DIY Hydroponic Setup

I have read enough about hydroponic growing to make me want to give it a try. Luckily there is a hydroponic store relatively close by that I was able to pick up all of my necessary items to build my own ebb and flow (flood and drain) system!

After spending countless hours on the web looking for ideas and inspiration on how to setup my table/light system, I didn't find anything that called out to me. So, I wrote down my priorities and went from there designing a table that fit my needs. My priorities in a table were:

• Economical (cheap--preferably built from existing materials in my garage)
• Sturdy (since it will be holding some weight when the grow tables are full)
• Versatile (I didn't want to have to re-build a table as my setup grew/developed)
• Open-Top Design (for passing tubing and fittings through)

After some head-scratching and sleeping-on-its, I came up with the following design.

30" deep x 50" wide x 30" tall

I constructed the table from 2x4 lumber leftover from another project and some 3/4" metal electrical conduit. The table is large enough for a standard 2'x4' growing table to be placed on it without any problems. Spacing the the conduit approximately 6" apart allows for any fittings or tubes to run to the reservoir unobstructed. Below are some photos of the setup as it is now. Keep in mind it is still a work in progress and will most likely change as I learn and adapt my methods.

Growing Tubs are blue, the seedling tray is atop the clear/white tub in the middle. The black and yellow tub on the floor is the reservoir. You can also see some of the other items (timers, seedling trays, pots, tubing, fittings).

View from left side. Lighting is two 4' dual T8 daylight spectrum florescent lights hanging from the upright 3/4" conduit pipes. We'll see how well this setup works. I suspect I will be re-doing the lighting setup soon.

View of one of the grow tubs. The six pots are full of hydroton and ready for the seedlings. The fill/drain port is in the foreground and the overflow port is in the background.

The seedling tray. The seeds were just planted and have yet to sprout.

Table view. The pipes are inset about 1" into the ends of the frame.

Another view of the table. The strip of wood on this end covers the through holes that were drilled to pass the pipes through. They were set into 1" deep holes on the other end.

Looking down to the reservoir. I have yet to drill the holes for the lines/pipes in the lid.

More to come soon...

-Sam