Anyone have hydroponic experience?

[FnWeirdo]

hello byc,
so im currently looking into hydroponics and have 0 experience. i have a first project in mind and thats fodder on a small scale. what i was looking for is information on how powerful a pump ill need. im basically making a mason jar fodder system with mist nozzles in the jars. i want to have it timed and automated. i plan on upgrading in the future but i figure this will be a good project to start off. im making the fodder system modular so i need enough power to run anywhere between 4-20 nozzles running. anyone have any advice or have some good info links id love to hear . thanks all

 

[Melky]

My husband does hydroponics in large sterilite totes. His pump is 300 gallons per minute.

 

[Melky]

Hydroponics is great because we get fresh herbs and salad throughout the winter.

 

[BReeder!]

hello byc,
so im currently looking into hydroponics and have 0 experience. i have a first project in mind and thats fodder on a small scale. what i was looking for is information on how powerful a pump ill need. im basically making a mason jar fodder system with mist nozzles in the jars. i want to have it timed and automated. i plan on upgrading in the future but i figure this will be a good project to start off. im making the fodder system modular so i need enough power to run anywhere between 4-20 nozzles running. anyone have any advice or have some good info links id love to hear . thanks all

I would suggest mesh containers that could hold the seed rather than mason jars. The mason jars plus mist would lead to mold likely. Typically fodder is fully rinsed and strained once a day or so.
Or you could try to run a steady flow of water through containers with clay substrate (round clay balls) and grow leafy greens in the clay substrate. Gravel may even work instead of the clay substrate. You will not a source of nutrients then - some minnows or goldfish living in the collection tank would do the trick.

 

[Melky]

We plant in rubber discs set in lid of totes.

 

[Melky]

Maybe you could do something like this on a smaller scale. Using channels or trays. https://www.cropking.com/blog/growing-hydroponic-fodder

 

[mixedbreeds]

Watching

 

[TropicalBabies]

My neighbor set up rain gutters, small pump (tile saw) from HD, regular plastic pots with perlite and vermiculite (set inside rain gutter) and a large barrel to hold and cycle water to and fro. Was basic but functional.

 

[TropicalBabies]

I would suggest mesh containers that could hold the seed rather than mason jars. The mason jars plus mist would lead to mold likely. Typically fodder is fully rinsed and strained once a day or so.
Or you could try to run a steady flow of water through containers with clay substrate (round clay balls) and grow leafy greens in the clay substrate. Gravel may even work instead of the clay substrate. You will not a source of nutrients then - some minnows or goldfish living in the collection tank would do the trick.

without the drainage...

 

[FnWeirdo]

I would suggest mesh containers that could hold the seed rather than mason jars. The mason jars plus mist would lead to mold likely. Typically fodder is fully rinsed and strained once a day or so.
Or you could try to run a steady flow of water through containers with clay substrate (round clay balls) and grow leafy greens in the clay substrate. Gravel may even work instead of the clay substrate. You will not a source of nutrients then - some minnows or goldfish living in the collection tank would do the trick.

currently i am doing fodder in jars without any mold/mildew problems i recently did a day by day fodder in byc to start me on fodder.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/starting-a-fodder-adventure.1287753/page-12#post-20914276
i was gonna use misters in the jars so the full jar would get rinsed. i have plastic lids for the jar and i was gonna have small drainage holes on the bottom, a bigger hole for the water hose and mist nozzle to go through, and then a few bigger holes to left and right of the nozzle. you may very well be right but i figured this would give me enough air exchange? i will definitely look into that stuff though recently bought a nice book on hydroponics in the house. but i always find it easier to learn from others lol