Flood-and-drain table with ten green plastic pots, tray and reservoir seen at three-quarter angle

Solar version: the same table with its photovoltaic panel and battery station

Detail of the overflow standpipe at the centre of the growing tray

Close-up of the lower fitting and the connecting pipe between the tray and the reservoir

Detail of the photovoltaic panel and its fitting, solar version.

Diagram of the flood and drain cycle in four steps

Ebb & Grow flood table, 10 pots, mains or solar

Name: Ebb & Grow flood table, 10 pots, mains or solar
Brand: Terra Aquatica
SKU: TA-EBB
Availability: InStock

28,900.00 RSD

9,633.33 RSD × 3 with no fees Klarna.

The ebb-and-flow table floods and then empties its grow bed at regular intervals. The roots alternate between nutrient solution and air, and the pump is the only moving part in the whole system.

The table comes with its 100 L reservoir and 10 fabric pots of 4 L, in a mains-powered version, run by the timer of your choice, or in a solar version, whose pump has its own built-in timer.

Ref. TA-EBB·Soilless growing system

Feed : Mains

Mains

Solar

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The summary

What it is: a grow bed that floods and then drains in cycles, above a 100 L reservoir.
What is supplied: the tray, the reservoir, the pump, 10 fabric pots of 4 L and the overflow standpipe.
Two power options: mains-powered with a timer that you set, or solar-powered with a timer built into the pump.
How often: around 1 flood per hour during the day, to be spaced out with a grow medium that retains water.
What you choose to go with it: the grow medium, a complete hydroponic nutrient and something to read the pH.
Footprint: 95 x 95 cm on the floor, 16.5 kg empty for the mains version, 18.1 kg for the solar version.

Grow bed flooded in cycles, 10 pots, 100 L reservoir

The ebb and flow table floods its grow bed, then lets it drain, several times a day. It is one of the oldest soilless systems, and one of the simplest to run, since the only moving part in the whole set-up is the pump. Here you receive the bed, the 100 L reservoir, the pump and 10 fabric pots of 4 L, to be placed on the floor one on top of the other, with no support to make.

🌊 The flood and drain principle

A submersible pump that you place in the reservoir fills the grow bed, which sits just above it. When the pump stops, the water drains back down on its own through the same pipe, by gravity. There is no siphon, no solenoid valve and no part that could jam. As it withdraws, the water draws fresh air into the grow medium, and this back-and-forth oxygenates the roots on every cycle. An overflow standpipe fixes the water height reached in the bed. The tray and the reservoir are rotationally moulded in France, from food-grade recycled polyethylene, and are completely opaque, since a translucent wall lets light through to the solution, which is enough to trigger algae. The whole unit sits directly on the floor, with the reservoir acting as a base for the tray, so there is no stand to build and no raising up to plan for. Allow for more than 120 kg under load once the reservoir is full and the pots are wet, on a footprint of close to one square metre.

The grow bed

This is the tray on which your pots sit. It measures 95 x 95 cm overall, of which 86 x 86 cm is truly usable, and 36 cm high.

The reservoir

It holds 100 L, with its level tube. This volume stabilises the pH and gives you more time between two refills.

The pump

This submersible pump uses 6.5 W and delivers 600 litres per hour on mains power. It only runs during flooding, a little over a quarter of an hour per cycle.

The pots

This is a set of 10 fabric pots of 4 L. The fabric lets air through the sides, which adds to the oxygenation provided by the flood and drain cycle.

🕒 How often to flood

The starting setting is the one the manufacturer uses in its greenhouses: 1 flood per hour, with the bed staying full for about a quarter of an hour before draining. The timer is therefore set to the filling time, which you time once, plus 15 minutes of high water. The grow medium then decides whether to keep this rhythm: clay pebbles, which hold almost nothing, cope with it easily, whereas coco fibre or rockwool, which hold water for several hours, call for more widely spaced cycles, otherwise the excess water deprives the roots of air. At night, you can stop the cycles on the mains-powered version. Finally, watch the roots during the first week: white fine roots coming out through the bottom of the pots confirm the setting, whereas a medium that never dries on the surface needs the floods spaced further apart. The season also matters, as a plant in the heat of summer consumes far more than in March.

The timer on the mains-powered version

On the mains version, add a timer, because it is what controls the flooding, and its quarter-hour segments are enough for one flood cycle per hour, with the overflow standpipe returning to the reservoir any water pumped beyond the level. The solar version, for its part, has its timer built into the pump. The ebb and flow table pack brings together the system, 50 L of coco fibre and the nutrients in a single order.

