Hydroponics grows roots in a nutrient solution rather than a substrate. Nutrition is then immediately available, which speeds growth, but there is also no buffer left between a dosing mistake and the plant. What sits on this page is the simplest form of it, and the cleverest.
There is no water pump in it
The WaterFarm V3 runs on air. An air pump drives the solution up a pump column to a drip ring above the roots, from where it all drains back into the tank below. That is the whole moving part: no water pump to seize, no lines to kink, and the same pump that moves the water aerates it on the way. Fewer parts here means literally less that can fail.
Fifteen litres or thirty-five
The AquaFarm V3 works exactly as the WaterFarm does but holds 35 litres instead of 15. That difference is not about how large your plant may get but about how long you can go between refills, and about how fast your solution changes composition. In a small tank a large plant visibly draws the level down and the EC climbs within days; in a large one the same thing happens more slowly and more forgivingly.
From a single pot to an installation
The WaterPack ACS V3 is the step after that: four WaterFarm units on one central tank with active circulation. You then fill and correct in one place rather than at each unit, and all four plants get the same solution. That is the same reasoning as behind a recirculating setup under DWC, but with a drip ring instead of roots suspended in the water.
What goes with it
Net pots and clay pebbles to hold the plant upright, and a meter to check more often than you would in soil. The separate net pots are under System Parts, the clay pebbles under Clay Pebbles and the meters under Measuring & Control.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I change the tank?
More often than you expect, because the plant takes up elements at different rates and what stays behind shifts. On a small tank that shows sooner than on a large one, so let your tank size set your change interval rather than the other way round.
Can I run several WaterFarms side by side?
You can, but then you maintain them separately. The WaterPack links four to one tank, and that is exactly the difference between four pots and an installation.
Does this work without power?
No. There is no water pump in it, but the air pump is essential, because that is what moves the solution. For a system that runs with no power at all, see Watering Systems.
