Aeroflo with RO water

F

fLaPzZ

Member
Hi all

After 10+ years growing in NFT I've decided to make the switch to the GH aeroflo, and using only RO water rather than the hardish tapwater (0.5 EC or 350ppm @ 0.7) we have around here in the south of England.

I have been solidly reading as many forums and articles I can find trying to decide which nutrient schedule to use. I had pretty much decided on the GH nutes and Lucas formula for the first attempt, but after reading fatman7574's thread "Lucas formula from scratch really", I am doubting this to be the best starting point for me.

Can anyone out there reccomend a good base nutrient schedule to use with the aeroflo / RO combo? I'm willing to do as many res changes and and any other work needed to get it right.

The strain I'm going to growing is the UK Exodus Cheese clone.

Cheers in advance all bongsmilie
 
Brainy

Brainy

Member
Check out www.stinkbuddies.com. He uses Botanicare with his aero system. It's an organic nutrient as well as the Fox Farms that I use. Good luck and post some pics of your buds later. Aero is explosive!
 
Z

zero1776

Active Member
I have a aeroflo60 with a RO unit I use the 3 part flora series running the expert recirculating program works great.Res change weekly.I ran the aeroflo with water in the tubes until roots are protruding out of the baskets then lower the level control tubes all the way aim the holes in the laser line straight across to break the stream of water into droplets.I have a water chiller to keep the Res. temp. in check and started running a cycle timer it made a big difference 5sec on 7min off. Good luck
 
F

fLaPzZ

Member
Thanks for the replies guys. I'll check them both out.

The GH nutrients in Europe seem to be slightly different than the US versions. Kool BLoom and Floralicoius aren't available here, so I'll have to find alternatives.

I'll post some pics when she's up and running, should be later this week!
 
F

fLaPzZ

Member
zero1776 said:
I have a aeroflo60 with a RO unit I use the 3 part flora series running the expert recirculating program works great.Res change weekly.I ran the aeroflo with water in the tubes until roots are protruding out of the baskets then lower the level control tubes all the way aim the holes in the laser line straight across to break the stream of water into droplets.I have a water chiller to keep the Res. temp. in check and started running a cycle timer it made a big difference 5sec on 7min off. Good luck
Click to expand...
Did you used to run the pump 24/7 befreo you started using the cycle timer zero1776?
 
MightyZeppelin

MightyZeppelin

Well-Known Member
Hey fLaPzZ,

I am currently running a AeroFlo 36, the one with the 40 gallon res and six pvc fence posts. I've tried various nutrient methods including just going off the instructions on the GH three part Flora Series bottle. In my opinion (very humble) the Lucas Method is the best. I've got 12 Casey Jones six weeks into bloom right now and they couldn't be happier.
 
F

fLaPzZ

Member
MightyZeppelin said:
Hey fLaPzZ,

I am currently running a AeroFlo 36, the one with the 40 gallon res and six pvc fence posts. I've tried various nutrient methods including just going off the instructions on the GH three part Flora Series bottle. In my opinion (very humble) the Lucas Method is the best. I've got 12 Casey Jones six weeks into bloom right now and they couldn't be happier.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info MZ. I think I might still go with the Lucas myself, it sounds as though your plants are going well.
 
fatman7574

fatman7574

New Member
Even Lucas begrudgingly admits that using all three Bottles (Gro, Bloom and Micro) of the GH Fora line works better than just using Bloom and Micro. Use their nutrient calculator but run EC at all stages of growth then they recommend. Pretty much all the top line mj manufacturers two part formulations are nearly identical.

Combining Dutch Master Gold Grow A and B (N-P-K)(Ca-Mg-S)(B-Cu-Fe-Mn-Mo-Zn)
(565-75-73) (570-75-25) (1-0.4-3-1.5-0.04-5)
Combining GH Flora Gro and Micro
(700-100-700) (500-50-33) (1-1-10-5-0.09-5)
AN Grow and Micro Combined
(600-100-600) (500-123-23) (10-1-8-3-0.09-3)


Combining Dutch Master Bloom A and B
(500-530-630) (230-158-120) (10-3-4-8-0-0.08-5)
Combining GH Flora Bloom and Micro
(500-500-500) (500-150-100) (10-1-8-3-0.09-5)
AN Bloom and Micro Combined
(400-500-400) (500-123-150) (1-1-8-3-0.09-3)
 
F

fLaPzZ

Member
fatman7574 said:
Even Lucas begrudgingly admits that using all three Bottles (Gro, Bloom and Micro) of the GH Fora line works better than just using Bloom and Micro. Use their nutrient calculator but run EC at all stages of growth then they recommend. Pretty much all the top line mj manufacturers two part formulations are nearly identical.

Combining Dutch Master Gold Grow A and B (N-P-K)(Ca-Mg-S)(B-Cu-Fe-Mn-Mo-Zn)
(565-75-73) (570-75-25) (1-0.4-3-1.5-0.04-5)
Combining GH Flora Gro and Micro
(700-100-700) (500-50-33) (1-1-10-5-0.09-5)
AN Grow and Micro Combined
(600-100-600) (500-123-23) (10-1-8-3-0.09-3)


Combining Dutch Master Bloom A and B
(500-530-630) (230-158-120) (10-3-4-8-0-0.08-5)
Combining GH Flora Bloom and Micro
(500-500-500) (500-150-100) (10-1-8-3-0.09-5)
AN Bloom and Micro Combined
(400-500-400) (500-123-150) (1-1-8-3-0.09-3)
Click to expand...
I do have all 3 bottles so I might as well use the gro bottle as well on this first grow with the Aeroflo/Ro water combo.

