What would you like to see in a new hydroponics system?

So when designing my hydroponics system I’m trying to think different. I want to go no air pumps but maybe a power head as they use less electricity and less likely to put outside things into the system. I’ve never done hydroponics before but fee I have a pretty good grasp on what a normal system is about.

I’m wanting to look outside the box a little. I want to figure out what every grower wants. And maybe start producing some of these systems for others down the road? I know it’s going to be alot of trial and error with going new ways but why not?

Maybe some of you have been worried about destroying your harvest because of a new idea so you never tried it? I want too! Give me some ideas people! Who knows if we come up with some major success I’d be willing to share with whomever helps me get there!

haha for real though I’m wanting to just try new things. I may spend alot of time for nothing, but that’s what experiments are about! Lol thanks y’all hope to hear some great stuff!

I ran a flood and drain system for years. It worked great so I only did limited experimenting. My normal system didn’t have any air pumps or anything other then the pump to fill the tray.

However I always thought about adding air stones or an air manifold to the bottom of each of my pots. The idea being it would pump air directly into the root ball and allow me to run more flood cycles per day. Possibly increasing over all growth. But it would have been a ton of air hoses to put a line in all 45 pots.

So my current idea is like a waterfall system I guess. 4 12 gallon totes that have multiple drains into 2 27 gallon totes below. Yes it is a taller build but I am thinking that will help with aeration? Also having the power head pump in one of the bottom totes would be moving water for aeration. That’s where I’m at right now lol. Maybe going to throw a couple Aeroponic sprayers in the top along with the waterfall to be sure to get the roots when they’re small?

Part of the reason I am wanting to go this route is so the roots have a 12 gallon res to be in without fear of tangling into pumps or tubes. Also with the 2 27 totes below that’s plenty of water to support 4 sites for at least 2 weeks?

Basic idea rn for the build. Inside the top would be the hoses that would spray to fill them but it will hopefully be a quick drain system to also help move the water enough back between the bottom totes and top to keep it aerated.

The best hydroponic system would have the plant growing in some substrate like clay pebbles, with the roots coming out the bottom into an enclosed area with mist spraying on the roots. This causes all the fine hairs and finer structures to burst out of the roots and create a massively increased root surface area, this chamber then drains into a reservoir.

I made a mini version with jets instead of a fine mist , currently I use a shallow water culture as per my sig.

Rockwool, top feed, dtw or recycle whichever you want to do. Simple and great results

yummy fur said:

The best hydroponic system would have the plant growing in some substrate like clay pebbles, with the roots coming out the bottom into an enclosed area with mist spraying on the roots. This causes all the fine hairs and finer structures to burst out of the roots and create a massively increased root surface area, this chamber then drains into a reservoir.

I made a mini version with jets instead of a fine mist , currently I use a shallow water culture as per my sig.

Click to expand...

so the system I showed in the pics I originally was planning all aeroponic sprayers in the top res but I see lots of things about aeroponics not helping anymore than normal hydroponics.

im new to all this anyways but I’m looking for the best ideas. So doing the aeroponic sprayers in the top is a good idea?

Dgnrt42087 said:

I want to go no air pumps but maybe a power head as they use less electricity and less likely to put outside things into the system.

Click to expand...

Do they realky use less power and what outside things are you trying to avoid?

Dgnrt42087 said:

so the system I showed in the pics I originally was planning all aeroponic sprayers in the top res but I see lots of things about aeroponics not helping anymore than normal hydroponics.

im new to all this anyways but I’m looking for the best ideas. So doing the aeroponic sprayers in the top is a good idea?

Click to expand...

Well yes, sprayers are good, but are they necessary for a good result? No. For my money I found the best results with the least work to be using the shallow water culture, which doesn't need any extra air, or other additives, and is reliable with built in redundancy.

However something that I'd like to see would be something grown in a large eazyplug pyramid. I've just tested the small pyramid with hand watering. The large 10" square base pyramid would be excellent with just a top feed and drain.

