Spider Farmer 2023 Hydroponics Growing System

[slw]

I'm expecting the Amazon truck to deliver the Spider Farmer 12-pod growing system sometime this afternoon.  I've watched a lot of reviews on the previous model and it seems that many of the complaints by customers have been addressed with the new one.  The unit has a 36W LED light and a large 6 liter water tank.  It was moderately priced at $89, and now that I've bought it I'm sure Amazon will drop the price by half (story of my life). 

I'm excited to get a new toy to play with since my outside raised beds are just about played out.  We've been having 102°F days for the past week or so in Houston so it's time to move the gardening back inside.  I currently have only one AG in service, growing kale. 

I have read that the Spider Farmer does not use the "AG standard" grow baskets which is annoying, but the sponges should work fine.  I'll have to figure out where to find replacement baskets and covers for unused holes in the deck.  (Golf balls to the rescue.) 

Does anyone have experience with the Spider Farmer hydro systems?  I'd love to hear what you think. 

[maskedsonnet]

I’ve never heard of that system, but it looks nice!! Let us all know how it works!

[slw]

Initial impression is good.  Build quality is not as finished as the Aerogarden, but at this price point that's understandable.  I had to work a bit to get the deck snapped on the tank, but once it was on it was a good fit.  It seems like a sturdy unit, the lights work well and the control buttons are clearly marked and easy to understand.  Light adjustment is from 9" to 20" above the deck.   There are 4 timing modes (4 hrs to 16 hrs) and 6 dimming options, which is something I have never used. 

Cons so far are that Aerogarden baskets don't fit, and I have a TON of Aerogarden baskets.  The sponges work fine, though. I contacted Spider Farmer customer service and they gave me a link to some replacement baskets on Amazon that are supposed to fit.   Also they only included 4 spacers (deck hole covers) so that when growing one or two larger plants ingenuity will be needed to cover the remaining open spots in the deck.  

Which reminds me that there are also a bunch of small "trellis" holes on the deck.  Not a huge deal but probably will let in some light and increase the occurrence of algae.  There are no trellis pieces supplied so I tried putting bamboo skewers in the trellis holes and they seem to work OK for lightweight support. 

I like the pump setup; it has a small "T" water return that pumps water in 2 directions.  There is also a drain plug in the water tank but I never use those.  I hope it won't leak at that plug but that can be easily remedied if it happens. 

I'll be planting something in it tomorrow but haven't decided yet what to start with. 

[maskedsonnet]

Very cool, thank you for the impressions so far!! I look forward to watching you grow something in there!

[slw]

I have four cherry tomato pods in the SF so we'll see how this goes. 

[slw]

I hate to admit it, but I'm just an Aerogarden snob.  I have tried to like the Spider Farmer system but somehow I just don't.   For one thing, it has one of those water level "windows" that is impossible to see into.   I even tried a flashlight and was still not able to see the water level.  So much for that "convenient feature." 

Also, all the small holes in the deck that I special ordered little silicone plugs for are growing algae faster than the tomato plants.  Every opening on the deck is positively green with algae.   Not a single one of my 7 AGs has any sign of algae growth... they are all using the same water source and the same AG nutes. 

The most annoying thing is that the documentation is lacking.  There doesn't seem to be a way to reset the light timer and nowhere in the "manual" does it say.  So I finally get all the AGs on a somewhat similar light schedule but this Spider Farmer does its own thing.   I will likely be taking it out of service shortly.

[maskedsonnet]

Darn, it's too bad it's not working well!! Especially the algae part, I hate dealing with algae!!!

[slw]

I suppose I should admit that it works OK; it circulates the water and has a nice 36W light.  If I didn't own Aerogardens I'd probably like it just fine.      They need to re-engineer the grow deck, though... all those holes are annoying and pointless.  I totally agree about the algae; it looks gross and is a PITA to clean. 

[slw]

Today I cleaned out the SF tank and trimmed tomato roots, then put fresh water in and some AG nutes.   A couple of hours later I added my first Cal-Mag so we'll see how that goes. 

