Best products from r/Hydroponics

The kratky method is a great beginners method to get into hydroponics. I currently have about 30 plants all doing the kratky.

General Hydroponics is a good brand and mix of nutrients. Its simple to use and doesnt require a scale to mesure stuff out. Use a tablespoon to measure stuff or a syringe.

Buy the PH up/down from GH too but be warned you will need to dilute it first or youre in for a fun time trying to correct your PH. (let me know when you get to this step and I can give better directions.

Get a simple PH tester. It will make your life a lot easier. Once I figured out that adding nutrients to my water brought my PH to around 5.9 I stopped testing everytime. (but i recommend that you do use it everytime)

You DO NOT need to grow in soil first, but like /u/BroposkisRump said you can just be careful washing off the roots. GOTO the youtube channels mentioned on check out Khang Starr's video first.

Some advice:

• Kratky is BEST for leafy plants like basil, lettuce, kale, etc.
  You cangrow those with no effort.
  
  
• Make sure all containers are opaque to prevent algae growth.
  
  
• Get seedlings and sprouts under a grow light to prevent stretching!!
  
  
• If you live in anything but a hot climate you will want a grow tent to grow peppers over winter - And a grow light - Get a digital timer and give your plants around 16 hours of light (you can get cheaper ones but I am showing you what i bought)
  
  
• Get 2 inch net pots and a 2 inch hole saw for your containers
  
  
• A fan on your peppers will help make then thicker and stronger plants and may help polinate them. You can also shake your plant ( thats what I do)
  
  
  Thats all I got for now. Once you understand this method try hydroponics using a different method as well.
  
  

This post is for newbies. All experts, feel free to set the record straight for their (an my) benefit. I started with a couple Aerogardens where I learned a few basics - and then a ton of youtube videos before starting out. Still consider myself a novice, but a fellow redditor asked that I share my basic set up, so here goes.

I have a couple steel shelving racks 18 inches deep by 36 inches wide. Two bins fit each shelf with little wasted light. Three grow shelves and a top shelf for the airpump and power supply (where they'll never get wet). My grow area is in the basement where it is about 68 to 70 degrees. This is my first winter with this set up, so I'll be watching what happens in Jan-Feb (here in PA).

Each shelf has 2 20 by 15 by 7 inch restaurant dish bins as pictured. They hold 5 gallons of nutrient/water to start so the water just touches the bottom of the 2 inch net cups when putting in seedlings. Each bin has 12 grow holes and one smaller hole for the water indicator (a piece of styrofoam with a red line on it). The mark is to keep them topped up at about 4 gallons. I travel quite a bit so I needed something so simple a total novice could add premixed nutrient solution while I am gone. I use EcoPlus 8 port air pumps with 2 inch airstone, one in each bin. Bins with matching lids are from the Webstaurant store. Each dish unit costs about $25 including bin, air pump, airstone, tubing, net cups and of course the all important pool noodle slice. Not including the shelving. I found a complete mini unit (2.5 gallons and 11 tiny holes) on the web for about the same price which I am testing. That comes with an airpump, netcups, airstones and grow sponges so I will probably be recommending it to people who want to dip their toes into hydroponics and don't have/want-to use power tools.

The lights are self-made so that may not be much help. We use LED light strips https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FDF5ZHD?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share, 16 strips, on an aluminum sheet (glued to paneling for stability) with a 12-volt power supply. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LATMSGS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share. The light boards are approximately 17 inches by 35 inches so they fit snugly into the crevice on the underside of the upper shelf. My sweetheart wanted to learn/practice his electrical skills, so that's what we're doing for now. The lights cost $81 for now with the LED strips being the most expensive part. We use some bungie cords to move the lights up and down in the shelf so I can start with about 3 inch clearance for seedlings up to a total grow height of 14 inches. Since the lights take a lot of work to build, I am studying other off-the-shelf alternatives. Totally a complete novice here.

On these shelves I grow arugula, brocculi raab, parsely, basil, spinach, kale, pak choy, chard, tatsoi and have just started attempts at red-veined sorrel and chicory. Some get too crowded at full growth, so not all 12 holes amy be in use at all times. I cover the holes when not in use so no algae grows and no plant bits fall into the bin.

