| For a starter system I also vote for DWC (deep water culture) It can be really cheap to set up and is quite simple. Before you go buying anything. Look to see if you have some junk around that will fit the bill. I've been using an old ice chest with a busted lid for one of my systems. About all you need is a container that will hold water and hopefully keep most of the light out. (this is probably where the algae problem came from, white buckets don't block much light. Fix might be to paint or wrap the outside of the buckets to block more light.) For the lid of the system I just used a board and cut holes in it to hold yogurt cups (my free version of net pots. I just cut some holes in the cups.) I painted the board to help it last a bit longer. The only things I really spent money on was some very large grade perlite for in the cups. A rayon (bright white) mop head. A little air pump (dual output) under $10. And the air stones and tubing. I got the cheapest hydroponic powder mix I could. Buckets may or may not be the best option (I would avoid old paint buckets and the like for food production.) You can often get food grade buckets for free though. For more info check out the Hydroponics page on my web site. I'm not so much into hydro anymore as I've discovered Aquaponics. |
Here is a link that might be useful: TCLynx.com
