Qmavam
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:36 am

New hydroponic vertical tube user

I put together a vertical tube after viewing Youtube videos. I'm using 2" pots and Rockwool. I'm a little disappointed that water drips from some of the pot cut outs. If anyone has feed back on that problem, I'd like to hear it. My next tube will have a change to correct that. One thought I just had was maybe my pump puts out to much water. I'll see if I can slow it down. It goes through 5 gallons of nutrient solution in 5 days.
I have the tube in a 5 galon bucket with the pump, when refilling I noticed a green mold on the sides of the bucket and the tube, I'm sure some of that would not grow if I kept the bucket full. Is the green mold something to be concerned about?
I started late in the fall, just to get some experience. My germination rate was poor, but I have 8 or 10 plants and they are growing, some were a bit spindly when moved to the grow to, will need healthier sprouts next year I have mostly lettuce types, just transplanted a basil plant.
Qmavam
PS, I tried to attach a picture, twice, but it didn't attach. Any hint?

pepperhead212
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Posts: 2852
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

Welcome to the forum!

I'll have to see this, but I can't help you with the photo posting, unless you have flickr, but some others can tell you about this. I'm wondering about what you mean by "going through 5 gallons of nutrient in 5 days"? I hope this doesn't mean that you are having to replace that much of it every 5 days! I have deepwater systems, and all I have to do is replace the water, as it evaporates, adding a small amount of nutrients every few months. I know some of the systems have much more evaporation, and the water has to be replaced much more, and maybe that's what you are referring to? Usually the containers for these types of systems are much larger than 5 gallons, so that the nutrients don't get as concentrated, as it evaporates.

I assume that green mold you refer to is algae, which is not something you want. If you have a bucket that light can penetrate, you will get this. Ideally, you should get a black bucket, or tub, with a black lid, so that the algae won't grow. Maybe get one of the large storage tubs, like I grow in, and use that as your nutrient container. The largest one I have - 27 gal - had a yellow, translucent lid, but maybe you could spray paint that, with black or green paint, to prevent algae growth. The 18 gal tubs have lids that light will not penetrate. They are cheap when on sale!

Qmavam
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:36 am

What I meant was, I'm using 5 gallons of water solution every 5 days. Some to evaporation, but I suspect most to dripping outside the lid on the 5 gallon bucket. I did poke a small hole in the lid so what does fall on it goes back into the bucket.
I like the idea of painting my bucket black, that should help the algae.
On the larger water container, does the fertilizer build up? How do you keep track of the nutrient solution percentages?
I read somewhere to change the water once a week, but that seems excesive!
This was my starting point, if it works, and we like it, I'll build a bigger system, with any changes that I learn about. Like a larger container.
How many tubes do you have and how many tunes per pump, or one large pump?

pepperhead212
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Posts: 2852
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

The deepwater systems I have simply have the plants roots growing down in the water, and I have a small aquarium powerhead, with a sponge on them, and an airstone in each of the tubs. Back when I started, instructions said to change half of the water monthly. That, and the ridiculous instructions that you saw, saying to replace it weekly, are things I figured are made up by those selling the nutrients! I have been keeping aquarium fish since I was 10, and I know that it is often recommended that 10%, or sometimes a little more, of the water be changed monthly, mainly to remove the nitrates, which some can't tolerate. But why would I want to remove nutrients from these things? Plants like the nutrients! That's what Aquaponics is based on. I just add the nutrients, as needed, but they really don't use them up that quickly, which surprised me. Testing showed them going down very little in a couple months. All I grow are herbs and greens, no flowering types.

raulgarci
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2020 8:53 pm

My system is a vertical tower, the water container stores 27 gallon and the waste of water is about 5 gallons a week, some of the water drips off between the basket of the plant and the lips of the main pipe, other reason is the evaporation and the last one is the water that the plant requires to grow. So no need to replace the water, just maintain the levels of the container.

pepperhead212
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2852
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

Welcome to the forum!



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