the vedaponic system is an example of the recovery system given here:
http://www.simplyhydro.com/system.htm
the plants, either clones or seeds, are started in rockwool or peat pellets and kept under fluros untill they are ready to go into the vedaponicator9000 under the big light.
when ready, the plants are placed in 18oz plastic cups that have been liberally perforated with a soldering iron and filled with hydroton. these cups go into the vedaponicator which is nothing more than a covered aquaduct meant to channel water back to the reservoir.
a $30 submersible aquarium pump forces the nutrient solution through plastic hose to the drippers postioned over the hydroton cups. gravity takes the water back to the reservoir (large plastic bucket.) theres an airstone in there to disturb the surface of the water and a small fan blows across the top of the water to provide good gas exchange.
thats it.
now i have left out some details about our specific system but they dont matter. with the exception of the waterpump and air pump and hose, the vedaponicator system can be built out of any storebought or found or liberated materials keeping costs low. variations include the use of plastic pvc pipe, wooden troughs or boxes lined with plastic sheet, or sections of rain-gutter which may have fallen (or accidentally pulled) off of a government building. the system can be made to be more or less NFT-like, without having to buy any of those long plastic boxes (NFT gallery) which are expensive, bulky and difficult to transport in a stealthy manner, and arent easily adaptable to other purposes.
vedaponics is better becuz:
this is among the simplest possible hydro systems and in my opinion has many advantages:
- the pump is always on, eliminating the need for an expensive specialized timer required by other systems. in a regular boaboabados hardware store all they have are appliance timers which only work in hour long intervals.
- the drip system doesnt require a powerful expensive pump, as most areoponic sprayers/jets need at least 40psi to work
-it can be very easily expanded or modified.
-it can be very easily dismantled or disguised.
i guess the main thing is that its beauty is in its simplicity and infinite adaptability- and the fact that even i can put it together and make it work, makes it in my opinion among the best all around general purpose hydro systems.