# Ebb & Flo dark period



## sopappy (Sep 1, 2016)

I'm confused about ebb & flo, flood & drain, 
periodically you raise the level to wet your roots and it drains back to the rez
there's grooves in the bottom of my tray, so
lit sez to not "ebb&flo" when dark,
the roots hang in air for 12 hours!!?!


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## The Hemp Goddess (Sep 1, 2016)

I have never heard that you should not ebb and flo when dark....who says that?


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## sopappy (Sep 1, 2016)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60uokf3WmTo
go to about 4:30

just stumbled across a tip in the comments:
"try to determine when your (medium) is 50% dry (50% of its saturated wet weight) and re-irrigate"

50% of it's saturated weight, suddenly it's a no-brainer BUT
The RR won't dry out as fast at night as when light is on
maybe that's why he doesn't flood at night, those are yuge rockwell cubes he's using


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## WeedHopper (Sep 1, 2016)

1st i ever heard of that eather. Most all flood and drain growers ive kept up with had it set to flood on a timer at certain intervals  ,,,24 hrs a day.


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## pcduck (Sep 1, 2016)

Rockwool drains at the same rate no matter if the lights are on or off. Unless when the lights are on, the lights can somehow change gravity.


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## sopappy (Sep 1, 2016)

pcduck said:


> Rockwool drains at the same rate no matter if the lights are on or off. Unless when the lights are on, the lights can somehow change gravity.



It may drain at the same rate but evaporation is most definitely affected by the heat from the light.
I think I'm giving it credence on account of lit. also says not to put plants in soil to bed wet, water morning, not night.
It's a stretch.


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## sopappy (Sep 1, 2016)

WeedHopper said:


> 1st i ever heard of that eather. Most all flood and drain growers ive kept up with had it set to flood on a timer at certain intervals  ,,,24 hrs a day.



I don't know how I find this ****, it drives me nuts.


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## pcduck (Sep 1, 2016)

sopappy said:


> It may drain at the same rate but evaporation is most definitely affected by the heat from the light.




It is effected from the heat not the light. Better climate control would make it negible. 
The plant eats and drinks more when lights on, then dry it out faster then evaporation.

But back to topic. 
When they drain they also sucks air in to your roots. The roots are exposed to air at the same same rate either with lights on or off. I would stay on the same schedule with lights on or off.


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## WeedHopper (Sep 1, 2016)

I personally cannot see a benefit to stopping the roots from getting fresh oxygen during the dark period.
If it aint broke,,,dont fix it.
Stoney was a badass Flood and Drain grower and he didnt stop feeding during lights out.


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## sopappy (Sep 1, 2016)

I guess it was just to sell a more expensive timer. 
Thanks for the comments, lads.


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## Growdude (Sep 1, 2016)

WeedHopper said:


> I personally cannot see a benefit to stopping the roots from getting fresh oxygen during the dark period.


 
If it doesn't flood then it will be all oxygen, no water.

Most mediums will have no problem staying wet enough for 12 hours.

That said I still flood and drain 24 hrs.


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## WeedHopper (Sep 2, 2016)

Yes,,,but fresh oxygen is drawn into the roots during the drain cycle.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Sep 2, 2016)

sopappy said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60uokf3WmTo
> go to about 4:30



Anyone can make You Tube videos and they can say anything they want.  Is there any reason that you believe this particular person is right?  I am guessing that if you keep watching videos, that the majority of people who ebb and flo do it 24/7...


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## sopappy (Sep 2, 2016)

The Hemp Goddess said:


> Anyone can make You Tube videos and they can say anything they want.  Is there any reason that you believe this particular person is right?  I am guessing that if you keep watching videos, that the majority of people who ebb and flo do it 24/7...




I didn't say that I believed him, but it did intrigue me. I was just buzzing along watching the videos and then he mentions, what sounded to me like, not running the pump during dark cycle, 12 hours is a long time.


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## Gooch (Sep 3, 2016)

ok i am in ebb and flow. I use 2 gal bucket within a bucket. in veg i have the timer set to flood every 6 hours for 45 mins, that is 3 notches in the timer, then in flower, lights on i flood ever 3 hours for 45 mins and when lights out i flood one time at 6 hours


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## sopappy (Sep 3, 2016)

Gooch said:


> ok i am in ebb and flow. I use 2 gal bucket within a bucket. in veg i have the timer set to flood every 6 hours for 45 mins, that is 3 notches in the timer, then in flower, lights on i flood ever 3 hours for 45 mins and when lights out i flood one time at 6 hours



ya, mj does do stuff to brain after awhile, deja vue or what?
I'm re-reading your thread, I've been down this road before, sorry to bug y'all, I'll post in your thread again, Gooch, I'm re-hashing stuff again.
(re-hashing, haha, yuup, that's what did it alright)












/


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## Hushpuppy (Sep 8, 2016)

It happens to the best of us Pappy  I swear, between myself, my wife, and my step-dad, we almost have a full memory. I can't hold but 2 thoughts in my head. If I get a third one I will lose all 3 :doh:


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## sopappy (Sep 8, 2016)

Hushpuppy said:


> It happens to the best of us Pappy  I swear, between myself, my wife, and my step-dad, we almost have a full memory. I can't hold but 2 thoughts in my head. If I get a third one I will lose all 3 :doh:



classic for me now is going upstairs or downstairs for something and by the time I get there, I'm wondering why I came.

On another note, I got my mitts on a dehumidifier and stuck the coil in a bucket of water and ran a tube through it, a pump and coils in the rezs. Works much better than running city water to waste, that was driving me nuts.
The coil can actually freeze the water in the bucket, I have to use a temp sensor in the rez or I'll make an ice rink.


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## Hushpuppy (Sep 9, 2016)

Niiicce


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