Two Liter bottle flood/drain hydroponics setup

This is my 2 liter ebb and flow or flood and drain hydroponics setup. Total parts cost maybe $60-80. I used an old entertainment center that I was about to toss. I cut holes in the shelf to recieve the tops of each of the 2 liter bottles, cut the bottoms off the bottles and inverted them. The fittings I first tried to JB Weld nylon hose barbs into holes drilled in the caps and they almost all failed. My revision was to instead use some cheap corks, drill holes in them and gorrilla glue some PEX tubing pieces into them, then wrap some plumbers/thread tape around the other end of each PEX piece, insert that into the tubing and then double wrap it with zip ties. This ends up being water tight and no leaks. The timer turns the air pump on for 15 min. every six hours and the air pushes the nutrient water down and up the tube into the distribution manifold to each grow chamber. That little green valve in the air line by the pump allows me to adjust how fast the air is released from the nutrient water chamber and thus how fast the grow chambers drain out via gravity. The air valve of course can't be wide open otherwise the tiny little air pump can't build the pressure needed to lift the water. If the release valve is all the way closed, the flood happens faster, but it takes too long to drain out and the water just sits in the grow chambers. The grow media is just pea gravel inside a foodsaver bag cut from a roll with pin holes poked into it with a sewing machine. The bag then acts as a sieve and water flows freely in and out of it.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• hydroponics
• ebb and flow
• flood and drain
• herbs
• cilantro
• thyme
• oregano
• basil
• chives
• garlic
• onion
• nutrient
• water
• pressure
• DIY
• timer
• tubing
• repurpose

[phantasm48]

UPDATE! I've since torn this entire setup down. It actually worked well enough as far as plant growth, but I didn't plan for that growth very well in spacing the chambers and soon all my herbs were tangled together and almost impossible to prune. I will in the near future restart, with a better design already bouncing around in my head. Smaller, more efficient, less maintenance, fully automated, and of course, even better growth. Coming soon; Aeroponics!

[TheAn0nymoustext]

algae for the res. and gorilla glue in my food...delicious

[phantasm48]

@TheAn0nymoustext The res is, while not covered, is out of the direct light so algae hasn't been a problem. The Gorilla glued joints don't come in contact with the nute water. So far the herbs really have been delicious, and I've not grown any extra fingers or anything. Thank you for your sarcastic concern.

[juicyjuicejosh]

@phantasm48 lol. people just like to hear themselves talk. Their main goal and drive and hobby is to talk shit online. Eat Hot pockets.

[phantasm48]

@juicyjuicejosh That's certainly true, especially if they are good speakers. Fortunately when perusing forums and such, it's usually easy to pick out and ignore the shit-talkers. I still have hope for the internet that once you filter out that noise, there's always going to be good sharing of ideas and knowledge.

[phantasm48]

Well, THAT setup is in my kitchen, and by a window.

[davidm40236]

u not growing cannabis? thats a herb

[astrosynergy]

Thanks for the part on "not using" the bottle caps for connections. Pure "Mad Scientist" work there :) - NICE JOB!

[fyremunky]

sssooooo cccoooolllll!!! I really like the cork idea.good thinking!

[oaney]

I like your system. Could you post a video detailing your pump system? I dont quite understand how an airpump is lifting water for flood/drain, I am assuming it is an airlift pump of some sort. I would love to see a video detailing the pump system, showing the connections with an explanation of how it all works. Also, what is your output flow rate, and head? How about air pump CFM, etc. Thanks a bunch

[fortbenningmom]

thanks for you info. It'll save us from similar mistakes.

[RagingBubuli]

All you need now is a Chicken ^_^

[4RedDwarf3]

@nileakanile Some of us actually grow plants to eat, not smoke. I didnt once think this video had anything to do with weed, my brain isnt addled with drugs.

[monsta74618]

@phantasm48 your really talkin about food????????WTF

[enticed2zeitgeist]

Brilliant idea man. If you aren't experiencing algae it is probably because your bottles are green. Algae have a very difficult time growing in green coloured light (it's the only colour they can't absorb and that's why all green plants reflect it).

Excellent idea man!

[dmanwhogetshigh]

and weed

[rsdoctorrx]

@phantasm48 hehe but extra fingers might come in handy. could maybe type faster hehe i wouldnt mind an extra pair of arms either. so because no sunlight u get no algae ? so what if you were to want to use direct sunlight. how would you suggest modding this setup to combat algae growth ?