Building a Aeroponic Prototype -- Need Help!

Hello fellow Growers!

I'm begining a prototype Aeroponics setup to grow a large Tomatoe (And soon Marijuana) plant from seedling to flower.

I will be using a 5+ Gallon bucket for the initial Resevoir, and a smaller bucket which will sit on top to house the misters/sprayers/grow chamber for the plant (Or Visa Versa - 5 Gallon on top, Bigger bucket on the bottom)

The resevoir will hold the pump, an airstone, and said outfits for wiring as well as tubing. The nutrient will be pumped up from the direct middle of the top of the res, to the direct middle of the growth chamber bucket. Is this a good plan: Or should I run the PVC piping from the bottom outside, to the top inside?

I've already purchased the Misters, 4, 360 Degree knozzles which will sit in the grow chamber..Not sure on the pump capacity yet, I know more is better -- Input is greatly appreciated!

What I wanted to know was what would be the best way to construct the PVC for housing the Misters? Should I create a bar type pipe where they sit in a row, or maybe like a Cross, 1 mister on each end so the roots have room to grow down, and out and not interfier too much with the plumbing? Or possible make a flat-laying Field goal post where 2 misters on each side of the PVC spray and the roots grow down, in between them.

A Fogger system will later be incoperated upon completion and thorough testing of the prototype.


Any Feedback is much needed! Thank You! :thumbsup:

Hello WeedTree's,

I really like your thinking here, aeroponics plus fog. It is the direction I'm headed in a new indoor grow set-up.

Small PVC tubing drilled to accept your misters will work. I have also seen misters mounted to the lid or top of the grow chamber directly thru the top, and smaller plastic tubing connecting them together and to a pump.

As to a pump, you don't need anything too big here, you are only using 4 misters, so a samll aqua pump of abt 250gal/hr (cost abt $25) is all you need.

I would suggest going to fogponics.com and in thier forums you'll find some DIY projects that should give you some good ideas. You'll also see what I built, it's called "fogfognugen" uses both high pressure misting nozzles plus a fog generator from Frapaplas.

Good luck with it, and keep us posted on your build.

WeedTree's,

I just remembered there are some pics of "fogfognugen" on this forum, on a thread that Opie Yutts had, plus pics of what he was building.

I don't know how to put the link to it here, I never was or will be any good with a 'puter....but if you google "fogfognugen" you'll get the link.

Hope it helps too.

Man you are putting a lot of thought into this. I like that but i don't think you need both. Be carefull with the misters and like said not a big pump. I was looking at an ez clone at the hydro shop. It had just a short riser on the pump and a tee pipe with 4 misters. Too much pressure and it will blow the roots right off. I started with drip and then added air. Now I want to go fog. I got a mistic cloner I'm dieing to try out. I looked all over and found,

MainlandMart(dot)com for the small fooger in the cloner but they have many sizes. With the fogger you need to keep the water level to just the right depth. I sovled that cause they have floaters that keep the fogger on top if you have deep water. Check it out.

If I can grab some I use 10 gallon tubs with 4 to 6 netpots and an air stone with a fogger in each. You can use less water nute mix but may need to be changed more often.

I would try one of each at first and compare. Then go with what works.. Now you got me going. I will have to start a fog log.

I keep reading and I would go with a 5 gallon bucket with the netpot lid a small pump a riser pipe and maybe a tee pipe with 2 misters maybe even just one mister for a bucket an airstone. In another of the same bucket a fogger and an airstone. The bucket at the hydro shop with 8 inch netpot lids are about 10 bucks. The fogger with float about 30 bucks. I get small pumps for 10 bucks and a little pipe would be 25 bucks for mister bucket and about 40 bucks for the fogger bucket.

Peace and keep us up it's very interesting.

Hey there Loc Nar,

Good idea for a 5 gallon bucket set up, using the 8" net pot lid!
For growing single large plants that is an excellent way to go, plus you could easily make it expandable by just adding more buckets.

Also MainlandMart is an excellent source of pond foggers. I have not seen a source that is cheaper.
Not too long ago I built a small 3'x3' grow tray with fog and areo for someone and I used a 5 gal bucket, plus a 3 head pond fogger in a bouy (like you said the water level to the transducers is important) and a plastic "splash guard" and moisture proof muffin fan and a flexi plastic hose. A real "bucket of fog", but it works real good.

The idea behind using two methods is redundancy, and that is a good thing when your growing a high value crop. Hopefully a well designed system would work with either the fog or the areo alone so that if one of them decided to crap out on you, theres no catastrophy or major panic to try and get something fixed.