Horselover fat said:

Do they realky use less power and what outside things are you trying to avoid?

Click to expand...

Well I know the air pump that came with a system my buddy gave me is about 32w and the power head I am going to use is only 16w. Also I’ve seen people mentioning about pollutants coming in through the air system so I was thinking of just avoiding that altogether. But yet again I am new to all this so this is all just off of reading through lots of other peoples experiences

yummy fur said:

Well yes, sprayers are good, but are they necessary for a good result? No. For my money I found the best results with the least work to be using the shallow water culture, which doesn't need any extra air, or other additives, and is reliable with built in redundancy.

However something that I'd like to see would be something grown in a large eazyplug pyramid. I've just tested the small pyramid with hand watering. The large 10" square base pyramid would be excellent with just a top feed and drain.

Click to expand...

what do you mean by easy plug pyramid? Haven’t heard of this yet?

Dgnrt42087 said:

Well I know the air pump that came with a system my buddy gave me is about 32w and the power head I am going to use is only 16w. Also I’ve seen people mentioning about pollutants coming in through the air system so I was thinking of just avoiding that altogether. But yet again I am new to all this so this is all just off of reading through lots of other peoples experiences

Click to expand...

I don't think the contaminants are really a thing. All air pumps have a filter for partivulates and you could just rig a hepa filter to your air pump.

I too would like to get rid of air pumps and stones, but just because they make so much noise. Drives me nuts.

I’m thinking with the ideas I have for This system it should stay aerated pretty well without air pumps due to the waterfall effect mixed with lots of water movement in the bottom totes. I’m not really going for simple as I am performance. I guess we will see after I get it going lol

Dgnrt42087 said:

what do you mean by easy plug pyramid? Haven’t heard of this yet?

Click to expand...

eaZyplug. https://www.eazyplug.nl/eazy-pyramid/

I've just been testing the small pyramid, which is one litre, 4.5 inches square at the base, and 4 inches high. I'm just hand watering as a test. I have been impressed. The large pyramid would be something I'd like to see, with some top feeding, as if it was coir.

yummy fur said:

eaZyplug. https://www.eazyplug.nl/eazy-pyramid/

I've just been testing the small pyramid, which is one litre, 4.5 inches square at the base, and 4 inches high. I'm just hand watering as a test. I have been impressed. The large pyramid would be something I'd like to see, with some top feeding, as if it was coir.

Click to expand...

That is pretty cool! I’m gonna have to give those more of a look as well! Those might be great for my pepper plants as well lol

If you have a good waterfall effect and frequent enough feed times it will stay plenty oxygenated. I got rid of the air stones and pump from my flood and drain reservoir after the first or second year of doing f&d when I learned about waterfall aeration. Ran it for 8-9 more years like that and it worked great.

yummy fur said:

eaZyplug. https://www.eazyplug.nl/eazy-pyramid/

I've just been testing the small pyramid, which is one litre, 4.5 inches square at the base, and 4 inches high. I'm just hand watering as a test. I have been impressed. The large pyramid would be something I'd like to see, with some top feeding, as if it was coir.

Click to expand...

Very nice! I'm impressed with the production on a small root ball. Thank you for sharing the pics.

Viewing port windows on the containers\rails, for underwater\spray root porn viewing pleasure. With water proof LEDs under the lid, to light it all up. (I'm actually building that right now!).

Trick paint jobs or vinyl wraps, to add character to each different system... Hydro dipping you're containers would be cool, haha.

Drop That Sound said:

Viewing port windows on the containers\rails, for underwater\spray root porn viewing pleasure. With water proof LEDs under the lid, to light it all up. (I'm actually building that right now!).

Trick paint jobs or vinyl wraps, to add character to each different system... Hydro dipping you're containers would be cool, haha.

Click to expand...

You gonna have the leds strobe with music?