Let's Build an Ebb&Gro 6 Site System

Discussion in 'Do It Yourself' started by jakesterjammin, Sep 24, 2012.

  1. OK, I was expanding my vegging area and needed another 6 site setup, and wanted to do this all with spare parts...
    A few friends on here wanted me to take picture how I do my DIY Ebb&Gro systems....


    Well after posting it to my thread, a bro here thought I should create a DIY thread, sharing how I do my systems...
    So here ya go...... :D



    OK, this DIY is not going to be a "step by step"...
    This DIY is more of seeing how one of these systems is effectively setup to grow large plants....



    LARGE COLAS LIKE MY LAST RUN...
    [​IMG]




    Now that I have your full attention...... :D



    I grow in Ebb&Gro systems and I personally feel them the most versatile and forgiving of all the hydroponics systems..
    The reason I feel they are so versatile is the inserts, cause I can lift out a vegged plant and put it in a flowering hole..
    Not only that, but the sites (holes as I call them :D) can be added and removed by simply pluming in the new holes...


    So with the versatility of the Ebb&Gro system, there is just to many configurations or possibilities to demonstrate...
    Also I had the C.A.P Ebb&Gro 12 site, and it's 3-1/2gal holes with 1/2" tubing, thus grows small plants...


    I like the 5gal buckets because this is the root balls I get from them.....

    [​IMG] [​IMG]




    Let's get to it.....
    The whole system works off gravity, so if you have a height issue, did not want to do SCRoG or SOG, this is not for you...
    So please do not ask me how to do this with 5' of chamber height, it's NOT going to happen... ;)



    To build this DIY Ebb&Gro 6 Hole System I'm using the following...

    12 - 5gal buckets - I get 5gal and 6gal buckets for a buck a piece all day long from several people in my area.
    Do a local search for people selling pickle buckets or call some local restaurants asking what they do with theirs...
    The buckets I get usually had brown gravy in them, just make sure NONE of the buckets had any chemical in them...

    1 - 6 gal bucket - You can use a 5gal, but I like to used the 6gal for the control because it allows me to adjust the flood level and still keep the bottom of the bucket below the sites, allowing to a quick drain back...

    8 - Ebb&Gro 3/4" Single Barb Fittings - These are $2ea at the local hydro stores all day long...

    1 - 54 gal. Rubbermaid Roughneck - $22 @ Home Depot...
    Use at your own risk, they have been known to Burst and 50gal of water coming at ya rather quickly too...
    So if you're in a place that you CANNOT deal with that, get a "Low Profile Reservoir" for about $125...

    5 - 3/4" Black PVC Tees - $1.50 local hydro store all day long...

    2 - 3/4" Black PVC Elbows - Same as above...

    25' - 3/4" Black Tubing - $0.77 per ft. at my local hydro store, so just under $20

    1 - Submersible pump - I use a 396gph, cause that's all I stock, but you want to use a 185gph or 240gph tops...


    If I had to buy everything, it would cost about $100.....


    Again the system works off gravity so I built some wooden stands years ago, which has been through 3 states, and completely submerged in water during a hurricane we went through.... So they are like old friends... lol


    Really anything would work, cinder-blocks and 2x4s, perfect and I have used them plenty of times...
    If you do buy a low profile "Reservoir", that's even better because the 50gal are like 9" off the ground....



    First thing, take all the handles off the buckets if you want to...
    Then take 6 of the buckets and a 1/4" drill bit, and then drill a shit load of holes in the bottom..

    Now the control bucket....
    Usually I'd drill a 2-1/2" hole, use a 1-1/2" PVC pipe with a Uni-seal and elbow for the overflow control, but again, this is a spare part build, so I used two more of the Ebb&Gro 3/4" Single Barb Fittings, giving me 1-1/2" overflow back to the reservoir and assure no floods....


    [​IMG]




    Now I simply set the buckets how I wanted them on the stand, created my manifold, and hook it up.....
    This is what I ended up with when done............

    [​IMG]




    Now here is one area where the Ebb&Gro is so versatile, if I wanted the buckets more in the center, I'd plum two lines down the outer sides of the buckets...

    Or if I wanted to add another 3 buckets, I'd replace that end Elbow with a Tee, pluming in the other 3 holes...

    Or I could set them up in a circle with the control bucket in the center for a vertical grow..


