Aeroponic Watering Help

[RagnarLothbrok]

I recently set up a Rainforest 66 Aeroponic system and have my seeds starting out in plugs atm

my question is in the rain forest 66 do I have my sprayer plugged in and going all the time spraying water and nutrients to the roots

or with this system RF66 (Rainforest 66(from general hydroponics)) do I need to have the vortex sprayer plugged into a timer to go off like every half hour for 5 minutes through out the entire day?

If so what type of timer do I get that is good for intervals? my light timer has one program which is you set one time to go on and one time to go off there is no interval setting
where would I get a timer like this and what would it be called

also which is more efficient for plant growth spraying interval or spray 24/7 especially those who are familiar with the Rain Forest 66 aeroponic system; Please any help is great thanks

 

[Old Salt]

I'm not sure about whether or not the sprayer in the Rainforest 66 Aeroponic system should be on an interval timer. If so, look at Permanent Industries' Multi Function Programmable Timer, available through Amazon for $19.99 CAD.

It's the most flexible timer I know of. You can easily set it up as an interval timer. The modes available are:
1. Time of day (up to three ON/OFF cycles per day);
2. Interval timer (hours and minutes ON / hours and minutes OFF);
3. Interval timer (minutes and seconds ON / minutes and seconds OFF);
4. Count down timer (count down and turn OFF);
5. Count down timer (count down and turn ON);
6. Interval Timer on Time of day schedule

In addition, this timer can be set to turn ON/OFF in minutes and seconds by combining the Interval timer (minutes and seconds ON / minutes and seconds OFF), with the Time of day function. This is what I use to automatically water my plants up to three times per day. This timer has no Day of Week functionality

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

I'm not sure about whether or not the sprayer in the Rainforest 66 Aeroponic system should be on an interval timer. If so, look at Permanent Industries' Multi Function Programmable Timer, available through Amazon for $19.99 CAD.

It's the most flexible timer I know of. You can easily set it up as an interval timer. The modes available are:
1. Time of day (up to three ON/OFF cycles per day);
2. Interval timer (hours and minutes ON / hours and minutes OFF);
3. Interval timer (minutes and seconds ON / minutes and seconds OFF);
4. Count down timer (count down and turn OFF);
5. Count down timer (count down and turn ON);
6. Interval Timer on Time of day schedule

In addition, this timer can be set to turn ON/OFF in minutes and seconds by combining the Interval timer (minutes and seconds ON / minutes and seconds OFF), with the Time of day function. This is what I use to automatically water my plants up to three times per day. This timer has no Day of Week functionality

wow I wish I've seen that before I bought one lol i bought a titan control timer off Amazon for $60 I figured I mayaswell and it was the lowest settings I could find I'm gonna have it spray for 5-15 seconds then have it off for 5 minutes than spray again

 

[gr865]

I run the Titan for my DIY EZ Cloner and it works extremely well. I have tried cheap timers and found they fail more often than not.
In cloner I run 3 minutes on and 1.5 minutes off at this point. It works like a champ. IMHO

GR

 

[Old Salt]

I have tried cheap timers and found they fail more often than not.

My Permanent Industries' Multi Function Programmable Timer has been running constantly for 1-1/2 years. I haven't had any problems with it. If I had, I would not have recommended it.

BTW, 25 people have reviewed this timer on Amazon.ca. All but two rated it with four or five stars.

 

[TorturedSoul]

2. Interval timer (hours and minutes ON / hours and minutes OFF);

Would it be possible to use that device to run the lights 16 hours on / 12 hours off throughout the entire flowering cycle? If the intervals are not restricted to being wholly within a 24-hour day (which appears to be the case?), then I am guessing the answer is yes.

Also does it have some kind of battery backup and, if so, does that allow it to keep to the set schedule? In other words, power goes off for three hours, it resumes the schedule "already in progress" instead of merely *pausing* everything for three hours and then your schedule just got pooched?)

 

[Old Salt]

Would it be possible to use that device to run the lights 16 hours on / 12 hours off throughout the entire flowering cycle? If the intervals are not restricted to being wholly within a 24-hour day (which appears to be the case?), then I am guessing the answer is yes.

Yes it can

 

[gr865]

My Permanent Industries' Multi Function Programmable Timer has been running constantly for 1-1/2 years. I haven't had any problems with it. If I had, I would not have recommended it.

BTW, 25 people have reviewed this timer on Amazon.ca. All but two rated it with four or five stars.

Wasn't knocking your recommendation, just gave my opinion on cheap timers. I am glad yours has worked great for you.

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

I run the Titan for my DIY EZ Cloner and it works extremely well. I have tried cheap timers and found they fail more often than not.
In cloner I run 3 minutes on and 1.5 minutes off at this point. It works like a champ. IMHO

GR

I have an ez cloner too, I ran my pump 24/7 last spring without having the airstone or anything on a timer and I cloned and grew things in it just fine without the timer

I was more concerned with the whole aeroponic system being a 24/7 full grow rather than clone but once my timer comes in I'm keen to try it and I'm sure it'll be good

my white widow strains germinated but my haze Xtreme is taking a very long time to germinate

 

[TorturedSoul]

Shouldn't be any harm (to the plants) in running your pump constantly, IF the solution is sufficiently and constantly aerated. Aeration is why a plant can literally spend its entire life with its entire root system submerged in a DWC reservoir - even though one can easily kill a soil-grown plant by overwatering. (This is, of course, my opinion; don't break out the pitchforks and torches if I am later proved to be wrong, lol.)

Yes it can

Nice. I may have to buy one of those when I have more work available. Seems like a good way to keep the DLI up even if one is using lights that are not particularly strong.

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

Shouldn't be any harm (to the plants) in running your pump constantly, IF the solution is sufficiently and constantly aerated. Aeration is why a plant can literally spend its entire life with its entire root system submerged in a DWC reservoir - even though one can easily kill a soil-grown plant by overwatering. (This is, of course, my opinion; don't break out the pitchforks and torches if I am later proved to be wrong, lol.)



Nice. I may have to buy one of those when I have more work available. Seems like a good way to keep the DLI up even if one is using lights that are not particularly strong.

thanks for the comment, I'm sure my roots will eventually end up being in my reservoir I have 13 gallons of water in it and will eventually be filling it up to only 10 gallons as the roots grow and it is extremely well aerated plus with the pump going keeps it circulating too but I'm gonna put a timer on it just to be safe so they'll be getting sprayed every 5 mins for 5 or 15 seconds havnt fully decided probs 15 second plus of they do grow larger they will eventually submerge themselves in the res

but plants adapt to their environment and will get use to absorbing nutes through being sprayed and by being submerged

I've seen lots of other RF66 systems that have grown great plants that obviously would have been sprayed and submerged I'm just not sure if any of them had s timer in their system

 

[gr865]

Shouldn't be any harm (to the plants) in running your pump constantly, IF the solution is sufficiently and constantly aerated. Aeration is why a plant can literally spend its entire life with its entire root system submerged in a DWC reservoir - even though one can easily kill a soil-grown plant by overwatering. (This is, of course, my opinion; don't break out the pitchforks and torches if I am later proved to be wrong, lol.)
Nice. I may have to buy one of those when I have more work available. Seems like a good way to keep the DLI up even if one is using lights that are not particularly strong.

Gonna get my gun, lol, isn't this what these forums are for is opinion and discussion.