensive to suck money from the reefer growers. I use Hydrocks. It's the exact same thing, but it's broken up and pops when it's super heated. Hydrocks is the same as Turface. Hydrocks is made by a a company named Big River Industries. It sells for $60-$100 per cubic yard (a pickup truck load). Plenty for 2 tables
It's all the same stuff. Concrete companies use a product caller arcillite. Any lightweight clay product including OilDri and nonscented kitty litter can be use. Soak OilDri and kitty litter in hot water for a couple of day to make sure it doesn't break down and turn to mud!!!!!!!!!! You will have to thoroughly rinse everything that goes into the system. No need to sterilize.
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Next goes in the pond liner. You can use a simple PVC liner available at Lowes or Home Depot but it's not potable water certified. I personally use a Permalon liner. It's a little more money but certified and it will last 20 years easy.
Then in goes the aggregate. Hydroton is very expensive to suck money from the reefer growers. I use Hydrocks. It's the exact same thing, but it's broken up and pops when it's super heated. Hydrocks is the same as Turface. Hydrocks is made by a a company named Big River Industries. It's all the same stuff. Concrete companies use a product caller arcillite. Any lightweight clay product including OilDri and nonscented kitty litter can be use. Soak OilDri and kitty litter in hot water for a couple of day to make sure it doesn't break down and turn to mud!!!!!!!!!! You will have to thoroughly rinse everything that goes into the system. No need to sterilize.
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Next comes the ebb/flow fittings. These are the same old fittings you can buy on Ebay or Amazon. I believe they're General Hydroponics, but anything will work. you'll have to use a hole saw to cut through the plywood first. My fittings needed a 1 1/8" hole. Then you lay the liner over the hole. Fill the the table with aggregate first to hole the liner down. Also make sure you tuck and fold the corners so the liner stays tight. Once the liner is down cut the liner for your fittings. JUST MAKE A X IN THE LINER OVER YOUR HOLES. DO NOT CUT CIRCLES!!!! This will make the fittings a little tough to push through, but it will make a rock solid water proof seal. Once installed I use a piece of net fabric to drape over the fitting so the rocks wont get sucked back through the system. The continue to fill the rocks in and around the fittings
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Next you just position the trashcan under your fittings and connect your pump. No need for a hose on the drain side because gravity does a fine job. Congrats you're finished! Enjoy
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Great illustrations I'd like to build something like that in my basement. Do you have the trash can raised and with a spigot so you can drain/replace nutes? what lights are you using ?
 
I do not have a spigot on the trashcan. I guess you could, but all you have to do is hook a hose to the pump, turn it on, and drain it out if needed. Leaks will cost you a lot of money. I never change out my reservoir. I prefer to add water first and then amend the nutrients as needed

I used Metal Halide and high pressure sodium for a long time because I own a salvage company and I could get them for pennies a fixture. The just dim out too easy and they use a ton of energy. I use 6 bulb T5 high bay's from Lithonia Lighting. They make great lights with strong reflectors. They sell for 1/2 the price of "grow lights". I've had many people tell me that this light is for veg growth and this one is for fruiting, but the T5 work flawlessly in my sorry opinion. My plants are already packing up with peppers as usual. My bulbs haven't been changed in well over a year
 
LUCKYDOG said:
Very nice -- do you have pics of it action
Here's a few pics. I took the pics tonight and the plants have been on the table for 5 to 6 weeks. Biker Billy is corking, white and purple habs, and thai chilies are going off. It shouldn't be long!
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MWM I have this set up i my garage and I'm using T5 high bay fixtures
 
How does it flood enough to reach the plants on the far end of the table If the drain is right next to the fill??
 
DT, The table is level and I'm using a 500 gallon Danner pump and it's a horse. It really pours water on to the table. Basically the volume coming in is greater than the volume draining (gravity). You can add additional risers on the drain side to increase the water depth. I pump 5 times a day for only 4 minutes. That's plenty of water to fill the table to the surface of the hydrocks.
DSC03758-1.jpg
 
Nice setup TMJ. Plants are doing fine.

I use and like my T5 fixture for seed starting, but haven't tried a full indoor grow with one yet.

What's your bulb mix for your indoor grow? All 4 of mine are 6500K for seedling starts.
 
DT, The table is level and I'm using a 500 gallon Danner pump and it's a horse. It really pours water on to the table. Basically the volume coming in is greater than the volume draining (gravity). You can add additional risers on the drain side to increase the water depth. I pump 5 times a day for only 4 minutes. That's plenty of water to fill the table to the surface of the hydrocks.
DSC03758-1.jpg


So is there constantly an inch or two of water in the table...or does it drain down through the fill pipe when the pump shuts off...?
 
SS I appreciate the compliment. I'm use 6 54 watt HO 3500 bulbs. I would prefer 6500, but the fixtures came loaded and I'm not about to spend $200 to swap the out. I've been satisfied to say the least with 3500.

DT the impeller of pond pumps aren't built to tight tolerances. They have slack between impeller and housing. This is what allows the water to slip past and back in the res.

Here's a pic I took last week. Decent progress.
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