I use General Hydroponics Flora series at the "mild vegetation" strength (1 tsp each of Floragrow, florabloom, floramicro per gallon). Of course, tiny seedlings are at half-strength till they have about 6 leaves. I use tap water (municipal). So far, only change the water and scrub/sanitize the bins between crops. About every 2 months.

I have started another shelf unit for cucumbers and peppers, but I am not far along in results enough that is worth sharing. That shelf has a 34-inch grow height and 2 Home Depot 12-gallon totes. Testing an Aputure Amaran AL-528W Daylight LED Flood Light , expensive but I can't expand until my sweetheart wants to devote the time to make more LED strip lights.

​

Hope this helps.

Things I

If you aren't using super high intensity lights, move them closer to the seedlings.

You might need more light overall. My flowering room has a 1000w HPS light, and my veg room has a ~190w LED and a 135w CFL.

pH and EC is critical in hydro. Get a cheap test kit if you don't want to buy a digital probe. Google around to find the right values for your plants.

I stick the grow cubes in a simple plastic seedling starter tray until they have a set of true leaves and roots come out the bottom of the cubes then I transplant them to the hydro system. I only feed the seedlings water (no nutes), and only maybe once every other day. You don't want the cubes to dry completely, but you don't want them soaked all the time either.

In my experience basil is a huge pain to grow in hydroponics. I had good success with leafy greens after incubating the seeds in one of these and then transplanting the spouts into simple DWC systems I built. I use a mix of vermiculite and perlite for the substrate with greens. Hydroton for everything else.

I'd recommend starting simple and focusing on only one or two types of plants until you know how they like to grow in hydro. I also had a disaster grow once because I tried too many new species at once and couldn't keep up.

For my prized grows, I use RapidStart to promote vigorous early plant growth and big, healthy roots. You don't need this but it really does work.

e: Using water from your fishtank is awesome, but aquaponics is really an advanced technique. You might consider using a separate reservoir for your plants with standard hydroponic nutrients and an airstone until you are more comfortable with hydro growing overall.

e2: Also, with traditional NFT systems the roots should sit in a very shallow film of water at the bottom of the pipe. You either need some way to start the plants until the roots get long enough, or you need to adjust the water level in the pipe downwards as the roots grow. Tomatoes are a lot more resilient in this regard, in my experience. In fact tomatoes are outstanding for indoor hydroponics if you select the right cultivar (small hybrids), can avoid pest problems, and have sufficient light for flowering stage.

In b4:

• Yes, I know I need to wrap or paint those mason jars. I'm lazy and unmotivated, and the plants seem to do mostly okay despite all the nasty crap in the water.
  
• Yes, I know I need to exchange the water more often. See above.
  
• At some point I plan to add more mylar film to the blank wall areas and around the sides of the tomato stand.
  
• My nutrient mix is the standard MasterBlend mix. I aim for a pH of 6.5 to 7, but I only measure it when I make the mix. I never monitor the water once the seed is started.
  
• Seeds and planted dates are on the paper labels.
  
• Yes, I know that number of chives is basically nothing. I ordered some microgreens stuff (thanks guys!) to grow things like that in larger numbers.
  
  Been doing this for several months now. I use the same nutrient mix and other configurations for all my plants. They seem to do mostly okay.
  
  With this nutrient mix/pH/lighting setup I have been very successful at growing lettuce, basil, cilantro, and dill. I am now expanding to other seeds to see what can survive without needing multiple configurations. That is, I'm not gonna make two different nutrient mixes.
  
  Only the Aerogarden is different because it uses liquid nutrients. Since the roots in different pods tend to mix, I've learned the hard way that transplanting from a mature Aerogarden into a mason jar or bucket is not realistic. So now I basically just let it go until I'm ready to harvest everything in the Aerogarden and start a new crop. This thing is pretty sweet.

Thank you!! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072F2BL9D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_YZsPBb97764EX
These nutrients worked perfectly. Even without proper monitoring of concentration or pH it definitely did the job! Every other week I preferred to stir the undissolved salts that day at the bottom of the tote. Luckily there was never any shock to the plants!
So kind of a funny story; I started in peat pellets and my seedlings came up maybe b/w 3-7 days, they were very leggy due to not having a proper light or light cycle going. Then I was away for a weekend and everything dried up. I took what I thought I could salvage, cleaned off all the soil, transplanted them into the netcups and sure enough they survived to make it this far!
It’s a miracle there was no root rot from the leftover soil that stayed on the roots!
I chalk it up to lots of love and believing they would make it lol. But seriously, nature conquers all and these are relatively not very needy plants :)

Here's what I have so far and my quick write up.

