VIVOSUN Hydroponic Grow Kit, 1 Layer 36 Plant Sites 4 Food-Grade PVC-U Pipes Hydroponics Planting System with Water Pump, Pump Timer, Nest Basket and Sponge for Leafy Vegetables

I really like this system, I have had a lot of success growing lettuce and kale along with others however it's important to note that you will need to maintain the roots or they will plug up the pipe. Also once the plants are growing, they are spaced too close together, I find I am only using a less than half of the available openings. It is very easy to maintain and grow some vegetables. I even tried a tomato plant and it did great unfortunately the pipe is way to small for the beefsteak roots so it had to be planted because the roots filled the tube. There was leaking after assembled even though it was glued, sometimes it's caused by the roots clogging the pipes. Overall it's great though and I love it.

The Pro's It's easy to assemble, however modifications are needed to make it a true NFT style hydroponics system . With a few changes ( this is Design#3 after hours of experimentation), you can get this going really well. Cons: Whats the problem with the base assembly ? The pipes in each of the 3 sections are at the same level . This prevents a steady flow of water ( necessary in an NFT hydroponics system) . Also if you are using a pump timer, water stays stagnant in each of the pipes when the pump is off , which could lead to root rot. After all, in NFT, the roots need to aerate well and just dip into the nutrient flow rather than be immersed in the nutrient 24x7 The Solution 1. First raise the base by around 18" . This lets you place a standard 5 gallon bucket comfortably below the base. These are metric PVC pipes, however I found a 1/2" PVC fits in nicely . 2. Use PVC cement to strengthen the base structure. This is an important step, else you'll be frustrated with the cross pipes coming off and collapsing your hard work constantly 3. I used 1/2" PVC to raise the pipes at the topmost level by around 10" ..you'll see why 4. Put some top bars as shown in the image on top of the raised base.. These are to provide a foundation to slope the pipes. I used nails to peg them in securely 5. Now the main part .. To give the pipes a gradual slope ( 1:40 recommended for NFT..this translates to a 1" drop for each pipe), I tried various designs.. first a cardboard prototype, then I tried drilling holes in the base and using hangar wires ..it was a mess... finally I decided to use the power of gravity as the most stable design.. once you figure it out, the rest is easy .. just use some strong string to provide a constant 1" slope for every pipe in each level, and suspend each pipe from the top.. hence the top bar extension . I used an old flex garden hose that had broken down. Through calculations on the ideal NFT slope, I figured out the best positions on the front side was at 7", 4",3" and then 0"; and on the rear end, it was 6",5",2" and 1". This gives a zig-zag pattern that slopes all the way, with the slope being around 1:30 Have patience, and check the water flow after you finish each level. You may need to trim the connectors between levels . A PVC pipe cutter is needed . That's all. You will need to fine tune the level of each pipe at each end to ensure the water is flowing smoothly .. if you hear the sweet sound of gurgling water coming off the bottom pipe ( that drains into the bucket) and see a steady flow , you know you've got it right . Now I'm off to plant some lettuce!! ** Update after 3 weeks of use ** I planted lettuce as well as some broccoli and arugula . After 2 weeks, the plants seem to be growing steadily . See tips for more pointers; Tips 1. Ensure that your base is level to the ground, or your water flow will get impacted . 2. Place in an area that gets plenty of sunlight as well as part shade, depending on what you plan to grow 3. Important : plant your seedlings separately and wait for the roots to grow at least 1" to 2" long before transplanting to the NFT system. Also, the pots that come with the system are open at the base, so you will need something to hold the little seedlings in securely . I used Grodan Rockwool, as the 1" size of the rockwool fits in very well inside the pots, and can securely hold the plants with the roots dangling down into the water 4. Rather than liquid plant food, I used "MaxiGrow" as the nutrient solution . Its water soluble and for 5 gallons, you need around 10 tsp.. there's plenty to go in the 2 lb bag that I bought .. I change the water every 2 weeks 5. The pump that comes with the system is not dry-burning safe.. last week, one of the connecting pipes between levels got knocked loose probably while mowing , and the next day, I found all the water had drained away and the pump was busted . This manufacturer does not currently offer a pump in the same GPH and size category , and luckily I was able to find some other manufacturers that offered a similar pump ( the tubing that comes with this kit is 5/16" , and you need a pump that supports 5/16" tubing as well as is 12V DC , so that the pump timer can fit . The third is GPH rating - you need something that is around 80 GPH or less ) . My plants did not have flowing water for almost 24 hours before the replacement got here. Highly recommend you keep an extra pump on hand , or get something that is rated dry-burning safe ( wont bust if the water runs out for any reason) 6. I fitted a ball valve adapter in the tube ( look for 5/16" size) so I could control the pump flow That's all for now.. I'll post some more pictures soon.

Very easy to assemble. No leaks. Great for small spaces. Does not include grow lights or a nutrient reservoir (Black/grey box in pic). We also used aluminum foil to cover unused openings until our seedlings were ready to put in our system. This uses the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) to pump a small amount of nutrients from the reservoir up to the top pipes and the it flows throughout the system and empties back into the reservoir tank at the bottom. Some literature is provided on how to begin, but I recommend doing additional research. The pump is very small (1 inch tall), works great, and quiet! I also recommend ordering the following items to get you started: seeds, nutrients, hydrogen peroxide, extra sponges, and extra pump, pH meter, thermometer, pH up and pH down chemicals. Very pleased with this product!

