aeronoobie
Member
Ok, so as my username would suggest, I am attempting HPA for the first time. It may be somewhat ambitious of me, but from everything I've read, HPA is the Holy Grail of indoor growing. I want to thank everyone who has posted a thread and/or contributed information to this forum. I have absorbed more information about growing than I ever knew was out there, and I have barely scratched the surface. I have many years to go and grow before I become proficient. With all of you helping, that task may one day be attainable.
My first attempt at hydroponics was using the General Hydroponics Rainforest 66 system. I read some good things about it, and as a noob, I got caught up in the hype. So, to any other noobs out there considering the General Hydroponics rainforest 66 system, don't. I thought it would be a perfect balance between aeroponics, as it claims to spray a fine mist, and DWC, as it sits in a 17 gallon reservoir. Truthfully, it's mostly just a DWC that sprays the roots with nutrients. It is a fine spray, but no where near "mist" quality. Also, the 17 gallon res is no where near big enough to accommodate 6 plants. I used it to grow 3 plants, and even at that, it wasn't big enough.
My next attempt was a RWDC. 4x18 gallon reservoirs with another 18 gallon reservoir outside my 4'x4'x7' tent. Fairly easy to do, using the LUCAS Formula with add-back. But, changing out the res every two weeks was a major pain!!! Toting what seemed like endless 5 gallon buckets to first drain the system, then refill the system was not my idea of a good time! I have a 50GPD ro system, so res changes need to be planned a few days in advance.
Now, I want to go HPA. Actually, HPA was my first choice, but I chickened out. As it would have been my first attempt at growing this wonderful mass of greenness, I was looking for something idiot-proof, hence the GH Rainforest 66. Here in Canada, we can legally grow 4 plants for personal enjoyment. Gotta love Canada, eh?
So, I have read countless threads and am ready to try HPA. I'm glad I didn't try HPA as my first grow. I learned sooooo many things with the rainforest and rdwc that I never would have considered. I am humbled by all you successful growers out there. The vast amount of knowledge required for a successful grow was far beyond what I expected or was prepared for.
So, without further ado, let's get to the details of my newest attempt and first HPA attempt.
Vivosun 4'x4'x7' tent
4xKingbright 240v 3500k LM301H leds with 660+730+395 on separate switch
2xkingbrite 30v 730nm far red booster boards for inducing a good night's sleep
Nearpow Multifunctional Infinite Cycle Programmable Plug-in Digital Timer Switch
4xsunbeam 8" fans for air movement
1xTitan Controls for environmental control of temp, humidity and CO2
1xCO2 tank and regulator
1xFrigidaire 70 pint dehumidifier
1x12 nozzle fog maker to make TONS of humidity
1xDanby 12,000BTU air conditioner.
1xVivosun 8" 720CFM blower with Phresh carbon filter
4xRubbermaid Roughneck 18 gallon reservoirs
seaflo 36 series 1.5 gal/min 120psi pump
well-x-trol wx-110ps 7.4 gal Accumulator tank 150psig
Aquatec (PSW280-00) Tank Shut off Switch
DN15 Water Pressure Regulator Reducer Valve
Tefen 22210078003 1/8in NPT Conical Spray Nozzle
DIGITEN 24V 1/4" Drain Flush Water Solenoid per reservoir
AC/DC 24-240V Digital Cycle Time Timer Switch Relay Delay 0.1S-99H
Platinum Gelato clones
General Hydroponics FloraNova bloom, CaliMagic, Floralicious Plus, KoolBloom (liquid and dry) to be used at the appropriate stages of growth (hopefully? ideally?)
The air conditioner is a window unit, but with the assistance of a wonderful product called "duct tape" I was able to tape ducting to the input and output (independently) of the air conditioner into my tent while keeping the unit on the windowsill. There is some positive pressure created by this, but it's the best solution I've come up with so far for a 4'x4'x7' grow tent.
The 12 nozzle fog maker is for the earlier stages when humidity in the tent is low. This sucker produces sooooooo much fog!!!
The Aquatec switch is rated for 80psi, but from the feedback I've read, it can be adjusted to cut on at 100psi and cut off at 120psi. If anyone has information to the contrary, please let me know and/or if you have a better alternative would be greatly appreciated.
