Your system should work, how are you going to get the nutrient from the bottom up to drip in the top?

How big are the tubs? I think that will likely be your limiting factor more than the number of plants. Also you need enough solution in the bottom tub to be pumpable since most pumps have a minimum depth requirement. Anyway, I would definitely make sure that there was at least a gallon of nutrient per plant but that would mean you need to be checking on the thing a couple times a day since when it is really hot, some plants can go through a gallon a day. I had about 20 gallons for 10 cucumber plants and it would run dry in four days if it was hot.

The smaller the resivuar or amount of nutrient in the resivuar, the more work you have to do to keep it in line. You also have to be more attentive with a smaller resivuar.

One word of caution, the stacked system requires you to lift up the top bin filled with plants in order to get at the lower bin to manage your nutrients. You don't want to have to be lifting too many big heavy plants to check your nutrient strength and pH or empty the lower bin for a complete nutrient change out. When simply adding water/nutrients it is easy enough to do by pouring into the top bin to trickle down.

I had several solar powered gurgle gardens but trying to maintain them was a bit of a pain since they each had their own separate nutrient resivuar and they all were only a few gallons.

Your system sounds good and will be successful if you use a submersing pump and a timer, watering depends on the size of the plants and the ambient temperature, you may start pumping 3 times a day for about 15 minutes each cycle, make sure the level of the nutrient solution goes up through the medium to about 1/2 inch from the top edge of the growing tub and stays there for the whole 15 minutes. Watch the moisture in the medium and adjust your irregation cycles accordingly. Another tip is to keep the level of the nutes in the reservoir constant, means add up water every day to compensate for evaporation and absorpion by the plants, and change the nutes every 10 days with a fresh batch. If you need further clarification please do not hesitate.

Safwat Zaki
Horticulturist

I have a recirc aero system and store 1.5 gal/plant.

Higher volumes/plant will keep nutrient Ph and ppm spikes down.