A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

Zip Grow Vertical Towers

Hi Vertical Aquapons! Just noticed that there wasn't a discussion in here yet for the ZipGrow vertical towers that Nate Storey has developed, I sell on my website, and a few of us in this community are using regularly. Also, Murray just ran a nice blog post about these today http://aquaponics.net.au/blog/mod-3-vertical-space-in-chop-mark2-sy...

Love these! I've got a 5 footer growing strawberries, and I direct seeded 2 3 footers with a salad mix and a braising mix. TC uses these as well. Let me know if you have any questions.

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Michael S Uhl on November 17, 2010 at 9:49am

I actually plan on using these in a research project I'm setting up in Baltimore. I hope to have great results too!

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on November 17, 2010 at 11:45am

Sylvia, Nate and who ever else has these, please show off some pictures in the tops of the towers showing how the flow enters your towers and how you keep it all nice.

I must admit, I have not done a very good job of regulating the proper flow into my towers and some of them get a bit clogged up at the top and water starts running down the outside of the towers while others start splashing and others well the actual spray cap gets clogged. There must be a better way and I need to see more examples I think.

Permalink Reply by Nate Storey on November 17, 2010 at 12:29pm

Kobus, I'll check on the rates to South Africa today and see what I can find. . .

Nate

Kobus Jooste said:

Someone care to send me some?

Permalink Reply by Nate Storey on November 17, 2010 at 12:33pm

Hey TC, here's a couple pictures of what I"m doing. I run them on a slightly oversized pump so I can close a valve and blow them all out from time to time. As far as materials clogging my nozzles, I don't really have problems- my skimmer on my pump catches everything. I'm not sure what a solution is, except to use a skimmer of some kind or some kind of pre-filter. I'll post pictures of one that I had on my first AP system. It worked well.

Nate

TCLynx said:

Sylvia, Nate and who ever else has these, please show off some pictures in the tops of the towers showing how the flow enters your towers and how you keep it all nice.

I must admit, I have not done a very good job of regulating the proper flow into my towers and some of them get a bit clogged up at the top and water starts running down the outside of the towers while others start splashing and others well the actual spray cap gets clogged. There must be a better way and I need to see more examples I think.

Attachments:

P2160339.JPG, 1.1 MB
PC190262.JPG, 1.3 MB

Permalink Reply by Nate Storey on November 17, 2010 at 12:35pm

Maybe you could make a "cage" for your submersible pump out of the media I sent you? That would catch any particulates that might clog your pump. Fast, put it together and patent it!

Nate Storey said:

Kobus, I'll check on the rates to South Africa today and see what I can find. . .

Nate

Kobus Jooste said:
Someone care to send me some?

:D :D

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on November 17, 2010 at 4:07pm

I've tried something like this, Using the small pumps though, I found myself having to pull the filter out and clean it at least once a week when the flow slowed down too much. I'm curious how the other home users have dealt with them. On my 300 gallon system where the pump feeding them is right in the fish tank, I get more trouble with the flow out the caps getting clogged. On the big system the towers are all getting water from the clean water sump so the caps almost never clog but I still have some trouble with the water flowing down the outside of the towers or splashing.

I've used some cut up water bottles as splash guards on the front porch. I'll see if I can get some pictures of that up.

Nate Storey said:

Maybe you could make a "cage" for your submersible pump out of the media I sent you? That would catch any particulates that might clog your pump. Fast, put it together and patent it!