Added: 2 years ago
From: rickvanman
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  • make sure when you drop your rockwool in there you cover the tops with clay pebbles this will stop the light.......

  • Fender Gibson was instrumental.

  • Great video and system, what nutrients do you suggest? Also, I saw in the uploader comments that you said the lettuce went nuts, did you mean it went crazy good or bad? Get back to me when you can, thank you.

  • try use pvc tube in sted then you wont have ligth problem

  • Spend way less with The Bucket Garden and with even better results for organic vegetables. Highest production and quality-Ted Hallett, The Garden Master

  • @rickvanman just wanns say that I thoroughly enjoyed watching this vid, thx!

  • silver foil?

  • maybe you can use pond foil ;)

  • use black corriboard as a light block, i do no green algy..

  • I agree with using PVC Pipe instead, but I think this system is good, but the cost could be drastically reduced by using all end caps and then using like 1" PVC pipe instead of the t-shaped down spout pieces. I don't know where you live, but where I am, they are quite pricey. This system is another great idea, but using round PVC pipe instead would eliminate huge costs. No covers for the trays, etc. I have used one made of 4" PVC and it's amazing. Keep the good ideas coming M8

  • Do sunspots affect solar electric systems?

  • Not bad. Try using PVC round pipe. U can do much more with it. If done the right way you don't have to worry about covering it up.

    Well done.

    "Say not to fast food"

    Cheers

  • I would suggest u get a stronger pump from Petco and ur plants light source well be ???

  • where do you get the container?

  • u fucking talk to much buut respect for the vid :D

  • Rick that was very well done thanks I too will be trying some Hydroponics in the near future. Working on my greenhouse first.

  • Looks like we kind of had the same idea of making a free standing hydroponics unit. Nice work, I'm impressed. Check out the one I designed. It's not home made but expandable and can accept all kinds of media.

    I'm actually going to explore the way you did the gutters. I would have to make custom ones because we need a minimum of 7 inch in the width. I want to see how it will work with coco coir as this is the medium we use.

  • Looks like we kind of had the same idea of making a free standing hydroponics unit. Check out the one I designed. It's not home made but expandable and can accept all kinds of media.

    I'm actually going to explore the way you did the gutters. I would have to make custom ones because we need a minimum of 7 inch in the width. I want to see how it will work with coco coir as this is the medium we use.

  • tin foil to cover the tubing? light cant penatrate and it will reflect uv rays.... just a thought, also how did you keep from massive root tangle, i like your system and will be looking into making one very similar ill let you know what happens.

  • thanx for sharing some helpfull info! great work

  • Hey Rick, Thanks For Teaching Me How To Grow Marijuana.

  • Thanks much for your efforts, looking forward to the next vid. I'm just starting on this little adventure, I wonder what the nutrient solution would be...just some liquid fertlizer added to water? Or is there a special product for this?

  • @WoodyNFla34482 I generally use 'ionic hydroponics nutrients' - you can buy them in bottles and you just add a small quantity to your reservoir every now and again. There are several different versions including Grow, bloom and boost.

    However, a few weeks ago I tried adding some standard miracle grow plant food to my resoviour and my lettuce went nuts!

    I guess the trick is to experiment and see what works for you.

  • @rickvanman

    here is the formula part 1

    Combine the following ingredients in a container and set aside for later use.

    - 15 oz superphosphate

    - 10 oz potassium sulphate

    - 10 oz sodium nitrate

    - 10 oz calcium nitrate

    - 5 oz magnesium sulphate

  • @WoodyNFla34482 PART 2

    These are the trace elements to be added into our hydroponic nutrients in order to provide balance nutrients for proper plant growth.

    - 1 oz iron sulphate

    - 1 teaspoon boric acid powder

    - 1 teaspoon manganese sulphate

    - 1/2 teaspoon copper sulphate

    - 1/2 teaspoon zinc sulphate

  • @WoodyNFla34482 Part 3

    Combine the above trace elements in a different container. Mix them well before crushing them into fine powder. When they are completely mixed and in powdery form, add them to the formula prepared above and stir well.

  • @WoodyNFla34482

    Combine the above trace elements in a different container. Mix them well before crushing them into fine powder. When they are completely mixed and in powdery form, add them to the formula prepared above and stir well.

