help with ebb and flow system

hey i have the 12 bucket 55 gallon reservoir version of the ebb and flo or ebb and grow- unfotunatley the control bucket is made by someone else it is not cap version- i did nt know this when i bought it, so months later i need help- there is always 1 in or more water left in the lower buckets, i fear may be drowning my plants - now in the bud cycle,- is this normal. how can i get it to drain completely. i tried getting a longer line from the control bucket to the reservoir and running it lower to the grown then into the reservoir- i tried leaving it on longer, it just stops sucking water up when the water in th control bucket is 1/2 in but the buckets the plants are in will have more water in them. i will post pictures of the plants they dont look well at all. any help please! thanks sandee

i put pictures and more information under -newbie central- who needs help ask here?/ on page 330 #3297 it says sandee. thanks

iv used systems like this in the past... drop your controller bucket and inch. or raise your farm and inch.

DrtyBngWtr said:

iv used systems like this in the past... drop your controller bucket and inch. or raise your farm and inch.

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That's exactly what I would do, raise the affected farm. The GH Waterfarm system had the same flaw, the new version includes an air pump pickup in the res that draws from the last bucket, essentially creating a circulating system. The last bucket is always being drawn down, creating flow through the previous buckets back to the controller/res.

thanks- we ended up placing the filter on the sid of the bucket with the sucking part in the water that way it touches the absolute bottom of the bucket, and placed the buckets on wood about 1/2in higher than the control bucket. thanks for your advice -sandee

Serapis said:

That's exactly what I would do, raise the affected farm. The GH Waterfarm system had the same flaw, the new version includes an air pump pickup in the res that draws from the last bucket, essentially creating a circulating system. The last bucket is always being drawn down, creating flow through the previous buckets back to the controller/res.

Click to expand...

Serapis, I don't quite follow what your explaining? air pump pickup? I've got a DIY 18 bucket system. Even when elevating there seemed to always be SOME water in the bottom of the buckets. I didn't want my roots sitting in warm stagnant water so I filled the bottom of the buckets with river rock. Maybe 2" deep total. Cleaned out of my buckets today and all the roots looked pretty healthy. There was some dark ass roots but the plant was harvested 5 days ago and it has been just sitting there still in the system so I would expect some kind of decay.

Anyways, if you could elaborate that would be great.