My dad started the tomato plant that I am using in soil. He had too many for his garden, so I used that instead of starting one from seed in rockwool. My next plant will be started from seed.

I picked up a 5 gal bucket and Lid from Home Depot. <$5.

I cut a hole in the Lid to fit the 3" Net Cups. I put one right in the center. I quickly found out the cup it too small to support the plant so I had to use a support stick. I just bought this 6" net cup bucket lid.

The plant is supported in Expanded Clay balls. I chose this material as apposed to 'Hydroton, Coco coir, Viagrow stones, pearlite...' because from my very little research I found the clay to be the most environmentally friendly and easiest to use, disclaimer: I could be very wrong here.

The nutrient solution used General Hydroponics Maxi Grow. Simple to use, add X scoops per X gal of water. I am about to switch to Maxi Bloom. She is flowering and starting to produce fruit. I do now know when the best time to switch solutions. I am learning by experiment here.

To keep the nutrient solution oxygenated, I used this Air pump,two of of these air stones, and tubing. Any items will do, I used this products because I know an employee of Penn Plax and got them for cost $. Any pump will work, I got a two outlet pump for future expansion.

You should also be sure to have the correct pH for your particular plant. Here is a chart and a great site. I used this pH Test Kit and pH adjust.

It's that simple. Right now the plant is outside and gets about 8 hours of sun. I plan on keeping it outside as long as possible, then will bring it in and have to choose a light source for it.


tl;dr What I used for my first DWC tomato plant experiment. Step 1: Click all links above. Step2: Buy. Step 3: Tomatoes

Edit: Also, Watch this video

Fluorescent tubes sure have the ideal shape. It's sad they don't have the ideal light output.
I can't really say what intensity is achieved at X distance, but it will be all your plants care about.
The best way to find out is to measure the light intensity with a LUX meter and regulate height of pots and distance to lamp, based on what values you are getting. Peppers will probably like 2-4x intensity compared to what your micros will prefer and that can be regulated by distance. If it's difficult to reach the intensity your pepper(s) will need to thrive, you can always boost with a 9-14w LED household bulb wherever a little extra light is needed. For example, a cheap and simple clamp light, together with a 1500lm LED bulb will provide a good intensity over a 1'x1' area. Those two examples were picked randomly. You can choose whatever brand and kelvin you like.

I'd love to describe it! Generally I use the same design as I've found it works best for what I've grown in the past (cannabis, tomato, basil, peas, bell pepper, lettuce) which is an adaptation of most "aero-bucket" designs. For mine it's very simple, food grade bucket (preferably black to limit algal growth, though I've never had issues with this before) and an inexpensive pond fogger. The pond fogger works awesome at vaporizing the water and I've found nutrient penetration to the roots is much more effective than a direct spray method. The fogger can be a little finnicky given it needs a semi exact water level to work well but if your bucket is sealed (food grade buckets use a great gasket for sealing) you'll be fine as the solution vapor will remain in the bucket with minimal losses. Ive also used a plastic pot upside-down to raise the fogger and allow me to fill more nutrient solution into the bucket. Links for my parts below!

Fogger: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PAK245E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2mOPAbQSA1JR8
Bucket: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A1LUFEY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EtOPAbDT328B1

You mentioned that you were thinking of having three 5 gallon pails of tomatoes and peppers, and if that is the case this light isn't gonna cut it. Without looking up the item, it looks like something you could use on seedlings or small young plants, but tomato plants get big, and its not likely this light would support them long term. It should be fine for lettuce assuming your plants aren't really spread out.

Honestly I would find something in the 300w range for three plants, such as this if you want to go LED. If you are looking to save money on the fixture, I would suggested some full spectrum CFL bulbs instead. Bar or coil bulbs should be fine either way, but you'll need a couple of them for good light disbursement.

(For the record, I did try to look this up but was unable to find it.)

Define what kind of hydro you want to do? A simple DWC system is good for being able to show the roots and such, but it's very volatile and things can go very wrong very quickly.

