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I'm looking in to starting a NFT setup for outdoors.

I am researching about pumps to use, and I'm having a bit of trouble. I am ideally wanting to run it via solar 24/7 but obviously I am aware of overcast days ECT.

Has anyone created their own solar setup with batteries or similar to be able to run it all times? I'm based in Chch.

I am aware you can buy solar pond pumps with a backup battery of 10 hours but personally prefer to create my own system that I know will be reliable.

What are you planning on growing? I grow tomatoes in a 4" NFT system...the pipes in a NFT are sloping and nutrients are cycled on and off...not to be confused with a DFT (deep flow technique) that has level pipes, net cups, media and nutrients run continuously...

tomatoes nft system

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    • Dayna Rose

      I will be starting out with leafy greens and herbs until I grow a better understanding of the processes. I'm a little confused because from all my research it says NFT has constant film of water running not on and off?

    • Heather Cooke

      Are you planning on putting your leafy greens in net cup and media?

    • Dayna Rose

      Yes

    • Heather Cooke

      if you are doing NFT there will be only a film of nutrients running along the bottom of the pipe...how are the roots of your leafy greens going to reach the nutrient when you start your system...

    • Dayna Rose

      Having an adjustable flow rate via the pump Wich can be calibrated during growth to make sure the roots are touching if short. All the videos I have watched are from seedlings to mature plants using the same equipment through the entire process

I have 2 x 70 watt panels (quit older type) with a decent size battery I am running 2 x 15 watt pumps plus one 50 watt pump( pump doin 800 t/h) 15 mins on on every hour and it working fine for me I just turned the one panel so that get the sun as it comes up in the morning

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