Indica HPA Aeroponic Grow Experiment 2020

leblanca

Well-Known Member
Hello!
This journal will be about an Indica grow in a HPA aeroponic setup with HID Lighting.
5 Strain had been chosen for the experiment.
  • 3X Purple Bud
  • 3X Tangerine Dream
  • 3X Blueberry
  • 3X Warlock
  • 3X Strawberry Diesel
The Growing Medium will be a 1in rockwool cube in a 3in net with Clay pellets.

The aeroponic setup was built over the last 3 months, i will include pictures of the setup.
I am using 2x 1000W MH and HPS light in a 8'x 4' Tent 9' high with the extensions.
There is 5 totes of 50 Gal.
Each totes has 6 Nozzles anti-drip 2x @ 0.014in and 4x @0.012in.
The first pressure switch is adjusted to close at 130 psi and open at 148 psi, the second pressure switch is adjusted to close at 115 psi and open at 148 psi.
Im thinking of having 2 second on and 10 min off on my timer with a 5 min interval on each timer.
The system use an accumulator, solenoids and pumps, line filter, pressure relief valve, pressure gauge and more fittings than i can think of.
I also installed a UPS of 900VA on the pumps and timer with solenoids to maintain water in case of power failure.
Im also trying a air conditioned air box around the root chamber to cool down the root area from overheating, this is very experimental so hope it helps.
For ventilation there is a 800CFM intake fan and sam CFM for exhaust in the garage.
The tent has 4 circulation fans, 2 fans for cooling the light and 2 fans for tent air circulation with a charcoal filter.
There is an additional 2 fans for circulation air in and out of the air box that cools the root zone.
The system will be running on RO water with Emerald Harvest fertilizer chart 3 part and drain to waste.
The garage has no drain or water so i have to pump the water from my basement to my garage, so i made a heat traced hose for moving water when its -30 .c.
Also had to install a 45Gal. Drain tank which is very thin, a local business had it but its expansive...
A hose gets connected between my basement RO water supply / drain to the Drain / water tank in the garage.
I pump RO water in the garage, than pump the drain tank back in the drain of the house with the same hose and than open an air valve connected to an air tank to push all the water out of the hose in the drain of the house.

The seedling have been started in 5.5 ph adjusted rockwool under a 100W COB with lens with a heat mat set at 26 .c the 10 February 2020
The 15 seed sprouted and all seedling were looking ok by the 13 february, little tap root was reaching for the water lower so i prepared some nuts at 100ppm and changed the waterthe 17 february , went out of town for work and came back the 21 february and 7 out of them got damping off... made a mistake and used an old bucket that was used for gardening before to prepare my nuts mix and i had only rinced it so i probably got some fungus in my plants.
A few more really struggle to keep it together but i might end up saving 6 out of the 15 to go in the Grow tent.
So out of the lot we have left and alive
  • 1X Purple Bud
  • 2X Tangerine Dream
  • 2X Blueberry
  • 1X Warlock
  • 0.3X Strawberry diesel...
Friday will be the transplant in the tent as the roots of some of them is already 4in long and they are near 3 in.
 

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Today the plants have been transfered to the aeroponic system, this will be the test that determine if the aeroponic system i designed works...
I have filled a 55 Gallon drum with 30 Gallon of water, Added 30 ml of micro, 60 ml of grow, 30 ml of bloom and 15 ml of cal mag, and adjusted the PH.
Solution is at 280 ppm 5.6 PH
Adjusted the 2 1000W to 60%
Transferred the plants to their 3in net pot and filled in the gap with cleaned clay pebbles and put a 3in foam colar on top the net to prevent light from reaching in the tank, when they are taller i will add a protecting white plastic on the totes to help keep everything cool.
 

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Wow! This is quite a set up and you have put a LOT of planning into this...
Probably what mine would look like if there weren't a Mrs Cough to pump the breaks on my "household Engineering" projects LOL
She says it's perfectly fine to leave the Engineering at work LOL
 
Thanks a lot, yeah i have put quiet some time and money into this project, but it might prove to be quiet rewarding or so i hope.
I feel you, i have the garage to do my household engineering project so i take full advantage of it :D
Why not use your talent for home too right?
 
