Building a Aeroponic Prototype -- Need Help!

[WeedTree's]

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.

Great! Can't wait to see what it looks like!

On the pump -- I was recomened 250GPH by Oldmac, but is 400GPH overkill? If I plan to expand to other buckets?

[socialistpete]

The bigger the better!!!!!!!!

[LOC NAR on probation]

I have seen a stack kind of like that. However all could be in just one bucket with 2 misters on a tee pipe and air line going in near top of bucket. The roots would soon hang down into the water. If you use the bigger pump try an inline shut off valve and you will be able to adjust the flow. Only thing I would want on the outside is a clear line that elbows out the bottom with maybe a drain shutoff and back in near top to be able to see water level. And be able to drain easy. You could also just use one bucket for mister setup and hook another bucket next to it. Pipe runs near bottom to hook the 2 together and one be control rez..

Tell you what. Go to stealthhydro(dot)com and look a the system with the rez's hooked to 4 units. The control rez is cool and you could put your mister tee's in each grow container. All could be done with buckets and expand all you want or just start wit one or 2 units.

For the fog mine will look like the four unit with the rez setup. Only fog and I can put it all together real cheap. If I had more room I would go all bucket. But I can get 4 plants to a 10 gallon tub.

The only thing I would stack is for ebb and flow or nutrient film. A control rez bucket right next to your mister is easy to look in and keep the water level just the same in each or milti units. Water seeks it's own level.

[oldmac]

hey WeedTree's,

The larger pump is fine, like socialistpete said "bigger is better"....but LocNar has a good idea. Regardless of what size pump you use it's a good idea to be able to conrtol the output.

I would suggest that you put a "tee" in the pump output with one side going to your misters and the other side having the valve, and that valve output staying in or going back to your rez (depending if you use the pump submerged or inline). That way when you open the valve to lower flow to your misters you are not putting to much load on your pump. Plus the flow to the rez will keep it mixed well.

[socialistpete]

That was great advice locnar and oldmac I never even thought about using a flow valve but now it only makes sense to use one. Thanks guys:thumbsup:

Weedtree I got half my shit together will upload pics sometime between now and 4 am. lol

[LOC NAR on probation]

Yea I like that, stir up the rez. On the real small pumps aqua they have a valve to put in line and says it won't hurt the pump. I know back pressure is not good on larger pumps. The skies the limit.

[WeedTree's]

hey WeedTree's,

The larger pump is fine, like socialistpete said "bigger is better"....but LocNar has a good idea. Regardless of what size pump you use it's a good idea to be able to conrtol the output.

I would suggest that you put a "tee" in the pump output with one side going to your misters and the other side having the valve, and that valve output staying in or going back to your rez (depending if you use the pump submerged or inline). That way when you open the valve to lower flow to your misters you are not putting to much load on your pump. Plus the flow to the rez will keep it mixed well.

Thanks for the response!

I've got in sights a Aqua 400GPH Subermisible pump w/ filter.

I've decided to buy 2, 5 Gallon buckets and stack them. That way I can utilize a large res. as well as a large grow chamber and stack them to conserve floor space.

The pump will sit at the bottom of the res., next to a 10" Bubble stone (Bucket bottom diameter = 10.33 so it will be a tight fit). This will feed off an air pump on the outside.

I'm a little confused on your whole idea of the T piping -- I understand having the 1 outlet on the pump outlet split into a T crossing, one to the misters above and that other to a valve, but where exactly is the valves access to? Outside the res.?
Like so?:



Also, I am going to drill small elbows at the bottom of the res. with an attached clear PVC rubber tube going to the top of the bucket where it will meet another elbow to show nutrient height/level.

What do you think of the new, revised Mister cage? It will have 3, 1/2"( Is 1/2" Too Big?) PVC pipe lines, about the height of the bucket, in a triangle formation, which will surround the roots growing downwards, and will also incorperate a Mister at the very middle where the pump outlet first feeds into the growth cage to spray the very tips of the roots.
Like so: Red dots are misters - Blue lines are irrigation




The whole Mister housing irrigation piece will screw onto a connection where the pump outlet line reaches the top of the res./bottom of the growth chamber. So it will be a completely seperate piece. Easy to remove for maintenence, as well as disasembly from the res. for res. changes/cleaning.


Are you guys still with me? :stoned::thumbsup:

What am I forgetting here?

Netpot lid or drilled hole for netpot. Probably will be a 6" to leave space from the misters instead of a huuge 10" (Overkill IMO).

Rockwell cubes as medium.

[LOC NAR on probation]

Go with hydrtron for your medium. It gets wet but won't hold waterbad. Rockwool has a rep for holding to much water and causing root rot.

I'm with ya, I see this is like a modified nutrient film with mister. On the pump in the bottom rez, the pipe coming straight up just above the pump inside the bucket put a tee pointing to the side of the bucket. Now put a 1/2 shoutoff valve there. The overflow pressure will blow out into rez and keep it stirred up. It won't be great pressure and will most likely only need to be adjusted one time to get the pressure of the misters right. No need to put any more holes to the out side than needed. Maybe just another spot to leak.

Other than that I think your plan is coming together nicely. Can't wait to see it. without doing the tube out side to see rez level you could make a control rez to hook as many of these together as needed and then easy to keep control rez checked and filled.

[WeedTree's]

Go with hydrtron for your medium. It gets wet but won't hold waterbad. Rockwool has a rep for holding to much water and causing root rot.

I'm with ya, I see this is like a modified nutrient film with mister. On the pump in the bottom rez, the pipe coming straight up just above the pump inside the bucket put a tee pointing to the side of the bucket. Now put a 1/2 shoutoff valve there. The overflow pressure will blow out into rez and keep it stirred up. It won't be great pressure and will most likely only need to be adjusted one time to get the pressure of the misters right. No need to put any more holes to the out side than needed. Maybe just another spot to leak.

Other than that I think your plan is coming together nicely. Can't wait to see it. without doing the tube out side to see rez level you could make a control rez to hook as many of these together as needed and then easy to keep control rez checked and filled.

Something like this?

ImageShack - Image Hosting :: aeroponic2la2.jpg

So, I will have a seperate rez. on the outside of the 2 buckets, which will hold ALL the nutrients. The pump in the rez. will split and go to both of the buckets where each bucket will house a Misting unit (1 for each bucket/plant). Is this what you had in mind? That way, I can change/clean the rez. much easier than having to remove the lids of the buckets with the plants and easily top it off as needed?

[LOC NAR on probation]

That's it man. the level in the rez is the level in the misters. If you put a control float valve at the hieght you want your water. you can then stack another bucket on top of control rez and feed the float vavle and make the rez 5 gallons bigger. The control rez is the thing either way and easy to clean and top up. My part for that come tommarrow. I'll see if I can get pic's of the setup.

Your on the right track.