What to monitor at every tide

A little solution stays in the tank between cycles. If it receives light, algae will establish within a few days, and the cause is optical before it is chemical: cover the open surface with empty pots or a plate. Then keep the overflow standpipe clear, because it sets the water level and spares you a flood if the timer gets stuck in the on position. Finally, check that the tank is level, as a sloping tray leaves one side dry at every flood.

☀️ Mains or solar

Both versions share the tank, the reservoir and the 10 pots, and the difference lies solely in what circulates the water. The mains version plugs into a socket and needs a timer that you set as you see fit, which leaves you in control of the cycles and allows flooding at night. The solar version has its timer built into the pump, set to run for about 10 minutes per hour, and a battery station powers it at night and in overcast weather. Its pump delivers 300 litres per hour where the mains version's delivers 600, so the tank takes roughly twice as long to fill. In a flood-and-drain system, this makes no difference to the result, since what matters is that the tank reaches its level, then drains. The choice therefore comes down mostly to siting: the mains version requires a socket within reach and suits a greenhouse or an indoor space, whereas the solar version works on a site with no power supply, at the price of cycles set by the pump and not by you.

🌿 And in aquaponics

Flooding followed by draining is also the principle of the grow bed filled with grow medium used in aquaponics, where water from a fish pond alternates with air in a bed of clay pebbles. The difference lies in the source of the nutrition. Here, you prepare the solution from concentrated hydroponic fertilisers, and the reservoir houses the pump. No fish can therefore live in it, especially as the grow bed empties completely several times a day. The article on the difference between aquaponics and hydroponics sets the two systems side by side. That said, nothing prevents you from running this tray as an aquaponics system by connecting it to an existing pond, provided the pump stays in the pond and the bed then works as a standard grow bed.

🧪 pH and water renewal

In a closed loop, the pH drifts, because your plants take up ions unevenly and evaporation concentrates the solution. The working range is 5.8 to 6.2. After a correction, allow at least one full flood cycle, which mixes the solution in the reservoir, before taking the check reading. Replace the entire solution every 2 to 3 weeks, topping up for evaporation with clean water in between. The article on pH regulation explains how to measure and correct it, presented for an aquaponics system. Conductivity should be tracked alongside, because a level that drops while conductivity rises indicates plants drinking more than they take up nutrients, a situation that topping up with clean water corrects better than adding fertiliser.

🪣 How many pots fit on the tray

On the tray, you can fit up to 32 plastic pots of 15 x 15 cm or 22 fabric pots of 3.75 L in place of the 10 pots supplied, provided you group plants at the same stage, since they all share the same reservoir, and therefore the same solution and the same pH. The 10 pots of 4 L supplied make for comfortable growing, with room between the plants and space for staking. A full table with 32 positions suits lettuces, herbs or young plants intended for transplanting elsewhere. Remember to leave a way through to the overflow chimney, otherwise you will have to move wet pots to reach it.

🧱 Which grow medium to choose

The grow medium determines the rest of the setup, and each one has its own logic. Clay pebbles in the 8 to 20 mm size range hold almost nothing, drain instantly and can be reused from one crop to the next after rinsing, but they call for frequent flood cycles. Coco fibre holds water for several hours, tolerates a missed cycle and suits long crops such as tomato; it does, however, compact and needs replacing each season. Rockwool sits between the two, with very consistent behaviour, provided you soak it at a pH of 5.5 before first use. A mix of coco fibre and clay pebbles in equal parts makes a good compromise in a fabric pot, as the fabric itself compensates for excess moisture through its walls. Whichever you choose, rinse the grow medium before the first filling, because the fines it releases end up at the bottom of the reservoir and reach the pump strainer.

🔧 Pump maintenance

The pump is the only moving part in the system, so its upkeep determines everything else. Its strainer should be rinsed in clean water every time you renew the solution, since a partly blocked filter lengthens the filling time without any warning, and the tank eventually stops reaching its level within the time allowed by the timer. Take the impeller apart once a season to remove limescale, using diluted white vinegar if your water is hard. Also keep an eye on the pipe linking the reservoir to the tray, because that is how the water drains back: a section pinched behind the tray slows the draining and leaves the roots submerged for longer than intended.