One thing I like about the setup of the Spider Farmer is that it doesn't have a pump cord from the base to the tank.  The tank has a USB type connector so when it's placed properly on the base the connection is made.   I can see how this design would make it easy to have an oops when moving the tank filled with water, which is probably why the unit has a drain plug.  O_o  

[slw]

Here's a picture of the deck of the Spider Farmer.  I'm wondering if the bright white plastic (instead of gray or black) is one cause of the algae bloom.  I'm not really happy with the tomatoes' progress, either.  The leaves look like they are beginning to curl so I trimmed off some bottom growth.  Now they look wimpy. 

[lynnee]

You have algae in the reservoir, slw? For some reason I never have problems with algae--maybe it's because my tap water has a neutral pH.

Anyway, the color of the grow deck can affect the growth rate of AG plants. Plants seem to grow a little bigger and faster with black decks. Another member, campingcorgis, noticed this, although I don't think anyone has tried to really study the deck color effect.

[slw]

I don't notice the algae in the actual tank, Lynnee.  It just grows all around those spacers on the deck.   All of my AeroGardens are using the same tap water and nutes but none of them have the algae.  Just strange.   I'm going to move one of the tomato plants into a different garden today.  I thought the 6L water tank would support 3 plants but I probably should have stuck with 2. 

[lynnee]

slw, somewhere I read that overfilling the AG reservoir leads to algae growth. When the water gets warm and expands, it comes up onto the deck from the drip holes. You might reduce your algae by filling the AG to something below the "Fill to here" line.

I do get algae around the deck holes sometimes, but I always fill the reservoir as much as possible. I hate carrying water far more than looking at some algae! Also, most of the algae comes off in the dishwasher between garden plantings.

[slw]

lynnee--Thanks.  I don't have algae in the AGs; just the SpiderFarmer.  It is tricky to add water since it's hard to see in the "indicator window."  I may be putting too much water in there. 

[agnoob]

@[mention]slw [/mention] I own an eight pod iDOO that have those annoying holes on the grow deck too. I cover all but one of them with the rubber stoppers I got from Bounty and Harvest XL’s trellis holes. The remaining one I drilled it into 1/4” so I can use an aerovoir with it. That way I don’t have to look through the grow bowl window to gauge if there’s enough water.

I definitely like AG gardens better but the iDOO has two advantages over the AG: this eight pod model was $40 while on sale, and the light panel goes all the way down to the grow domes which makes germination and growing seedlings way easier.

I did hate that I have to unplug the whole iDOO garden (and thus having to reset at 7am the next day) when I needed to wash the grow bowl. Technically the light panel and its rod that’s plugged in can come off of the grow bowl so there’s no need to unplug. BUT last time when I tried to finagle the rod off, it was difficult since I was working with a full bowl. Then I accidentally unplugged the drain hole while trying to get the rod to come off the bowl. So I ended up with a flood of water with nutes in the area while still having to unplug the thing anyways. Also didn’t help that it was impossible to put the plug back in while the water was flowing out. I was so mad at iDOO that I kept having to remind myself of the two reasons above that I got it for.

[slw]

agnoob -- I cringe when moving a garden with those drain plugs and a full water bowl.  I have considered using Gorilla tape or something to cover the plug; it seems kind of pointless anyhow.  

I believe the Idoo baskets are the same as the Spider Farmer. 

I was considering using some kitchen sink type silicone caulk to fill in those little holes on the deck.  I bought some small white silicone plugs, but they aren't a perfect fit and every time I wipe off the deck the plugs roll all around.  When I end the tomato plants in the garden I'm going to try some silicone caulk, though I suppose painter's tape would get the job done. 

So far the Spider Farmer is doing what it's supposed to do, and like the Idoo, at a reasonable price.  Amazon puts them on sale fairly often. 

[agnoob]

[mention]slw [/mention] That’s a great idea to cover the holes with tape. Maybe black electric tape could work well too. I’ve been using that to cover my aerovoir tubing to prevent algae growth. They stick better than painter’s tape and the black color would blend in with the black grow deck too.

[slw]

The Spider Farmer deck is bright white, so I have resisted putting any tape on it.  I'm too finicky, haha.     (But the tape would look better than algae!!)