HydroRed's DIY Budget Flood and Drain (approx $40)

horribleherk

home grown
I agree, as the waterfall action on any F&D will be enough to keep the water oxygenated good without a bubbler. I havent used a bubbler or cirtculating pump since making the F&D totes (years) and all without any issue whatsoever.. I can see needing a circulating pump or something along those lines if you are running MC or something that seems to leave "stuff" in the reservoir between changes.
megacrop & gh floranova can get gritty but neither has caused me problems in this setup a fish aquarium pump is a good idea I just use an air pump funny thing is I just threw an aquarium pump away lol
 

WillieP

In Bloom
This is very similar to the system I use except I chose to cover the tote with it's lid, and use a remote reservoir.
This is the only system I have ran, although I am about to try a hempy bucket in my veg tent too.
5 gal tote filled with 2 gal fabric pot, fed from 17 gal res.
Pics are from my first grow ever.

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OldG

Elite Hobbyist

doober

In Bloom
Many thanks to HydroRed for this DIY flood and drain. I used a half round file (Harbor Freight has inexpensive ones) to shave off some rough edges of the holes made in the tub with the drill bit. If you have a deburring tool, that would of course work good too.
 
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OldG

Elite Hobbyist
I had a bunch of coco and no hydroton....and floraflex im trying to find a groove for so i will do this.

The FloraRed

this IS my flood and drain...i just cut a piece of pipe to fit the head right in the tray...will run recirculating top feed which fixes my flood and drain salt build up problems.

It is equipped with a floraflex bubbler head and a 2 gallon per minute filter (the slowest they have with the head). I have a timer that i can run 10 second feeds 1 to 8 times per day and will find a groove for it but this may be coco perfection.

change out water every 2 weeks...jacks and masterblend tomato.

Lets see what happens. I think i love it and its the perfect tester size. They are 6 x 6 x 6 inch cubes and 1/2 of a canna coco brick (2.5 G) filled all 6.

LOL I just found my bottle of enzymes...i looked for that for 20 minutes !!!


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HydroRed

3Thirteen Seeds
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
I had a bunch of coco and no hydroton....and floraflex im trying to find a groove for so i will do this.

The FloraRed

this IS my flood and drain...i just cut a piece of pipe to fit the head right in the tray...will run recirculating top feed which fixes my flood and drain salt build up problems.

It is equipped with a floraflex bubbler head and a 2 gallon per minute filter (the slowest they have with the head). I have a timer that i can run 10 second feeds 1 to 8 times per day and will find a groove for it but this may be coco perfection.

change out water every 2 weeks...jacks and masterblend tomato.

Lets see what happens. I think i love it and its the perfect tester size. They are 6 x 6 x 6 inch cubes and 1/2 of a canna coco brick (2.5 G) filled all 6.

LOL I just found my bottle of enzymes...i looked for that for 20 minutes !!!


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Is this the first time using the floraflex or just in this configuration?
 

OldG

Elite Hobbyist
I got all floraflex gear to replace everything at the back of the garden and did 1 full run in the 32 x 32 x 62 inch tent...and had 12 on 2 heads in bloom.

The idea is genius. The problem i had was plugged lines so i will run enzymes in the tank (not peroxide or bleach) and see if it fixes it. I had a similar problem with autopots but i had no idea about the world of bad bacteria and pythium. I am becoming a master on what not to do !

I think this 6 cell tote is one of the best applications of the system without needing outside reservoris. I have two autopot tanks i converted to floraflex.

Thrips wiped out my harvest but...i am going there again.

I have 6 x 6 x 6 cubes and the matrix lids and pads for 3 and 5 gallon pots too. I will check it out when i get things more stable.

PIC 1 is the 32 special with the system i made out of 3/4 pipe fittings and a bubbler head.
The other 2 are a system on 3/4 pipe fed with a 1300 GPH pump...this one does not get plugged.

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