This is a system I built, though I'd say skip the chiller, but if you can get one it's much better. My freezer thing was cheap and worked fine with the t-5 lights, but gave me fits under my 1000W HIDs.

If you want to have your highest level of success you might want to consider a soilless hydro system like growing in coco coir or a peat moss based medium, maybe even rockwool cubes.

I'd guess the most important factor would be your budget. You're a high school teacher so I'll assume it's small.

something like this would work fine

The light is good. It's the same as this one by AeroGarden, which I use for a small herb garden: https://www.amazon.com/AeroGarden-LED-Grow-Light-Panel/dp/B0725QBG1G

Have grown basil, mint, zaatar, etc, and now cherry tomatoes. All Kratky style, in mason jars. Sits in the kitchen, looks nice, and emits WHITE LIGHT, not blurple. Sure there are more powerful lights but this is good looking, decent quality, convenient, doesn't get hot. I keep the panel pretty close to the plants. For bigger plants, like a full sized tomato, you'd probably want something more powerful, but herbs will do just fine.

The Root Farm model is white, AeroGarden one is black, prices for each have gone up and down a few times. I'd check Amazon. Got a second one a couple of months back for around $80.

That is the wrong way to learn about growing. It's costly and slow. Just watch some YouTube videos and go try. It's how I got started. I knew 0 about growing anything 6 months ago. Now I've got a successful crop and have a single tomato plant with over 20 tomatoes on it and many bell peppers growing, okra, pablano peppers, raddish, lettuce, basil, potatoes, kale and brussel sprouts. I've only spent about $200 too.

Most Helpful links/videos:

Intro to NPK: https://youtu.be/-gtFvhEjA3o

This is a great intro to nutrient deficiencies and effects on plants and how to diagnose: https://youtu.be/9SotrCwqfHo

Cheap Vinyl Downspout grow box: https://youtu.be/bYhwJIarjQ0

Pool noodles instead of rockwool, rocks, or cups: https://youtu.be/rFQiDbkjxY4

Common Veggie EC and pH: http://www.homehydrosystems.com/ph_tds_ppm/ph_vegetables_page.html

Easy to use nutrients:
https://www.amazon.com/MASTERBLEND-4-18-38-Complete-Combo-Fertilizer/dp/B072F2BL9D/

Cheap good EC meter (EC is shown in μs/cm instead of the more common ms/cm, as in above link, so the EC shown should be divided by 1000 to get normal EC numbers; it's easy, just remember when it shows 2300 EC, that's an EC of 2.3, or 700 is 0.7. Also note I've found with all these EC meters you need to dip and then swish them around in the solution and then read it, otherwise it will read inaccurate due to tiny air bubbles on the probes) https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01FPG89CE?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Cheap good pH meter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07R4FMYY4?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Easy micro greens, which you use to sprout seeds you want to grow or eat as micro greens:
http://imgur.com/gallery/VARfNoo

ReUse 2 disposable plastic food containers, a cheap poly wicking cloth, and your choice of grow bed (dirt, coco coir, whatever)...

Stack the two containers.

Make 2 long cuts in the bottom of the top container thru the lid of the bottom container, along the 2 longer sides.

Push the cloth thru the 2 slots, such that it's layered across the bottom of the top container and the ends are hanging in the bottom container.

Fill bottom container with water.

Place grow bed material in top container on top of cloth.

The cloth wicks up the water and keeps the grow bed moist. You don't have to water it but maybe once every two weeks and can leave the micro plants there for staging plant growth every couple weeks cause they will grow slow. If you don't use dirt as the grow bed, you will need to replace water with a weak nutrient solution after three or four weeks.

Do a little more research. There are better options out there for a little bit more money that will work way better. What is your budget? How much space are you looking to light? What crops are you trying to grow? These all matter quite a bit.

Personally- this is the direction I would point you towards:

https://www.amazon.com/Light-LM301B-Quantum-Board-660nm/dp/B07W6YSYL2/ref=sr_1_34?keywords=quantum+led&qid=1572735505&sr=8-34

But a decent T5 fixture will work well for starters. An added benefit is that you can change bulbs out across your grow cycle for proper spectrum for the plants at specific growth stages.

https://www.amazon.com/Hydroplanet-Fluorescent-Included-Horticulture-Gardening/dp/B019J3UPUS/ref=sr_1_5?crid=I625429FQV30&keywords=t5+led+grow+lights+4ft&qid=1572735678&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=t5%2Clawngarden%2C190&sr=1-5

Depends on how good the filter is, they will tell you in gallons per day.

