Ratio of tank to nft

[Cash-matters]

Hi, I'm just planning my next system. Couple of questions about nft pls.
1 I'm planing to fill guttering tubes with clay balls and position these vertically above the tank. I hoped to cut small regular holes to expose the balls into which I would grow my plants. Can anyone suggest the volume of these per tank ? Same as a grow bed do you think ?

2 would I need to trickle the water through continually or every so often ?

Any suggestions about the validity of this idea would be warmly welcomed

Thanks

[davidstcldfl]

Hi Cash-matters, check out this video....these DIY towers are not too much $ to make.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcdtIx1P ... r_embedded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcdtIx1PkS8&feature=player_embedded)

When you use the clay balls or expanded shale....you'll need to keep the roots damp....most folks use the 'drip' method.
In vert NFT, they use pre-filtered water to keep the roots clean.... your towers will need pre-filtered water, in order to keep you valves from pluging all the time.
If you mix a small % of coir into the clay balls/shale...you could run a pump on a timer. The coir will hold moisture longer, so your pump wouldn't need to run as often.



Can anyone suggest the volume of these per tank ? Same as a grow bed do you think ?


Media beds do 2 things (besides holding the plants)....catches the solids, and gives the bacteria a place to live. You'll be pre-filtering 'some how'....but, yes I agree, you'll need about the same ratio, as though you were using regualr media beds.
The more towers with media, would mean, more area for bacteria to grow....and the more towers, would also mean, more plants to use up the nutes.

[Cash-matters]

Thanks David. Top stuff. Will let you know how I get on