Good kit. Piping is great. Easy assembly. Good price for what's all included here. All of this would earn it a 5 star. The problem is the pump is already dead after two weeks.

So far sooo soo good. I’m using this system for aquaponics- growing with fish and so far it’s working beautifully! Also, I didn’t know that it comes with substrate pods, which is beautiful. I’m gonna try them out, but I might switch to clay leca or just do bare roots but so nice to include substrate (looks like coco coir bur doesn’t say exactly) that fit the little pod inserts perfectly. The flow is not too strong, which is perfect because I don’t want to disturb disturbing waterfall back into the aquarium. I was worried when I saw other reviews saying that the pump wasn’t very strong. You can attach solar powered pumps to it though, I might try that.

Where to start. Luckily I didn't experience any leaks but used PVC cement on all joints that would have water flowing. To the heart of the problems though: 1) The stand is not staggered meaning each "layer" of tubing sits level. The issue is that unless the individual pipes are EXACTLY level you will likely experience overflow somewhere within the 3 layers. You can see this in the included picture where one pipe constantly exhibits this. 2) The height of the stand does not allow for standard 5gal buckets to be used for the exit water supply unless you raise the entire assembly through some other means (ie: more modification). A smaller vessel might work but the reality is that the 108 version requires at least a few gallons or the reservoir will empty during use and dry-run the pump The only thing this product has been good for is real-world viewing of the basic assembly. Unfortunately since I used glue I am likely unable to return. Hopefully I can chop up this product and make something useful out of it. Save your cash, do research how to build a DIY unit, and go to the hardware store. I thought I was going to save money with this prefabricated product but it has been one of the worst purchases I've made in years. Your mileage may vary but be warned.

I have had one of those other " hydrogardens" for many years and finally decided to go a bit larger. I wanted to make sure though that the cost was also reasonable since there are systems out there that seem to be well overpriced. This system fit the bill just right. Since I was going to run the entire system in my morning room, I wanted to make sure that it would not accidentally fall apart. Therefore, I did use PVC glue to glue all pieces together, rather than just stick them together. Additionally, I built a platform on caster wheels so that I could easily move the entire system around as needed. I purchased a large clear plastic bin and cut holes in the top cover (to minimize evaporation) so that I can easily check water levels). Additionally, I purchased grow lights for each level and put all of this on a timer. Of note is that the piping used is not a standard size which I found out when I wanted to raise the legs for the stand a bit to make the bin fit better underneath. I was able to get it to work, but eventually may build a completely new stand with standard sizes PVC pipes. I use Masterblend liquid nutrients to feed the plants and have been extremely successful with the setup. I have several varieties of lettuce, including mustard, arugula, buttercrunch. Couple of varieties of watercress. American and Thai basil and several other eatables. Currently, I am able to harvest a fresh salad about every three days from the system, giving it enough rest time between harvest to refresh and grow further. For anyone looking to go a bit bigger than the little "tabletop air gardens," this is definitely a good step up. To make it work really well though, you do need to make sure you give some thought to the overall setup and lights, etc.

Well let’s start off mine is custom while building the stand I had a accident I tapped the pipe to hard and it went past the stopper in the tee fitting and I glued mine together to prevent leaks so I had to custom build my stand out of schedule 40 pipe and I increase the height between levels but after my accident the growth rate of my plants is amazing faster than dwc I have been using it’s a set it and forget it kind of system almost easy for anyone to use. The plants look great they are healthy and growing quickly. I was Leary about buying because I have read the reviews about people having issues putting this together or missing parts well that was not my case the fit of the piping was tight all there and the instructions are step by step a 5 year old can build it and no leaks it’s amazing the only downside I have found is the foam seed starters they suck they don’t hold water I have soaked them twice and they are dry 2 days later so I’m using cotton balls right now until the rockwool arrives but the cotton balls are working amazing.

I've been using this system for about a month now. We've used lots of lettuce from it. It's great for smaller vegetables. Pump and timer run great. Directions for setting up the frame were poor but I figured it out.

After 1 month....Easy to install, Advice: don't miss any step on the instructions. I lift up 7" to install the water tank. I used glue for the exterior pipes (1/2") but the 2" pipes works good with no glue. It makes strong enought so support the weight. I'm surprised with the pump samll size but its efficiency is good and the water run well 5 minutes 30 stdby. I bought the thermostat, and the PH and the TDS to control the water fertilizers, and the air pump to supply 'O2'. The planst are growing normal and the dairy meausres of TSM/Temp and PH let them grow smoody. The price makes sense with the equipment and material received. The supplier answer couple of questions whae they send it, Good!. The material came as promised.

Excelente calidad de las piezas del sistema. Adaptable a cualquier espacio

It does the job. It leaked in a couple of places, but easily fixed with PVC cement. I glued the frame together as it comes apart easily. The pump is small, but does the job well. The holes are close together so I tend to grow in every other whole, then put new growths in vacant slots when I am almost ready to harvest, this doesn’t work with larger crops. I use the 5 minutes on, 30 minutes off setting and had no issues.

Good product for the price, only negative is the sponges given to grow.