I’m starting hydroponics this year. I’ve hand made much of the containers and reservoirs over the winter. It is alot cheaper to make the containers and reservoirs yourself. The pumps, aerators and hoses and misters you have to buy yourself.
The hydroponic containers I’ve made revolve around 5in x 5in blank plastic fence post with end caps. Drill a 4in hole every 12in, or smaller for if you’re doing herbs and baby stuff. Run a 1/4in pvc hose inside with 1/16dia hole matching the 5in hole you’ve made and plug the end. Setup at a slight incline with the lower end poking into your reservoirs and everything runs back into the reservoir.
The larger stuff goes in 5g Lowes buckets that I have setup like a dutch pot system. PVC drain pipe 2in from the bottom from bucket to bucket to reservoir and 360degree sprinkler misters on the top.
Next order of business that I’ll do over the summer is use my Arduino and modules (very small computer) and build a setup to monitor temperature, ppm, and control watering cycles. Automating the PH and the Liquid nutrients to the water is very doable, but not this year, it’s pretty expensive for the PH probes and they don’t last long.
Going to grow Cilantro and Flat Leaf Parsley to make Chimichuro over the summer, For the winter it’s baby Bok Choi and baby spinach, then the summer standards ... Heirloom tomatoes, Zuchinni and a never ending box of loose leaf lettuce.
Sounds great, but totally beyond me. Good luck with your system.