Why build the Percolator?

I had a subscriber on You Tube ask me a pretty straight forward question. He basically asked, why build build the Percolator when a bubbleponics system would be so much easier? Couldn't you just put a hole in the lid without the PVC pipe and add an air stone? This in part was my response.

  If you wanted to build a bubbleponics type system you would not need the PVC tube at all. Yes you could just drill a tiny hole in the lid and feed the tube through it, no silicone necessary. I did not want to build a simple bubbleponics system.
This is a variation of a top drip system. It was made to eliminate a few issues I was having building an inexpensive home made system.


1. supply nutrients to the plant without having to buy a $30 or more water pump.
2. not having to buy any special fittings, T's, elbows, and etc.
3. no need for dark colored tubing, use aquarium tubing you can buy anywhere.

This entire system can be built for less than $10 including the aquarium air pump.

1. What the PVC pipe along with the air tubing is making is an "Air Lift Pump". This eliminates the need to buy a water pump. As the bubbles rise up through the PVC tube it pushes some of the nutrient solution up with it.

2. By running the air tube directly down the pipe I eliminated the need for special connectors.

3. I kept the clear aquarium tube completely inside the system because algae will grow in the clear tube and cause it to clog in a matter of days.

If you look at my video "How to make a top drip hydroponic bucket system" you will see basically the big brother to this system. It contains all the elements of this unit but it uses special fittings and dark tubing and costs 3 times as much to build. On the positive side I am growing a full size tomato plant in my bucket system as opposed to only being able to grow small plants such as oregano in this one.

So why a top drip instead of a bubbleponics system? My personal reason is I wanted to build something a little more complicated than a bubbleponics system without spending much more cash. The practical reason is, it's easier to get a seed to germinate or start a tiny plant without a fully developed root system going in a top drip system. You can stick a clone or few day old plant right into this system and it will keep the plant fed till it develops the root system that would be necessary to survive in a bubbleponics one.

Once the plant establishes a healthy root system you could actually change the Percolator to a Bubbleponics system simply by extending the air line tube further out the bottom of the PVC tube and add an air stone or just remove the PVC pipe all together. What's really nice is you can pull the net pot out and transfer plant and all to another hydroponics system.

One of the main advantages of building your own home made hydroponic system is you decide what size net pot you use. If you build several hydroponic systems you can make sure they all use the same size net pot.

I prefer to use the 3" net pots because they are the exact same size as yogurt cups, they are totally interchangeable. I initially chose the 3" size at random, but stuck with it once I discovered they were the same size as yogurt cups.