  • @WoodyNFla34482

    You can either

    1. Use the ratio of 1/2 teaspoon to 100 gallons of water, or

    2. Mix 1 teaspoon into one quart of water and use one liquid ounce to 3 gallons of nutrient solution.

    Keep in mind that the remaining mix shall be discarded as it becomes bad after a day

  • @WoodyNFla34482 THIS IS PART 6, forgot to label the others

    Tips for Making Hydroponic Nutrients

    1. Use a large and clean bowl for mixing the trace elements.

    2. Use a mortar and pestle to crush pebbly elements.

    3. Add powdered trace elements in the last step and mix everything together gently.

  • I think the hydro system you have is good but if you want to keep oxegyn in the water just add a bubble system from a fish tank

  • i think aquarium hobbyist wil have all the proper gear for this. especailly with the filters to push the water and uv sterilizers

  • i have heard that you can use gravel to protect water from light but i am not sure.

  • Next vidio please.

  • @SidneyBou see my gardening and hydroponics playlist :o)

  • @rickvanman Rick i noticed that you where tring to get the water to pump higher up the tube that was smaller the reason it did not work is because no matter what diameter it is it still weighs the same. Example :

  • @kellyhose4 in the bottom of a swimming pool it is 12' deep and the water weighs 8.33 pounds per gallon there is 5.2 psi of pressure on the bottom.. If you took a peice of pipe that was 1" diameter and 12 feet long and filled it with water weighing 8.33 pounds per/gal the pressure would also be 5.2 psi it does not matter the diameter.here is the formula..... weight of fluid pounds per gal X .052 X HEIGHT OF FLUID= PSI ..... .052 IS A CONSTANT FOR PSI PER/FT i HOPE THIS HELPED.

  • @rickvanman did you put the gutter cover on up side down? i thinks the little tabs sticking up are supose to clip over the side.

  • Good tutorial you have here. But me personally I would not have gone for an NFT hydro. I would have done Ebb and Flo, it is a lot more stable. For instance if you are at work all day and your pump dies, so does your plants. With Ebb and flow you have a grow medium that will retain water for long periods of time. So if a pump dies you have time to replace it. You could have very easily done the same system as Ebb and flow. Would just need 1 pump per gutter. At about $20 per pump, it's doable.

  • @bkpickell In my subsequent videos I actually convert to an ebb and flow - works much better :o)

  • All plastics except recycle numbers 2, 4 & 5 contains PBA's which mimick estrogen in the body, lowers testosterone, disables metabolism and increases cancers..

  • @AscensionSeries Did you mean BPAs? Yeah I did wonder about that when I built it, then was led to understand that the release of the offending chemicals only come about through severe temperature change in the plastic - eg - it is heated up. As the temperature of the systen remains fairly stable, I figured there wasn't much likelihood of BPS being an issue here. I could, of course be wrong.

  • @rickvanman That is correct BPAs ;) There is still toxic effects even with cold water but not as much. Polystyrene products are faily safe. Aside from BPA there are also Chlorides to be aware of in plastics and I am not sure which plastics release them. And if you are promoting any growing tips I would also suggest promoting organics as much as possible without a focus on high nitrogen fertilization as it is said that nitrogen creates high nitrates in the foods which are very cancerous.

  • @rickvanman hey man massive amounts of creativity unique idea never seen it done like that before and it looks like it will work well but a high volume pump might help not to get the water higher but to move more water threw the gutter pipe to make the water level a little deeper to cover more of the roots when going A+ job very creative

  • you could use recycled dark plastic

    liter bottles cut in half

  • Hi Rick, Just a idea about covering the hydroponics. Why not use black rounded guttering upside down!!! The size would be about right as well. Just cut it to the length required.

    Paul

  • your use of gutter equipment gave me some awesome new ideas

  • For an excellent, all-around flourescent grow bulb availiable at any Lowe's Or Home Depot store, look for 'SunSticks'. They come in 4 foot sections to fit the standard 4 foot ballasts but even more importantly they are specifically designed for growing & provide all colors of the light spectrum. Typically 40 watts per square foot of growing area will be sufficient. Hope this helps!!!

  • Loving the music.....

  • Duct Tape works wonders...

  • I'm planning to make my own hydroponic garden...

    thanks for the video..

