VIVOSUN Wall-Mounted Hydroponic Grow Kit

Excellent with no leak. Have been using it to grow spinach indoors for more than a month. I took multiple harvests from this. Easy to set up. Have to raise it a bit and used a longer tube for the reservoir as I used 5 gallon bucket as the reservoir.

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.

I wish I’d bought this sooner. I’ve been able to transplant many things from this system to outdoors- lettuce, cilantro, basil, Marshmallow, comfrey, prunella and violets. No luck with the spinach, it bolted. Probably my lights and room temperature, will figure it out! The square holes allow me to take the plants gently out of the. Basket when the root ball is manageable and I take care not to rip the roots apart. Then I put them back in after turning the sponge 45 degrees-the sponges stay locked in and the plant crowns above water. Try it yourself and see. I got led shop lites and cheap timers at a discount hardware store, and an open dishpan at the mall-wart. A trip to the local hydroponic shop for cheap fertilizer and I was off. Total cost $200 for a four tier set up (I bought four units and figured it out. Every step has been a joy with this thing.

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.

I’ve had it for two months so far and all it does is leak and waist electric, the pvc is too small to do anything decent, and fills up with roots too quickly leading it to overflow from lack of space, so for the past two months I’ve woken up to puddles of water in my tent and I’ve done everything right I’ve leveled it and it leaks I used pvc glue and it leaks (but not from the connections it leaks from the plant slots) I change the stand it leaks I’ve inspected the pipes themselves and nothings wrong with them it just overflows too quickly, the pump is small and cheap meaning you can’t really adjust water flow and I haven’t found a pump that actually fits the system they are usually too big, honestly I don’t recommend getting hydroponics equipment off Amazon it’s very cheaply made and is a waste of time and money, I’ve had it for two months and it costs 400+ a month just to keep it running, it’s not cost effective by any means, I hope this was helpful

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.

Big system for small vegetation like lettuce and herbs

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.

Up and running for a few weeks and it’s doing great. No leaks with the joints just pushed together which will aid I six month cleaning. Very small water pump which works surprisingly well. I’m using this on the wall in my grow room to make use of the extra light. Channels are very small and best for small plants.

This turned out to be a great impulse purchase. Simple to install and use. The parts are labeled for a reason, I found out that reason after eyeballing it the first time I assembled it lol

Way better than the other kits. The shelf it sits on is wobbly and it has to be perfectly level so I configured mine on a heavy duty metal shelf, all three levels on one level, with a slight downward angle to help water flow through. Also cut up the original stand 1/2 pvc pipe into 5 inch lengths to increase space in between grow sites for more space. I also don’t use end grow sites as they are too close to the 1/2 pvc end pipes and the roots could easily clog the system and cause flooding. Great for growing lettuce, green onions, dwarf kale, and STRAWBERRIES

Pump works well. Easy to install, no leaks. Hydrogen peroxide is recommended if you wanna kill the bacteria