For All Cap Ebb and Grow Users

Knott Collective said:

It may not be "vapor" locking. It's likely because the pump needs to be "primed" before it will operate properly. You may have an air bubble trapped in the pump and the impeller cannot gain "traction" becaue there is no liquid around the impeller to get it started. Fix is easy. When flood cycle drain process begins and the pump is spinning but not pumping, simply reach into liquid and turn the pump over to allow the air bubble to escape. You'll notice when it starts pumping. Return the pump to upright position and place in position. Leave it alone after this until next rez change when you'll need to "burp" or "prime" the pump again. One air bubble in the pump can render it useless.

Please don't ask me how I know this ...

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I modified all of my Ebb & Gro controllers to use a 1/2" PVC Street elbow, a length of PVC Pipes and made the connection between the top of the control bucket and the pump rigid. I have occasional problems where air does get trapped, but turning the pump to a slight angle seems to stop that nonsense right away. If anyone wants to see it, I will take some photos during my next crop flip, just say the word.

Mike I would like to see your upgrades

Can't advise you on the other stuff, but you don't need to flush the plants every time you change the rez.

i got away from these boards for a while cuz i felt i knew what i needed and such...beenb growing with the CAP 2 gal buckets...switched to the monster controller and 5 gal home depot buckets....liked it, not loved it...hydroton, did not reuse, just threw out and rinsed new batch...watered 3 times per day, once at lights on, mid day, and an hour or two before lights off....used pretty much GH nuts, micro, grow, bloom floralicious plus, calmag, h202, ph down, koolbloom liquid....im seeing opinions all over the place regarding nutes, medium, size of buckets...i mean this thread is 160 pages and the number of times the general consensus on the "right" way to do things has changed probably a dozen times! haha

so one of you thats been here through this journey, weigh in for me...im at a point where i start another grow same ol same old...and like it, not love it....or i will take the general opinion and go for the chance to love something new!

oh and tea with ebb and gro?! since when?! missed that bandwagon completely!

Can any of you guys help me with a controller problem? I hook things back up this year and notice as the timer hits a flood cycle and the fill light comes on nothing happens. After 5 seconds the pump in the res should kick on but it doesn't. However i can flip the timer to the off(drain) and back to the on (fill) it will start but only when i do this. All floats and water level switches function properly during both fill and drain cycle. So i have to be there every watering to manually cycle the timer for the res pump to energize. Any help would be appreciated by someone with more controller experience than me. Thanks for any help fellas. Warranty is voided is the only reason i'm diving into this.

edit: the relay clicks when i manually flip the timer switches but nothing when it reaches it by itself.

Sounds like a bad timer.

The more i ask questions the more i think you're right. Ill prolly just pick up a digital version of the grassen timer in my controller box..

Hay, Im new to this and am setting up my first grew. Sour D is what i have, C.A.P. ebb and grow 24 pots, two Gavita lights with light rails. 12X12 room. Have 4 mother plants to clone from. The whole set up. Ive read that most use GH as there nuti. Is that the best way to go and how should i set up my feeding, 3 times a day or 4.

im on page three . I might have some questions in a bout 157 pages but you can find me here .

these are pictures of a flood and drain controller for four stations of control buckets operated off of the same timer,the timers used in most control bucket systems are junk,this is a good commercial quality timer with good floats purchased off of ebay,they are ment to control either flood and drain or ebb and grow systems

basic pic of my room

http://rollitup.org/t/serious-problems-with-ebb-n-gro.858201/ having a problem with my controller.the float switch on the bottom doesn't float sometimes and leaves my roots submerged in water. Anyone know what I can do?

take apart care

DREAMSPACEY said:

http://rollitup.org/t/serious-problems-with-ebb-n-gro.858201/ having a problem with my controller.the float switch on the bottom doesn't float sometimes and leaves my roots submerged in water. Anyone know what I can do?

Click to expand...

take it apart ,carefully and clean it,you could use drop of vegtable oil

can you use perlite as a medium in this system ?

TWS said:

can you use perlite as a medium in this system ?

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yes it is what I use

Thanks max . It's so much easier to vegg and hand water in Hempy buckets and then just move them to the system for flower. How many times a day do you flood your Perlite Max ? I was thinking since it holds water more than hydroton maybe only once or twice a day ?
My 2 res 18 x 2 site is complete the Res's are full and bubbling off chlorine and running thru the chillers for leak test. today we will flood the system and flood the buckets for leak test. If that goes well we will mix nutes and transplant plants to go in.

question..fish tank dechlor:

I bought some Dechlor and it removes Chlorine and Chloramines the label says, but it all so says it neutralizes heavy metals like zinc & Iron & copper and has a chealeting agent in it. will this be bad towards any nutes I add to the system ?

I flood three times a day and let them dry out for a day on Saturday.change res then reflood sunday,I use a tall boy sediment/declorinator .
worth the money,i run bennies,have run zone and h2o2 before,have better results with bennie bacteria