Need advice and comments on my Hydroponics Setup
Hello,
I had some Sears points that were going to expire and I decided to buy some "self watering" vertical pockets to try them out. I bought 14 of them for 42 plants. I was going to build a wall out of cedar and hang it on my deck railing and just do a traditional soil based wall system. While I was waiting for them to arrive, I started to learn about hydroponics. After receiving the product, I thought they could be used to make a hydroponic system, so I started to build a system. I got some directions from the manufacturer on how to make these self watering.
I am new to Hydroponics, so I wanted to run my setup by some people. I built a cedar frame and installed 12 of these on one frame. 3 sets (each set is 3 pods in one piece) on 4 rows. I then connected each row to each other using tubing. I tested this out and all rows fill with water and I believe I can maintain a level I desire by controlling the rate of flow. My plan is to fill the interior fill baskets with some sort of growing medium for the plant to take root. Then there will be a constant level of water in each pot, anywhere between 2-5" inches. Then I will circulate water using a tank and pump. As the water on the top fills, it will flow down to the next level ect, then back into the water tank. Here are a few pictures of the pots filled with water:
Here are a few pictures. One of me testing the flow. After getting the initial levels right, I added orange soda to see how the water would distribute from the top down and it seemed to spread well to all pods.
Here is a picture showing how it will be installed at my house:
I plan to put the tank beneath it and run tubing to the top row. I will us a submersible pump to push water up and start the flow down. Should I use an air stone or an air pump with this setup? Also, is my setup sound enough? Meaning, I plan to keep a constant level of water in each pot and have it cycle through using the input of the tubes. The tubs fill at the bottom of the pot which will push the older water down and out of the system. So, basically a growing medium for it to take root and a constant flow of water and the bottom of the roots. Any feedback is appreciated.
Comments (11)
Jason
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Philippines - need advice on commercial hydroponics
Comments (7)Hi Carb. Are you a consultant? I need a specialist to help me in the planning stage. Please email me your contact details at aswethink@yahoo.com if you are. I will be attending a seminar at Negoskwela but it is still about a month from now, and was told that, depending on the number of reservations, it could still be postponed. Thanks. This post was edited by aswethink on Mon, Feb 18, 13 at 12:24...See MoreK-Cup Hydroponics Part I (I need air pump advice)
Comments (1)my thoughts are double the amount of air in the system. use 2 12" stones per bin. Other than obvious tube splices, T's and what not, the only other thing that comes to my mind is how're you going to get the lines into the bins? if you're going to go through the plastic bin wall, you'll need a grommet to make it water tight. the kind you'll need are founding in the specialty bolts/connections area at lowe's. they're located near the screws and nails and are in deep wide, but narrow trays. probably run you $.30 a piece, so pick up some spares. Oh! and take a short piece of the hose with you so you know it'll fit....See Morenew to hydroponics, starting a 100 gallon setup.
Comments (4)OK, good ! There is a small community outside Myrtle Beach called Wampee. In Wampee there is a store called Vereens Turf products. They carry Southern Ag and were kind enough to order the hydro fertilizer for me. It is 5-11-26 Special Hydroponic with minor elements. There is a formula on the bag that tells you how much calcium nitrate, epsom salts, etc. to add. It costs around $35.00 for a 25 # bag. That will go a looong way in a small system but it beats the cost of liquids in a hydro store. I think there is a hydro store in Conway where you can find other goodies. Dave...See MoreIs this considered a hydroponic setup?
Comments (9)That system is slightly more complicated than a self watering bottom feeder system. It uses a smartvalve or aquavalve" so the moisture drains completely before refilling. I always thought it was an ingenious device. I scratched out some preliminary designs to replicate it, but never fully developed it. I always thought you could work it out as a flood and drain system that didn't require electricity. simply fill an elevated rez every day or so, then let the valves control how often it watered the trays. Just to be clear, I'm not saying it is better than a self watering or wick system, just that it is more complicated. The potential is there for it to be a better system, I just can't say I've ever used one to make a comparison. Generally, bottom feeding self watering systems work better with a medium that has a lot of capillary action. I would recommend either perlite or coir as a medium....See MoreJason
7 years ago
hex2006
7 years agoJason
7 years agohex2006
7 years agoNick Tomic
7 years agoJason
7 years agoI finished the setup and tweaked it after seeing I had some leaks. I also planted the same strawberries next to them in a soil based system to see how they do side by side. If I were to do it all over again, I wouldn't do it this way but I had the planters so I figured I would give it a go. I might switxh it over to a dripline for eqch ant but that is yet more cost to this project. Im worried im not getting equal distribution of nutrients to all plants. I'm going to be doing a nft rail vertical system next to these as week at some point. I've spent too much time on outside projects for my wife's tastes so o need to do some inside projects build back up some goodwill.
Erica Jhon
2 years agoGeorge Davis
2 years agoGeorge Davis
2 years ago
hex2006