A Complete Guide to different Hydroponic systems

Hey guys here is a complete guide to different hydroponic systems I found, its very helpful.

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This was the original pioneering hydroponics technique. Although dated, it is still very popular among indoor horticulturists, mainly due to the inexpensive cost of setting up a NFT system, but also its simplicity.
The principle is very easy to grasp. The plants are grown in a constant flow of nutrient enriched water. The water is spread out so as to flow in approximately 1-3mm of depth over a flat surface. This creates a film of water, which flows over the root system of the plant. This is not a rapid flow but enough of a flow that the water is in constant motion. Water is fed to the table via a submersible pump from the top end of the table.
As the water is pumped in at one end of the table, it slowly makes its way to the bottom of the table where it then returns back to the reservoir in which the pump is submerged. So you get constant exchange of the water in the reservoir being pumped from one end of the table then returning to the reservoir via the other end of the table. The film of nutrient should always be maintained at around 1 to 3mm of water. The roots of the plant should grow below and above the water's surface and that is why the film should be constant, allowing the water roots to develop below the water's surface, and also allowing the air roots to grow above the water's surface.
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The drawback of this system is that as the roots are constantly submerged in a film of water, this prohibits the aeration to the rootball, which in turn prohibits outrageous performance. To get over this problem, some NFT growers put the pumps on cycles, effectively flood and draining their NFT system. Other growers put air stones in the water reservoir and even under their plants on the NFT tables. Most NFT growers administer H202 to their tanks but at a very diluted ratio, however, this really needs to be done on a daily basis as diluted H2O2 breaks down very rapidly and over the course of 24 hours has completely dissolved its active ingredients. In using H2O2 in a daily capacity, this prohibits the use of organic growth promoters and other products that reduce the possibility of bacterial break out like pythium.​

The main disadvantage with NFT systems, especially in a grow room environment is the fact that pump failure is likely to strike at some point. The reason this tends to happen is that NFT systems are packaged with small flow rate pumps; cheap springs to mind but this is not technically fair. The plants only need a small delivery of water at a constant rate and the small pumps are all that can be used on a small NFT system. Now as the pump is perpetually on, the pump sees a lot of action over the course of its life.

This coupled with the fact that you are then adding dissolved salts in the tank and in turn you are possibly in a hard water area, you get precipitation of the salts and the calcium that build up on and around the impeller of the pump. Once this impeller begins to attract precipitation, it is not long until it either gives up spinning completely or that it does not deliver enough water to satisfy the plants' needs, resulting in crop failure. Pump failure can be overcome through regular cleaning and maintenance of the pump or indeed regular replacements of the pumps. As mentioned earlier, these are very inexpensive pumps and therefore can be regularly replaced without financial worry.
Another downside with this technique is due to the fact that the roots are constantly submerged in water, so the plants are very prone to bacterial disease like pythium. Again, this can be overcome via regular dumping of the nutrient reservoir and adding products to the nutrient solution that have active ingredients that minimise the threat of root rot and moulds.
The last drawback is that heavy yielding plants tend to fall over in a NFT system. This is due to the fact that the roots grow out flat and long giving the plants no stability. As they grow older and bigger you will need to support the fruits or flowers otherwise they simply topple over. Supporting them is easy using yo-yos, string, canes or some growers use a scroge. This is simply netting stretched out over the growing area. The plants then grow up through this netting which in turn helps support the plants.
All of the above to one side, these systems are very productive and are an excellent inexpensive teaching aid to the principle of hydroponics. Also with this beautiful innovation the world of hydroponics might not be with us as this technique was the first adopted and used by many growers all over the planet, paving the way for our very own hydroponics revolution. One has to take one's hat off to the British inventor that pioneered this technique. I mean, what made someone think: I know let's grow plants in a soilless medium using nothing but a film of nutrient to do it in. Off the wall you could say!