Technical specifications

The essentials

Capacity: 10 pots10 fabric pots of 4 L supplied. The tray accepts other containers, provided they fit within the flood height.
Principle: Flood and drain by gravityThe pump fills the bed; when it stops, the water drains back down the same pipe. No siphon, no solenoid valve.
Reservoir volume: 100 LEnough water to stabilise the pH and give autonomy between two top-ups.
Pots included: 10 of 4 LFabric pots. The fabric lets air through the sides, which adds to the oxygenation.
Growing area: 95 x 95 cm overall86 x 86 cm of truly usable space, 36 cm high. On 95 x 95 cm, the tray takes up to 32 plastic pots of 15 x 15 cm.
Parcel dimensions: 95 x 97 x 30 cmThe assembled system is taller, with the reservoir and bed stacked.

Mains-powered version

Pump included: Submersible, 6.5 WSubmerged in the reservoir, beneath the grow bed.
Flow rate: 600 L/hAdjustable. 230 V, 50 Hz, 1.5 m cable, lift height up to 0.85 m.
Flood frequency: About 1 per hourBed full for a quarter of an hour, during the day. Longer intervals between cycles with coco fibre or rockwool.
Setting the cycle: TimedTimed filling time, plus 15 minutes of high water.
Consumption: Very lowThe pump only runs during flooding: at 12 cycles of 18 minutes a day, about 0.02 kWh.
Empty weight: 16.5 kgTray and reservoir included.

Solar version

Pump power: 5 W5 m pump cable, head height up to 1.2 m.
Voltage: 6 to 9 VLow-voltage direct current, powered by the panel and the battery station.
Flow rate: 300 L/hAdjustable. It is half the flow rate of the mains pump, which lengthens the filling time without changing the principle.
Cycle: around 10 min per hourThe timer is built into the pump, so there is nothing for you to programme.
Battery station: SuppliedCharged by the panel, it powers the pump at night and in overcast weather.
Empty weight: 18.12 kgThe difference from the mains version comes down to the panel and its battery station.

To budget for separately

Grow medium: Coco fibre or clay pebblesThe choice sets the rhythm: shorter intervals between cycles with clay pebbles, longer ones with coco fibre.
Timer: Daily timerOn the mains version, it controls the flooding. The timer on the solar version is built into the pump.
Nutrient solution: Complete hydroponic nutritionSized for the 100 L reservoir.
pH reading: Drop test or meterWorking range 5.8 to 6.2.

14 further specifications are available in the detailed view.

In the box

1 growing tray measuring 95 x 95 cm and its overflow standpipe.
1 100 L tank with its level tube.
10 fabric pots of 4 L.
The connecting tubes, fittings and sealing gaskets.
1 submersible pump of 6.5 W for mains power, or, in the solar version, a 5 W pump with its panel, battery station, assembly instructions and a trio of TriPart fertilisers: Grow, Micro and Bloom.

Volumes, dimensions, flow rates, weights, contents and flood cycle taken from the manufacturer's French pages and its packing list, on 11/10/2026. Tray and reservoir in recycled food-grade polyethylene, rotationally moulded in France.

Mains or solar?

Same bed, same tank, same pots. This table compares only the feeding and its consequences.

The power available comes before ease of adjustment The solar version needs no mains socket and floods for 10 minutes every hour, day and night, as long as its battery is charged. The mains version can be set to the nearest hour.

	Grow pots	Reservoir volume (L)	Timer supplied	Mains power socket required	Freely adjustable cycles	Floods at night with no reserve	Empty weight (kg)
Recommended MainsYour choice	10	100 L	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	16.5 kg
SolarYour choice	10	100 L	Yes	No	No	No	18.12 kg

MainsRecommended

What stays the same

Grow pots10

Reservoir volume (L)100 L

What changes

Timer suppliedNo

Mains power socket requiredYes

Freely adjustable cyclesYes

Floods at night with no reserveYes

Empty weight (kg)16.5 kg

Solar

What stays the same

Grow pots10

Reservoir volume (L)100 L

What changes

Timer suppliedYes

Mains power socket requiredNo

Freely adjustable cyclesNo

Floods at night with no reserveNo

Empty weight (kg)18.12 kg

Dimensions, flow rates and weights of the two versions taken from the manufacturer's page on 10/09/2026.

Documents & manuals

Manufacturer's page, flood-and-drain system

System overview by Terra Aquatica, in English.