My baby girls are still rooting, so this weekend I will be building my system and testing it out. One thing that concerns me is reservoir temps. I will have a remote temperature and humidity monitor in each reservoir. I am curious to see what the res temps will be at full lights on. I plan to wrap each res with insulation, and I am hoping that the nutrient spray at room temp will be enough to keep the root chamber cool enough. If not, as you saw, my accumulator tank is a horizontal one. So I plan to put it in a cooler with varying amounts of ice to keep the nutrient solution colder to try to control the RZ temps. Sound like a plan? We'll see.
I am trying to create the best environment I can in a tent. It will not be perfect, but I will try to make it the best I can under the circumstances. I will try to create the proper VPD for the little ladies various stages of life. The addition of CO2 to 1300ppm will allow me to increase temperatures to 85-90, so RH will have to be raised to keep proper VPD levels. Fortunately, my fog maker can raise the humidity in my tent to 100% in under 1 minute. And my Frigidaire dehumidifier can suck out all that moisture just as fast!
I will pressurize my accumulator tank to 120psi and regulate to flow to 100psi so the flow is consistently at 100psi. That being said, I will shoot for 1ml nutrient solution per 100L RZ volume. I read that here in a thread, so I'm hoping it's accurate. So, according to Tefen, these nozzles have a flow rate of about 1.25ml/s at 100 psi, so 1ml comes at 0.8s, but since my RC is 70L, I need 0.56s of misting time. I will try 0.5s and 0.6s to see which works best. I think 0.5s is the better choice as less mist more frequently would be better than over saturation of the roots. The interval between mist cycles will depend upon the voraciousness of the appetites of my little ladies, and will vary throughout their lifetime until they mature into a big beautiful bountiful bouquet of buds. Target daily flow is 1.3L/day while they are still little ladies and up to 2.65L/day when they are in full bloom bud producing mode.
I plan to manifold 2 ladies to 8 mains and the other 2 to 16 mains. I want to see which yields more weight and which has bigger buds. Should be interesting to see. Also LST, super cropping and moderate defoliating techniques will all be implemented.
Each 18 gallon Rez has a 1" drain from the RDWC system I tried previously. I will use these drains for the DTW of the HPA system. I am wondering if it will be okay as is. Will the runoff accumulated to the point where a pool of solution forms? Will this pool get large enough that the roots will seek it out? I am considering doubling up the reservoirs, nesting one inside another with small holes drilled into the bottom of the inside one so it can drain into the bottom one. This will create an "air curtain" that should prevent the roots from reaching any pools of runoff nutrient solution that may accumulate.
So, I have some work to do this weekend, and a lot of testing and experimenting to do.
All comments, questions and advice is both welcome and encouraged.
Happy growing, high times to come!
My first attempt at hydroponics was using the General Hydroponics Rainforest 66 system. I read some good things about it, and as a noob, I got caught up in the hype. So, to any other noobs out there considering the General Hydroponics rainforest 66 system, don't. I thought it would be a perfect balance between aeroponics, as it claims to spray a fine mist, and DWC, as it sits in a 17 gallon reservoir. Truthfully, it's mostly just a DWC that sprays the roots with nutrients. It is a fine spray, but no where near "mist" quality. Also, the 17 gallon res is no where near big enough to accommodate 6 plants. I used it to grow 3 plants, and even at that, it wasn't big enough.
My next attempt was a RWDC. 4x18 gallon reservoirs with another 18 gallon reservoir outside my 4'x4'x7' tent. Fairly easy to do, using the LUCAS Formula with add-back. But, changing out the res every two weeks was a major pain!!! Toting what seemed like endless 5 gallon buckets to first drain the system, then refill the system was not my idea of a good time! I have a 50GPD ro system, so res changes need to be planned a few days in advance.
Now, I want to go HPA. Actually, HPA was my first choice, but I chickened out. As it would have been my first attempt at growing this wonderful mass of greenness, I was looking for something idiot-proof, hence the GH Rainforest 66. Here in Canada, we can legally grow 4 plants for personal enjoyment. Gotta love Canada, eh?
So, I have read countless threads and am ready to try HPA. I'm glad I didn't try HPA as my first grow. I learned sooooo many things with the rainforest and rdwc that I never would have considered. I am humbled by all you successful growers out there. The vast amount of knowledge required for a successful grow was far beyond what I expected or was prepared for.
So, without further ado, let's get to the details of my newest attempt and first HPA attempt.
Vivosun 4'x4'x7' tent
4xKingbright 240v 3500k LM301H leds with 660+730+395 on separate switch
2xkingbrite 30v 730nm far red booster boards for inducing a good night's sleep
Nearpow Multifunctional Infinite Cycle Programmable Plug-in Digital Timer Switch
4xsunbeam 8" fans for air movement
1xTitan Controls for environmental control of temp, humidity and CO2
1xCO2 tank and regulator
1xFrigidaire 70 pint dehumidifier
1x12 nozzle fog maker to make TONS of humidity
1xDanby 12,000BTU air conditioner.