​

I found this just by searching amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NWZ1RCK/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 the best the hydro shop by me had was a 3 stage no remineralizer and the price was doable for me, i've been very very happy with it.

​

Has the remineralizer and everything it's a little more than 3 gallons per hour produced (and 6 waste). It has a pressure tank... i have it hooked up in my bathroom upstairs and then the grow room is down the hall so kinda of a similar situation.

​

I'll eventually put a barrel in the grow room and fill it up once a week and then disconnect the water line otherwise to avoid a potential catastrophic flooding of my upstairs lol, maybe keep 20-25 gallons of filtered water stored ready to go with a sump pump in the reservoir to automatically top off with nutrient / fresh water.

​

I would recommend the Roleadro 300w 2nd gen LED light. No blurpleness (which is why I got it), it's a decent light for about $70 on amazon. I'm only using about half of my 4x2x5 (LxWxH) tent, so I would get two if you'll be using your entire tent.

It's my first growing season with it so I can't comment on its long-term reliability but so far it's been great (I.e., decent build quality, no burnt LEDs). Heat hasn't been an issue and inside of my tent, it hasn't been too loud.

It does have its downfalls though. One is the hanging hardware it comes with is pretty cheap and doesn't adjust so you'll need to figure that out. Also, there isn't an on/off switch or the ability to daisy chain lights, which many of the other brands have.

However, for $70 it's a decent budget light.

Roleadro Upgrade and Newly Developed LED Grow Light Full Spectrum 2nd Generation Series 300w Plants Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HI3AFYM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SQU7ybW3KAC37

So the system I plan to have going is similar to the one in this video: https://www.familyplotgarden.com/building-an-inexpensive-aeroponics-system.html

My basement is half finished, my room is about 18ft by 15ft, and the unfinished part, separated by a door, is about 12 ft by 30ft. Both have about 8ft ceilings. I was thinking of putting it in the unfinished room so I don't get bothered by the light or sound of the pump, but I'm not sure yet. This is my first time attempting hydroponics, so I really have no clue about all the technical details. Is there something you would recommend I grow first that would be easy to manage and not mess up? Also when it comes to lights, what is the difference between the red blue ones and the white ones? And how do I know what height to have them at and when to move them?

Thanks again for the help

Edit: General Hydroponics Flora Grow, Bloom, Micro Combo Fertilizer set, 1 Quart (Pack of 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017H73708/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MOeKBbX75P0WN. Here's the nutrients I got

Here is what I'm running. Couldn't recommend it more.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B4GQ6MO?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Have two of them and one larger size. One unit only runs at about 150W actually so better on the power bill. :) Ive grown all the herbs you mentioned under it with great success. I like it more than the pure red/blue lights. Less weird looking light color and all.

It is mathematically not worth your time. Say it takes 1 minute to clean it in hydrogen peroxide, (it doesn't) and there's no mold, algae, etc. 1 minute @ minimum wage US = 12 cents.

https://www.amazon.com/Grodan-Rockwool-Stonewool-Cuttings-Propagation/dp/B0087SJ3U0

200 cubes for ~$16 = 8 cents.

It's cheaper, easier, and better just to throw them away, or you could switch to aeroponics and not have to worry about it :)

As a beginner, I did not want to commit to a big expensive unit that I would have to mount or build a rack for. I had limited room and no interest in using tools. I bought the Sansi bulb because it was a cheap way to get started and I felt that it would be a fairly flexible solution. I started with one bulb for a few mason jar kratky plants on a small section of a shelf. As I added more plants and opened up more shelf space, I added 2 more bulbs and can now cover most of a 4' shelf.

I saw some of Jeb Gardener's Kratky videos where he used a sansi bulb with a clamp lamp, and it seemed to work nicely, so that is what I did. I figured that I'd have the flexibility to place the lamp as high or low to the plant as needed, and easily be able to move stuff around.

The clamp lamps are not the easiest things to clamp securely and point where you want them to go. But I made it work. If you wind up using something like that, you should remove the reflector or buy a lamp without a reflector as they should not be used with the Sansi bulbs.