Wow. Very intricate set up bro! Very impressive.

when you upload tour photos you should click on full image below the text box, so it doesn’t come up as a thumbnail.

you can also add photos to the media gallery so your aloud to post as many photos as you want, unless your only aloud ten at a time. I’m subbed in and will follow along! :popcorn:
 
Question, have you established a way to monitor and control your water temps to stay in the "sweet spot"?
During my brief stint at hydroponics I struggled with high water temps and it seemed the longer i went the more gear and redundant systems were needed just to keep it stable. Also, probably didn't help doing it in my garage during the hottest part of summer. Wasn't ready to pay $$$ for a decent water chiller and was looking at crafting one by putting a bucket of chilled water in a mini fridge at coldest setting with about 20' of copper tubing coiled up inside it and pumping my reservoir water through the wall of the fridge, though the chilled copper tubing and back to the res but i waited too long and the slime took over.
Fortunately you're not starting in the summer and have time to adapt.
Also, before the plants take off i would highly recommend dialing in how to clean and sterilize your system while it's not full of monster plants.
(It's kind of like working on a car while driving it)
Looking forward to following your grow!
 
Thanks, its gone take some time to get it adjusted properly, hopefully i dont lose much plants.
Today i went check on the plants and 2 of them were showing signs of a lack of water.
I changed my water cycle from 2 sec on 5 min off to 3 sec on 4 min off.
Moved 2 plants to a different location on the totes.
One of the blueberry has its roots very dry, and the head is upside down, i might lose it, i dipped the roots in water to give it a chance before putting it back in the tent.
20200229_083107.jpg
 
Question, have you established a way to monitor and control your water temps to stay in the "sweet spot"?
During my brief stint at hydroponics I struggled with high water temps and it seemed the longer i went the more gear and redundant systems were needed just to keep it stable. Also, probably didn't help doing it in my garage during the hottest part of summer. Wasn't ready to pay $$$ for a decent water chiller and was looking at crafting one by putting a bucket of chilled water in a mini fridge at coldest setting with about 20' of copper tubing coiled up inside it and pumping my reservoir water through the wall of the fridge, though the chilled copper tubing and back to the res but i waited too long and the slime took over.
Fortunately you're not starting in the summer and have time to adapt.
Also, before the plants take off i would highly recommend dialing in how to clean and sterilize your system while it's not full of monster plants.
(It's kind of like working on a car while driving it)
Looking forward to following your grow!

I have decided to use a chiller as the box where the totes are have an AC blowing air around the totes and the water supply hose are there so im hopping for it to chill the water slightly.
I have installed a Bluelab PH/EC/temp monitor in my nute res to make sure my settings are good.
I have a 2nd AC for the garage if needed if it gets really hot this summer.
I am thinking of passing hot water with some h2o2 after each grow.
 
Today the blueberry that was having a hard time finally kicked the bucket, that leave
  • 1 Blueberry
  • 1 Warlock
  • 2 Tangerine dream
  • 1 Purple bud
I also noticed that i was going through too much water with the current misting cycle, i adjusted the misting frequency to 2 sec on 4 min off.
Had to add another 20 Gal of water but the Emerald Harvest fertiliser is tricky since you have to mix 2 part in a specific order so adding more fertiliser of the first part is not possible once you make your nute, i had to prepare 5 gal jug and add it to my 55 gal drum.
Its been 48H the plants are in the aeroponic system, and are still alive for the most part.
I am struggling with the humidity , its so dry here i have 2 small household humidifier pushing air in the inlet of my air cicucation duct and i barely keep 28%, im thinking i might have to buy one of those (Humidifier) but the price tag is not great...


The Last Blueberry alive
20200301_142310.jpg



Warlock struggling to keep it together.
20200301_142351.jpg




Tangerine Dream, not sure this guy will make it through.

20200301_142429.jpg



Another Tangerine but doing a lot better.

20200301_142421.jpg



Purple Bud, seem to be doing well

20200301_142444.jpg



20200301_142507.jpg
 
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