Here are a few suggestions from my first attempts at window farming.

Use the t-valve method instead of buying inflation needles.
It works at 9 ft. for me. That will be enough height for 8 bottles above my fish tank.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk1Ob7W7WFo&context=C3cbd6cdADOEgsToPDskLk8Cwd3j5ZvNMU5K-p-Hqq

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=7LQQbSDDRBo
In my previous attempt it took both air outlets at full power to keep a flow going for 6 bottles. With the t-valve I have barely any air passing through my 3-way air flow splitter and the air pump is at its lowest level.

The check values recommended by Meike http://our.windowfarms.org/2011/01/26/low-water-level-pulser-pump/ work beautifully.

^air and water move up the tube.
^
|
|_ t-valve_____ tube with air from air pump
|
|
short tube with a check value at the end allows water up into the tube but no air bubble can exit down into the fish tank. The check valve sits just above the bottom of the tank.

Way cheaper than buying the rigid tubing and bicycle inflation needles. Would anyone like to have my needles? I won’t be needing them I’m in Seattle.

Also get a can of black spray paint and one of white ( I used the rust-oleum primer for the white). Do two coats of the black and then two of the white this is much faster than six + coats of the white with better results. (Um I also tested duct tape with white paint on top, didn’t work well… bad idea.)

Hope this saves you some time and money.

I’m interested in getting some tilapia fish to run my aquarium based windowfarm. But the source I found requires you to buy 25 at a time. Is anyone interested in going in on a group buy?

Update. I received the new check valves in the mail. After initial frustration that I couldn’t even get air to pass in either direction when I blew in the check valve. I unscrewed the valve and squished the rubber center a few times to get the air to flow… It is a better rate of flow than the blue valve I had been using. So I’ve gone back to turning the pump on for 15 min on every hour. and the beans are doing well.

I also found doing two layers of black spray paint and then two layers of white primer from rust-oleum works better than 6 layers of white alone. Less time… fewer fumes.

I’m adding a second column of 8 this week.
four types of basil
english cucumber
bush cucumber
mache
baby spinach
scallions
leeks
baby lettuce mix
peas
yellow pear tomato

I was excited to give the t-valve a try… and it works at 9 ft. That will be enough height for 8 bottles above my tank.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk1Ob7W7WFo&context=C3cbd6cdADOEgsToPDskLk8Cwd3j5ZvNMU5K-p-Hqq

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=7LQQbSDDRBo
In my previous attempt it took both air outlets at full power to keep a flow going for 6 bottles. With the t-valve I have barely any air passing through my 3-way air flow splitter and the air pump is at its lowest level.

So my only concern at this point is the slowness of the water flowing through the check valve. I’m currently using the cheapie blue check valvem but I have ordered a few of the green ones recommended by Meike http://our.windowfarms.org/2011/01/26/low-water-level-pulser-pump/ Hopefully that will help.

^air and water move up the tube.
^
|
|_ t-valve_____ tube with air from air pump
|
|
short tube with a check value at the end allows water up into the tube but no air bubble can exit down into the fish tank. The check valve sits just above the bottom of the tank.

Way cheaper than buying the rigid tubing and bicycle inflation needles. Would anyone like to have my needles? I won’t be needing them.

I was excited to give the t-valve a try… and it works at 9 ft. That will be enough height for 8 bottles above my tank.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk1Ob7W7WFo&context=C3cbd6cdADOEgsToPDskLk8Cwd3j5ZvNMU5K-p-Hqq

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=7LQQbSDDRBo
In my previous attempt it took both air outlets at full power to keep a flow going for 6 bottles. With the t-valve I have barely any air passing through my 3-way air flow splitter and the air pump is at its lowest level.

So my only concern at this point is the slowness of the water flowing through the check valve. I’m currently using the cheapie blue check valvem but I have ordered a few of the green ones recommended by Meike http://our.windowfarms.org/2011/01/26/low-water-level-pulser-pump/ Hopefully that will help.

