# Help What Size?



## [email protected] (Jul 16, 2006)

I Have A 55 Gal Res. Need A Pump All Diffkinds. Does Pump Size Matter And What Is This 1 Foot Lift Or Something Lookin To Buy One But Dont Want To Get The Wrong One


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## Stoney Bud (Jul 17, 2006)

[email protected] said:
			
		

> I Have A 55 Gal Res. Need A Pump All Diffkinds. Does Pump Size Matter And What Is This 1 Foot Lift Or Something Lookin To Buy One But Dont Want To Get The Wrong One


The 1 foot lift (it's called head), means that the pump will pump the amount of water it states if the place it is pumping to is 1 foot above the pump. The higher it has to pump, the less water it will pump with a max head that it will pump just enough to keep the pump running cool enough to not burn itself up.

Anywhere from 150 to 200 gallons per/hour at a one foot head is the size you would want for a hydroponic ebb and flow.

What type of system are you growing in?


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2006)

Well I'm Makin My Own System 1 Step At A Time I Got My Big Blue 55 Gal Res. Alot Of 5 Gallon Buckets Painted Black. Untill I Get My Net Pots .black Poly Hose 1/2'' About 20 Ft So Far. 2 Sets Of Flors For Now Got A 30 To 60 Min Timer Should I Get One Thats Minutes Not Evry 30 Min ? Any Way I Need My Pumps Now Should Both Pumps Be The Same Since Bucket For Controler Is Smaller?
Hydroton An Net Pots An Nuits. Are Hard To Find Gonna Order Online Got Any Good Places To Shop:d


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## Stoney Bud (Jul 17, 2006)

[email protected] said:
			
		

> Well I'm Makin My Own System 1 Step At A Time I Got My Big Blue 55 Gal Res. Alot Of 5 Gallon Buckets Painted Black. Untill I Get My Net Pots .black Poly Hose 1/2'' About 20 Ft So Far. 2 Sets Of Flors For Now Got A 30 To 60 Min Timer Should I Get One Thats Minutes Not Evry 30 Min ? Any Way I Need My Pumps Now Should Both Pumps Be The Same Since Bucket For Controler Is Smaller?
> Hydroton An Net Pots An Nuits. Are Hard To Find Gonna Order Online Got Any Good Places To Shop:d


 
You haven't said what type of grow you're doing. It sounds like you're building an ebb and flow system, but I can't be sure.

Be careful with the size of your reservoir. The nutrients have a 30 day life. I use an 18 gallon reservoir for that reason. Every night, I add two gallons of fresh nutrient to it and at that rate, I never have to change out the batch. With yours, unless you're going to use a hell of a lot of nutrients each day, you'll end up having to change out the remaining nutrient at the end of 30 days. That can get costly.

With two pumps, it sounds like you may be builing a system like the one another member has. It's the one with float switches that control the reservoir pump into the pre-tank that feeds the ebb and flow. Is this the one?


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2006)

yeah im building an ebb system figured it be cheaper to make than to spend $500 or $600 an then pay shipin an worrry about leo knockin sayin we think u might blah blah u know but yeah thats the one with the control unit whats up about the res being to big would smaller to better thought u need 55 gal or is that for like 100 bucket system?? any info would help


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## Stoney Bud (Jul 18, 2006)

[email protected] said:
			
		

> yeah im building an ebb system figured it be cheaper to make than to spend $500 or $600 an then pay shipin an worrry about leo knockin sayin we think u might blah blah u know but yeah thats the one with the control unit whats up about the res being to big would smaller to better thought u need 55 gal or is that for like 100 bucket system?? any info would help


 
Fill one of the grow chambers to the same level it will fill to when in use.

Measure how much water it took to do so.

Multiply that amount of water by the number of containers you're going to use.

Double that amount, and that's the amount of solution you want in your reservior for the best cost savings.

Old nutrient solution doesn't feed the plants properly. You have to throw it out and make new.

I mean, you can hook up a tanker truck to the system that holds a million gallons. Each month, you'll be throwing out the entire tanker truck of nutrient. That would waste a lot of money.

You need to calculate how much you need and keep as little as possible in your reservoir, but have it still work. Add some fresh solution to the reservoir every night or two. This keeps it fresh and there will be no need to throw away the expensive nutrients.

Do you understand?


