Detailed Discription of My Aeroponic Setup(Need feedback)

Hello rollitup community,

I am new to this forum, but I need as much feedback and criticism as possible. I am currently in the R&D stages of my project, I have not begun purchasing any equipment, my goal is to have as much as possible planned, and to acquire as much knowledge as I can in the next few months before I am in the financial situation to begin the project.
I don't want to be a farmer who learns as they grow, I want to be as prepared as possible to give my plants and patients the best quality of life and herb that my financial and spacial situation will allow.
So, I have made a list of everything I will need, and all prices are rounded up. I would greatly appreciate it if you ladies and gentlemen could review my list and give any criticism or feedback you might have.

Veg Stage: I will have 4 plants(2 in veg, and 2 clones) in a separate 27 gallon reservoir under a 600watt MH Lamp.(in a 2x2 or 4x4 space the 600watt MH will allow between 10,500-21,000 Lumens per square foot)
Flowering stage: I will have 2 plants in a 27 gallon reservoir under a 600watt 2700/3000k HPS Lamp.(In a 4x4 tent the 600watt HPS will allow the ideal 15,000 Lumens per square foot.)
My Goal: To produce 6-10 oz. every one or two months(based on what my patients need and my personal use)


CARBON FILTERS(Kmart,Staples,Petco)
(2)Knee High Sandalfoot Queen Size Black 6 Pairs $6.00
(2)Small Pen Holder $5.00
(2)Large Pen Holder $15.00
Petco Activated Carbon $10.00
http://forum.grasscity.com/do-yourself/569506-diy-carbon-filter-compendium.html
Total $35

SUPPLEMENT ITEMS
Technaflora recipe for success nutrient pack $25($50 for two)
Growing tent. $150
pH Pen $30
(2)24-hour timers $20
Thermometer/Hygrometer $10
(2)Figure 8 Power Cord $10
Reverse Osmosis System $200(Only if necessary)
Total $245 - 425

LIGHTS
600 watt HPS and MH bulb with Ballast/Reflector $170
600 watt Ballast $100
19" wing reflector $40
Total $310

AEROPONIC SYSTEMS
100 Gallon Air Pump $40
Micro-Bubble/air stones $50
Water Pumps(1000gph and 250gph) $75
(2)Home depot 27 gallon Reservoir $30
(50)Micro Misters(red or black) $15
( 8 )1/2 PVC Elbow 3-way pipe connectors $10
(7)1/2" PVC pipe tee connectors $5
(2)27 gallon reservoir black and yellow $30
24 feet of 1/2" PVC Pipe $30
( 8 )1/2" PVC caps $5
(2)90 degree PVC slip connector $1
2" and 5" Net Pots $10
Total $300

Rough Total for everything $900-1200


I look forward to hearing from all of you, and thank you in advance!

P.S. I will be using Hydroton pellets as my feeding/growing medium, I just don't know how much I will be needing yet. But I feel in aeroponics, seeing as you water the roots and not the medium I'll also be reusing the pellets once correctly cleaned.

adimlabs said:

Hello rollitup community,
In a 4x4 tent the 400watt HPS will allow the ideal 10,000 Lumens per square foot

Click to expand...

Ftw? You can put 600 to 1000 watt in a 4x4, and get more / better bud, provided there isn't too much heat buildup (both in the tent and with the water)

Also your overpaying by buying the lights / bulbs separate. You can get a 600 watt kit (hps and mh) for $170 on amazon and it'll be good.

Also, I don't know anyone who uses PH strips. I don't think the normal ones (ie: the wide range, like 4-12) are able to let you get a good read between 5.5 and 6. They make shorter range PH strips, but I've only ever seen them on eBay, and they were expensive. You can get a PH tester with solution and PH up / down for like $15, general hydroponics seems to be the one the hydro shops carry.

thats like somebody that has a riding mower wanting to join a f1 race, and expecting to win. you cant just start something and not expect to have a learning curve. hell, ive done this for years, on a much larger grow than you have planned, and i still learn new things. and with the 400w in flower you will be lucky to see 3-4oz total.

Hey guys,

Thanks to both of you for quick replies!

@tibberous - Great feedback and information, thank you so much. I would love to run two 600 watt bulbs, and I believe I found the amazon deal you are talking about. With that bargain, buying second ballast and reflector for my veg stage comes out at the same price with a great upgrade. Thanks for the information! I'll look into buying larger ranged pH testers.

@superstoner1 - I appreciate the criticism, but I never said I planned on being an expert. I simply said I wanted to know as much as possible before I started my project. Increase my yield and prevent as many hiccups as possible before even germinating my seeds. I appreciate the realistic feedback on the yeild, I'll be looking into getting higher Wattage Bulbs. That's why I am here, to learn.

i wasnt meaning to be overly critica, it was meant to be realistic. i also was very prepared to start, read for months, had solid experienced growers to assist with ideas, and i am very handy with building things and catching onto things. i was also very lucky in that being prepared did save me from having a lot of the issues noobs have, mostly environmental related. that said, it took me a few harvests to get where my goal was and the first couple werent even half of what i expected. using the same everything, including strains, nutes, rooms, i went from 6-8oz to now around 40+oz every harvest. biggest piece of advice is relax, after a few you will realize that it takes a lot less effort to grow more than working your ass off to grow less.

That's great advice, thank you Superstoner, and I appreciate you taking time to post and expand on what you had originally said.
Treat it like a business, it usually takes a year or two before you start seeing profit. When growing, expect to have a couple of harvests that aren't great before you start to succeed. That's great advice, and I'm very, very thankful for your input.
Do you have any journals of your past or current grow ops?

i had a big one on another site that is no longer around. i have a decent thread here in hydro, my 3 stages of flower.