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Drip Irrigation Systems

The Dutch who grow everything using this system, have mastered this technique. Nor do they just grow everything, they grow on an unprecedented scale compared to any other nation. The plants are propagated in a rockwool cube then grown on in a rockwool slab. The plants are individually fed using drippers. These drip emitters are designed to deliver at a set rate at a pre-set volume of water per hour.
Each dripper is wired to an infrastructure of tubes and delivery pipes, which are fed by one master pump. Most commercial systems are what are known as high-pressure drip systems and most domestic systems are known as a low-pressure drip system. These commercial high pressure drip systems are typically run to waste systems. This is when the nutrient is bled off and after dripping through the rockwool slab then simply allowed to run down the drain i.e. to waste. This ensures these plants get the exact maximum nutritional value from the nutrient solution and also cuts back on the possibility of bacteria or fungal problems like pythium. Most low-pressure drip systems are recycling or re-circulating systems where the nutrient returns to the tank then gets pumped back to the plants, then to the tank, so on and so forth.
These systems are relatively cheap compared to others and easily built once you get your head round the spaghetti of pipes, tubes and fittings. Drip systems are also very versatile and can be made in many shapes and formats allowing you a more modular design for your grow rooms.
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The running costs of these systems are not cheap as after each crop you basically dispose of the rockwool slab and replace it with a new one. A 1 metre slab normally holds approximately 3 plants which can run up quite a bill if you have many plants. Also if you are running to waste then the cost of nutrient is very expensive indeed.

The main draw back with these systems is that the dripper can clog. Similar to the NFT system, if a dripper stops your plants will suffer. If you fail to notice that a dripper has stopped, the plants run the risk of dying or at least losing their potential to give good yields. These systems need constant maintenance and upkeep and are not recommended for the beginner. All drip irrigation systems are a little tricky to maintain, as you need to take constant pH and CF readings from your tank, from you run off and from your rockwool medium. This process is achieved by using a syringe to suck up a sample from inside the rockwool where the plants are growing. As the medium itself will hold a different pH and CF value to the tank and indeed even the run off. Then armed with this info you need to re adjust the system again and do all those tests once more until you are happy that you have the right levels that you require. This process can easily need doing once a day. It is also advisable when growing in rockwool slab culture to flush the salt out every 2 weeks with pH adjusted plain water. This needs to be done as rockwool tends to absorb unused salts which can build up, therefore need flushing every 2 weeks or so. It is also advisable to do this flushing out process to flush out any salt build-up that can concentrate in the drippers. Regular flushing can alleviate some of the maintenance problems of these systems. However, getting blocked drippers is part and parcel of this system so it is always advisable to clean them regularly and also to have ample spare drippers to swap when old drippers need cleaning.

The above to one side, this is a very productive hydroponics technique and has served the Dutch very well. The rockwool slab does offer a lot more support that you would achieve if you were using NFT systems. It is also less prone to pump failure and as the slabs absorb a lot of water you do have some breathing space if the pump or drippers fail. It is very detachable and modular allowing easy expansion or removal of the system. Low pressure drip systems are more prone to dripper failure compared to high pressure drip systems, however, for Percy Throwers, the high pressure option is too expensive and industrial for a small indoor garden. Overall high levels of maintenance are required for both types of drip systems. The pipe work and drip lines also need regular replacement to combat clogging and salt build-up.
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</TD><TD class=size10Arial vAlign=top width=25></TD><TD vAlign=top width=359>Ventura Action Drip System.
Another entirely different drip irrigation system is that which uses Ventura Action to deliver the dripping effect. These are individual grow tubs or pots specially designed for the smaller gardener. The system consists of a large outer pot which acts as a smaller water tank. Inside this large pot is a shorter inner pot which holds the grow medium which is typically clay pebbles. This smaller pot sits inside the bigger pot but does not actually hit the water level of the bigger pot, which is the holder of the nutrient solution. In English, it is a pot within a pot; the smaller inner pot is where the plants grow, the bigger outer pot acts as the tank. A Ventura pipe is then placed through the upper grow pot and submerged under the water level of the outer pot. Air is pumped down the Ventura pipe which causes the water to be pushed up above the level of the top of the grow pot. This is then piped into a delivery tube with large holes punched into it. The tube runs completely round completing a circle joining back up to the Ventura pipe. Water pressurised via the air pump is then delivered through this drip ring which slowly but perpetually drips onto the clay pebble medium. The nutrient solutions then drips entirely through the clay pebbles back to the outer tank, which in turn is then pumped back via the Ventura pipe to the top and delivered to the clay pebbles. If you like, it is a cross between a NFT system and a drip irrigation system but uses clay pebbles as the medium for the plants to grow into. Due to the fact that an air pump is used to deliver the water through the Ventura pipe, the nutrient solution delivered is highly aerated. Also, the constant dripping effect pulls air down through the clay pebbles medium.