  • could have cover them with alluminium foill . it block 100% light

  • Y0! @ 8:29 HE FARTS ON CAMERA, CLASSIC ! GIVE THIS A THUMBS UP FOR FART !

  • @charlotte240 hahah the mic is in his back pocket, gross better check this guy out in golf magazine for that HOLE IN ONE> his underwear that is...

  • Brilliant!

  • cover it up with foil or styrafoam then cut holes out for the baskets

  • Use PVC pipes and baskets with perlite... A lot less work then ur doing

  • HEY MAN just lift the tank up half way so the punp work well and the last trop up can be back up in the tank easy

  • They make aerators for fish tanks if you're still looking for a solution for aeration.

    Thanks for the video.

  • hey rick quick thing i wouldnt use the rockwool in this type of set up i would use netpots with organic medium such as clay pelits so that u get the best drainage and they wont mold like the rockwool will cuz it wount hold the water as much plus u wont get as much mess when the rockwool starts to breakdown cuz i have experianed that a few times before just a lil info that may help alomg the way and i like ur set up looks promising hope everything goes well happy growing

  • Use a fish aquarium air pump with a long bubbling air stone.

    The PVC would word better and easier than the rain gutters, the cost should be less also.

    My concern would be the heat from the sun. It may heat the pipe and damage the plants if the water wasn't continuously running during the day to cool it.

  • Hey rick i was think either take PVC pipe and the exact same thing and drill whole in it thats how i have mine works great but i dont use the little balls i have them in pot the root grow throughout the pipe and set the pump to go off every 6 hours for 30 minutes to flow and make the PVC go off to the left and off to the right so hang a light over it and it will all get a resonable amount of light

  • so i could grow veggies n stuff without a garden in my app with this? it really doesnt take any space at all, interesting :)

  • Black contractor refuse bags would be good for blocking light, something 3 mils thick or better

  • Y not just use wood its very easy to do

  • You could probably use the black plastic kind of material they use to make ponds ?? its a thick movable plastic

  • lol look out the right link videos

    3/4 marijuana :D

  • If anyone has facebook and has growing questions

    Search for Lawes hydroponics and go to the discussion form and ask what ever your growing question may be

  • @brandonlawes i will

  • @morelandjames hey i just made a website check it out.

    laweshydroponics. com

  • get a thin sheet of styrofoam cut into strips

  • instead of green plastic use mylar it is cheap and highly reflective

  • just use round tubing

  • Hey Rick, as I'm watching, just thought you could overcome your pump issue by stepping the levels a bit... rather than straight up and down, maybe a little like stairs. This would allow room for plants to grow, but less vertical distance from level to level, translating in less effort for your pump. Although not as stringent on space, able to be constructed using a smaller pump.

    Nice video, thanks!

    Peace

  • search hydro grow rooms. you will find the finest and most efficent and resourceful tips and info. there is on the topic.

    about the algae cover up problem, (shout out to High Times Magazine) you could use a white plastic fence post (round or square) and just cut holes in spots where you want to insert a net basket or pot...that way you dont have to wory about covering the light at all...you should check out aeroponics if you havent yet.

  • most important thing in any hydroponic system is maintaining the right nutrient levels and ph. Also remember if you try and grow 100 hundred plants with a 20 litre res youre plants would not have enough nutrients. THe hardest thing wiht outdoor hydroponics is keeping the nutrient resovoir cool as if if gets too hot it will wear you're pump out quickly and exceed the tempreture rating. its difficult to keep nutrient res cool in summer but a plant will grow just about anywhere

  • dude what are you doin cutting plastic without goggles... if that catches it explodes all over the place

  • air stones

    

  • Great series you've put together here Richard. I am out to find my aerators, tubing, and pump. What form of lighting should I for a setup that is roughly 2x3?

  • @layedout72 I hear standard CFL's are cheap and good all-rounders

  • @rickvanman do you have an email that I may ask a few questions through as to not clog your comment sections? you seem to have things down fairly well throughout these videos. The lights I plan to use are "SYLVANIA 100-Watt Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs"

  • great series!

  • DO not use a set up like this to grow weed.There is not enough room for root growth and you will have the first plants growing better then the last ones due to the nutrients being absorbed. Also this is not really a hydroponic system. It is more of an irrigation method. Good idea though if you want to use it to grow a few little plants around the house. Just not good for weed.

