Hello, Im looking to build something like this but I have a couple questions for people who have this or built something similar.
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Is there standing water in the rails/pipes when the pump isn't running?
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Is it worth introducing standing water to something like this or would the standing water affect airflow on the roots?
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I already have a tower that I 3d printed and will be transferring to for the first time hopefully next week. The reason I want to also build this shelf system is because I saw some people can fit 40, 50, 60 plants in a system like this. For those of you with this setup, how many plants do you have going?
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What's your method for hanging lights? I was considering a wire rack shelf to make light hanging easier.
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Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Thank you.
by Shoultzy
4 Comments
I built a similar system a few months ago, it’s ‘working’ but I’ve learnt a few things I’ll do differently next time. I’m putting this here now so I don’t forget to come back later today and edit this comment with a full breakdown.
https://preview.redd.it/95u91wlyxl0h1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=714a463ab054c83ccb33831135705b69c69dfc7b
1. No
2. No, pump is on 24/7, that’s how NFT works. Nutrient Film Technique. If you want standing water and inconsistent pump timing, it’s not NFT any longer and you should look to other resources.
3. I had some 60 plants in. It was too much the plants didn’t have enough space, and it was hard to service. I would go with different spacing and fewer plants per level.
4. The SF600’s come with mounting hardware. The reason this isn’t made with a wire rack is because it has to have a slope so the water goes from where it’s pumped in back to the reservoir, gravity fed.
I stopped doing NFT because of where it was in my house – right next to where I work from home. I couldn’t stand the sound of the pump any longer. I’m doing wicking planters now. Much quieter.
Good luck.
If I’m correct that system is by Hoocho on YouTube, he has detailed videos on how he made it.
Niiice!