Running NFT system and problem with roots

noxiously

noxiously

Well-Known Member
I have an NFT system running and I am having a problem with root build up. They are so tangled up inside the tube that it's practically clogging up. The outlet is fine, water drains out of it at a good rate, but it gets a water build up behind the roots and makes the water back up and is causing a leak out of the back/higher end as well as coming up and out of the net basket. Any ideas on how to get this to stop or how to get the roots from backing the water up. Reservoir had 12 gallons in it and all but maybe 1 gallon ended up on the floor. Got everything cleaned up, put a tote underneath the system to catch any water that might back up again. Refilled reservoir with water and all fresh nutes. It ran fine for several hours earlier, then all of a sudden I come home to water all over the floor again, and only a little bit inside the tote. Getting frustrated because nutrients aren't cheap and I can't keep refilling on a daily basis.

I thought about maybe getting a smaller pump. Currently using a 560 gph on it's lowest setting. But, if the water isn't draining through the roots fast enough it probably wouldn't matter the speed because eventually it would back up again wouldn't it?
 
D

disposition84

Well-Known Member
Not sure how your system is designed but could you put some kind of filter on the return to catch the roots
before the return as to prevent a clog?

If it's a hosing/piping that works as your return you could try to make it bigger or add an additional return?
 
noxiously

noxiously

Well-Known Member
The return I am using is a 4 inch square piece of tube that's about 4 feet long. The roots run about 4 feet long and are built up all inside the pipe. Bad thing is I still have about 6 to 8 weeks until finish.
 
dbkick

dbkick

Well-Known Member
noxiously said:
I have an NFT system running and I am having a problem with root build up. They are so tangled up inside the tube that it's practically clogging up. The outlet is fine, water drains out of it at a good rate, but it gets a water build up behind the roots and makes the water back up and is causing a leak out of the back/higher end as well as coming up and out of the net basket. Any ideas on how to get this to stop or how to get the roots from backing the water up. Reservoir had 12 gallons in it and all but maybe 1 gallon ended up on the floor. Got everything cleaned up, put a tote underneath the system to catch any water that might back up again. Refilled reservoir with water and all fresh nutes. It ran fine for several hours earlier, then all of a sudden I come home to water all over the floor again, and only a little bit inside the tote. Getting frustrated because nutrients aren't cheap and I can't keep refilling on a daily basis.

I thought about maybe getting a smaller pump. Currently using a 560 gph on it's lowest setting. But, if the water isn't draining through the roots fast enough it probably wouldn't matter the speed because eventually it would back up again wouldn't it?
Click to expand...
cycle timer, pumps on 1 minute off 4 or better, whatever it takes to clear the water thats backed up.

Titan controls I might add, don't buy a CAP cycle timer.
 
noxiously

noxiously

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info Fry, I was thinking about that as well. And thanks for the info dbkick, I keep forgetting about cycle timers, they are just so expensive. Maybe next go around.
 
hammer21

hammer21

Well-Known Member
get some 3/8" acrylic rod and place 3 rods the length of you tube this will give the water a place to run down to the drain (it will create gaps for water to run and will follow the rod to the drain)
 
noxiously

noxiously

Well-Known Member
Good idea hammer. I think that will end up being the route I'll go, or I could just rebuild the whole system and get bigger tubes. But it would probably be cheaper doing it your way.
 
BobCajun

BobCajun

Well-Known Member
I would use a deep water NFT system so most of the roots are covered. You just cap the ends and drill holes in the middle of the front end cap so that the bottom edge of the hole is an inch or so up. The net pots may also be too big to let the water pass easily. The pumps are probably way too powerful too. All you need is a slow trickle of water, not a torrent. I would buy very small pumps and then set them at a low flow rate. Not much point buying big pumps and then trying to block most of their output with a valve. The only root problem I ever had was that sometimes they would grow out the holes and down into the tanks. I just trimmed them off. I put little screens inside the holes too, which helped.
 
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