What is the proper water temperature for cloning using a cloning machine

Or_Gro

Well-Known Member
Water temp is always a tradeoff between metabolism and molecular oxygen content.

Within a reasonable range, the lower the temp, the more molecular oxygen water can hold, the higher the temp the higher metabolic rate in plant tissues. Growers get away with near 80F temps in aerocloners cuz the misters add so much air to the water....

Higher water temp and lower molecular oxygen also makes for great environment for undesirable microbes.

I like 68F water temp, no roots no nutes, hydroguard or garden friendly fungicide, pH 6.0-6.1, humidity dome w at least 70% rh, air temp 75-78F, and light ~50 ppfd.

Use frozen water bottles or chiller to cool water, use incandescent lights to warm air. Pumps add heat, so timing reasonable intermittent on/off can reduce heat.

Around 10 days to roots, near 100% survival.

Day 6 since cutting:
5382A0A1-590A-4D86-9ED5-B52528BF5501.jpeg
(Ignore temp/rh meter, dome off door open)
 
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JSB99

Well-Known Member
The funk is slime in your res. Algae, and bacteria. Will lead to quick root rot. If your clone gets slime, it's about as good as gone.
That's why I scrub and spray bleach/water mix (1:5) every four or five days, when I swap the water.
 

JSB99

Well-Known Member
Lotta needless work, if you just control your temps and use hydroguard or gff...
My temps are always in check, and I've never had to use Hydrogaurd, but I'm in the habit of sterilizing everything. Nothing extensive, just a minute with Dawn and a sponge, and a quick spray of bleach.
 

Or_Gro

Well-Known Member
My temps are always in check, and I've never had to use Hydrogaurd, but I'm in the habit of sterilizing everything. Nothing extensive, just a minute with Dawn and a sponge, and a quick spray of bleach.
Whatever trips your trigger, dude...
 

DaFreak

Well-Known Member
I've been using aero-cloners for decades now and I just use whatever dish detergent my wife buys that week to clean it. No problems. In fact I'm a lazy bastard and I've actually done 2 cycles on the same Rez before because I had to stick my hands down my pants and watch something stupid on TV that night.

On a serious note, DCyans was a grower who made great cloners and did many years of testing and notes on aero-cloning and if I remember right he noted that cuts rooted fastest at 5.3 pH.
 

JSB99

Well-Known Member
This is how I keep my cloner cool, when the roots have formed. A single frozen jug lasts the entire day. I have a couple inches of water in the bottom container. Much better contact with the cloner surfaces. My temp drops from 75 to 65, and stays there.



A towel provides insulation and keeps the jug frozen much longer


I just moved these two littles into mini dwc buckets, later into the tent. Same cooling applies.
 

Or_Gro

Well-Known Member
This is how I keep my cloner cool, when the roots have formed. A single frozen jug lasts the entire day. I have a couple inches of water in the bottom container. Much better contact with the cloner surfaces. My temp drops from 75 to 65, and stays there.



A towel provides insulation and keeps the jug frozen much longer


I just moved these two littles into mini dwc buckets, later into the tent. Same cooling applies.
You’ve got the manual cooling down, dude!

But those biggass netpots waste so much water....
 
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DaFreak

Well-Known Member
Or-gro I tried using that yellow top home-depot or the other one, forget which, but it sucked so bad. Couldn't get it to stop leaking out the sides. I gave up on making my own because I couldn't find a plastic box that was right. Made dozens before in a different country and they all worked. For some reason American plastic boxes suck.
 

Or_Gro

Well-Known Member
Or-gro I tried using that yellow top home-depot or the other one, forget which, but it sucked so bad. Couldn't get it to stop leaking out the sides. I gave up on making my own because I couldn't find a plastic box that was right. Made dozens before in a different country and they all worked. For some reason American plastic boxes suck.
Yep, you’ve got to install weatherstripping, in the lid, to seal them...basically, they need a gasket...

D01DE0FD-6C7E-4A46-8EE8-6B22814DA85B.jpeg

Don’t give up, man...here’s what you need:

0049B35C-B4AF-4491-AFE2-9AB3956300F9.jpeg

Make your own dome with pvc and saran wrap...
 
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JSB99

Well-Known Member
Or-gro I tried using that yellow top home-depot or the other one, forget which, but it sucked so bad. Couldn't get it to stop leaking out the sides. I gave up on making my own because I couldn't find a plastic box that was right. Made dozens before in a different country and they all worked. For some reason American plastic boxes suck.
I've always had issues with aerocloners leaking. It's why I only use bubble cloners. Works the same.
 
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