Bubbleponic Vs. EBB/Flow

Granted im newer to the hydro community but i have enough grows under my belt to understand what is good or just talk so the purpose here is to realistically identify the pros and cons of both so that other new hydro growers can make a informed decision based on what they are growing and their skill level. to give this a direction can we start with general points my major question is that for my next grow id like to do a 4-6 plant vert grow. with that been said i understand that with a ebb system you have a large res that on timed intervals will flood and drain the root and media to feed the plants and a bubbleponic the water is constantly in the bottom of the tiered containers supplying the roots with the needed O2 from the air supply. aside from the obvious amount of water needed between the two systems what is proven to yeild better trich, aroma and budstructure. im not in this game for the bragging rights of amount of bud but rather the quality. (lets not be cpt. obvious about its depandant on the strain)

by bubbleponic are you talking like a DWC setup? I thought bubbleponic was used to clone because the bubbles pop and almost make an aeroponic type mist. aero is much better because it creates the perfect micron droplet size, but bubbleponics to me is short lived because the bubbles don't create enough spray to keep the roots happy and it eventually becomes a DWC setup.
I like ebb and flow because it concentrates on flood times and medium type. I think its a good idea to try both but if you are worried about temperatures RDWC (expensive) or ebb and flow (cheap) is the way to go
RDWC setups are awesome, though. the buckets i think need to be at the same height though..

Bubbleponic is similar to DWC but there is a submerged pump that directly feeds oxygenated water to the root core yes early on in the grow the tubes are feeding the rock wool but knowing how quickly those lovely plants sprout roots it will be soon feeding the root structure directly Roseman has a very informative thread on bubbleponics https://www.rollitup.org/dwc-bubbleponics/234626-rosemans-diy-bubbleponics-tutorial.html

Can't speak for ebb and flow . But a rdwc system kicks ass. The growth is so fast . Its a very simple system to run . Lots of info in here about it.

thats all well and good but the purpose is to identify the pros and cons so people can use this as a reference as to which system they want to use im looking for actual info other than "it kicks ass" but appreciate the participation

RDWC:
Pros-
-constantly circulating water and air stones gives the potential for Oxygen saturation.
-easy to maintain(nute soup levels tend to drop slower, and less Rez swaps)
-one Rez to PH vs. every bucket needing to be checked.
-explosive growth
-nutrients are mixed evenly
Cons-
-if one plant gets root issues, others are likely to infect.
-water pump raises Rez temps significantly.
- if a single seal isn't tight all the soup can flood your grow room.
-cant have plants in different stages as the ppm is the same through out.

Bubbleponics is great for starting plants and feeding tiny roots. But once the roots hit the soup there is really nothing different from standard DWC.

thanks Patty after extensive side research i came to the same conclusion i was about to update myself but you worded it much better +rep

Yeah buddy, good luck with your first hydro grow. You'll never go play in the dirt again after a succesful run.

yea im excited ordered some budda tahoe , amnesia and some strawberry cough so i think im gunna go with a modular dwc with some tweaks so i can make a really sucessfull grow since they need different soup's but the only reason i didnt switch earlier was that i had a perpetual grow goin with a strain of my own doin in dirt it was LA confidential x pinapple chunk so life was good

Yum bro. I just finished up a LA cheese grow. Love LA con strains. What tweaks are you going to do?

LA cheese that is such a rewarding grow the smell and the look makes it all worth it well im going to start with the bubbleponics because i cant hurt to help the babies along and i plan to have the tops of the buckets that hold the net, media and the plant secured to a frame and the bottom with the water on risers that can be removed so that on water changes and cleaning can be achieved without disturbing the plant and roots because im going to do a vert grow as well as take those Christmas rope lights and make a smaller version with LEDs that might be a pipe dream but i figure that with a HID or a HPS/MH combo would do wonders on light dispersement. i like to really think outta the box and experiment so that i can record my findings and inform the community cause its all about progress

ebb & flow is simpler, easier and cheaper to run than bubbleponics, DWC or RWDC. They are all good, but ebb & flow can be tuned to run just like a RWDC system by changing the flooding duration and frequency and is safer if your system is dependent on constantly circulating water.

ebb&flow advantages:
- smaller pump requirements (as long as the water can get there its enough, bubbles, high pressure mist not needed)
- no noisy air pumps
- Power outages
- lower root disease issues
- less electric than systems running water continuously

thanks purp those are some good points just so i understand your saying you could make the ebb&flow run constantly like a RDWC?

Sweet man, bubbleponics is great. Just be mindfull of excess heat from your waterpump if ran 24/7. Root management is the key focus. Hydroponics is still considered a black art. Master the art and youll be king of the castle. The results cant be matched. Quite a few Cannabis Cup winners were grown hydroponically. What size lamps are you currentlly running? Or did you grow outdoors prior? People in this forum grow DWC with CFLs and get good results. Everyone has their own opinion on mixed spectrums versus hps or mh. LEDs are pretty dope. Just such a huge price to get a decent preforming model. I personally prefer the the classic MH for vegging and HPS for flower. If you like to experiment, look into UVB lights. Supposed to increase resin production, like its putting on sunscreen.
Keep us informed on your progress, and start a thread documenting the grow.

it was indoors and it was a Scrog grow i was using the following 4 3ft fluorescent vita gro around the sides and 2 600w HID with home made parabolic relfectors that im pretty sure did nothing but looked cool hah the 2 600's i took computer fans and created like a exhaust as well as made heatsinks to attach to the top of the reflectors i wish i had pictures but i recently lost my hard drive so im pretty bummed about that cause otherwise id love to show some bud pron to prove im not just talk

acidgreen said:

thanks purp those are some good points just so i understand your saying you could make the ebb&flow run constantly like a RDWC?

Click to expand...

no but you can if you are setup for it and if you really want to, its just a pump and a timer.

I run my ebb&flow with cocochips+growstones in large net pots and long trays, flood every 4 hours for 5 minutes. Media stays moist in between, LOTS of air and drainage.

ohh ok yea i was overcomplicating that lol

PurpleBuz said:

ebb & flow is simpler, easier and cheaper to run than bubbleponics, DWC or RWDC. They are all good, but ebb & flow can be tuned to run just like a RWDC system by changing the flooding duration and frequency and is safer if your system is dependent on constantly circulating water.

ebb&flow advantages:
- smaller pump requirements (as long as the water can get there its enough, bubbles, high pressure mist not needed)
- no noisy air pumps
- Power outages
- lower root disease issues
- less electric than systems running water continuously

Click to expand...

I don't understand how ebb n flo is cheaper and simpler than a 5g bucket and air pump.

Bro you don't need to prove shit to us. You got a lot of options in your setup for some killer buds. It's nice to hear a guy not growing for yield but quality. You seem to know your stuff and have enough lighting. Can't wait to see some Tahoe.