True HP Aero For 2011

[Trichy Bastard]

Yeah hammer, I'm going through the same problems of redesigning the details for one reason or another. But this is FUN- right? lol...

Medimary- welcome, good to see you around here...

 

[PetFlora]

Hammer: We gonna get to see your grow? You could trim a bit of height off the 12" D2W bucket by going low but wide. I use mixing tubs under my pods as a precaution ~ 6". One of them would hold ~ -10 gallons of runoff, then use a lp pump to move it into a bucket that you can take outside for your garden, grass...

 

[PetFlora]

Ask Petflora- he has been extremely dilligent about trying without an accumulator for years, and even if he ever gets a bit of root fuzz, it never lasts as the setup is just very hard if not impossible to dial in, or keep dialed in to keep them fuzzy.

Actually the problem was the uncontrollable- a 5 day 90+ temps baking through my roof (no attic) during May- May for chrisake. Room temps and pod temps were similar. Root hairs do not like that kind of pod RH/temps. Other than that, I finally had my system dialed in. I had fluffy roots and root hairs. I would have finished this grow as root hairs would return once the environment was conducive, but the heat stress flipped all 4 plants to male.

 

[PetFlora]

Trichy, IMHO you are cramming to many plants into your pod. I now use a 30 gallon pod: one row of 3, one row of 2 which allows for better mist coverage and movement

 

[Atomizer]

You should have snapped a pic of the root hairs before the heatwave hit and another one afterwards for a comparison. I reckon TB and Mike will be taking pics of the roots on the hour every hour when they get up and running

 

[mccumcumber]

This is some really cool stuff man! I gave the whole thing a read, and I think aero might be in my near future.

I've been a soil guy for a few years now, but I've always been interested in some of the new types of grows out there. I've upgraded my indoor and outdoor soil ops to my likings and I have been looking around the hydro/aero market for one of my next grows, if not my next grow.

I really am interested in aeroponics, but I really do not like all of the bullshit liquid nute companies. However, I have been reading up on aquaponics lately and that is most likely what I'm going to build myself next. Is there a way to combine aqua and aeroponics? It seems like the best of bothworlds to me. I was thinking that it wouldn't be too hard, just hook up pumps to the filtered fish emulsion water an shoot it at the roots. But life tends to be a little harder than ideology, does anyone have thoughts on this?

 

[Trichy Bastard]

Trichy, IMHO you are cramming to many plants into your pod. I now use a 30 gallon pod: one row of 3, one row of 2 which allows for better mist coverage and movement

Thanks for the input, Well the pod is fairly big (did u read the specs), and the sun here is constantly near 12/12 year round- so I started thinking it was gonna be basically no veg time and figured I could throw a couple extras in to make up for it. In the end I suppose real life testing will tell all- not to mention varying from pheno to pheno. I will consider this again before I cut holes though- thanks!.

 

[Trichy Bastard]

This is some really cool stuff man! I gave the whole thing a read, and I think aero might be in my near future.

I've been a soil guy for a few years now, but I've always been interested in some of the new types of grows out there. I've upgraded my indoor and outdoor soil ops to my likings and I have been looking around the hydro/aero market for one of my next grows, if not my next grow.

I really am interested in aeroponics, but I really do not like all of the bullshit liquid nute companies. However, I have been reading up on aquaponics lately and that is most likely what I'm going to build myself next. Is there a way to combine aqua and aeroponics? It seems like the best of bothworlds to me. I was thinking that it wouldn't be too hard, just hook up pumps to the filtered fish emulsion water an shoot it at the roots. But life tends to be a little harder than ideology, does anyone have thoughts on this?

Hi Mccumcumber(!?-lol) - imho combining aquaponics with hpa would be unnecessary and introduce too much more complexity to an already finicky system. I don't think organics has anything to bring to the table to hpa other than clogging the nozzles and introducing contaminants. Trust me, I really believe in organics in my vegetable garden, but when it comes to a soiless medium, I personally see only drawbacks and issues, without any additional benefit. If you were to go forward with such a system, I would be interested to watch none the less. My first advice would be to try a straight hpa system, and master that before trying to add complexity. Plus- you might just decide the system is good enough as it is at that point. Once the high pressure pump, accumulator, etc is purchased, it is only a matter of designing a new root pod (with your critters?) and putting it online- so nothing would really be lost, and I think that is really one of the nice points of this type of system.

Also, there is something unappealing about atomising fish shit at high pressure to me- is sounds like it could get real stinky... LOL

 

[Mike Young]

Top 3 threads in aero all HP! That's doggies nutz! I think that if you filtered well, aqua/hpa could work. You may be changing out nozzles a little more frequently & lines would need to be replaced after each run. I'd love to see it.

