I know this has been covered but I would like to add my knowlage anyway, I hope no one minds as it may hels some one. You can buy almost everything you need from Home Depot, Wal-Mart, K-Mart & Aquarium centers. To build your own "DWC system you will need a 5 galon bucket with lid or a "rubermaid" type tub. Stirlite is the best brand to use. $5 to $12 us & they come in many sizes from 1 to 55 galons. The larger the better. You will need a aquarium pump 2 X the size of the tub aka "res" ie 10 galon tub use a air pump good for 20 galons. A power head can also be used to help control noise. You will also need some aquarium Airline tubing, Air "T"(s) & Air stones. For better aeration in the "res" adding aqurium Airstone(s) work perfect. Depending on resavor size you may need more then 1 Air stone per bucket. For a 5 galon bucket 1 is fine, for a 10 galon tub & up 2 or more will be needed. I recomed glass Air stones since they last almost forever. Air stones will create bubbles in the res wich add o2 to the nutrient mix, plus they help keeping the nutrient mixed up wich help's prevent setament on the bottom of the "res". Air stones can also be used to creat an "Aero-ponic" effect by allowing the bubbles to mist the root mass in stead of compleatly submerging the root's. In the center of the bucket's lid cut a hole large enough for the Net Pot to fit down in to the system... for larger systems with more plant's you can cut more holes evenly around the lid to add net pot's. Keep the hole small enough so that the lip of the net pot rests on top of the bucket's lid. You can find Net Pot's in any hydroponic store or on-line; you can make your own using plastic cup's like sour cream or yogert cup's. If you make your own use a sharp utility knife for cutting the hole(s) & place them long way's down & all around the cup to allow the root mass to grow out threw it and into the water. To suport a plant while growing you can use Grow rock's, Lava rock's, Coco Coir, Marbels or Aquarium gravel. Place the plant into the net pot and pull any root mass you can threw the bottom so the root's are in the water. Back fill with your Medium till it fills the Net Pot compleatly. You can also use a Mediumless system. Pool noodles and styrofom cups work great. This allow's the plant to be suspended in the air, the rootmass & plant receives no medium other then the water it self. To allow the air line to enter into the system wich add's the o2 to the res you will need to poke a hole in the side of bucket just below the bottom of the lid about 3 to 6 " from the lid or in the lid it self thoe, I don't recomend adding the air line to the lid becouse of poor acsessablity. Once you make the hole place the air tubing threw the hole, attatch 1 end to the pump and the other end to the air "T" or Air stone inside the res. If using an Air "T" you will need to cutt peices of air tubing to fit each of the 2 end's of the "T" and then add the Air stones to that. 1" Air stones work best but larger ones or curtins work well to. To get an idea of how this work's look at any fish aquarium, ..same princable. When you fill your bucket with water keep the water leavel 1" above the net pot till the root's grow threw out the bottom into the nutrient water, then lower the res leavel down to 1" to 3 " below the net pot. This will make the root's search out for water creating a larger root mass. Dont NOT use just any nutrient to feed your plant's.. it MUST be a Hydroponic grade & should be a compleat nutrient as well. Your PH buffers should also be hydroponic grade. Using a PPM/EC meter to check the strenght of your nutrient is worth every penny spent as well as using a PH meter. Both can be bought at any hydroponic shop or on-line. E-bay has them fairly cheep from $15 us to $500..You can also order your nutrient & ph buffers on-line fairly cheep from $11 us & up. You can also use a aquarium PH test kit .(I do with no poblems) Hears a Link for a cheep Hydroponic Nutrient (Powder): Hydroponic Speical 5-11-26 www.alabamahydroponics.com Hears a link to a higher quality Hydroponic nutrient BC Technaflora www.technaflora.com I use both and recomend them. I use Pro Down PH buffer with my nutrient. As the "res" water evaperates over time you need to Top Off or replenish the evaporated water. Keep some fresh PH'ed & Nutrient free water in 1 galon milk jug's (allow them to sit over nite befor using to help remove clorien) befor adding to your "res". Topping off is done to keep the "res" water leavel continusly at the same leavel. By using Nutrient free water to Top off with this will prevent nutrient problems such as lock out. You should dump, wash and refill your bucket's every 7 to 10 day's, 14 day's top's. Adding fresh nutrient every 7 to 10 day's will help keep the nutrient at the correct strenght or if you use a PPM/EC meter add your nutrient often to keep the nutrient strength at the correct leavels. Nutrient's come with an instruction on the bottle ie X amount of nutrient usally ml's per each liter or galon..so yes, you can grow with out a PPM/EC meter but for a new grower this is not wise.
