tubes or bucket?

HPA or LPA, your thoughts on both please:

-8'x8' square foot space with almost 8 feet of height
-4k total lighting

5 gallon buckets, 1 plant per.
or
10" tubes 7.5' lengths


Have had some experience with both but not this size of grow, need some opinions. Still designing a build at the moment.

im not really into lpa so no comment there, but i would build big chambers. either 2 4x8foot or 4 4x4foot chambers. tubes and buckets suck as the mist isnt able to spread out and disperse.

Thanks for the input oxanaca.

Scratch the tubes, the volume is too small.

What do you guys think of (4) 40 gallon containers under each 1kw light? 16 pods total under 4kw. The container measures 2' x 2' x 1.5' approximately. I like the idea of individual pods per plant instead of having a large pod for multiple plants.

Trying to cut plant numbers down and grow a bit larger than lollipops, perhaps 1.5# a light ideally.

i only grow sog, but i understand what your saying.

unfortuanatly i think your going to have problems growing huge plants like that with HPA as once the roots system gets so big the mist has a hard time penetrating deep inside. this causes the inside to dry out and die.
although if you check out treefarmers aero thread he grew some pretty big plants with HPA check it out

https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/254876-my-true-hp-aero-plug.html

I would do LPA use a iwaki 30rlz pump per [email protected] spray nozzles this would run a spray pressure of 12 psi you will also need at least 1 large 3 way valve or a 3 way valve per nozzle. Iwaki pumps are not made to start and stop 3 way valve is used to divert flow to reservoir until spray is needed. Also need a timer. HPA whole different animal you need large net pots and a large root chamber done both and LPA system set up correct has a lot less issues and a smaller foot print. Square footage is gold Use it wisely....

hammer21 said:

I would do LPA use a iwaki 30rlz pump per [email protected] spray nozzles this would run a spray pressure of 12 psi you will also need at least 1 large 3 way valve or a 3 way valve per nozzle. Iwaki pumps are not made to start and stop 3 way valve is used to divert flow to reservoir until spray is needed. Also need a timer. HPA whole different animal you need large net pots and a large root chamber done both and LPA system set up correct has a lot less issues and a smaller foot print. Square footage is gold Use it wisely....

Click to expand...

damn thats an expensive little pump. what kind of results are you seeing these days

oxanaca said:

damn thats an expensive little pump. what kind of results are you seeing these days

Click to expand...

Better and easier than HPA...if everyone was the same no one would be different.....don't get me wrong hpa has its place.

That's good advice, hammer21. I would want to maximize the space to the best of my ability.

If you were using 4'x4' pods, so 4 total in the tent. How many plants would you put in each pod?

Also, what's the general rule for amount of nozzles per plant? 2?


That pump looks really nice, although for stealth purposes cannot be running a pump constantly so I have to make use of an accumulator tank. Was planning on having the (4) 4'x4' pods run off 1 accumulator and pump.

bobpoon said:

That's good advice, hammer21. I would want to maximize the space to the best of my ability.

If you were using 4'x4' pods, so 4 total in the tent. How many plants would you put in each pod?

If using 4'x4' pods I would put only 1 plant per pod and use a 8-12" net pot then do a scrog.

Also, what's the general rule for amount of nozzles per plant? 2?

I would do 4 one in each corner 3/4 of the way down facing the net pot.


That pump looks really nice, although for stealth purposes cannot be running a pump constantly so I have to make use of an accumulator tank. Was planning on having the (4) 4'x4' pods run off 1 accumulator and pump.

Click to expand...

The iwaki 30 rlz pumps are very very quite you can not hear it run at all very stealth. Now the bad a high pressure diagram pump very very loud.

Accumulators make sure you get a bladder tank not a diagram tank huge difference.

If I had those tubes I would run those and do the LPA system you would not regret the decision.

John guest fittings and tubing you will get to know them well.

just remember large pods and large net pots are the key in hpa anything less failure............

Good luck...

What kind of hard tubing do you recommend? I was planning on having pvc or something coming off the pump to 4 solenoids then reduce them down to multiple 1/4 nozzles for each 4'x4' pod. I think I saw one of those multi tap 1/4" manifolds that seemed appealing (not diy.)

I want to be able to adjust the sprayer heights or maybe have 1 set at the bottom of the container, once the roots hit the bottom, turn on a valve to redirect water into sprayers at the top? So 2 sets of sprayers, 1 at the top and 1 along the bottom.... just an idea

bobpoon said:

What kind of hard tubing do you recommend?

