Mixing tub flood and drain system

As the greenhouse is closed for the winter I decided to refurbish my large ebb and flow system while it sits idle.

For quite sometime I have been unhappy with the reservoir under the tray, and I think I have finally found the ideal reservoir. All this time it was in the back of my pickup truck serving as a storage box.

The upper tray is a large rubber mixing tub that can be sourced from Tractor Supply or Home Depot. Pretty much any container that will support the tray can serve as a reservoir. A small pump from Harbor Freight Tools and a few fittings will complete the system.

This large system will comfortably hold about 30 4" net pots, and it will last for many years. A commercially built system this large would cost hundreds of dollars, however, I think I may have less than fifty dollars invested in my system.

I have seen posts on gardening forums where people think that hydroponics is expensive in terms of equipment and nutrients. By using a little ingenuity and common sense; as the old George and Ira Gershwin tune went: It ain't necessarily so...