So come on Loc Nar, I think you have a decent plan for an inexpensive fog set up. I'd love to see you do a "fog" grow log, don't think there's been any of those here yet, you could be the first!

oldmac

Quote:

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Originally Posted by oldmac

Hey there Loc Nar,

Good idea for a 5 gallon bucket set up, using the 8" net pot lid!
For growing single large plants that is an excellent way to go, plus you could easily make it expandable by just adding more buckets.

Also MainlandMart is an excellent source of pond foggers. I have not seen a source that is cheaper.
Not too long ago I built a small 3'x3' grow tray with fog and areo for someone and I used a 5 gal bucket, plus a 3 head pond fogger in a bouy (like you said the water level to the transducers is important) and a plastic "splash guard" and moisture proof muffin fan and a flexi plastic hose. A real "bucket of fog", but it works real good.

The idea behind using two methods is redundancy, and that is a good thing when your growing a high value crop. Hopefully a well designed system would work with either the fog or the areo alone so that if one of them decided to crap out on you, theres no catastrophy or major panic to try and get something fixed.

So come on Loc Nar, I think you have a decent plan for an inexpensive fog set up. I'd love to see you do a "fog" grow log, don't think there's been any of those here yet, you could be the first!

oldmac

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I hear ya, I'm going to be ordering some things this week. I may not use the buckets because of space but I think 10 gallon tubs with 4 or 6 netpots in each. I'm thinking a controll rez and a rez tank on top of that, all hooked together like 4 units. I will put the air stone in the controll rez. Papaya city here I come.

Oh and don't tell the wife, it's easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission.

WeedTree's , sorry I didn't mean to hijack your thread. Let us know what your plan is. We will compare and I will start the fog log. I already ordered most of what I need. Just had to relocate my grow and work on the room or build it I should say. It's like buiding the nursery for the babies. LOL

Peace man and let us know what you decide to build. It's all very interesting to me and I love a good success story.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LOC NAR on probation

WeedTree's , sorry I didn't mean to hijack your thread. Let us know what your plan is. We will compare and I will start the fog log. I already ordered most of what I need. Just had to relocate my grow and work on the room or build it I should say. It's like buiding the nursery for the babies. LOL

Peace man and let us know what you decide to build. It's all very interesting to me and I love a good success story.

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Hey Loc No worries! I think I have enough space to continue..;)

Well my plans are pretty much in place..almost.

Have/Purchased so far:


(1) Aqua Air Pump w/ 2 outlets
(4) 360 Degree Mister Knozzles


I still am awaiting the Misters in the mail, and have decided to go with a 5 Gallon on the bottom -- the problem is I cannot find a suitable Bucket to go on top of that 5 gallons lid (Everything I've looked for is non-stackable). And a 5 Gallon bucket is pretty large..So i'm wondering if I should just use 1, 5 Gallon bucket for the main res. as well as the plant housing. But that leaves me with more res. changes, and less space for the roots to grow, as well as potential problems for cloging/space reduction.

Here is a little picture of what I had in mind:

http://img401.imageshack.us/my.php?i...oponic1vn8.jpg

Now there is MUCH room for variation, expansion, and change. This is just a sketch. I can have the 1/2" PVC run from the outside up and through the side of the top bucket instead of directly up. I can also adjust the formation of the misters. They are 360 Degree Sprayers so I'm not sure if 4 is overkill in one system, or 2 or 3 might be better..

Here is an overhead view of possible Mister installs (Nothing to scale..the lines are piping, red dots are misters):

1 - http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/605/mister1uc9.jpg
2 - http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/5486/mister2pk0.jpg
3 - http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/4598/mister3hv9.jpg
SideView
4 -http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/3444/mister4ek2.jpg
TopView
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8977/mister5bt0.jpg


Feedback please! I'll update this post/post again with further information later

EDIT:

- I Also have the option of using all hard PVC piping for the nutrient lines, or using all soft Rubber tubbing. OR, using hard PVC piping for the pump fitting and mister housing, and using soft Rubber tubing where bends/turns would be needed.

- For the containers, I have the option of using SQUARE Buckets instead of ROUND ones, which may stack better depending on which kind I get. I'm browsing Plastic Tanks, Plastic Buckets, Plastic Bottles, Labware, PVC Pipe - United States Plastic Corporation ® and am seeing what would work well together. Is it a good idea to buy a lid with a spout on top for possible irrigation lines or possible Fogger addition?

Just got done building my aero setup, used all pvc line except from pump to pvc. I'm gonna throw some pics up tomorrow (no batteries for camera:() in a new thread check it out.