I have a light very similar to that. I did not like my results with it. It is powerful enough for growth.... but not the kind you want all the time. I am new to the game, but I have had a lot of success with full spectrum LED's. Like this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HI3AFYM?ref=emc_b_5_i

Hey! We're not including probes since we've found that a lot of people either already have them or want to purchase either low end or high end ones. Price is $550 for the Kickstarter special.

Yupp, works in any browser, anywhere in the world. No firewall modifications needed at all, it just works. Works with any wireless fan controller that is 433mhz, it currently handles 4 settings so lo/med/high/off, but software could be modified easily to handle more. Also works with any 433mhz outlet like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DQELHBS/ - and it can handle an unlimited amount of 433mhz outlets / fan controllers.

Yup, it's all open source and hackable. Running Linux on Raspberry pi zero and also has an Arduino.

>If your house is 77F, but your water is 93F, something is wrong. The water should be at ambient temperature, which in your case seems to be 93F. Do you have a lot of hot lights right up against the plants with no fan? If so, fix your lights.

This is from the default Aerogarden Bounty LED setup - I bought two of them - both have consistent (high) water temps. The issue it seems is that while germinating and while the plants are youn, the black deck that the water runs directly under is 100% exposed to the lights - I think a combination of that along with the 10" height of the 45w lights during the germination & young plant phase is causing the 16F difference - in the bounty growing the basil, where they shade the deck the water temp is only 8-10F higher...still 87F seems too high for basil so I add ice to that one as well... I brought up my observations to Aerogarden who said just to add ice cubes (my thinking plants dont like sudden temp changes), but that seems to work ok....but seems ridiculous I would need to add 10-12oz of ice twice a day just to bring it down to 70F for a a few hours.. (the ice I add now, is solution I had to remove from the bowl to make room for the ice)

​

​

Since it seems my issue is that the room already starts kinda warm, the LED lighting (along with a black deck with water running across it) is the culprit of the high water temps?

​

In my planned Kratky/DWC setup - should start off with?:

- White Lid/Deck

- fan/forced air blowing on each deck

- 3w or smaller light source when germinating

- moving up to a 10w when young

- moving to a 25w+ when the leaves are covering the deck 90%+?

-- Beyond, moving the lights up and down - is there any other way to keep them from warming things up too much - do they make lights with adjustable intensity?

​

>Don't use pure blue LEDs, you want either whites or red/blue. something like these: https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Spectrum-Hydroponic-Greenhouse-Succulents/dp/B01IVQ96KY/ref=sr_1_5

If I were going with just greens, Blue is best?

This guide is pretty comprehensive

If you want a super quick start, get some nutrients (I recommend General Hydroponics), 2-3" net cups, rock wool, and hydroton/clay pebbles.

Plant seed in rock wool, put rock wool in net cup, fill the remainder with hydroton, place net cup in a container with some water in it (kratky method), and start watering it until the roots touch the water.

Hey, everyone starts somewhere, and look at it this way.. you made it further than anyone that just decided not to try.

I don't use rockwool when it comes to DWC/RDWC. A bag of cheap lava rock from home depot or the like, break it up with a hammer, fit it into your net pot, you're golden. As long as you rinse it pretty good anyway, otherwise your water will be red for a long time, and it won't be easy on your pump either. I don't use rockwool for the plain fact it isn't needed, and at worst can lead to root rot(the reason I don't use it). As long as you have water splashing onto the hydroton/lava rock/whatever you decide to use will wick it up to the plant, and has the added bonus of there always being o2 available.

I prefer to use the tough totes from home depot/lowes as opposed to 5 gallon buckets.


https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Friendly-Biological-Fungicide/dp/B00VXQG23O/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=southern+ag&qid=1562899180&s=gateway&sr=8-9


I also add just a dab of this stuff. It's basically Hydrogard.. But countless times more concentrated, and more importantly.. countless times cheaper. I don't know if it will cure your root problem, but it will certainly help keep them at bay and slow down what you do have going on.

Bok choi has been the easiest thing for me to grow by far so there's definitely something off in your system.

Having a pH pen and an EC pen is pretty much critical to diagnosing nutrient solution problems. This is the pH meter I have, which is kind of mid-tier but comes with calibration solution. Also pick up some storage solution as it will reduce how often you have to recalibrate the pen vs keeping it dry. EC meter you can go cheap on, I use this one and get good results.

