Tap water can be used, though you may want to check the pH first it should be slightly acidic for most plant purposes (just below 7.0). In terms of fertilizer, there are a wide variety of products available, I would recommend looking into hydroponic suppliers in your area, I like foxfarm all organic/ natural product [...]

Just a thought, you may want to keep an eye on that threaded tube in the water, if it was made for electronics it may not be stainless, and in an O2 rich environment such as a flowing hydroponic system will lead to lots of corrosion, and maybe a mess. And just a note, I [...]

Could you add pictures to your post, of the plants? A minor pH issue shouldn’t cause the plants to respond like that that quickly, too soon for a nutrient lock-up problem, and 7.5 shouldn’t cause that anyways, it sounds more like a deficiency issue, and if you are only using one type of mixture you [...]

For suspension on the chain, you may want to try S-hooks rather than key-rings, I used them for a number of my designs and they work great and allow very easy removal of single planter units for replanting/ tending etc. For the distance of the planter pots, you will need to see how the water [...]

ahh wish I could have come!

I had this problem a couple of months back, at some point, usually after a couple of months of use all of my systems which use air needles needed a replacement. More than anything the needle broke off, and it didn’t deliver the air properly. They were stainless needles, and had little visible surface corrosion, [...]

The plants would die. The nutrients contain all of the necessary components for a growing plant that usually are in the soil in which a plant grows in. The plant would grow slowly for a while relying on the nutrients present in the seed, but they would not last very long, and would stay very [...]

When I first established my ‘window’farm last summer, I had it outside often (it was free standing, so I could move it around). The plants did well other than issues I was having with watering (it was pump-free at the time, and didn’t supply enough water for the plants in direct sunlight). One of my [...]

If you have organic nutrients, it shouldn’t be much different concentrations or compounds than would be found in a fish tank. So I would guess so long as it isn’t your kitty’s primary source of water you should be fine (cats have been known to attack fishtanks right?) But I would try and cap the [...]

I am actually planning on returning to a similar design to yours for a farm this summer, I think it is an infinitely better design for actual window placement. I just knew that I was designing for portability, wich I don’t need anymore fortunately. If you have had that kind of success, roll with what [...]

Thats great, very neat design, and the framing is definitely useful foresight for portability, similar to how I first envisioned my farms before my friend recommended bunching them. How are you planning to pump water? or is it static?

Definitely will try to think of a metal option, I just need to think of something that won’t cost a lot for a relative quantity of them. But also, I have done just fine without them luckily, the hydroton eventually plugs the neck, and the bottles fill up. And thank you, though I admit I [...]

Woo, that looks great! How do you have them suspended?