The Aquafarm Basic Kit - without the pump Comes with: 45 Litre reservoir, grow tray and full illustrated instructions.
We HIGHLY recommend this unit for the first time hydroponic grower.
This system was developed and popularized by General Hydroponics nearly twenty years ago as their first product. The original design, which is still in production, is known as the "Aquafarm".
In recent years it has seen new embodiments named the "Watergarden" (a decorative version), the "Powergrower" (a revised version of the watergarden), the "Waterfarm" (a square version), and the "Megafarm" (a 20 gallon version). A similar bucket based system is also being sold by another company under the name of the "Universal Garden".
These units are extremely reliable, easy to operate and are very simple to construct.
This system will accommodate several small plants or (as best suited for) hold one large plant.
The plants are grown in a chamber suspended above a reservoir (basically a bucket within a bucket) that holds the nutrient solution. A small aquarium pump (not supplied) powers a simple pumping mechanism which delivers nutrients from the reservoir up to the top of the growth chamber, where it trickles back down through the root zone and into the reservoir.
This system is so effective it is not uncommon for tomato plants to grow over 4 inches per day!
This system gives huge yields!
These units will grow several small plants or one to two very large ones.
First you need to select a growing medium. There are a whole host of different mediums that have been used over time. They include rockwool, sawdust, peat, perlite, vermiculite, sand, gravel and various inert mixtures. You could probably use most of these mediums successfully in this system but let me boil it down to two choices for you - Coco coir or expanded clay pebbles (Or you can use a mixture of the two). Coco is great because it's more affordable and retains more moisture which means your pumps don't have to work so long.
Once your crop is done you can re-use the coco up to 3 times as long as you are using an enzyme (either Cannaxym or Enzym + FERRO). Make sure you clean and sterilize your system between each harvest.
The clay pebbles perform well too, they are THE choice for commercial hydroponic farmers in Holland (the land of hydroponics and greenhouses). They last quite a long time and they are guaranteed to not affect your nutrient balance. The drawback to using the expanded pebbles is that iit is more expensive. You can re-use them 2/3 times as long as you clean and sterilize (such as. Microbial) between harvests. Better suited to long term crops.
Now that you have your medium in hand, along with your plants and your new Aquafarm you're ready to have fun. Now, fill the growing chamber with your medium, making sure not to overfil it any higher that the level of the drip ring. You may adjust the level of the pump column and drip ring, as necessary. If you are using coir we suggest thay you pre-wet it with plain water. Give it a pretty good soaking with a hose and let the excess water drain off (be sure to dump the excess water out of the nutrient reservoir).
If you are transplanting from soil, gently wash as much of the soil out of the root ball as possible. It is not necessary to remove all of the soil, just as much as possilbe without mauling the root system. If you have started your plants in rockwool cubes or plugs just plant the whole thing.
Next, find that drip ring and hold in its place for a second. Use the science of guessing and get an idea of where the centre the ring is in relation to the bucket. Put the drip ring down and dig a hole wherever you determined the centre to be. Gently place your plant into the hole, evenly distributing its roots. Backfill the hole. Find that drip ring again. Unplug one end of the ring from the tee. Put the ring back onto the pump column, wrap the ring around the stem of the plant, and plug it back into the tee.
Finally, fill the reservoir with 20 Litres of nutrient solution and slowly pour it right into the growing chamber. Connect your water pump to the 3/16" tube on the pump column and plug the pump in. The column should immediatly start pumping nutrient up out of the reservoir and drip it around the base of the plant. It is best that you use a simple light timer to turn the pump on during daylight hours and off during the night time (such as a grasslin mechanical timer, which will do the job nicely).
Dimensions: 460mm (18”) x 460mm(18”) x 380mm(15”)
NB: A series of these modules can be interconnected together with the addition of a Controller Kit.
A Controller Kit will supply nutrient and water top-ups automatically, to up to 8 units.
HAPPY GARDENING !
