Noob help

[maxblue111]

Hey all I've grown soil before twice but I'm new to hydro. I got some gear from a mate and was wondering if you guys could help me figure out what's what and how it all fits together.

I have two pots identical to the one pictured - they have feeders at the top

and two tubes going in at the bottom. There is a tub that I'm guessing is a reservoir. Then there is 2 pump looking things, one of which seems to have an air stone attached to it?

[merl1n]

Hey Max,
I must admit when I first got my setup, it was a bit of a jigsaw. So here goes:-
Let's start with your heart, your black tub. Its called your heart cos its the centre of your system. The water pump goes in here pumping out to the top of your pot. The water drains thru your grow medium, then out thru the bottom of your pots, returning to your heart. To be recirculated again. Your fluids need to be aerated, this is also to occur in your heart, for that you need to place the blue airstone, with the green airhose, into the black tub.

So that's the basics of the system with the equipment pictured, BUT,.....
...your heart (black tub) should also have a lid. Your fluid needs to be kept away from light, if light can get to your fluids you'll end up with a green slime or algae growing in your fluids. You need a lid.
Also your pots have some large drain holes, you will either need to use a 'pot sok' or line the inside of the pot with shade cloth otherwise your grow medium will disappear through the holes.
Now as I say this is the real basics of that system

 

Hope it helps

Merl1n

[maxblue111]

Thanks so much merlin! I feel like I'm on the right track now, your a real dude. I can see now that the reason the pots can be elevated on other upturned pots is so that the drained water can be sucked out of the bottom of the tubes and back to the reservoir (from gravity)?

[louise]

Yep, exactly.