Build Your Own Hydroponics Systems

Everyone knows that hydroponic gardens are becoming more popular each day and it has revolutionized the way people grow food and plants. Hydroponic systems purchased from hydroponics dealers or even online tend to be rather expensive, so many people wish to build their own. Hobbyist gardeners have built many of them and are more than pleased with the results. Various saplings and very fragile bulbs grow extremely well in a hydroponic system.

First, you will need to purchase a fish tank pump. The pump should come with its own plastic tubing but if it does not, purchase that too so that it fits the external pump. Many people use a large discarded fish tank to grown their hydroponics. If this is what you'll be using, be sure to purchase a can of black spray paint so that you can make the tank light proof. You will need a piece of Styrofoam that is about one inch thick and as big as the container is. You will also need small mesh wire pots too, a bag of marbles in a mesh sack and some growing medium. You may wish to look into Hydroton or rockwool for this.

Tip: Purchasing or building a homemade Hydroponic Cloning Machine is another great idea that you should think about going forward with, many people have already made the leap, what are you waiting for?!

Your first step is to place masking tape along the side of the tank, just enough so that it will allow you to gauge the depth of the water, then paint the entire outside of the tank black. This is not so that it can be pretty; this is because keeping out the light will help tremendously in avoiding algae growth.

Step #2: After the paint is dry, you may remove the tape, which will leave you a clean unpainted area from which to check the water's depth. However, if you so desire, you may decide to pretty up the tank in any way you prefer now that it's been made almost completely light proof.

Step #3: Take the Styrofoam board and cut it smaller than the tank. This is will make the floater part of your system. You will wish to make it about a ¼" smaller than the tank on all sides.

Step #4: Cut out the Styrofoam to the size of the bottom part of your pots. If they taper, measure the pots circumference about halfway down. Then on whatever side you wish to put the pump, cut out a small hole through the Styrofoam board for the tubing to fit well.

Step #5: Pot the plants in the chosen medium and place the pots in the holes. Now, you'll need to install the pump. Place the pump according to the directions attached to the tank, and place the tubing so that it reaches the center of the bottom of the tank.

Step #6: Using marbles placed in a mesh bag, for example, you can make what's called an aeration stone. Once you've fed the aeration hose through the floater, you'll want to attach it to the underside of the stones.

You may now fill the tank with water, and the hydroponic nutrients as well as the PH balancer. Turn on the motor to be sure that the bubbles are coming through properly. At last, you are ready to lower your floater into the water, and you're all set to be a hydroponic gardener!

As well, you should learn how to build AeroPonics Systems, ebb an flow system, or a drip hydro growing system. Either which one you end up choosing you cannot go wrong, because all models will do an amazing job and that's the goal.