  • can i grow weed with this?

  • You can use alot of various aquarium equipment to make it perform better. If you put a UV sterilizer in your water line you don't have to worry as much about the algae. You can also use an aquarium aerator in order to oxygenate your water tank. Cheapest way is to get the pump and tubing. Poke holes in the tubing with a thumb tack and seal the end with a lighter and a pair of pliers. You can get the airline and water line in black to help keep out the light. PVC pipe works better than gutters.

  • kinda cheap, good effort but, you're a fag i fucking hate english people

  • Comment removed

  • Richard,

    What a terrific system, one of the better I have reviewed. I would use plastic drain pipe to cover the gutters: it is black which creates the light-tight environment you want and a simple cut down the middle of the circle would give you two halves to use (i.e economical: many people toss away scraps) Function would determine use: curve above? or concave inside gutter? I would try concavely first. I used baskets and rocks for root grasp and dynagrow for nutrients. Yum! results!

  • You should try out STG sure to grow its a much better median than RW.

  • great vid

  • put seeds into kitchen roll then put them in your airing cupboard first to promote the first root then insert into rockwool.. then put them in your system..

  • use black pipe etc as this will stop fungi

  • what is this used for? can you please explain? what crops?

  • @yanikivanov pretty much anything you want. am currently working on lettuce at the moment.

  • here's an idea. if you're a goddamn beginner, stfu and let pro's teach. i don't want to look up how to do something and find some jackoff who just started. if you want something that's self serving and involves a camera, it would be just as useful to make a self-sex tape.

  • sweet video bro

  • what about sumofoam

  • Try plain black 30mm trash bags to keep the light out :)

  • as long as waterdrips and breaks the surface your adding dissolved oxygen to the water. Lower ur ph to 5.8-6.2 area and your plants will thrive also u need a fertilizer that has micro nuetrients with a PH buffer to keep your ph in a stable range of 5.8-6.2 area use grate for your channels that plastic stuff looks gerneric as hell i woulda chose 6in PVC pipe with a hole saw bit of 3inches for each meshpot

  • as long as waterdrips and breaks the surface your adding dissolved oxygen to the water. Lower ur ph to 5.8-6.2 area and your plants will thrive also u need a fertilizer that has micro nuetrients with a PH buffer to keep your ph in a stable range of 5.8-6.2 area

  • U can use a an fish tank air pump and and nice size air stone to get oxigen to your water it works

  • do u use h2o2? nutrient gets into the plant by sticking to oxygen molecules so the more oxygen the more nutrient the plant can drink, it also keep system clean of algae etc... aim for 30000 ppm... or get a oxidator for a tenner and it will do it for u.. :)

  • you should put an airstone in the nutrient reservoir.....also, i don't know what is available in the uk, but black trashbags cut into strips would do well to block light on the top of your gutters or 1/4 in insulation (expanded polystyrene)

  • what you could do is put an extra piece of plastic in there to raise up the edge before it drops into the the next gutter. that way it has a pool in it rather just a shallow stream.

    ok

  • what you could do is put an extra piece of plastic in there to raise up the edge before it drops into the the next gutter. that way it has a pool in it rather just a shallow stream.

  • how do i watch the video?

  • Hello Rick, you really did a great job on that homemade hydroponics system. It's really nice to know that you're able to grow a lot different crops with it. Regarding the tomato plants that you mentioned, I would assume that they probably need more supply of light in order to thrive well. Maybe you could adjust their "daytime" cycle a bit. Best of luck!

  • Hey why not aluminum foil, to cover it. It will reflect light up under the plants optimizing the available light. Plus its a good heat sync to pull heat off.

  • what is the point with Hydroponic System? why should i build one? (=

  • Can you grow tea hydroponically(?) seriously haha,I love tea

  • Hello.

    Im looking to get into hydro soon so thanks for the vid.

    You should try growing strawberries, your design looks very suited to them.

    if youre having problems with algae you should look into using U.V light to sterilise the water.

  • I saw your video on hydro-gardening. You seem to care about helping the environment and not just out there trying to sell a hydro system, I thought you might be willing to answer a few of my questions. 1. I have a worm farm/compost bin. Can I use "worm tea" to fertilize? I do not like chemical fertilizers. 2. What types of growing media have you used, wool, rocks, perlite, STG, etc. which do you prefer? 3. Do you prefer E&F, floating table, drip method, etc.? Thanks for helping a "newbie".