This system is typically only used for 1 to 3 plants or mothers. The reason for this is that to grow more would require more pots. Each has its own individual tank. This tank due to the small nature in size needs regular upkeep. To maintain lots of plants, you would need to maintain lots of tanks. This would be a too big a time consuming enterprise to undertake. Also, to adjust the inner tank you have to lift out the smaller inner pot which the plants are growing in. This again can be a costly exercise and it is very easy to damage the plants when lifting out and placing back this smaller inner pot. In recent years, a controller has been invented so you can link multiple individual systems together. But as the individual pots still have individual tanks passively connected to the controller, the controller fails to do its job in terms of pH and CF management, i.e. you get different pH and CF levels in the different individual pots, but also in the controller as well, making it very hard to maintain precise control of your lovely crops. Also, due to the small size of the outer tank, the system will need daily maintenance to keep the tank topped up and the pH and CF at the right level.

Algae is also very prone to develop in this system as the medium is fed from the top down ensuring that the top of the medium is continually wet. The constantly wet medium being exposed to long periods of light will always result in algae breakouts. As each system is packaged with its own individual air pump, the pumps after prolonged use can stop having the same problems but not as frequently as the NFT system resulting in a failed crop. On this note, the drip ring can also become blocked up with salt build-up and calcium deposits so this too needs regular cleaning.

All of the above to one side, this is an ideal first system and is an inexpensive valuable teaching aid to the hydroponicist. The system provides good aeration to the rootball and excellent support to your bigger yielding plants. It is good for mothers but it is necessary to be very careful when removing the inner pots to top up and adjust the CF and pH of the outer tank.

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Flood And Drain aka Ebb And Flow Pod Systemâ„¢

This is a very simple but very effective technique. It is basically a hybridisation of all the above techniques put together. The principle, as per the description of the title, is simple, however, very effective. These systems normally use clay pebbles as the substrate, as this medium provides very good drainage and good retention of water, which over a period of time will dry out. A flood and drain system typically works by using a timer and submersible pump. The timer controls the flood via the submersible pump. The timer controls the flood and drain cycle of the system. Most flood and drain systems work via a bottom flood, which over a period of preset time floods two thirds to three quarters of the growing medium. Then, once the flood cycle reaches the desired height, the pump stops and gravity then pulls the water back to the reservoir. Then, depending on the size and depth of the system, some time later the cycle is repeated.
Conventional flood and drain systems are normally quite shallow i.e. approximately 5-10cm deep. However, due to recent developments, we now have on the market deep flood and drain systems. The pod system â„¢ is approximately 50cm deep. Original shallow flood and drain systems obviously take less time to flood however, need to be flooded more often over a 24-hour period. The reason is that the medium takes shorter and longer periods of time to dry before another flood is initiated, i.e. the shallow flood and drain medium will dry out quicker resulting in more floods per 24 hour period

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The great benefit in a deep flood and drain system over its shallow counterparts is that the greater the volume of water used to flood and drain a system, the greater push and pull of air over the root zone will be, i.e. the water acts like a piston in a cylinder of an engine. Each time the system floods, the old air in and around the roots is pushed out from the medium then when the flood completes and the drain cycle occurs, the water then sucks down as it returns to the reservoir, pulling fresh air in to the rootball maximising aeration around the roots. And because it needs a longer period of time to dry out before another flood is initiated, this drying out process also creates very good aeration to the roots. Then the whole process is repeated. Aeration to the rootball is possibly the biggest factor for healthy, happy, heavy yielding plants and this system gives you it by the bucket load.