The Euro version of Floragro has a slightly different N-P-K than the US version, but the Floramicro and Florabloom are the same. Fatman, would you recommend following the GH Europe schedule http://www.eurohydro.com/pdf/tabs/gb/fs-aero.pdf without all the additives, as putting these numbers through the Flora calc seems to give low EC values?
 
fatman7574

fatman7574

New Member
There is no need or appreciable gains by using the supplements. Really about all the supplements that arever needed are those suplied by a Cal-mag with iron supplement. The plants do not have a higher demand for anything during blom, but if you have a recircukatiing esrvoir the nutreint solution needs the skewed ratios to counter all the minerals tied up and precipitated due to increased buffering needs during blooming. The only bio supplement I would consider is for rooting during cloning or early seedling growth. I have no idea what their mineral amgic is but I expecte it is just sodium or potassium silicate. Either are good but I would simply use sodium silicate. It is much, much cheaper than potassium silicate. You use so little that the sodium portion is negligible.
 
F

fLaPzZ

Member
Thanks Fatman. I'm going to do this first Aeroflo grow as basic as possible using only Floragro , micro and bloom.

I came up with some ratio's by looking at the US (http://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/feeding_charts/GH_KeepItSimple_Recirculating.pdf), and Euro version of the feeding schedules for GH Flora nutes (link in my last post).

G M B

Transition 2 - 2 - 2

Bloom 1 - 2 - 3

Late Bloom 0 - 2 - 4

Would these ratios's get me through this grow without deficiencies? I'm planning on keeping the EC between 1.2 and 1.9 ish.
 
fatman7574

fatman7574

New Member
I would increase the Nitrogen so as to provide a ratio nearer 3-1-2 throught out the budding stage. Dropping the ratio down to zero nitrogen will cause death of all the large leaves that are actually responsible for nearly all photosynthesis and transpiration inducement. Your plant will try to draw all its nitrogen from the large leaves (killing them) just to survive, yet alone continue to plump up the bracts. You would basically just be eliminating the photosynthesis at the most important part of the budding cycle. That makes as little sense as flushing for a week or more hoping for a better taste. Hum, taste verus greater potency and a higher yield. How can one ever choose. Simply go for yield and potency. Proper drying and curing will take care of the taste. Besides thanks to Fat Mikie at AN it is now the common Myth that excess phosphorus during budding causes the bad taste in buds. Sad belief but Mikie is a dumb *ss and for some reason people buy his marketing scams. Any way you are not suggesting high levels of Phosphorus. It is strange when tissue samples show higher uptake of nitrogen during budding that you would choose to lower nitrogen. It is not hard to simply cut off your large leaves before smoking the buds (manicuring). The large leaves do a good job of protecting the buds from resin loss and deteriation while they are in bags and handled prior to smoking.
 
F

fLaPzZ

Member
fatman7574 said:
I would increase the Nitrogen so as to provide a ratio nearer 3-1-2 throught out the budding stage. Dropping the ratio down to zero nitrogen will cause death of all the large leaves that are actually responsible for nearly all photosynthesis and transpiration inducement. Your plant will try to draw all its nitrogen from the large leaves (killing them) just to survive, yet alone continue to plump up the bracts. You would basically just be eliminating the photosynthesis at the most important part of the budding cycle. That makes as little sense as flushing for a week or more hoping for a better taste. Hum, taste verus greater potency and a higher yield. How can one ever choose. Simply go for yield and potency. Proper drying and curing will take care of the taste. Besides thanks to Fat Mikie at AN it is now the common Myth that excess phosphorus during budding causes the bad taste in buds. Sad belief but Mikie is a dumb *ss and for some reason people buy his marketing scams. Any way you are not suggesting high levels of Phosphorus. It is strange when tissue samples show higher uptake of nitrogen during budding that you would choose to lower nitrogen. It is not hard to simply cut off your large leaves before smoking the buds (manicuring). The large leaves do a good job of protecting the buds from resin loss and deteriation while they are in bags and handled prior to smoking.
Click to expand...
Do you mean 3-1-2 for the NPK ratio, or 3-1-2 for Gro Micro Bloom (as my ratio's were for GMB which 0-2-4 still has nitrogen in from the micro)?
 
fatman7574

fatman7574

New Member
3-1-2 for a NPK. I simply recommend that veg be Grow and Micro at a 1 to 1 ratio, and budding be Bloom and Micro at a 1 to 1 ratio. Without mixing your own it is hard to get a really good ratios as they formulate for the average grower. Who ever that may be. The average growers using the average system and growing the average strain all at average paramaters. Sounds sorta like pulling a number out of a hat. Lucas is way off at about a 0.66 to 1 to 1.33 ratio. I mix nutrients for recirculation reservoirs for fast SOG Indica grows for friends at a ratio nearer 3 to 1 to 3. But they are hot grows with dehumidifiers, CO2 and lots of transpiration.
 
F

fLaPzZ

Member
Ok I've got it now, thanks fatman, I'm going to try it out when I change the res.

Putting 2.5ml/liter of micro and bloom into the Euro GH calc gives me:

NN AN UN PK Ca Mg S Fe Mn Zn Cu B Mo Co
130 24 0 76 128 50 56 4 1.6 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.09 0.03 @1.7 EC

Using RO water, do you think that's enough Ca & Mg for flowering, or am I going to need supplements?
 
F

fLaPzZ

Member
Although I can't get Cal-Mag over here, Canna sell 1 liter bottles of just Calcium, and just Magnesium, so I'll get a bottle of each just in case.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top