DIY ebb and flow table and DIY grow tent

[senseless]

im harvesting soon and i want to design a new cabniet/ grow tent and a ebb and flow table.

im have a 2x3x5tall space with a 400w to work with. im getting rid of my other cabniet or putting it in storage or something....

1. anyone use the sticky tarp zippers for a grow tent before or seperating tarp walls? are the light proof?

2. should i make the frame out of 2x2 wood or with pvc pipe?
im worried about the wood ripping the tarp. if well sanded do you think the wood could tear the tarp? i want to use wood because i think it will be easyer to staple gun the tarp to the wood frame so it stays tight and doest get sucked in as much when i have the ventillation going with negative pressure.

3. what are good materials for a diy ebb and flow table?

4. how many gallons of water will my reserviour need to hold to fill a 2x3x4 water depth in the table?


5.any suggestions on how many plants to run in what size pots for maximum yield?


thanks for any help

senseless

og s1

 

[Guest]

I build all my own garden "tents" and hydro systems.

I have one of those zippers but haven't used it on the garden. I prefer to have several inches of overlap on closures for lightproofing; those zippers don't allow overlap.

I make all my frames out of PVC pipe these days. The first one was wood. Wood absorbs moisture and warps, it also provides a place for insects to burrow and hide. PVC pipe is waterproof, easy to clean, it's already white, doesn't need to be treated or painted, can be easily pulled apart for moving or emergency teardowns, and is quicker to build with than wood.

I tape the tent covering to the PVC pipe. I don't like stapling through the plastic because, as the plastic moves from temp and air pressure changes, the staples will tear the plastic causing light and air leaks. Tape will give a bit as needed.

I make my E&F systems from plastic bins & containers. The "table" is a larger tub or bin and the individual plant pots are wastebaskets, pitchers, or whatever suitable size container fits into the bin. I don't flood the entire "table," I flood the individual plant containers and use the "table" to catch overflow and drain it back to the reservoir.

Number of gallons needed will depend on your container size and what medium you use (different types of medium takes up different amounts of space in the container).

My garden is 2' x 4' x 4.5' tall. I grow 8 plants in 1.5 gallon containers; these use approx 7.5 gallons of nute solution at full flood. My reservoir holds up to 28 gallons of nute solution, but at the moment I'm running it with 15 gallons. The larger your reservoir is, the less problems you will have with pH and nute fluctuations.

See this thread for more info on my build, which might give you some ideas: Ambre's Build Thread

Good luck & good growing!

 

[fuzygrowth]

senseless : check out the sig for the ebb n flow side

 

[senseless]

thanks guys

ambre- where did you find those corner pvc elbows?

 

[oldnslow]

I'm not ambre but i agree with what was said. Pvc is strong and easy to work with. Pvc fittings can be found at almost any hardware store or lumber yard or home improvement store. I seen "flash" on some fitting in the past. Thats just sharp points or edges, which can easily be filed or sanded smooth so it wont poke holes in the plastic eventually. Good luck

 

[SkunkyDemon]

Hey whats up Im using one of those zippers, the zipper isnt light proof. I hung another peice of 6ml black plastic to cover the hole front. Works great! Iv been using the zipper for over 6months and still works good. I did add more tape where the zipper tape to the tarp. Just to make sure that it doesnt come undune. I agree with ambre, I would use pcv pipes. Most hydro shops sell clips thats great for clipping the plasic onto the pcv,and they're cheap to

p.s. you can build your tray any size you want, just takes a little work

 

[Gantz]

wouldn't velcro be better than a zipper?

 

[vhGhost]

i used velcro all the way around my 4x8 table this way i can access all the way around my table while growing in a small confined area, saves on co2 cost at least lol

 

[Guest]

I got the 3-way corners and other special PVC fittings from A to Z Supply

 

[synthacide]

heres a little tutorial i did on grow tents:

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=35715

 

[senseless]

thanks everyone. i just hope lowes has those 3 way corner connectors.

 

[Guest]

thanks everyone. i just hope lowes has those 3 way corner connectors.

As far as I know, Lowes and Home Depot only carry them in the 1/2" size. The larger sizes are not standard plumbing parts, they are primarily used for constructing furniture & other items out of PVC. For example, you can build very good greenhouse frames using PVC pipes and fittings.

 

[mrwags]

As far as I know, Lowes and Home Depot only carry them in the 1/2" size. The larger sizes are not standard plumbing parts, they are primarily used for constructing furniture & other items out of PVC. For example, you can build very good greenhouse frames using PVC pipes and fittings.

This is very sound advice as always from Ambre. Those zippers are in fact light tight and have made my latest build very easy indeed.






Be warned depending on how tight you can make it the bottoms will get worn if you move big items in and out of the room therefore have everything in place before you stick and cut. Also the foil tape is a god send when things go bad to keep in place as well as extra proofing puts duct tape to shame.



Mr.Wags

 

[Kenny Lingus]

PS! If you use an old shower cabinet it'll be alot of work saved. Brain/tray is already innit and a framework aswell....

I really like whats happening in these DIY growroom-threads