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## [email protected] (Jul 18, 2006)

Ok I Got It But Since My Res Is So Big Should I Get A Smaller One So There Is Less Room For Humid Temp. To Evaporate It As Fast? Oh An Should I Put An Air Stone In Each Bucket Or Just The Res I Have Tons Of Airs Stones From All My Old Fish Tanks Just An Idea...someone Said To Put A Spray Nozzel On The Hose For The Pump When It Sucks It Back In The Res Will Shoot A  Faster Stream Back In The Res To Add Oxegen To The Solution...?


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## Stoney Bud (Jul 18, 2006)

[email protected] said:
			
		

> Ok I Got It But Since My Res Is So Big Should I Get A Smaller One So There Is Less Room For Humid Temp. To Evaporate It As Fast? Oh An Should I Put An Air Stone In Each Bucket Or Just The Res I Have Tons Of Airs Stones From All My Old Fish Tanks Just An Idea...someone Said To Put A Spray Nozzle On The Hose For The Pump When It Sucks It Back In The Res Will Shoot A Faster Stream Back In The Res To Add Oxygen To The Solution...?


 
Your reservoir should have a lid on it. No light on the nutrient solution is why you use colored buckets and hose. If the reservoir is covered, then only a very tiny amount of evaporation will take place.

No air stones are necessary when using an ebb and flow system. The oxygen the plants receive to the root system happens when the water drains back into the reservoir. The draining of the water from the grow chambers causes new, fresh air to be pulled all the way to the bottom of the grow chamber as the water recedes. That is why an ebb and flow system is second only to aeroponics for oxygen delivery. You can put one in the reservoir if it makes you feel better, but it's really not going to accomplish anything. The returning nutrient solution will stir the reservoir each time, so you just need to measure the volume of your grow chambers as I explained and calculate the amount of water you'll need in your reservoir. The reservoir should hold twice as much as the combined volume of the grow chambers. The height of the reservoir should be enough to keep the pump covered while the entire system is circulating after 24 hours since your last topping off of the reservoir, and the pump running, until you add solution each night. This situation simulates the worst case senerio in the terms of your pump and reservoir. The pump must NEVER run dry even for a few seconds. There is a way to plumb a larger exterior pump to your system that has a variable rate of pumping, but it adds about $100 more dollars to your cost. Let me know if your interested.

Growing using advanced methods requires a lot of effort. If you want to grow pot the easy way, plant it outside and go back only to harvest it.

Arrange for a friend or partner to manage the system for you if you have to be out of town for more than a day. Or, you can compensate with the large reservoir and the extra expense each month of dumping and refilling your reservoir. With 55 gallons of nutrient mix once a month, you're cost for the nutes is going to be stiff, but that method will allow you to leave for several days at a time.

The lights have to be moved up every couple of days or at the most, every three days because of the distance from the light to the plant decreasing as the plants grow. In an ebb and flow, my plants grow about an inch a day. After three days, my lights would be at 15" instead of 18" and possibly burn my tops.

A rapid leak will crash your crop in as little as two days and burn your pump up until it locks. That's a potential fire hazard.

Always look out for leaks. Slow or fast, they provide an extreme ground for electricity. If it's a slow leak, the area around your system will be wet. You may walk in it and touch one of your lights or reflectors. Have a good place to land if this happens. Seriously, SAFETY is the number one concern for all growers man. When working with a system that has both lots of water and lots of electrical devices, WATCH YOUR ASS.

Being high and screwing around in your grow room might sound just cool as hell, but in reality, it's a bad idea unless you're growing in dirt. Too many things can be hurt in a hydro setup. You need your wits about you until you've done it as much as I have. The best advice I can give you is move slow in your grow room. Nothing in there requires fast movement and fast can mess up fast.

Don't rush into a grow until you understand the system you're using. Run it without plants for a few days until you see how and when things happen. Check for leaks with a dry tissue. Look at it after each wipe under a water connection. If the tissue is damp, you have a leak. Fix the leak and get another tissue for a check of the next one.

Fast will work for one thing in a hydro grow. If you do something like having too strong of nutrients, it will show right away and can be fixed right away by scooping out some solution and adding plain water to the reservoir. The next run will flush the system. Bam, problem fixed!

I'm trying to tell you everything I can think of for your new system. There is lots more, but this is enough for now.

If you have ANY questions, post em. I'll answer everything you ask. If you run into anything I haven't done in an ebb and flow system, it would be really interesting to me. My weakest point is plant pests. I've never had them in an inside grow and I can tell you how to never have them. It's easy. Ask me tomorrow and I'll tell you.

Good luck to you man!!!


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## [email protected] (Jul 19, 2006)

Im Interested In Anything U Have To Offer Ty Ty Ty


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