hydroponics Basic hydroponic system?

[finitejest]

I'd like to put together a smallish, basic hydroponic system. I've been growing in soil for years and want to try something. Rather than getting the dude at the local hydro store put one together, I'd like to try a basic design.

The thing is, I know very little about hydroponic systems, and most of the information is intimidating in terms of volume. Here's what I'd like: a simple or somewhat simple system to build, good for 4 plants. I'm fairly handy, but have no idea where to start, or what type to use. Basic plans, ideas, advice, whatever: all would be great.

Cheers.

 

[VegHead]

For a first time setup Id go with a Bubble Bucket. Easy setup, low initial cost, low maintenance. Yaargh has a nice setup, check out yaargh's 5gal DWC thread in the grow forum. I personally like aeroponics and sprayer systems but there a little more complicated and more $$ to setup. From personal experience spend the least amount of $$ possible, because you WILL be making changes and improvements along the way. Ive probably gone through 10 different hydro setups in the last 3 years until I found what I really like. All my systems have been DIY. So if you're handy at all it pretty simple.

 

[hot stuff]

While I got a little big with my hydro system, the old bubbler in a bucket or tub is probably the way to go if you're only doing 4 plants.

 

[willard3]

DWC = deep water culture and is the simplest for a few plants.

 

[Burning Colon]

here is an example of my dwc, everything is made from recycled material, used yogurt cups, fruit cups, 2 1/2 gallon container that is well over 10 years old, air pump at least 20 years old, the lights were new - last year. i bought rockwool on sale for $11.99. my neighbour lent me the gadget for my drill to drill the holes. i don't buy hydroponic nutrients but blend my own made from a combination of old tomato fertilizer 15-15-30 and plant starter 10-52-10. i add some aquarium water, bunny poo tea, sometimes i'll toss in a rolaid and when the wife drinks her green tea, i'll hang the bag inside. some of my plants were monsters in size.

 

[ThePepperGrowingMan]

Agree, DWC is the way to go. Cheap and low maintenance. Easy too.

 

[queequeg152]

ill guess ill offer the dissenting opinion here.
Go with EBB and flow. you can buy or make a tray for pretty cheep. i think a 3x3 tray is like 60 bucks and some pvc bits to hold it up would be like another 20, or you can just use a Rubbermaid tubs stacked on each other.
you can do multiple plants on one tray and you only have to deal with one rez unlike DWC; i found changing and topping off 6 different reservoirs horrible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAzxwpgnVhc

 

[finitejest]

You all rock, thanks so much. I'll probably go with a DWC to start out, but I can definitely see myself changing this or that and ending up with several systems within a year or so.

 

[Burning Colon]

one word of advice, you are going to need a solid tote, not a thin plastic cheapy, when you put water in the tote if the plastic is thin the tote will bow out, make like a fat belly and the lid won't fit.

here's the plans i followed, i just didn't buy the baskets or their plug medium, i found rockwool at Rona's but if your local hydroponic store has it, great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yy5kJwdMv8

 

[wordwiz]

One guy uses the polystyrene sponges for starting media. IIRC, the cost was about a nickel each after he cut the sponge into cubes. Sort of like the Oasis Horticubes but a lot cheaper!

Mike

 

[smokemaster]

I put together a couple 5 gal. bucket hydro units.
5 gal. bucket-food grade preferable-free from scarf and barfs(McDonlods etc.)
3 ft. 1/2 dia. food grade plastic tube/hose.
Pond air pump-$40.00-runs 5+ buckets
6-8 inch $.99 store airstones
Drip system connectors for air pump-1 per bucket,5 in a $3.00 pack.
8 inch hydro basket(got tired of 3 inch ones tilting when plants got big).under $5.00 each.
Media for baskets-depends what you use-granite for cement is heavy and cheepest.
Nutes-whatever you want to use...

Basically it runs just like an aquarium filter-bubbles bring water to the plant.

I tried using a submercible waterfall water pump with slits sawed into PVC and mist heads drilled into the pvc. also-too much maintainance.

This one uses a 6ft piece of tube that has holes in it to spray roots-water pump run-too much maintainance.

Big mistake-never put 4 pots in a bucket.Too many plants,too crowded for /growing/full grown plants.

 

[smokemaster]

974750083-Galopagoense

Red Savina

I guess I should explain "too much maintainance".
Using submersible pumps means constant cleaning-filters and sprinklers heads.
Motors get warm enough to form depsits quickly and water stays too warm I think...
The hose with holes in it did great but I couldn't find any glue,cement or way to mount them that would work easily.
Could have used a couple methods that would involve sealing holes in the bucket but I want something I take the top off every 2 wks to change the nutes and thats all.
A pond air pump,so far works great.Runs 5+ airstones and irrigation hoses easily with a 5 station air valve from an aquariun.
Each output hose can be adjusted.
I'll probably add another 5 valve to it as the season progresses.
Most valves are less than 1/4 on now so I think I can use a lot more outlets on the same pump.

I have my stuff inside so I don't know if 5 gal. buckets will dry out too much outside if I only add water 1 time a day.
Inside I add water 1-2 times a week and change the nutes whenever I get ambitious.Not more than once every 2-3 weeks.

Links:

http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-gardening.com/homemade-hydroponics.html#reservoir

Tried this one-submersible pump gets water HOT in the summer.

http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-gardening.com/homemade-aeroponics-system-2.html

Real hard to find a chaulk or adhesive to stick the hose to the bucket-nothing sticks to the plastic bucket.
Pump needs constant cleaning-heat collects minerals on the pump case and filter.
Water evaporates FAST due to pump heat.
Worked pretty good though until I got tired of messing with it.

So far I've had the least hassles with the system thats like an aquarium filter.Air pushes water up a tube to the plant.
Cheepest and the least maintainance of all I made.
Next comes the airstone system like the cloner on the site above.

 

[queequeg152]

arrogant bastard ale is amazing.

Nice LED panels too btw.
what led's are you using?

 

[smokemaster]

Not actually Arrogant bastard Ale-Homebrew...

Leds are 1 watt,25-50 lumen(depending on which one.
A few 1 to 3 watt 200 Lumen
Red 625nm-660nm and Blue 420nm - 475nm.

Each pannel has up to 6 or so different wavelengths of red and blue.

Paid under $1.00 each for stars on flea bay.
When you buy a couple hundred+ at a time the price can be Haggled down quite a bit.
You can cut the advertised price by 15% by just using Pay Pal not going through Fleabay most of the time.
Most of those pannels have 30 or 60 LEDs on them.
They could be farther away but if I did that I couldn't use the stove.

Also the cheep LEDs all have wide angles and loose a lot of Lumens from over a couple feet away.
I am going to build a grow shelf with lights on 4 sides-top,back and sides.
I'm tired of messing with Fluoros.Raising and lowering etc. when I water and as they grow.
LEDs give me tighter plants even with 5mm LEDs.
From outside my kitchen looks like I have a UFO landing area in there.
Gotta turn them off to mess with the plants or everything looks wierd after you play with the plants and get away from them.