here is my auroponic system i will be using.

i got this kit for $29.99. i can't biuld one that cheap. the air pumps i like to use cost more than the entire kit did!!

i made this last year. i grew tomatoes in it and this year i don't know for sure what i will be growing in it.

i will post pictures of everything when i get it all up and plants growing. i have several lights to chose from. i have the sprouter under a 150 watt hps and a high powered full spectrum flourescent light. i have a 400 hps and 2 400 watt mh's and a 1000 watt hps on it's way. so in all honesty what do you guys think about my set up so far?

Looks good, I'd definitely like to see the pictures when you get things going.

What do you use for nutrients?

i am going to finish using up some custom nutrients i got from a local grow shop. the grow is 7-9-5. the micro is 5-0-1, and the bloom is 3-12-6. when i finish it off i will start using general hydroponics flora grow,micro, and bloom. the grow is 2-1-6. the micro is 5-0-1, and the bloom is 0-5-4. i also have 3 liters of hollands secret. the grow is 2-1-7,the micro is 5-0-2 and the bloom is 0-6-4. i don't know if i will have to use the bloom on the vegetables, but i have it just incase. you never know.

Typically you can use the grow formulas on leafy greens and bloom formulas on the ones that bear fruit.

Three part formulas are trickier because they're not really meant to be used one or two at a time. For that I'd say to use the feeding schedule they provide as a guideline.

Like when I feed my tomatoes with Advanced Nutrients 3-part I'll start from the flowering part of their program and I usually add a bit extra of the grow since I know tomatoes like extra nitrogen.

How are your plants doing nowadays?

man i have tomato's very place!! my lettece bed is awesome. i go down and just cut leaves of the lettece and make use it in sandshiches, or cook bacon and put the greese on it!! the peppers aren't doing anything yet, but they are growing. same with the bush style green beens. i have several types of tomato's. i have white, yellow, striped, red, and purple!! they are all going nuts right now!!! i was amazed at how well they are doing!!! next year i'm going to upgrade and grow the same amount of tomato's cause i have all we need, but more green beans and peppers. i'll also start them in september instead of so late like i did this year. it was well worth the small raise in my electric bill for sure!!!!

GO GET PICS! I'm just building a drip setup, Where are you growin these? I'm pretty much ready to go hardware wise, i just need to vent the lights and get an oscilating fan for my babies, I test ran the system and my room looks like it will be 100 degrees, unventilated with no air circulation, My house is a steady 71 degrees, any recomentdations on how I can keep the temp under 90 perferable no more than 85 daytime? I when I ran the test it had no safety lens on the hood, do you think a safety lens with proper venting will be enough?

mine is in my basement. i'll try to get pictures up soon. i have 2 oscilating fans on high on mine 24-7. i have more tomato's than we will ever eat now!! i'm giving them to friends!! they think it is great having fresh tomato's, lettice,beans and peppers in the winter!! not those old hot house maters wally world is selling!!!

i haven't been using the 1000 watt hps i got. i'm just using the 400 watt hps&mh on my set up. everything is great. next year i'm going bigger than i am this year for sure!! more beans ,lettice, and peppers. i'll grow the same amount of tomato's. i went to big on them this year for sure, but everybody loves them.

i'm already getting seeds for my outside garden, and i'm starting tomato's in styrofoam cups for the outside garden. i cut the bottums out of them and plant the entire cup in the ground. when i plow the garden under in the fall it helps loosen the soil. i move my tomato roll over every year so that i can get that spread it through out the garden.

Sounds great! I'm looking forward to those pics.

Just to play devil's advocate here, the "hot house" tomatoes aren't any different than what we grow, except ours are fresher is all. They grow using similar or identical methods we do. It just takes longer to get to market.

I agree though, it's better when it's homegrown because of that. Nothing tastes as good as a salad that you picked literally minutes before.