Hydroponic Recirculating Deep Water Culture System with Root Spa. (4) 5 Gallon Buckets + 1 Control by H2OToGro

This system is cobbled together with off the shelf parts which can be obtained here on Amazon and/or Home Depot. Anyone willing to put in just a little effort can construct a good or better DWC hydroponic system for a fraction of the cost! (Not to mention the $49.95 Shipping charge) Also check out PAhydroponics.com for a good instructional video on actual construction of a DWC recirculating system.

Works okay but I've had to make several modifications to make it work well. The return flow does get plugged up as the roots grow so this will be the area for the first mod you will want to make (Hint: what is at the bottom of a planter that this is obviously missing?). Oh, wait, the lid won't actually stay on... forgot - that's the first mod (you do want the lid to stay on). Also after you have flushed the system a couple of times you will begin to realize the value of a simple two-way valve. And finally, a pair of balancing valves so that the two back grow tanks get top flow without forcing too much water into the first two (and splashing out of the tank). And now, you will have a good top flow recirculating system. (The return flow and drain placement would be the only other thing to address to enable a more complete drain and flush of the system (about an inch remains at the bottom of the tanks).

I purchased this product because I am new at hydroponic growing, and was looking for a compact, and simple turnkey unit to learn on. It arrived sooner than expected, which is very good. All parts included. Everything was very well packaged, and in great working order. All the parts are pre-cut, pre-drilled, pre-bundled, very well-labeled, and the instructions were detailed, and easy to follow.I partially filled it to check for leaks, and found it water-tight, which, I think, is one of the most important things. Pump system has a flow adjuster, which is a very nice feature, considering delicate roots, and all. Best to set the buckets up a bit off the floor for easy draining. The water pump is useful to assist in the task, and made to help. Once I got it properly filled, all the necessary nutrients were provided in proper amounts, ready to go, along with a very basic pH test and adjustment kit. I bought a digital pH meter, and larger containers of pH Up/Down for convenience.I found the clay pellets incluted with the kit have a rather high pH, and may cause surprize pH balance issues for beginners. I find they work best if, after you rinse them til they're clean, you soak them in some pH-adjusted water for several days in a covered dark bucket, adding pH Down until the water maintains your desired pH overnight. Then they are ready to use. They'll stay at that new pH forever, as far as I know, and won't cause spikes any more.The air pump has an air-flow adjuster, and made for four outlets. All the hoses are included, pre-cut and bundled. The airstones are well-made, and have suction feet to keep them in place. The system has been running pH stable for a day now, and it is time to transplant some rooted Pecan Tree cuttings I hope will be ready to put outside in the springtime!

With a little attention to detail, and QC, this system could be great. It could have been laid out a little better if the pipes were the correct length. They varied by as much as an inch, so the layout was a little skewed. It would also make it easier when assembling to have the parts the right length trying to assemble something with parts that are too long, or short, can be frustrating. It leaks at the grommets. I would not purchase this system again!

I've been very impressed with this system. It's easy to use, it's pretty much idiot proof, and I can tell you that anyone that complains about water leaking hasn't put this thing together properly. Mine hasn't leaked one drop. I used pure food grade petroleum jelly on each connection point as they suggest and no troubles. And WOW, do those babies grow once they start. I've never seen ANYTHING grow in soil like these plants have. All green, all the time!Another point for those saying "You can just make it yourself and save a ton on money... BS! I'm sorry, but unless you're in the hydroponic business, a newby would have no idea how to make something like this. Buying the kit saved me at LEAST 2 full weekends of work, and about a dozen trips to Home Depot. Just buy the kit, sit back, and enjoy watching your plants grow bigger than they've EVER grown before!

I set this up per the provided instructions. I have not had any leakage problems. Make sure you fill it with the entire 20 gallons for the system to flow correctly. I would buy another of these if I needed one.

After considering the situation ive decided to change my review and bring it up to 4 stars. After I bought rubber leak saver (simple plumbers rubber strip that holds onto itself to create a seal) the system is working really really nicely. Getting really good results and I'm a huge fan of the instake and outtake valves :) That being said screw connection with an o-ring sounds headache proof

So ridiculous of a set up. Leaked even though we did it right, the suggest veg oil to lube fittings. Just gets oil in tanks. Make your own for half the price. Waste of money

Got 3 of these units and everyone off them had leaks on almost all the attachments. Not worth it. Got a similar 1 from elsewhere amd no leaks and saved close to 200 bucks. Way better price and no leaks

Worst system ever. On my 4 different adhesive to try and stop the leaks.

Easy to install and w/o the top of the main 5gal the pump is less noisy