Again, another big advantage of the deep flood and drain system over its shallow counterparts is that because the system uses a greater volume of water to operate it, it also needs a greater size reservoir to maintain it. Now, the bigger the reservoir, the more buffered and stable the pH and CF of the system will be, resulting in less maintenance. Also, the greater the size of the reservoir, the less times you have to visit it to top it up again resulting in less maintenance and more freedom.

Before any more praise is said about these systems, please read what horticultural press said upon their release:
​

</TD><TD class=size10Arial vAlign=top width=25></TD><TD vAlign=top width=359>These systems incorporate brand new evolutions in hydro farming innovation. Simply put, these are deep pod ebb and flood. Each pod has a large 12-15 litres of root space allowing for a longer dry period between floods optimising air to the root zone. Due to the depth of the pod (9-10 inches) and quality of the pump, the system takes 3-4 mins to flood and 3-4 mins to drain, resulting in a rapid flood and rapid drain. The water, due to its large volume coupled with its tall cylindrical pods, acts as a big piston pushing all the old air out then sucking new air in with approximately three times the pull compared to existing shallow depth flood and drains that are generally available, thereby getting considerably more air to the rootzone. The system incorporates a couple of safety features, one being a shallow reservoir built into each pod so if a power cut strikes or the pump fails, your plants won't die. The Hydro Pod also has an overflow safety feature so if your pump gets stuck in the "on" position, then the whole system acts as a very deep trough NFT; no water spillage all over the floor to mop up. With the depth of grow pods the system incorporates excellent support for your bigger plants. Again due to the size of root space you can grow up to 3 plants in each pod. The Hydro Pod system can come built to measure, the systems can be built into any shape of room optimising the space available; the smallest being a two pod, a four pod, then an eight pod, then sixteen pod system, to whatever size or shape you wish. Each pod can be removed separately without disturbing the existing pods within the system, allowing you to start and finish plants at separate times or enabling the removal of diseased or unwanted plants without disturbing the other plants in the system. You can even turn the pods individually creating more even growth. We believe no such system has had as much thought and time put into its evolution which is still ongoing. Plans to develop an ebb and flow aero pod along the same principles are in the pipeline. If you're into HID light cultivation, the sixteen pod system can fit snugly into one and a half metres squared; that's 16-48 plants under one 600w or 1000w light.

“New Products: Hydro Pod Ebb And Floods” from FutureGrow Magazine

Flood and drain systems are easy to install and are very user-friendly. The secret to their success is their simplicity. Ideal for the beginner or the professional. Provides an excellent foundation for expansion. The only drawback and yes there is one, is that as with any hydroponics technique that employs clay pebbles as its medium, the clay pebbles do need to be washed thoroughly before use and between crops. Apart from that, this technique is a real winner.

HydroPodâ„¢ System. Designed, invented and manufactured by Esoteric Hydroponics Limited.
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AeroponicPodâ„¢ System

This technique is a variation on an aeroponics system.
The principle of true aeroponics works by creating a fine mist of nutrients sprayed inside a tube or container in which the roots of the plants are suspended. So, in effect the roots are fundamentally hanging in air supported by the bare minimum or medium, i.e. a net pot with either clay pebbles or rockwool. The roots are then constantly sprayed with a fine mist via a very powerful pump. In principle, this is the definitive technique as the mist itself absorbs very high levels of oxygen plus the roots are hanging in air, resulting in the absolute maximum aeration to the root zone. However, in practice the majority or aeroponics techniques fail and fail miserably. The reasons for this are that the basic principle of making mists which have dissolved salts (nutrients) in it is flawed. Salts precipitate; this cannot be avoided, so over a short period of time salts build up on the misters restricting the flow of mist to the roots. If left unchecked, then total blockage occurs. Again this effect is amplified if you are situated in a hard water area as much of the UK is. The calcification of the water accelerates the blocking of these misters. The end product is total break down or constant daily management of the system, sometimes even hourly!

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So in theory as a drawing and an idea, it's unbeatable, but in practice as a workable system the conclusion is failure. If this was the first hydroponics technique that was invented we would possibly not have hydroponics as we do today.

