Simple Ebb and Flow Hydroponic System

Step 2 What You Will Need

To put together this hydroponic system, you will need...

Note: Items on the list appear in the same order in the pictures. (except for the wire, spray paint, water shield, and hydroponic solution.)

3/8" Pea Gravel 15-20$
The amount you will need depends on the size of the containers you use to hold the plants.

A few handfuls of larger sized gravel Free (Steal it from a driveway)

1/2" T-connector <1$ (Don't look in the garden hose section. It's too pricey. Try plumbing.)

Around 10' of an old garden hose Free (You can buy plastic tubing, but why not recycle)

Digital Timer 17$
Cheaper timers are available, but the shortest period of time you can set them for is 15 (or 30) minutes. The digital ones allow for more precise increments. To fill the plant containers, the pump only needs to be on for about 3 minutes.

Water Pump ~15$ and up depending on the gallons per hour.
Mine cost 25$ and pumps at 396 GPH. I bought a bigger sized one so that I can set up several systems if I want.

Two containers for the plants 5-10$
(Mine are 33" long, 14.5" wide, and 5.5" deep )
Notice in the pictures that they have been painted. This was done to keep algae from growing. I used regular house paint, which, of course, doesn't stick well. There is spray paint that you can buy that is designed for plastic. An even better option would be to buy opaque containers if you can.

Spray Paint ~5$ (Only necessary if your containers are transparent)

A large container for the water ~15$ (I'm guessing)
(Mine holds about 10 gallons. )
I'm using an old cooler that I had which is missing its lid. It has a handy little tap to drain the water out of, but they are flipping expensive to buy new, so don't worry about the tap if you can't find one. You can always drag out the container and empty it by hand.

Around 4' of wire Free (practically anyway)

Hydroponic solution 35$ and up depending on how much you buy.

Couple of Pieces of Plastic for the Water Shield Free (Scrounge something up)

Total Price ~110$

The price is probably a bit high because I did round up on a few things. I bought this stuff several years ago and can't remember the exact prices, so you might be able to shave off a few dollar because of it.

Also, you can run multiple systems with the timer and water pump, so you can double (or even triple) the size without doubling the price.

Finally, there is also the possibility that you might already have some of this stuff lying around or can find it on sale.

Comments

[alesem]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it a bad idea to leave the top off your reservoir? Your nutrient solution should not be exposed to light as it can cause algae growth. This is especially true for a system that you are putting outside.