Systems
Pick by crop, by space or by budget. Each page has real designs computed for that situation and a calculator for yours.
Which hydroponic system grows lettuce best, how many heads you get, and what it costs to build and run — from a 12-plant starter to a 224-head basement system.
See the designs →By cropWhich hydroponic system to use for basil and herbs, how much you harvest a month, and why basil is the crop most likely to pay for its system.
See the designs →What hydroponic system fits an apartment, how much it grows on a shelf or counter, what it adds to your power bill, and the landlord-proof details.
See the designs →By spaceWhat to build in a garage bay: greens, tomatoes or an aquaponic system with fish. Computed costs, harvests and power, plus the cold-and-heat problems garages have.
See the designs →By spaceBasements are steady, cool and dark — good for hydroponics if you handle light, humidity and power. Computed designs for lettuce and tomatoes, with running costs.
See the designs →By spaceIn a small footprint, go up. Computed comparison of flat DWC, vertical towers, stacked tiers and microgreens racks in the same 3×4 ft space.
See the designs →The hydroponic system most beginners should build first, why it forgives mistakes, what a complete first build costs, and the five things that actually go wrong.
See the designs →By budgetWhat $100 really buys in hydroponics, why a complete pumped, lit system costs more, and the passive Kratky method that works on a sunny windowsill.
See the designs →By budgetHow close a complete hydroponic system gets to $500, why the fixed parts dominate small builds, and why a few hundred dollars more buys ten times the plants.
See the designs →AquaponicsThe aquaponic system beginners should start with, how many fish for how many plants, the 4–6 week cycling period, and computed costs for three builds.
See the designs →What each one is and what it's best for. The designer chooses between them from your crop, space and experience.
| System | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| DWC (Deep Water) | Roots hang in oxygenated nutrient water. Simple, forgiving, great for lettuce. | Beginners, lettuce, herbs |
| NFT (Nutrient Film) | Thin film of nutrient water flows along a sloped channel under bare roots. Best for leafy greens & herbs. | Greens at scale, low water |
| Vertical Tower | Plants stacked vertically in towers fed from the top by gravity. Maximum plants per floor square foot — great for tight rooms. | Small floors, tall ceilings |
| Ebb & Flow | Grow bed periodically floods with nutrient solution and drains. Versatile for many crops. | Mixed crops |
| Drip | Nutrient solution dripped onto media at the base of each plant. Scales well, good for fruiting crops. | Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers |
| Media Bed | Plants root in inert media (clay pebbles, perlite). Flexible, beginner-friendly. | Mixed crops, forgiving |
| Aeroponic | Roots suspended in air, misted with nutrient solution. Maximum O₂ uptake, fastest growth, technical. | Fast growth, experienced growers |
| Microgreens Tray | Seed-mat trays on a multi-tier rack. 7–14 day harvest cycle, no nutrients during cycle, just water + light. | Apartments, highest value per sq ft |
| Aquaponic · Media Bed | Fish + plants in a media-bed loop. Biofilter built into the grow bed. Most beginner-friendly aquaponic. | First aquaponic system |
| Aquaponic · Raft / DWC | Fish + floating-raft DWC. Commercial-style, high plant density, separate biofilter. | Larger aquaponic greens |
| Aquaponic · NFT | Fish + NFT channels. Compact footprint, separate biofilter, more pumping. | Compact aquaponics |
| Aquaponic · Vertical Tower | Fish + vertical towers. Compact footprint, very high plant density, separate biofilter. | Aquaponics in tight spaces |
More detail, with a diagram of each, in types of hydroponic systems compared. Weighing up fish? See aquaponics vs hydroponics: which is better?
Anyponics