Tentative Hardware List
I’m planning on building the system on Mycodo so I’ll need to make sure all my hardware plays nicely with it. I’ve settled on a DWC system for my first foray into hydro as it seems to be the simplest to implement and automate.
Tent
- Gorilla 2x4 or something similar
- Net trellis for a SOG style grow
- I’ll probably find or model (we have 3D printers now mang!) some extra supports/bars for mounting electronics, etc.
- Carbon filter. This is pretty expensive for something so simple. I may look at some of the DIY designs shown here
- Fans: I have various computer fans and a few that run on 120V. I’ll probably build something simple
Lights
This is a big ?? for me so far. I’m still exploring the forums for ideas but I’m leaning towards a DIY Solstrips solution. I like the control I can have over the design and it will probably be more cost effective. The following posts caught my interest. Appreciate any other suggestions here!
- DIY LED 150w SolStrip X1 Build
- DIY Grow Lights with high-efficiency LED strips
- Fisch is building DIY 480watt Solstrip light! - #8 by Fisch
Sensors
Raspberry Pi running headless RaspiOS for the brains.
- EC: AnyLeaf EC Module/Probe
- pH: AnyLeaf pH Module/Probe
- Dissolved O2: Atlas Scientific Gravity™ Analog Dissolved Oxygen Kit
- Water Temperature: Something like this (i actually have something already, just need to test it to make sure it will work
- This is pretty expensive, I’ll probably add this later
- Air Temperature/RH: SHTC3
- A lot of options here
- I’ll probably have at least three of these: One ambient, one hanging around the plants, and another measuring intake air
- Light: SI1145
- This is mostly just for the gut check “are the lights really on?” and for logging.
Liquid Handling
- Dosing pumps (4): These cheapies. Hopefully these don’t fail but I want to see how much
- Flushing pump: Still need to look. This will really only be used to flush the system periodically. I’m thinking about trying NFT later on so hopefully I can repurpose. Seems like this is a common failure point in NFT systems so I probably need something robust or have some redundancy.
Containers
- Reservoir: 27 gal HDX tote from Home Depot
- Net Pots: I’m thinking 6", I’ll look around for some later. I have a grow store not far from me.
- Media: Seems like Hydroton is the answer here
- Aeration: I have some smaller Whisper pumps from my aquarium hobby. I’ll either repurpose one of those or pick up a new one.
Questions
- Any other good LED builds?
- Is there much benefit from adjustable height lighting in a small build like this?
- How often does a DWC need to be flushed? Monthly? Weekly?