1xVivosun 8" 720CFM blower with Phresh carbon filter
4xRubbermaid Roughneck 18 gallon reservoirs
seaflo 36 series 1.5 gal/min 120psi pump
well-x-trol wx-110ps 7.4 gal Accumulator tank 150psig
Aquatec (PSW280-00) Tank Shut off Switch
DN15 Water Pressure Regulator Reducer Valve
Tefen 22210078003 1/8in NPT Conical Spray Nozzle
DIGITEN 24V 1/4" Drain Flush Water Solenoid per reservoir
AC/DC 24-240V Digital Cycle Time Timer Switch Relay Delay 0.1S-99H
Platinum Gelato clones
General Hydroponics FloraNova bloom, CaliMagic, Floralicious Plus, KoolBloom (liquid and dry) to be used at the appropriate stages of growth (hopefully? ideally?)
The air conditioner is a window unit, but with the assistance of a wonderful product called "duct tape" I was able to tape ducting to the input and output (independently) of the air conditioner into my tent while keeping the unit on the windowsill. There is some positive pressure created by this, but it's the best solution I've come up with so far for a 4'x4'x7' grow tent.
The 12 nozzle fog maker is for the earlier stages when humidity in the tent is low. This sucker produces sooooooo much fog!!!
The Aquatec switch is rated for 80psi, but from the feedback I've read, it can be adjusted to cut on at 100psi and cut off at 120psi. If anyone has information to the contrary, please let me know and/or if you have a better alternative would be greatly appreciated.
My baby girls are still rooting, so this weekend I will be building my system and testing it out. One thing that concerns me is reservoir temps. I will have a remote temperature and humidity monitor in each reservoir. I am curious to see what the res temps will be at full lights on. I plan to wrap each res with insulation, and I am hoping that the nutrient spray at room temp will be enough to keep the root chamber cool enough. If not, as you saw, my accumulator tank is a horizontal one. So I plan to put it in a cooler with varying amounts of ice to keep the nutrient solution colder to try to control the RZ temps. Sound like a plan? We'll see.
I am trying to create the best environment I can in a tent. It will not be perfect, but I will try to make it the best I can under the circumstances. I will try to create the proper VPD for the little ladies various stages of life. The addition of CO2 to 1300ppm will allow me to increase temperatures to 85-90, so RH will have to be raised to keep proper VPD levels. Fortunately, my fog maker can raise the humidity in my tent to 100% in under 1 minute. And my Frigidaire dehumidifier can suck out all that moisture just as fast!
I will pressurize my accumulator tank to 120psi and regulate to flow to 100psi so the flow is consistently at 100psi. That being said, I will shoot for 1ml nutrient solution per 100L RZ volume. I read that here in a thread, so I'm hoping it's accurate. So, according to Tefen, these nozzles have a flow rate of about 1.25ml/s at 100 psi, so 1ml comes at 0.8s, but since my RC is 70L, I need 0.56s of misting time. I will try 0.5s and 0.6s to see which works best. I think 0.5s is the better choice as less mist more frequently would be better than over saturation of the roots. The interval between mist cycles will depend upon the voraciousness of the appetites of my little ladies, and will vary throughout their lifetime until they mature into a big beautiful bountiful bouquet of buds. Target daily flow is 1.3L/day while they are still little ladies and up to 2.65L/day when they are in full bloom bud producing mode.
I plan to manifold 2 ladies to 8 mains and the other 2 to 16 mains. I want to see which yields more weight and which has bigger buds. Should be interesting to see. Also LST, super cropping and moderate defoliating techniques will all be implemented.
Each 18 gallon Rez has a 1" drain from the RDWC system I tried previously. I will use these drains for the DTW of the HPA system. I am wondering if it will be okay as is. Will the runoff accumulated to the point where a pool of solution forms? Will this pool get large enough that the roots will seek it out? I am considering doubling up the reservoirs, nesting one inside another with small holes drilled into the bottom of the inside one so it can drain into the bottom one. This will create an "air curtain" that should prevent the roots from reaching any pools of runoff nutrient solution that may accumulate.
So, I have some work to do this weekend, and a lot of testing and experimenting to do.
All comments, questions and advice is both welcome and encouraged.
Happy growing, high times to come!