I would start with a deep water culture system, because they are super low maintenance.

Use a bucket and a fish-tank aerator... watch the video here. Buy a kit here.

General Hydroponics makes good products. Their liquids are good, but the Maxigrow and Maxibloom powder represents exceptional value. If you just have a few watermelons, just start with the liquid.

With all products, read and follow the directions.

Watched a few youtube videos to get a high level knowledge. Checked amazon to get a rough idea of costs, Went to a local hydroponic store, asked for help and they helped me pick out the nutrient solution, ph balancer, stakes, tube etc. Bought the rest off of amazon. Read the instructions on the bottle. I'm sure there are better ways of doing things but this worked for me.

Light : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JQBQZQ/

Shelf: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CL9204C/

Tray: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XFZHF93/

Automation: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075GWQSYH/

Ph Control: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BNKWZY/

Pump (overkill): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012UZYMG/

Reservoir: Ikea storage box I had already.

White Basket (Not needed): From Target that I had already.

Rest I got from local hydroponics store.

Powder, namely the MasterBlend 4-18-38 fertilizer. With it I have successfully started and fruited 3 variety of Peppers, Cucumbers, Basil, Strawberries, and Tomatoes. Although the tomatoes haven't fruited yet. They have all been alive for ~3 months and are all 1 foot tall.

I just transferred some Bell peppers into my system today. Below is the solution I used. Used about 5ml per gallon to get my water around 1400 ppm as I read somewhere they should in the 1400 to 1700 range. I'm just getting into hydroponics myself, and haven't tried peppers before so I've got no idea if this works or not. I did use this for some kale and lettuce and it worked very well (which I understand is totally different). Fingers crossed that I didn't just murder my sprouts. Would be curious to see if anyone else uses this or not.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017H73708/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ZH46Bb4MN2NJW

MASTERBLEND 4-18-38 Complete Combo Kit Fertilizer Bulk (2.5 Pound Kit) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072F2BL9D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_E.PsDbVXZ6GS2

For when your tomatoes get bigger. Nightshades love this stuff. It's the dry ingredients so you get a ton of it and just mix a few grams at a time with water. It'll last you a while.

I ordered this combo of dry ingredients per Jeb's approach on youtube. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072F2BL9D/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So far it's worked great for everything I've tried. It'll last me a looooooooong time too. Saves you shipping cost for all the water weight of the other stuff I would think.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5zdi4KM3ewwfYMNo_KnU0A

>if I didn't add ice, the bowl/water container easy goes up to 93F after a 16 hour light cycle...

If your house is 77F, but your water is 93F, something is wrong. The water should be at ambient temperature, which in your case seems to be 93F. Do you have a lot of hot lights right up against the plants with no fan? If so, fix your lights.

>with lighting from something like this but hopefully a bit smaller -

Don't use pure blue LEDs, you want either whites or red/blue. something like these: https://www.amazon.com/Roleadro-Spectrum-Hydroponic-Greenhouse-Succulents/dp/B01IVQ96KY/ref=sr_1_5

>the usable photons hitting the canopy. Instead of watta

Just to prove my point, see the coverage maps below under product description:(https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-Certified-Reflector-V300-Spectrum/dp/B01B4GQ6MO/ref=pd_ybh_a_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=B4YA19NXQHHH99PART18

It was the first light that popped up on Amazon. I do note the umol/m2/sec unit of measurement but notice it says "PAR Value".

​

EDIT: Provided link as I am unable to paste pictures.

I started with a south facing window, but it wasn't quite enough in winter. Eventually I bought this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IVQ96KY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It covered about 6 plants until the one bell pepper plant decided it was the alpha and would overgrow.

I doubt you have a 3D printer, but this is the pot I use:

Self-Watering Planter (Small) found on Thingiverse.

I also use General Hydroponics nutrients. They're so much better than the nutes that come with the Aerogarden. Here's a link, should last about a year:

General Hydroponics Flora Grow, Bloom, Micro Combo Fertilizer set, 1 Quart (Pack of 3)

Follow the directions on the bottle carefully, ie purple, then green, then pink. Idk why it's in the wrong order on the chart, it's really stupid they did it like that. I alternate every other one with plain water. I use this for both my Aerogarden and potted plants.

Oh, use filtered water, not tap water. Plants don't like chlorine.