Aero 101 LEARN ME SOMETHING!

[Jacob Patterson]

Hey folks! I hope there are some pros still checking the threads. I'm interested in changing my long running 600w soil grow, over to Aero. I've seen some cool things come from some 5 gallon buckets. Thing is, I don't know the first thing about this and would love for you awesome people to walk me through it. So, from the beginning, walk me through your setup and operating procedures. Please and thank ya!

 

[aeronaut574]

Hi sir here is my setup its the cheapest true aero setup that I could come up with in the meantime there is an old article from canna called aeroponic supersonic google that and that article has a lot of good info on aero. A list of supplies for this planter is short and sweet you will need three 50 gallon sterilite totes(75$) you will need a good stop cock valve.(25?) You will need a 12 disk ultrasonic nebulizer.(300$) you will need a bouy(10$) for the nebulizer its a little float that keeps lizer at optimal depth for nebulization of H2O. You will need three good waterproof computer fans. (60-90$) you will need flat type gasket material to put between the two totes to keep moisture in.(30$?) You will need wing nuts and bolts to put into fans you will cut a rectangular hole with bolt holes cut in lid to mount fans to and too help secure top and bottom you might want to put one on each corner (optional)

 

[aeronaut574]

*(Continued) ok you will need screen to put in top tote this is that stiff sqaure screen with about a 5/16 square metal mesh.(25$) you will also need bug type screening to put over the metal mesh you will bend this mesh so that it keeps roots about 6" off bottom of tote you don't have to completly bug screen the whole thing as you want roots to get kinda spread around and hanging still but you don't want them growing down into fans. Next you will need 10 net cups(29) and cut 10 sites into top tote

 

[aeronaut574]

*(contiued) ok so we have the two totes one on top of each other we cut the retangle to mount fans and join top and bottom this means there will be a butterfly bolt through the fan throught the bottom lid and through bottom of top tote you will take third tote and run drain tube down to bottom tote that has the stop cock valve. You will place stop cock at 6" high so that level is always 6" deep. Place your lizer and bouy into bottom tote now keep in mind the ideal temp for root zone is 68 degrees but plants have done ok up into mid 80s so you MIGHT need to run a little portable A/C so I figure if you can keep it under 75 your safe it would be nice to put fans on a rheostat type switch to adjust airflow of fog air mixture now please note this. system can be hybridized by just putting air stones in bottom tank,raising stop cock to about 12" and cutting most of the whole bottom out

 

[GreenThumbSucker]

*(contiued) ok so we have the two totes one on top of each other we cut the retangle to mount fans and join top and bottom this means there will be a butterfly bolt through the fan throught the bottom lid and through bottom of top tote you will take third tote and run drain tube down to bottom tote that has the stop cock valve. You will place stop cock at 6" high so that level is always 6" deep. Place your lizer and bouy into bottom tote now keep in mind the ideal temp for root zone is 68 degrees but plants have done ok up into mid 80s so you MIGHT need to run a little portable A/C so I figure if you can keep it under 75 your safe it would be nice to put fans on a rheostat type switch to adjust airflow of fog air mixture now please note this. system can be hybridized by just putting air stones in bottom tank,raising stop cock to about 12" and cutting most of the whole bottom out

A picture would be nice

 

[HSA]

Hey folks! I hope there are some pros still checking the threads. I'm interested in changing my long running 600w soil grow, over to Aero. I've seen some cool things come from some 5 gallon buckets. Thing is, I don't know the first thing about this and would love for you awesome people to walk me through it. So, from the beginning, walk me through your setup and operating procedures. Please and thank ya!