LIEN

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A single parcel measuring 95 x 97 x 30 cm and weighing 16.5 kg. The dimensions do not permit delivery to a collection point: please arrange home delivery, ensure clear access and have someone available to receive the parcel. Exact shipping costs and final delivery times are displayed at checkout once the address has been entered. Outside the European Union, import duties and taxes remain the responsibility of the recipient. Delivery times run from the date of dispatch, excluding public holidays.

Frequently asked questions

12 questions

6 key questions, 12 in the detailed view

Should I choose the mains version or the solar version?

The tray, the reservoir and the 10 pots are identical: the only difference is how the pump that fills the tray is powered.

Feature	Mains	Solar
Timer	to be chosen	built into the pump
Power supply	230 V socket	panel and battery
Works at night	yes	depending on the battery charge
Cycle settings	free	cycle set by the pump
Flow rate	higher	about half as much
Installation without a socket	no	yes

If there is a socket within reach, the mains version gives you control over the cycles, and it is also the one to choose indoors, where a panel cannot recharge. If there is no socket, at the bottom of a garden or in an isolated greenhouse, the solar version works without any connection to the mains.

The lower flow rate of the solar pump is not a problem: in an ebb-and-flow system, what matters is that the tray reaches its level and then drains, not the speed. Filling simply takes about twice as long, which the built-in cycle of 10 minutes per hour easily absorbs.

Is the timer included?

On the mains version, the timer is chosen along with the system: it is what triggers the flooding and stops it. On the solar version, it is already built into the pump.

The manufacturer recommends a simple programmable socket. The catalogue's daily timer, whose dial is set in quarter-hour segments, is suitable: each segment switched on triggers one flood, and the overflow standpipe returns to the reservoir the water pumped beyond the level of the tray.

How many times a day should you flood, and with which grow medium?

The starting setting is the one used in the manufacturer's greenhouses: 1 flood per hour during the day, with the tray staying full for about a quarter of an hour. The grow medium then determines whether you should keep this rhythm.

Grow medium	Frequency	Why
Clay pebbles	1 cycle per hour	They hold almost no water and dry out quickly
Coconut fibre	spaced-out cycles	It holds moisture for several hours: let the surface dry out between two cycles
Rockwool	spaced-out cycles	It holds a lot of water, and too much deprives the roots of air

On the solar version, whose pump runs 10 minutes per hour, the grow medium becomes your main lever: clay pebbles or a free-draining mix suit this rhythm.

How does the tray drain?

How long does a flood cycle last?

The pump runs for the time it takes to fill the tray, then for about a quarter of an hour more, during which the water stays high and the excess returns to the reservoir through the overflow standpipe. The filling time is measured at your own installation, in three steps.

Fill the reservoir and start the pump by hand, with a stopwatch running.
Note how long it takes for the water to reach the overflow standpipe.
Add 15 minutes to that time and set the timer to that duration.

How is the solar version powered, and does it keep running when the sky clouds over?

The pump is connected to a battery station, which lets it run at night and in overcast weather, and its timer triggers cycles of about 10 minutes per hour.

A photovoltaic panel powers a 5 W pump delivering 300 L/h, at 6 to 9 V, and charges the battery station, which takes over when the light drops. You have no socket to provide and no clock to set: place the panel in the sun, the rest is wired.

On an ebb-and-flow table, a missed flood is easily made up without harm: the grow medium holds moisture for several hours, and the roots breathe all the better for it. After several very overcast days, check the grow medium by touch and water once by hand if needed.

Are fabric pots really suitable for an ebb and flow table?

How long does it run between two refills of the reservoir?

How can I prevent green deposits in the tank?

Can it be installed outdoors, and left outside over winter?

Does a pump failure put the crop at risk?

The tray stays empty and the roots retain the moisture of the grow medium: your margin is several hours, more with coco fibre. This is a far more forgiving system than an aeroponic one, where a bare root dries out much faster.

The main risk comes from a timer stuck in the on position: the tray then stays permanently flooded, the excess leaving through the standpipe, and the roots are starved of air. Keep the overflow standpipe clear and check the timer on every visit.

Can you keep fish in it?

No, the very principle of the system rules it out. The tray empties completely with each cycle, several times a day, and a fish would be left high and dry at every drain-down.

The 100 L reservoir, for its part, does not empty, but it holds a solution of concentrated mineral fertilisers and houses the pump. To grow plants with fish, you need aquaponics: biological filtration, a buffer volume and nutrition that comes from the fish waste rather than from a mineral fertiliser. The article on the difference between aquaponics and hydroponics sets the two systems side by side.

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Ebb & Grow flood table, 10 pots, mains or solar

The summary