How to recirculate a 4 bucket waterfarm system with a res and controller?

http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gravity6oh.png

Do you guys think something like this will work? I have a pump with a reservoir built in, as well as a float switch. What i'd like to do is have a main holding tank above my plants on a shelf, with the individual drippers coming off of the bottom, to each plant, feeding by gravity through 1/4 vinyl tubing to the plants.

After it hits the plants it will flow down through drains in each grow pot, down to a pump I have below the plants, collecting in the pumps reservoir until it kicks on the pump, and is pushed back up to the holding tank at the top again.
The pump holds about a gallon, so i'd expect it to kick on every half hour or so give or take ten minutes. The pump is a condensate pump I use for air conditioning installs to collect condensation, so its rated to run alot, and it made of PVC.

I'm planning a trip to a hydro shop in about 2-3 weeks, and I could pick up a normal pump and drippers and do it the typical way, but since I have this stuff already, i'm dying to give it a go :) What do ya think?

The only problem I would see is getting oxygen to the roots. I would add a bubbler/air pump to the top reservoir, but wouldnt all the air just stay up top since that where air goes?

So,Pigsnout, It sounds like you are running them basicly like an flood and drain set up, but you are constantly flooding right?The fill pump is always on?

Here is a little better diagram than before

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hondo

So,Pigsnout, It sounds like you are running them basicly like an flood and drain set up, but you are constantly flooding right?The fill pump is always on?

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Until the pumps go off with the lights.

Here's a pic of one of them. Not too clear. I left the cheapo camera on again and wasted the batteries. The 3 larger leaves on the bottom are/were yellowing.
My Ph was fluctuating too much. I probably didn't clean the hydroton thoroughly. It is alot more stable now. Between 5.8 and 6.0 the last 12 hours. Checked it about 5 times.

The mylar is dingy. The water is splashing too much off of the hydroton. I either have filled the bucket with too much hydroton or the air pump is pumping too fast. I'll turn the pumps down a bit and if that doesn't work, a cover will be placed over the ring section that is close to the mylar.

update
1. ending 3rd week of flower it's either NL or White Widow. You can see the hermie plant leaves on the left of the photo thats either WW or NL also (mixed them up at birth)

2. waterfarms in veg ending 3rd week
3. waterfarms in veg ending 3rd week, tops of back two plants with mylar covered

using 125w fluro 8000 lumens output 50% true BLUE SPECTRUM 6500k and 50% true RED SPECTRUM 2700k- (whatever that means)

Everyone says there will be a huge difference when I use my mh and hps lights. Cant wait till the temps drop and I can use my 400. (Maybe by then I'll spring for a decent camera)

It's a narrow room sorry about the quality of the pics

The pic seen in the June 10 th post is the same plant as the female in flower