  • Yer new hobie grow some weed

  • nice job

  • Rofl! I was outside working on my hydroponic/aquaculture system earlier wearing the exact same swim trunks. Nice design, I built a tiered, free-standing system, for indoor/outdoor use as well. However I went with PVC piping for the structural supports, also I opted for an air pump to create a siphon pump to move the water. All in all I think it cost me around $20 (not sure what that translates to for you).

  • hi there, nice simple setup mate. I notice in the comments you mention your tomoatoes not thriving-just being ok,. I think honestly for tomatoes you would be better with wider trays for the roots or maybe use a bubbling bucket system for the toms- the bubbling bucket-deep water culture is exactly as it sounds, a container and a fishtank airpump powering an airstone in the bottom a hole in the container lid for a pond mesh pot full of pea gravel and thats it. 1 plant per container.

  • I use a aeroponic/NFT hybrid indoors and cut my crop down by a week! I personally dislike rockwool because of the labor involved in just using a medium(ie presoaking,PHing,covering,and not to mention handling it.) to hold your plants stem. In aeroponics you suspend the rooted plant or seedling by neoprene collars. That's it no rockwool, hydroton,coco,soil,perlite, nothing. Your rhizophere gets ample oxygen and the roots flourish, increasing vigor and yields! Check out some videos on aeroponics.

  • u also will need to get black tubing or else algae will also start to be produced

  • after 11 years... i can say alut of people say alut of things that are not necessary the best thing for your primary intention.

  • you can use 4 inches pvc pipes instead of guttering cut the holes in to the pipe so you at just the size you need

  • Thats a good idea for what you have, it should work quite good. I have been working with the same kind of idea using 4 and 5" vinyl fence posts. They are nice and rigid and are light tight.

  • thanks for the video, I'm looking into doing this as a business and you just gave me a great idea on building a system. I'm thinking a modified version of yours, square vinyl fence post for the growbeds, put the system on a 45 degree angle moving outward from the top so all the plants receive light and also slightly angle the pipe so the water flows easily from the input to the drain side.

  • it ain't good unless u grow weed in it

  • hey you ruined your consertivery by doing this experiment. but trust me it is worth it. coz i am doing same. n lovin it. i,ll put my video on in few days.

  • ha ha i know man i was joking, i went to jail in 96 for getting caught with 10000 plants, we used soil back then but with water pumps underneath that pumped the nutrients into the soil, i think nowadays even hydroponics is dated, i hear that aeroponics is the new thing, i still prefer soil grown weed tho

  • what can be grown in hydroponics systems??

  • Plants....preferably opium or marijuana!!!

  • you can set up a vegetable garden that is easier to maintain with a system like this. hydroponics is become very common for in city veg gardening to provide fresh produce cheaper.

  • Have grown herbs, lettuce, raddishes & tomatoes so far. Everything thrived except the tomato plants which are OK but nothing special.

  • @rickvanman what about weed?

  • @rickvanman because they need stronger lighting. The large CFL's would be good for them, not the standard ones that you buy as incandescent bulb swaps. The large CFL's are about 14-16 inches long, screw into standard light sockets, but the main difference is that a 105w CFL will put out as much light as a 400w incandescent bulb, with much less heat.

  • @1987iantaylor Anything you want. ;)

  • @1987iantaylor U can even grow weed! lol =P

  • @1987iantaylor anything can be grown in hydro if u have the space

  • @1987iantaylor anything as far as vegetation from fruit 2GAnja

  • @1987iantaylor weed

  • to put air in the water try buying a air fish tank pump and a air stone and put it in the water tank to air rate the water.

  • aint bad

  • i like this alot i will definatly be giving this a try.

  • fyi fantastic job on your first try.

  • tubes not trays,less slant,and bigger pump

  • I like your design but about using vinals and plastics which are not food-grade; what is the likelyhood of leaching into the nutrient solution which is then bathed over the roots of plants?

  • in the USA we use drain pipes with holes for net pots, NFT wokes better in tubes not trays. That is the jest of what I was saying. You need tubes home boi. Wish I was there to help ya.....But looks good what you have,., Next time use 4 to 6 inch tubes...

