Equipment ledger
6 reviewed instruments. Lights, pumps, meters, media. Affiliate links labelled.
Buying guides
How to Choose a Hydroponic Grow Light
PPFD, DLI, watts per square meter, and hang distance — the four numbers that decide whether your grow light is right. No brand names, just physics.
How to Choose a Grow Rack or Shelving Unit for Hydroponics
Wire shelving, NSF stainless, or a custom build? The right rack carries lights, trays, and reservoirs without sagging — and stays out of the way of plant access.
How to Choose a Grow Tent — Size, Materials, Ventilation, and the Cheap Tent Trap
600D vs 1680D, mylar lining, ventilation cutouts, frame strength. What costs more, why, and when to stop spending. A practical buying guide for hydroponic and indoor growers.
How to Choose a pH Meter for Hydroponics
Pen vs handheld vs continuous, ±0.01 vs ±0.1 accuracy, sealed vs refillable probes — what to buy and what dies in six months.
How to Choose a Hydroponic Reservoir — Size, Material, Light Blocking, and Lid Fit
Tote, bucket, flat tray, or epoxy-coated tank? Pick wrong and you fight pH drift, algae, and root rot for the life of the system. A practical guide to the most under-discussed piece of hydroponic equipment.
How to Choose a Hydroponic Water Pump
GPH, head height, submersible vs inline, air pump vs water pump — the math that decides which pump survives your build and which floods the room.
How to Choose an Air Pump for Hydroponics
Size it by reservoir gallons, not by guesswork. Check-valve or you'll flood the room. Quiet matters more than you think. Everything else is marketing.
How to Choose Growing Media for Hydroponics
Coco, rockwool, perlite, clay pebbles, peat — pH buffering, water retention, reuse cost, and which media match which system. With comparison table.
How to Choose Net Cups and Net Pots — The Detail That Decides Half Your Failures
Diameter, slot pattern, lip width, plastic grade. The cheap pack from Amazon collapses under a tomato; the right one lasts decades. A practical guide to the most-overlooked hydroponic component.
How to Choose Hydroponic Tubing, Hoses, and Fittings
PVC, polyethylene, vinyl, silicone — each tubing type fails in a different way. A practical guide to sizing, material, and the fittings that don't leak.
Reviewed products
— no entries in this category —
Frequently asked
- What equipment do I need to start hydroponics?
- A container or system, a pH meter, an EC meter, nutrients, pH up/down and, indoors, a grow light. DWC also needs an air pump and air stone.
- Do I need both a pH meter and an EC meter?
- Yes. pH controls which nutrients are available to the roots and EC measures how much is dissolved; neither tells you the other.
- Are these equipment pages sponsored?
- No. A product link is labelled whenever it could earn us a commission.