Hydro and Aero growers opinions needed please!!!!+rep

[Bluegrassgrower]

Whats up everybody, I have a question for all you hydro and aero growers out there. In your opinions what is the best or easiest system to maintain, or the better yielding if there is one? I have ran soil for many years along with DWC and I am looking at buying into either two 3x3 flood trays for a flood and drain setup or building a NFT or aeroponics setup in the 4" pvc fence posts. Space will be somewhere around 4x8 with two 600w and I am also looking at the minigen co2 generators coupled with a ppm meter. im really trying to decide what would be my best option for my space. Also with the 3x3 flood trays what is the best way to grow them in the trays? bed style in hydroton or in individual 8-10" net pots? the hydro store was telling me they had good results with hydroton in fabric pots but I wasn't sure if that would restrict root growth. I am currently running a general hydro flora series feeding schedule with some additives but am also looking at switching to ROCK nutrient line up if any of you have any experience with their line up. +rep for any help or opinions!

 

[UncleReemis]

Combining true aeroponics (misting) with sprayponics (I call it that because it isn't real aero) would give you optimum results, in my opinion, from what I've researched. And it is better to use some sort of pots in the tray rather than none at all. I'm sure fabric pots would be fine as long as you sized them appropriately. Or just buy those cheap plastic pots with drain holes, embed them in the pebbles and wallah.

 

[superstoner1]

I love the rails. A pound a week.

 

[Aeroknow]

Combining true aeroponics (misting) with sprayponics (I call it that because it isn't real aero) would give you optimum results, in my opinion, from what I've researched. And it is better to use some sort of pots in the tray rather than none at all. I'm sure fabric pots would be fine as long as you sized them appropriately. Or just buy those cheap plastic pots with drain holes, embed them in the pebbles and wallah.

I sort of mentioned this in another thread: Aeroflo style tubes! Homemade though. I always built 6" round ones. Bigger "piss" holes(just big enough for a wire coat hanger to clear potential plugs down the road). And more pressure/bigger pump, then what aeroflo uses. Them style tubes straight rock.
Starts out Rdwc, while rizers are all the way up. Then when roots have dropped, shorten rizers to an inch. Then it's Aero/recirc shalow water culture/sorta nft.
Yes, it's Aero.
As the high pressure streams of solution hit the shallow solution in the bottom of tubes, a splashing and bubbling effect happens. Bubbles difuse and misting happens.
We were building these things well before some supposed NASA engineer designed them lol. I am so very surprised that more people in here don't talk about this setup. Rooted cuts go straight into flower, and lookout!
I don't rock the tubes anymore because of plant counts, but did I say those tubes rock yet?

 

[Aeroknow]

Btw, it's probably NOT a coincidence that general hydroponics invented the aeroflo after we did. Gh is only 80 miles away from where we came up with the idea. We hooked up heads, who hooked up heads, all over the bay area, starting around 1991.
Not saying that no one else could have came up with the idea besides us.
But................

 

[Bluegrassgrower]

Thanks guys, superstoner between you and stinkbud that's where I got the idea with the rails. love the perpetual you have going and that is what I am going for not exactly on the pound a week scale yet though haha. with the aeroponics is a interval timer put around 1 minute on 5 minutes off what works best? im ultimately deciding what method I am gonna go with based on whether I will to continue to scrog plants or go with more of a SOG style in the aero or tables. thanks again!

 

[UncleReemis]

Ah makes sense and sounds very cool. I just meant without the proper water droplet size caused by misting, it becomes simply altered DWC. This is because people take low pressure pumps and those cheap red sprayers and call it true aeroponics. But what you're talking about does indeed seem to be TRUE aero . Eventually, I plan to construct a pvc aero system with an atomizer or fogger combined with 1'' feed tubes with 1/16 holes drilled in them. This way, I get the delicate micron-sized droplets from fogging combined with the spraying. People have argued that plants can be supported by just fogging, but counter arguments are also convincing. :S But there's a decent chance that I'll be asking you some questions down the road

 

[Aeroknow]

Ah makes sense and sounds very cool. I just meant without the proper water droplet size caused by misting, it becomes simply altered DWC. This is because people take low pressure pumps and those cheap red sprayers and call it true aeroponics. But what you're talking about does indeed seem to be TRUE aero . Eventually, I plan to construct a pvc aero system with an atomizer or fogger combined with 1'' feed tubes with 1/16 holes drilled in them. This way, I get the delicate micron-sized droplets from fogging combined with the spraying. People have argued that plants can be supported by just fogging, but counter arguments are also convincing. :S But there's a decent chance that I'll be asking you some questions down the road

Yes, adding the fog, would be the only way to improve on them tubes, IMO. Sounds like a plan
It's getting time for me to quit talking about it, and fire some tubes up again. Peace

 

[midnitetoak]

I agree aero is the shit...was growing in DWC for about a year & dirt closets years before that. Its so much easier & the results are astounding compared to any other grow method in my limited exp. I also agree the best way is to build them yourself- I used 4" tubes & spaced the netpot holes too tight- design flaw-when I redo this for next run I would use 6" tubes & space them out- might even get a longer tent to accommodate more plants. Go aero yo

 

[midnitetoak]

Thanks guys, superstoner between you and stinkbud that's where I got the idea with the rails. love the perpetual you have going and that is what I am going for not exactly on the pound a week scale yet though haha. with the aeroponics is a interval timer put around 1 minute on 5 minutes off what works best? im ultimately deciding what method I am gonna go with based on whether I will to continue to scrog plants or go with more of a SOG style in the aero or tables. thanks again!

I rooted mine out in rockwool & set it to 1 on 5 off in the beginning but they were getting saturated- switched to 1 on 12 off for awhile until the roots were well established- then ended up back at 1 on 5 off. I'm saying that's a good interval if your roots are hanging from a netpot without assistance-I used to SCROG my plants too but in aero they grow so fast I think a SOG strategy might be more effective- my concern is large plants on a long veg might allow the roots to clog up the tubes. More plants fast veg quick changeover seems to be what aero does best

 

[superstoner1]

I do 80sec on, 8min off.

 

[Aeroknow]

I agree aero is the shit...was growing in DWC for about a year & dirt closets years before that. Its so much easier & the results are astounding compared to any other grow method in my limited exp. I also agree the best way is to build them yourself- I used 4" tubes & spaced the netpot holes too tight- design flaw-when I redo this for next run I would use 6" tubes & space them out- might even get a longer tent to accommodate more plants. Go aero yo

Yeah, it was always 6" round for me. And they didn't have square available back then. Later on, when i did try square ones, i was not so impressed by it's performance. My local hydro shop scored the blanks directly from Gh.
Anyways, tubes were spaced 11" on center. I always did about 11" spacing on my holes. As time went on, and i started improving on the design, i added extra holes in between, rite where the "pisser" holes are, on the spray pipe(1/2 inch pvc),inside the tube. I covered those holes with net baskets filled w/hydroton.
So what we ended up with, was 16 plants per 1k light. Thats to many plants for my setups these days. What i have always wanted to do was build some 8" versions, and try some trees. Only problem is it would hold way to much fluid at first(when rizers are up). But if i got the roots dropped first, in my regular 6" tubes first. Hmmmmmmmm

 

[midnitetoak]

I agree 4" fence posts seem shallow- 6" tubes plus support for a long veg could easily be viable- like you say DIY is best because it can cheaply be modified for improved design

 

[midnitetoak]

The plants seem to like extra air time...but hate to dry them out -they are so happy...was thinking about the possibility of lengthening the interval- I bet they would be fine at 8 min off