  • Buy some more gutters and cut and place up side down on top of the gutters you have, Use duct tape or sheet screws and some tin to form a tube, cut holes in top, it is now light tight, get some net pots and drop in. Use a pvc pipe an inch high with a 2 holes at the base of pipe use this pipe so water fills and drains over then in the pipe and down, use a little pump on top tier to pump up another four feet..

  • You'd probably be better off with 4inch pvc drain pipe. Drill holes for some net cups and you need no cover. Also, your water solution doesn't get very high at all because its constantly falling. I'd use a spillover drain to get a little more depth if you need it.

  • would it be possible to growshort varity of weed plants there on them ??

  • yes splashing is recomanded for aerating water

  • .... lol

  • why you don't use horizontal frame? it will be much better for the pump and for the lights at the winter

  • visqueen  black/white plastic would work better, or like professorgreenthumb said. 3" PVC

  • what do you intend to grow and what is your expected yield?

  • Using 3 inch PVC tubing and 3 inch net pots filled with hydroton will solve your light problem, furthermore adding to the visual appeal of the system

  • Hey Rick nice job. If you want any advice on hydroponic plant growing check out all the guys that grow weed. They have been doing for a long time and have refined it to a science to get the most money. Knowledge is power no matter where it comes from.

  • thanks for the tip :o)

  • @hempseed57 nice comment and very true goodonya (aussie)

  • What would it cost to use blocks of rock wool in the troughs?

  • Can we see an update to this, Rick? Interesting stuff.

  • Hi - several updates already posted :o)

  • to make the hydropinics thingys "thats a technical term!" lol

  • fill the whole troth with hygroton or vermiculite it will help in hydration and block light. you can still use your rock wool blocks and you wont need the leaf guards/plastic at all.. it could get expensive though,that's allot of aria to fill

  • Maybe some weedblock to block the light (either the woven fabric or plastic)...

    Also, you might consider cutting your resevoir lid in half so that the left half can stay down without disrupting your setup, and simply lift the right half.

    To guide the water into a freefall in your verticle pipes you can glue bits of pvd fins or guides so the water trickles away from the walls to drop down...

    hope it helps, nice work!

  • Great stuff, thanks for the tips :o)

  • bubbles???

    or a water pump causing lots of surface turbulence in your res

    like coral dealers

    they know you dont need bubbles, just surface movement where gas exchange can take place

    quieter and simpler and as or more effective

  • Thans so much for the advice. I've actually gone for an air pump with 2 four inch bubblers.

    Update video hopefully coming soon.

  • for your channel tops you can go to a plastic supply place and order a 1/16th of an inch or so 4' x 8 ' sheet of plastic and have it sheered to the correct width so that the 8' x ?" slices will snap right into the top of your channels.

    then just cut out holes where you like for your plant sites.

    its cheap, they will last a LONG time, and they are neat and easy to clean

  • Heavy duty black bin bag plastic will keep light away from the roots.

    If you melt some candle wax in a pan over gentle heat then dip the top surface of your rockwool blok this will reduce evportion and stop the green algae.

    It worked for me.

  • The more air you get into the res the better so the longer your air stones the better, you can get a dual outlet air pump and use two long stones, make sure you get a PH meter or test strips and PH up and down, if your planning to buy nutrients and chemicals online to save on shipping order the powder version they're usually cheaper to ship as there is no water weight.

  • Thanks for the advice - I've actually ordered a twin outlet pump with 2 x 6" airstones - so hopefully that should do the trick. PH test strips on the way.

    Great advice on the powder vs liquid - I actually ordered the liquid this time around, but will bear this in mind when re-ordering.

  • You will be going into the reservoir regularly. See if you can install an elbow- you may need to cut a hole in the side of the lid or upper wall of the cooler

  • Thanks for the tip

  • I agree with the airstone comments, so good for you that you're getting one!

    You also want to go with blackout material for the trays. We see color because light is reflected from objects, but some light is absorbed. In plants, they appear green because the chlorophyll in them absorbs all usable light except green to make food. The semi-transparent poly allows alot of other wavelengths through, giving alge a buffet of usable light.

    Nice build. I look forward to seeing your results!

  • Thanks for the tips! -I've still got to get some black polythene - will try to get that done today