    The versatility in setup of the Ebb&Gro system can be as wild as you want to get....
    Again, for veg and flowering rooms, simply pick up a vegged plant and drop it in an empty hole in the flowering room...




    Then I simply put my control bucket on it's stand and plumed it into the site's manifold, added my overflow lines, slid my 50gal tote in place, and then hooked up my pump......

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]




    Then the test results...
    Control fills under a minute of course, and it takes the 6 sites to reach max flood which is 2" below the hydroton in about 9 minutes.. At that point I let the system run for about an hour to make sure there is no floods if a timer were to stick on, and the 1-1/2" overflow lines work fine controlling the flood level right on target at all times....




    And this is what I have.....

    [​IMG]



    Total setup cost me $22... :D
    If I had to buy everything for the DIY Ebb&Gro 6 Hole System, it would have cost me $100...
    Add in the wood cost to build the stands, maybe $125.....



    Just thought I'd share how I do a very effective system very cheaply... ;)




    Checkout my grow journal below to see one of these systems in action....

    :wave:
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Nice setup, yeah I did a similar thing with a drip feed system :)

    Those roots.. whoah...
     
  3. dam nice roots you have there
     
  4. dam root perverts..did you not see the buds :D:D
    middy
     
  5. my control bucket has a bell siphon instead of a different arrangement... it means that I can use only one pump and no timer, the thing is constantly flooding and draining.
     

  6. Yep, that's another way of doing it....
    I just did not want my control over the top and I wanted off to the side (or in back of in this case) of the res...

    Also why this is not a "step by step", it's simply to show how easy one can be done..


    Thus why I did this DIY thread, so maybe to give ideas of for the person to design their OWN custom Ebb&Gro system...
    Because the system is so versatile, each DIY has their own customized traits...


    :wave:
     
  7. Very awesome, probably going to be putting together something down these lines.
     

  8. What you talkin about Willis :D


    If ya need any help or maybe bounce some ideas off someone, I'll help ya anyway I can... :wave:
     
  9. #9 Yoda, Oct 24, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 24, 2012
    holy time to clean the catballs batman...nice dude..
    Ive seen so many guys spend 800 on these systems..
     
  10. Ya shit, even if you bought a 40gal Botanicare Black Low Profile Reservoir (about $150), which is 10" off the deck...
    You're still only looking at a $250 build, and you only have to give up 12" to do the system...;)

    Good enough to sticky, cause there is not done on the Ebb&Gro Systems.... :D



    :smoking:
     
  11. How the hell are you going to lift that, lol?
     
  12. Why would you lift it???? :confused_2:


    It's not a DIY set of weights... :poke:


    You do like you would ANY OTHER large res....
    Simply pump it out until it's low enough to slide out and pick up, if that's how you do your res change...
    I personally don't until I'm rotating plants, then I break down the system to clean it, but that once per cycle...

    :wave:
     
  13. Ah yeah fair enough, my grow room is pretty far away from the tap so I just seperate them in to 10gal ones and lift the over to the bathroom, I guess I could pump the water in/out but yeah I cbf setting up a line that long and hook it up to a tap.
     
  14. Looks like you might be able to roll one or two legs out of those buds:D

    Nice set-up Jakester. Light one up and pass it around:yummy:




    [​IMG]
     
  15. thanks for the write up.....Just saved me about $500....
     

  16. Outstanding!! :hello:
     
  17. this is dope! i wrote down every part you mentioned cause this will save my ass hundreds maybe thousands.... but the only thing is i wish you had more detailed pictures and did a step by step cause i dont want to fuck this up
     

  18. The ONLY dumb question is one NOT asked causing a mistake.... ;)


    Fire away.... :D
     
  19. very true! i ended up showing this to my buddy who is good at this stuff, and he broke it down for me lol. thanks though
     
  20. 1) Do you have to get new brown pebbles (forgot the name) every time the grow ends or do you shake them out of the root ball and reuse?

    2) Would it be wiser to have the holes on the underside of the bucket so there isn't sitting water, or is that not much of an issue? It seems the holes are pretty far down.

    3) I wonder if this could be done the opposite way, where the water is sucked up into the reservoir then gravity fed down into the grow buckets. Then the reservoir would be above the growing buckets.

    4)Do you ever have problems with root particles getting sucked back into the reservoir? Maybe you have a screen at some point in the system?
     

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