 

[Atomizer]

In the true sense, aquaponics wouldn`t be viable with hp aero because it doesnt involve any media for the nitrifying bacteria or have a sufficient water turnover rate. Aquaponics involves the clean water going back to the fish and they wouldn`t see much with hp aero Gravel beds and flood/drain are the best approach for aquaponics, plenty of surface area for the bacteria and a regular turnover to move the tank water through it. You may be able to use aquarium water as a base to feed hp aero if it has an internal/external biofilter but you should expect some clogging issues as the bacteria colonise the pipework, break free and block the nozzles

 

[Trichy Bastard]

Top 3 threads in aero all HP! That's doggies nutz! I think that if you filtered well, aqua/hpa could work. You may be changing out nozzles a little more frequently & lines would need to be replaced after each run. I'd love to see it.

Hell yeah- the Mastiff's marbles, the Poodle's peas, the newfoundland's nads, the Jack Russell Terrier's jewels, -Benji's BB's for chrissakes! Okay, I'll stop now... <composure>

In all seriousness, I'll say that getting the various plumbing parts and adaptors is by far the hardest and most frustrating aspect of this whole project. I have spent many 12 hour days on google with lots of dead ends. Here's an example: the accumulator has 1" male IPS threads (non tapered) and then I have to find a way to use adaptors to get it to fit the 1/4 john guest tubing. Well I don't even know if the npt threads (tapered) on the jg adaptors will mate properly with ips, not to mention it will take a minimum of 3 adaptors within eachother to make the large transition...

 

[Trichy Bastard]

So- what is my main focus today? I am thinking hard on how do put all my pieces together. The plumbing and reservoir parts to be exact. I remember reading that Cavadge encountered some issues with his pressure switch settings getting fouled up when air was introduced into the system after res changes (I know it's dtw- but sometimes you might still swap for a new ratio batch). I'd like to avoid that of course. I am also trying to figure the best filtration method. I believe atomizer says he just pours all his nutes through a 1 micron filter bag (they're quite cheap) as he fills his reservoir. I have concerns about this method because of the wind here and I can imagine lot of dust will find it's way into the reservoir after it's been filtered. I have considered installing a polycarbonate "whole house filter" with 1 micron cartridges somewhere before the pump. I can't install on the output side the pump because the filters are not rated past 125 psi and my pressures will reach 140 (should I push it- only 15 psi?) I also have concern in installing it prior to the pump, because water will be drawn through the system by vacuum created by the pump- and these filters were designed to flow with pressure on the inlet side. There is a little air vent valve and I worry it will let air in the system if there is negative pressure inside from the pump's suction. I'd like to have a reservoir setup that has a method for bleeding air out of the system in case I dump the entire reservoir. I can't imagine air in the lines is good for anything, let alone how it might collect in the accumulator and cause issues. At the moment, my developing plan so far is to have the reservoir elevated slightly so that it gravity feeds. I can probably put a on/off valve right at it's outlet that I can turn off just prior to dumping it- as to keep air out. I can then probably use the house filter at a high point in the lines (but below the res) and make use of it's air bleeder valve to purge air out with only the pressure of the gravity feed. I also have concerns that the 1 micron filter will create too much drag that the pump's suction can't overcome. I'm not sure if any of this is making sense, but if anyone has any ideas I am open for suggestions. I'll throw in a quick pic to try to illustrate my current idea.

 

[Indefinately]

You keen tricky.......

 

[Trichy Bastard]

You keen tricky.......

Hmm... keen for what?

 

[mccumcumber]

Damn... I guess aqua/hp probably won't work out... well, looks likes I got to try both of them out!

 

[Trichy Bastard]

Damn... I guess aqua/hp probably won't work out... well, looks likes I got to try both of them out!

You go McLovin! You got an audience anytime you're ready to put your construction where your dreams are... That's what I'm doin- my pump just arrived- feels like the first day of xmas is starting...

 

[Trichy Bastard]

Well, my pump arrived today- and she's a beaut! I felt the excitement for Cavadge when he posted pump porn in his thread, so in Cavadge's honor I'm gonna put up a pic just like he did... I think it's love at first sight- I'm all giddy...

 

[Mike Young]

9 amps, damn! That thing is a beast. Based on that alone, I'd quess that thing isn't all that quiet. I'm not sure of the draw on the aquatec, but the power supply is 800mA. Both my sureflo's were loud as shit. I was blown away by the low rpms of the aquatec. Thing is almost silent. Hope that badboy works for ya.

 

[hammer21]

More pump candy delavan fat boy

 

[hammer21]

More eye candy 12 2-way 316 stainless solenoids with 4mm orfices
12 3-way 316 stainless solenoids with 4mm orfices
I will be using all 24 for a 12 pod system