I would use 1/2" john guest tubing from pump to a sch 80 1/2" PVC manifold then 1/4" john guest tubing to all the solenoids.

I was planning on having pvc or something coming off the pump to 4 solenoids then reduce them down to multiple 1/4 nozzles for each 4'x4' pod. I think I saw one of those multi tap 1/4" manifolds that seemed appealing (not diy.)

I want to be able to adjust the sprayer heights or maybe have 1 set at the bottom of the container, once the roots hit the bottom, turn on a valve to redirect water into sprayers at the top? So 2 sets of sprayers, 1 at the top and 1 along the bottom.... just an idea

Click to expand...

get some polypropylene rod it is easy to tap and work with get some cord grips slide the cord grips over the rod make a bracket that will attach to threaded end of cord grip to mount sprayer to.

Thanks for the recommendation on the tubing.

If the pump is quiet, is there any point of having the accumulator?

Also I noticed you recommended running at 12 psi approx. any benefit from doing a hybrid system (medium pressure)? Say 40-60 psi..

I have 2 years experience fucking with hpa. It is very finicky to get 100%.

The biggest problem is the uncontrollables- ambient temps/humidity/ heat penetration into the pod from the lights above...

However, the experience helped me to develop a system that would provide the cotton candy roots. Of special noe is I did not wind up with massive roots, ala hpa. It would appear they are not necessary to grow PHAT-ass plants

See 3rd thread in my sig Drain-to-Waste 320gph pump.

One completed grow under my belt, I have learned enough and tweaked it enough to call it HH 2.0

Here's some pics from first go-round. More and better root shots in the thread

Thanks for the input pet flora.

I was very intrigued by hp but with a system the size I'm building there are too many factors that could go wrong. I want to keep it somewhat simple and minimize my risk of component failure.

I'm constantly adjusting the design based on my findings.

In lpa, do you even need an accumulator or solenoid control?

You're welcome!

No, but neither can you use misting heads. IMO, when it's done right, you can't beat watering from the top down

bobpoon said:

Thanks for the input pet flora.

I was very intrigued by hp but with a system the size I'm building there are too many factors that could go wrong. I want to keep it somewhat simple and minimize my risk of component failure.

I'm constantly adjusting the design based on my findings.

In lpa, do you even need an accumulator or solenoid control?

Click to expand...

In a LPA you do not need a accumulator or fancy spray nozzles you will need 3 way solenoid. Very simple set up also pet has a simple set up as well. I would stay clear of HPA it will work but to much with to little reward you have been warned.

It's nice to hear you're looking out for me, hammer21. I'm a fan of k.i.s.s.

What's the 3 way solenoid for?

3 way solenoids have a normally open port this allows fluid to pass threw the valve back to your reservoir when the solenoid is energized the fluid then goes to your sprayer. The solenoid will have 3 ports ,common, normally open, normally closed.

A general design layout of the watering system and plant positions in the pods. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

-Just to clean up the tubing and stuff, will be using T's off the main line to the sprayer lines. In the drawing the sprayer lines are staggered.

Pods are 4'x4'x(unsure of height at the moment)
All are elevated on 2"x6"s to allow return lines to drain. Pods are angled towards the center of the room slightly for better draining.

3" net pots are used. 16 plants per pod.

Sprayers used:
-(9) 360 degrees sprayer bulkheads
-(4) 180 degrees sprayer bulkheads - located at the walls spraying towards the center

Based on the design, is 13 nozzles enough for this pod?

If so, can the iwaki 30rlz handle 52 sprayers for all 4 pods in that room?


Going with the 9'x9'x8' gorilla tent as of now. I needed more space for movement and such, it would have felt a little tight in a 8x8x8. The tent comes with built in trelis netting for sog which is nice so ideally a full canopy is what I'm shooting for.

Iwaki 30 RLZT pump will do 16 360 degree cloner spray heads. (Find spray heads with 0.40 hole) system will run at 12 psi.
Iwaki 70 RLZT pump will do 40 360 degree cloner spray heads.
3 way solenoid with a minimum 1/2" orifice
bio diesel filter that fits on a 5 gallon bucket use this as a return filter inside of sump.
your sog pods bad idea mj roots are to big and you will have nothing but problems.
if you want a sog do flood tables with coco or rock wool