Best Resources for DIY hydroponics?

[Ganon91]

I'm looking to build some hydroponic systems for future food production.

Have any of my fellow mustachians delved into this hobby? If so, please provide any recommendations for informational resources and/or system setup. As of right now, I plan to build a 5 gallon bucket bubbler system and try my hand at tomatoes.

I have not been able to find any cost comparisons of DIY hydro vs. storebought groceries for any of the goods. I was hoping at the very least to determine if I could have a smaller unit cost per tomato than the store.

Thanks!

[Ynari]

I'm SUPER interested in aquaponics, which is the fish-dependent version of hydroponics. It's sooooo cool. Grow your fish and food together? Hellz yeah.

That said, I don't know any definitive resource for any of it. I get a lot of my aquaponics and hydroponics information on forums and youtube (RobBob's Backyard Farm is amazing, I basically want to have his exact set up.)  Here's a page explaining some basic styles of aquaponics, which applies to hydroponics as well: http://aquaponics.com/page/methods-of-aquaponics

I plan on setting up a basic hydroponics garden before I get in a place where I can start raising fish (I'm starting out with a used AeroGarden for my apartment, and I'll be DIYing the seed pods and using cheaper nutrient solution than their own brand - I expect pay off in about a year, by using it to grow salad greens that I eat a lot of).

Slightly related: cost-benefit analysis done by a commercial company on their own aquaponics set ups. http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/Travis/CostBenefitAnalysisofAquaponicSystems.pdf  Pay off is about 2 years, but if you DIY obviously that would get shorter.  I'm not sure how well the costs would transfer to a hydroponics set up, though. A lot of it depends on scale - the bigger your growing beds, the lower cost per square foot of growing space, and therefore the lower cost of DIY hydroponic veggies.

[Silverwood]

I'm just researching this now. I checked out youtube and the set up I liked was by ben who goes under Artgarden.  He had a kick starter campaign too. That's more aeroponics than hydroponics though.  I can't wait till I'm eating fresh veggies I grew myself, in the middle of winter.

[PhysicsCat]

I grow orchids using expanded clay aggregate. I purchased a 40 pound bag at a local hydro store and built grow lights using vent material, plug in light sockets and 100 watt cfl of the highest temp (actually needs more light). I have it set up so that I water them, the water pools in a tray and then drains into a bucket. They are a pretty low maintenance plant so thats all they really need. Tomatoes would be ... interesting.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

Know that sometimes the government monitors hydroponics store customers and scrutinizes them extra, which puts you one less bureaucratic mistake away from having a big pain in the butt on your hands for no good reason.

It's wrong and it's pointless, but it's real.

DEA raids a hibiscus grower
Field test of trash decides tea is marijuana at house of hydroponics customer

Edited to add links.