Jacob:
I really wish there was an easier way, but from what you ask, I’d suggest you RTFB and refer to the following resources. For hydro, Cervantes is probably the best place to start, but don't short change the others because they all have something to say.
1. Read: SeeMoreBud’s, “MARIJUANA BUDS FOR LESS- GROW 8 OZ. OF BUDS FOR LESS THAN $100.” It’s a must for beginning dirt gardeners especially those using CFL’s.
2. You might also want to read: Mc McCarthy’s, “GROWING MARIJUANA.” It’s another good text for dirt gardeners.
3. Read: Jorge Cervantes’s, “MARIJUANA HORTICULTURE THE INDOOR/ OUTDOOR MEDICAL GROWER’S BIBLE.” It’s great for both dirt and hydro.
4. Read: Ed Rosenthal’s, “MARIJUANA GROWER’S HANDBOOK.” It’s very complete.
5. “THE CANNABIS GROW BIBLE- SECOND EDITION,” written by Greg Green, is easily a match, if not better than the ones listed above.
6. You should also subscribe to, “HIGH TIMES,” magazine. Each issue is full of useful information and excellent photography.
7. You might also want to subscribe to www.gardenandgreenhouse.net. It’s free and they offer a monthly news letter that always has a lot of good information, especially for newbies.
8. A lot of local hydroponics stores offer free weekend gardening classes. Admittedly they offer these classes as a means of boosting sales but they also present some good information and they’re frequently taught by experienced gardeners.
All these resources are very well written, well illustrated and packed with information that will answer most of your questions before you know to ask them. Doing your homework before you start to grow by consulting these resources will save you and your plants a lot of stress. These forums are great but often they’re the blind leading the blind and when you do get it from a knowledgeable source they frequently can’t get the information you need to you in a timely fashion. I sincerely hope this helps.

 

[Jacob Patterson]

So I've actually got a book and a DVD of Jorge Cervantes'. Also, just got the See More Buds DVD collection and the book by Rosenthal. Here's to knowledge!! I think this is plenty to start thanks HSA!! Sorry about the delay in responding!

Jacob:
I really wish there was an easier way, but from what you ask, I’d suggest you RTFB and refer to the following resources. For hydro, Cervantes is probably the best place to start, but don't short change the others because they all have something to say.
1. Read: SeeMoreBud’s, “MARIJUANA BUDS FOR LESS- GROW 8 OZ. OF BUDS FOR LESS THAN $100.” It’s a must for beginning dirt gardeners especially those using CFL’s.
2. You might also want to read: Mc McCarthy’s, “GROWING MARIJUANA.” It’s another good text for dirt gardeners.
3. Read: Jorge Cervantes’s, “MARIJUANA HORTICULTURE THE INDOOR/ OUTDOOR MEDICAL GROWER’S BIBLE.” It’s great for both dirt and hydro.
4. Read: Ed Rosenthal’s, “MARIJUANA GROWER’S HANDBOOK.” It’s very complete.
5. “THE CANNABIS GROW BIBLE- SECOND EDITION,” written by Greg Green, is easily a match, if not better than the ones listed above.
6. You should also subscribe to, “HIGH TIMES,” magazine. Each issue is full of useful information and excellent photography.
7. You might also want to subscribe to www.gardenandgreenhouse.net. It’s free and they offer a monthly news letter that always has a lot of good information, especially for newbies.
8. A lot of local hydroponics stores offer free weekend gardening classes. Admittedly they offer these classes as a means of boosting sales but they also present some good information and they’re frequently taught by experienced gardeners.
All these resources are very well written, well illustrated and packed with information that will answer most of your questions before you know to ask them. Doing your homework before you start to grow by consulting these resources will save you and your plants a lot of stress. These forums are great but often they’re the blind leading the blind and when you do get it from a knowledgeable source they frequently can’t get the information you need to you in a timely fashion. I sincerely hope this helps.

 

[aeronaut574]

Sorry I have no way to take picture but its pretty simple to envision I have recently thought a fourth tote just to set the water tote on. So you would have a total of four totes the tote that is setting on top of empty one will have hose going down to nebulizer tote at right level with stop cock valve you will need probably a 400 GPH submersible pump with a pvc pipe in the shape of a T going up thru hole in screening with 6-8 nozzles on T this is to ensure roots get proper droplets to suppliment dry fog which will water the roots but might be difficult for plant to get enough now keep in mind pvc T linear pipe will be slighty offset to one side of vertical pipe because there will be computer fan in the very middle of bottom tote lid so it won't be a perfect T the linear pipe will be set to one side and I was actually thinking of putting like those closet pole Ends/holders inside tote to hold/hang horizontal pvc with a little space beneath pump so it is actually hanging in water thus maybe reducing more vibrations/noise in case you are in an Apt setting I would run pump 10 min every 12 hours and have nebulizer on seperate timer probably something like 1/2 on 2-4 hours off I will check this thread often if anyone has questions so you have fog being blasted up with very small droplets and the nozzles and pump to suppliment any dificiencys in fog droplet size I conluded the internal nozzle pump setup or something similar after looking at the 16-32 site planter on futuregarden they have thier's set up as NFT with a fog pump so actually my design is even closer to true aeroponics