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    HYDRO Building Some New Hydroponic Tanks

    Have an order to build a two tank hydroponic system, in total there will be three tanks, a 7.5 gallon reservoir​ and two 5 gallon tanks that will hold two 6" mesh pots each.

    Now the most common method for building such a hydroponic system is to use 5 gallon buckets, however they don't lend themselves well when it comes to attaching plumbing, being round they are hard to cut a useful thread into them and a failure of such, lacking a retention system can become a real problem.

    Because of that I prefer to use RV water storage tanks, they are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased with molded in or properly attached standard National Pipe Thread (NPT) fittings, another advantage is unlike buckets they having flat sides which are easy to insulate with expandable foam ,which is very important in hydroponics to maintain proper nutrient temperature.

    That stated on to the build, the first step is to wipe the tank down with mineral spirits to remove any left over mold release compound, once that is done and flashed off I build a dam to retain the expanding foam using aluminum duct tape.

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    Once completed I mix the proper amount of two part 2 pound closed cell expanding foam, I use closed cell foam as it is resistant to absorbing most anything and is strong enough to support the tank when filled with liquid nutrients, another reason I use it is the R factor/value which is a measure of the foams ability to resist heat flow​, with the closed cell foam I use it is around R8+ per inch, I normally get around 1.5 inches which is equivalent to R12 insulation.

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    The foam I use is mixed 1 to 1 ratio and I poured 12 Oz total.

    Once poured the tank is tilted side to side and front to rear to spread the mixture as evenly as possible, in about five minutes at 80F or more it begins to expand in about 5 minutes.

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    Continued next page.
    Attached Files
    Last edited by SWFL; 06-01-2025, 03:35 PM.

    #2
    Moving onward.

    First image pour spread out, second image second tank rising while the first one is ready to be re-taped and another side poured.

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    Attached Files
    Last edited by SWFL; 06-01-2025, 03:32 PM.

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      #3
      Please note I do not have any relationship with US Composites I just have found them to have the lowest prices for the materials I needed for this project.

      That stated if anyone has any questions or comments just reply to this thread.

      Comment


        #4
        I’m a DWC kinda guy. Not sure what the overall plans are here.

        Are you using the reservoir to top-up the 5gal tanks? Or are you circulating water from the reservoir through the 5gal tanks and back to the reservoir?

        while water temp is important in hydro, the most critical thing is to keep it below 27C. Are you planning to use an active water chiller for the system?

        Why not simply use a large beer cooler that is already insulated and comes with a nice sealing top and drain hole?
        There are 3 things you must check everyday when growing in hydro:
        1) Water level (How much h2o is she drinking in 24hrs)
        2) pH level (change over 24hrs)
        3) ppm/EC level (How much food is she eating in 24hrs)

        Comment

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