However, as with all good ideas, the simplification of them normally results in success and not failure. So that is what was done. The aeroponics pod system instead of using a mister uses a spinning high frequency sprayer. The sprayer delivers a constant fine spray direct to the rootball of the plants, and as the sprayer is spinning at a high frequency, the spinning motion stops any precipitation of salts or calcification of the water on the sprayer resulting in no blockages. Also, through its own action, it uptakes lots of oxygen in the process; ok not as much as a mist would but compared to most hydroponics systems, its leaps and bounds ahead of them. The roots hang in air, which again provides great aeration to the rootball. This system also incorporates all the safety features and flexibility of the original pod system.





<TABLE height=288 width=486 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="50%">The Aero Podâ„¢ Professional Deep Water Culture aka The Bubbler

This is the simplest method of hydroponics and is used mainly by growers who only wish to cultivate a minimal number of plants or for the propagation of small plants. It is a true domestic incarnation of hydroculture.​

The system consists of a bucket with a lid, large net pot, clay pebbles, large air pump, airline, and a large round air stone. The air stone is placed at the bottom of the bucket with the airline running to the air pump on the outside of the bucket. The bucket is filled to approximately two thirds to three quarters full with water. The lid is placed on top of the bucket which holds a net pot, which in turn holds the clay pebble growing medium.
The system relies upon an air pump and an air stone to bubble air through the nutrient solution to mix it, but also in the beginning to generate spray, so as to get the clay pebble medium wet in order to establish the roots through the net pot. Consequently, the water has to be high enough to saturate the clay pebble medium by means of getting it wet or even moist via the actions of the bursting air bubbles. Once the plant has established a good root system, then it is advisable to lower the level of water in the bucket so that some of the roots can be allowed to hang in the air between the net pot and the water level. The majority of the roots live in the aerated deep water, 24 hours a day. With 24 hours a day in mind, as the roots are constantly submerged, it is crucial that the air pump is on 24
hours a day. If the pump is allowed to be off for any length of time, the roots will suffer from being waterlogged and starved of oxygen.
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This system does not operate via a reservoir, as the plants live in the reservoir itself. As the bucket can only hold a very limited amount of water - 5 to 10 litres, and the plants are living in this small amount of water, the CF and pH of this water is in a state of constant flux and therefore in need of constant
attention.




Peace
Joe Budden

Free The Weed
​

</TD><TD class=size10Arial vAlign=top width=25></TD><TD vAlign=top width=359>Not only that, but larger plants can deplete 5 litres of water in a single day so you are also in constant danger of the system literally running out of water. To emphasise this a little better, as plants uptake water they do not necessarily uptake nutrients at the same rate and as this occurs, the plants might be drinking lots of water but not eating much food. The result is that in a matter of hours, as the water is depleted, the concentration of the nutrients in the bucket can reach toxic levels. So it is critical to always under feed your plants in this system.
With this in mind, the pH will also fluctuate as the water is depleted but the nutrients are not. So, you are advised to keep a constant check on
monitoring and maintaining this system. Maintenance of this system also presents a headache because in order to change the water and check the pH and CF, you have to physically remove the lid and the plant from the growing
chamber. To lift the lid with a small plant in it is not so much a worry, but to be constantly lifting the lid with a large plant located in it will do damage to the plant and the rootball of the plant. Bear in mind that you will have to do this on at least a daily basis, so the practicality of this technique is very questionable. If you were to maintain several of these buckets in one grow room, then you could be looking at a full-time maintenance job; ­ not really what hydroponics is about! Large plants that are grown in this system will also need extra support due to the fact that the plant is grown in a minimal amount of medium, which will not support heavy yielders.
As this system¹s engine is an air pump and an air stone, then the bigger the air pump and the bigger the air stone, the better this system will perform.
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This system offers good versatility as the lids are interchangeable. These systems can be used as an automated propagation unit, which can allow you to propagate up to 8 plants per pod! Or you can use it to propagate and grow to full maturity 1-3 plants per pod.

The system now comes complete with propagation domes and due to demand, 2 plant site lids as standard. If you want one plant site lids, or the propagation 8 plants site lids, please state this when ordering.

AeroponicPodâ„¢ System. Designed, invented and manufactured by Esoteric Hydroponics Limited.


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Thanks buddy, its a long read but very interesting.