Richard bray

Dutch Buckets
This system is a type of media-filled grow beds. Buckets are filled with media, and become small grow beds. Plants are placed in the top, and the buckets are lined up next to each other. Drip irrigation hose is laid across the buckets, and small emitters are aimed at the root ball of each plant
As water from the fish tank is circulated through the drip hose, it drips down through the root ball and into the grow media. As it flows down through the media, it settles in the bottom of the bucket. Hoses that connect each bucket together on the bottom drain the water back into the fish tank.
This system is perfect for large plants that are impossible to grow in other systems. However, these plants will also need supplemental fertilizers to keep up with demand.
Dutch bucket systems are best for growers who want to grow a specialty crop while conserving water. However, it will take more inputs into the system, and it may be harder to clean and maintain.
Barrelponics
This system is a type of media-filled beds. The only real difference is that every part of the system is made from barrels.
55-gallon plastic drums are used for the fish tanks, and then cut in half lengthwise to create the grow beds. One barrel is used as a solids filter, and another as a biological filter. The key to this system is to make sure your barrels were never used to contain hazardous materials.
The major benefit to this system is that it is easy to build frames and stack grow beds. The materials are cheaper, and they are easier to move than large IBC totes or stock tanks.
The major drawback is that the grow beds are too shallow for some fruiting vegetables, and you may need multiple fish tanks to hold the correct amount of fish. Barrelponics is a great option for growers on a budget who want to build an indoor system.
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Deep-Water Culture
These systems are a little more complicated to build, because they need an additional biological filter due to the lack of grow media. However, they are easier to maneuver and work with on a larger scale, which is why this is the base system for most commercial operations.
Basic DWC systems use floats, rafts, or frames to suspend plants above the water in the grow beds or channels. Most DWC systems use a continual flow circulation method, where water is constantly pumped from the fish tank through the grow beds. Other types of channel systems, like the nutrient-film technique, suspend plants above the water in PVC pipe.
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Plants may either be planted in rockwool or sponges directly into the system, or in a netted pot with grow media. However, the amount of grow media is small, meaning the system needs a biological filter for bacteria to filter the water and transform fish waste into nutrients.
DWC systems are best for medium to large operations, and are best suited for profitable or educational use.