Hey guys so I bought the 6 site 3.9 gallon system with the 12 gallon plastic rez ,didn’t trust the bigger fabric one,esp being on the second floor and all,so I was thinking of a flood table just in case,so I can either use the bottom part that comes with most tents that you can tie to all 4 poles,looks like it’d keep water inside but just in case most places charge at least $100 to ship I’ve found a few options on Amazon ones yellow is $100 the other one is an actual drain table and is $211
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@Patriots781 personally anytime I’m working with reservoirs I spend the extra money up front.
It’s much less tragic to spend extra $ when setting up than loosing a crop + water damage when/if you end up with a bad situation from being frugal in the wrong places.
Just my 2c but ultimately I wish you best of success.
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@Pigeonman is on point… overkill is never a bad idea when dealing with reservoirs…
Iv had a leak and a flooding from my autopots. Fortunately no damage being in the garage and Gorilla tent floor liner contained. But I still need to do something.
Flood tables would be ideal. I plan on it soon.
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my two cents, If you have the option, don’t do it upstairs. I have been running my autopots upstairs and wish i had been able to keep it in the garage. I use 5 gal buckets up the stairs too often to ever want to have my grow on a second floor.
but I was looking at those the other day, I just don’t want to spend 200+ for a floor tray.
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Finally some chatter on the expensive pricing for these trays 
Have been in the same boat and tried making one with wood and tarp stapled over it, worked okayish.
If you guys can link to a grow build version that’d be super
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5x5 piece of 45 mil EPDM pond liner, this is the GOOD stuff, just make a frame with 2x6 lumber and staple the edges to the outside. This is the stuff people traditionally use for DIY flood table liners, it’s incredibly tough and should last a lifetime:
It’s the same material that’s used for roofing rubber as well, great stuff
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https://www.homedepot.com/p/Argee-45-Gal-Heavy-Duty-Mixing-Tub-RG177/301437434
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Plasgad-20-9-Gal-Black-Large-PVC-Concrete-Mixing-Tub-887102C/205451585
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bon-Tool-36-in-x-24-in-Utility-Tub-11-409/304245469
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Thanks for this!
I’ll look for it.
Any tips on making a waterproof seal in the hole I’d have to drill to let the water out?
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Just use a quality bulkhead fitting and some compatible sealant goo you should be fine, cutting the rubber with a round tubular punch is ideal but just be careful and keep it smaller than the bulkhead gasket
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If you have any local grow / hydroponic supply shops, that’s a great place to get large items too. They can get commercial shipping. One of the three in range for me has large flood tables like that for about half that price.
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Childs garden pool : )
Or pond liner and wooden frame
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Well it wasn’t the extra money up front, I would have gladly paid extra for a plastic rez but the biggest they have is 12 gallons,the bigger ones are Collapsible fabric and I heard to many horror stories,unfortunately I live in a apt so dont have that option to grow on first floor the floor piece that came with my tent looks like it would hold up water, also even if each one was at the fullest it would be about 6 gallons and so I was just gonna use that amount,my tent is a 4x4 I wish I could find a 4x4 home depot kit,pool is a good idea Depending how big the pool is and if it’s round,I think that the extra $ is worth me sleeping at night not worrying if my autopots would flood but that’s a lot of$ ,I’m gonna keep looking keep yall informed
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Absolutely works my mate has two easy2grow modules T’'ed off one line and two trays
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What you’re suggesting is what I’ve done, my easy to grow module is in a tray that can contain the reservoir.
Depending how many plants you have, you can make a small reservoir with a 10ltr nutrient tub for example, all you need is a top hat grommet and a appropriate sized drill.
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This is the most indestructible liquid vessel that I know of, the smaller sized ones are made of a softer material that just will never crack under normal use:
Drill it out using a new hole saw bit from the inside out, with the bucket on its side and lying on a flat piece of scrap wood backer, that will help keep the cut cleaner and not crack, but a Brute shouldn’t crack anyways, just best practices for this sort of thing. Let the saw bit do the cutting and don’t press too hard and you’ll have a nice hole. Sand or file the edges smooth and then mount one of these with some plumbers Teflon tape and dab some silicone bathroom sealant on both sides of the washers, tighten it down and wipe away the excess goo.
You’ll have a cheap and basically leakproof reservoir that’s got a sturdy lid and big handles, and you can even get a dolly that locks into the bottom of the Brute if you wanted to!
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Really want to say this again.
And it not about getting the most expensive. Set yourself up with what you need worst case scenario. If all your rez water leaked out, what stopped it. Water is the god damn worst. Since you live in an apartment, check your lease and renters insurance. If you need to call to ask say you have a xxx gallon fish tank. You don’t want to find out after you have a leak, that you aren’t covered, or aren’t allowed.
I use water sensors too. They are very inexpensive and I think about them as often as I do the smoke detectors.
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Ive used top hat grommets for circa 20yrs with not a single problem.
Imo it’s flexibility is it’s strong point, it can’t sheer, twist or snap off.
Any vessel you like.
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I use 32 gal ones for my resiviors, they are great and good safe.
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Check marketplace etc if your in/near legal states, deals can be found. Same with non legal, there just won’t be as many.
I have 2 autopot setups, both 3.9 gallon with 12 gal reservoirs. With 4 per tent I fill each res once a week… more in stretch. With 6 to a 12 gallon res I’d expect 4 to 5 days for larger plants.
I mix in a 20 gallon Rubbermaid tote, takes 3 to 4 days for ph to stabilize which I do before filling reservoirs. Less ph drift to the plants and they run happier that way.
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Food safe barrels are good too, usually they held liquids like oil and vinegar or sauces, or olives. Almost everywhere has a guy on Craigslist or Marketplace selling sanitized used food barrels for rain barrels and farm stuff or to preppers. Sometimes the same guy who’s selling plastic pallets, which are a fantastic building material or subfloor with insulation batts stuffed in underneath.
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