^air and water move up the tube.
^
|
|_ t-valve_____ tube with air from air pump
|
|
short tube with a check value at the end allows water up into the tube but no air bubble can exit down into the fish tank. The check valve sits just above the bottom of the tank.

Way cheaper than buying the rigid tubing and bicycle inflation needles. Would anyone like to have my needles? I won’t be needing them.

So from this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKtB1YKoMxk&list=PL17DC16567E0712FA&index=3&feature=plpp_video
It looks like I can use a simple t-joint to get my 8 units column to work. I just need to have more water pressure from the aquarium side.

I put together a 6 unit column this weekend. It hangs above my rubbermaid fish tank. I’m trying beans first then I’ll move on to other plants. I tried to make it an 8 unit column but the water didn’t want to travel up the sixth. I picked up the 1.5 liter electrolyte water bottles from Trader Joes. Because I prefer a straight sided container but I had to hot glue in a little half inch lip inside the water bottle to get the net pot to stay in place at the opening and not fall to the bottom of the bottle. I used the two bicycle pump needles in drilled holes a few inches up the tube and added a sponge filter over the bottom of the tube to keep the snails and small fish out of it. The tanks is actually my cat’s ”fish TV set”. So it’s not much to look at but fully cycled and already on the floor. Ph 7, Nitrates 5.

Sorry the video is sideways Ha! I come from a photoshop world where images are rotated. Not an option with video. I’ll reshoot tomorrow.
But you get the idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYTrNfT7DC4&feature=context&context=G2004994AUAAAAAAAAAA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1XmrceLLGw&feature=g-upl&context=G2004994AUAAAAAAAAAA

I put together a 6 unit column this weekend. It hangs above my rubbermaid fish tank. I’m trying beans first then I’ll move on to other plants. I tried to make it an 8 unit column but the water didn’t want to travel up the sixth. I picked up the 1.5 liter electrolyte water bottles from Trader Joes. Because I prefer a straight sided container but I had to hot glue in a little half inch lip inside the water bottle to get the net pot to stay in place at the opening and not fall to the bottom of the bottle. I used the two bicycle pump needles in drilled holes a few inches up the tube and added a sponge filter over the bottom of the tube to keep the snails and small fish out of it. The tanks is actually my cat’s ”fish TV set”. So it’s not much to look at but fully cycled and already on the floor. Ph 7, Nitrates 5.

Sorry the video is sideways Ha! I come from a photoshop world where images are rotated. Not an option with video. I’ll reshoot tomorrow.
But you get the idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYTrNfT7DC4&feature=context&context=G2004994AUAAAAAAAAAA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1XmrceLLGw&feature=g-upl&context=G2004994AUAAAAAAAAAA

I put together a 6 unit column this weekend. It hangs above my rubbermaid fish tank. I’m trying beans first then I’ll move on to other plants. I tried to make it an 8 unit column but the water didn’t want to travel up the sixth. I picked up the 1.5 liter electrolyte water bottles from Trader Joes. Because I prefer a straight sided container but I had to hot glue in a little half inch lip inside the water bottle to get the net pot to stay in place at the opening and not fall to the bottom of the bottle. I used the two bicycle pump needles in drilled holes a few inches up the tube and added a sponge filter over the bottom of the tube to keep the snails and small fish out of it. The tanks is actually my cat’s ”fish TV set”. So it’s not much to look at but fully cycled and already on the floor. Ph 7, Nitrates 5.

Sorry the video is sideways Ha! I come from a photoshop world where images are rotated. Not an option with video. I’ll reshoot tomorrow.
But you get the idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYTrNfT7DC4&feature=context&context=G2004994AUAAAAAAAAAA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1XmrceLLGw&feature=g-upl&context=G2004994AUAAAAAAAAAA

I’m excited about growing fish and plants in my apartment. I have fish… I have plants… they should get to know each other better.