Here's my aeroponic cloner system I built. It seems to work ok, I have had 5 test clones in it for 5 days now. No roots yet, hopefully soon!
18 Gallon tub with lid from Target
Petco 220 GHP pump, donated from someone's failed hydroponic grow.
1 round airstone, donated.
1/2" PVC pipe (about 5-6 feet of it), 3 T's, 4 90 degree elbows
PVC adapter, goes from 1/2" PVC pipe on one end to 1/2" NPT pipe thread on the other. Screws right into the pump! Cost 25 cents at Home Depot!
Spray tips - Home Depot B.I.G. brand 112B 360 degree red tops and 111B 180 degree blue tops
Bag of 25 1-5/8" neoprene discs
Tools needed - hacksaw blade, file, drill, ruler, 1-1/2" hole cutter, drill bit and tap for 10-32 fine thread. Home Depot had it all except I borrowed the drill from a neighbor.
Construction was easy. I first installed the 360 red top spray nozzles, but they were getting clogged way too quickly. The pump may have had some gunk left in it. The new blue 180 degree spray tips spray much more volume and are better. Need to get another 10 pack to change the last 4 red tips out. With red tip 360 degree sprayers, water never got outside even with the lid off. Not like that with the 180 degree blue tips! They throw water 4-5 inches above the edge of the tub!
Water used is RO water, PH'd between 5.7 and 6.5. 5 gallons. No additives except for 1 100mg Vitamin B1 tablet per gallon. I was thinking of adding a rooting enhancer but that stuff is $20-$30 fora little bottle! Damn! I feel like the water needs something in it.
I have had to adjust the PH down several times. After 2 days it rose from 6.0 to 6.8 . I knocked it to 5.7. 2 days later it was up to 6.3, I put it back down to 6.0 and it is there now.
Only real problem has been keeping the water temperature under control. Most of the time the temp has been between 73-85, It goes up and I was away from home once all day and it got to 88. All I can figure is that heat from the pump heats it, room temp is 75-80 most of the time.
Fortunately, my design is big enough that a 1 gallon Arizona Ice Tea jug can be easily put in and taken out, so I have 5 1 gallon jugs being cycled between the tank and my freezer. Every 3-4 hours it needs to be re-cooled down in the tank, I try to keep it between 70-80 as much as possible. You'd think 1 gallon of ice would last longer but it does not.
Can't wait for it to cool off in winter, which should solve the heat problem for me!
These photos are in my gallery in case they do not work here: Cloner11, Cloner22 and Cloner32.
Any ideas for improving it? I'd like to get a chiller but they are too expensive. Even used, I can't find anything under $200.
18 Gallon tub with lid from Target
Petco 220 GHP pump, donated from someone's failed hydroponic grow.
1 round airstone, donated.
1/2" PVC pipe (about 5-6 feet of it), 3 T's, 4 90 degree elbows
PVC adapter, goes from 1/2" PVC pipe on one end to 1/2" NPT pipe thread on the other. Screws right into the pump! Cost 25 cents at Home Depot!
Spray tips - Home Depot B.I.G. brand 112B 360 degree red tops and 111B 180 degree blue tops
Bag of 25 1-5/8" neoprene discs
Tools needed - hacksaw blade, file, drill, ruler, 1-1/2" hole cutter, drill bit and tap for 10-32 fine thread. Home Depot had it all except I borrowed the drill from a neighbor.
Construction was easy. I first installed the 360 red top spray nozzles, but they were getting clogged way too quickly. The pump may have had some gunk left in it. The new blue 180 degree spray tips spray much more volume and are better. Need to get another 10 pack to change the last 4 red tips out. With red tip 360 degree sprayers, water never got outside even with the lid off. Not like that with the 180 degree blue tips! They throw water 4-5 inches above the edge of the tub!
Water used is RO water, PH'd between 5.7 and 6.5. 5 gallons. No additives except for 1 100mg Vitamin B1 tablet per gallon. I was thinking of adding a rooting enhancer but that stuff is $20-$30 fora little bottle! Damn! I feel like the water needs something in it.
I have had to adjust the PH down several times. After 2 days it rose from 6.0 to 6.8 . I knocked it to 5.7. 2 days later it was up to 6.3, I put it back down to 6.0 and it is there now.
Only real problem has been keeping the water temperature under control. Most of the time the temp has been between 73-85, It goes up and I was away from home once all day and it got to 88. All I can figure is that heat from the pump heats it, room temp is 75-80 most of the time.
Fortunately, my design is big enough that a 1 gallon Arizona Ice Tea jug can be easily put in and taken out, so I have 5 1 gallon jugs being cycled between the tank and my freezer. Every 3-4 hours it needs to be re-cooled down in the tank, I try to keep it between 70-80 as much as possible. You'd think 1 gallon of ice would last longer but it does not.
Can't wait for it to cool off in winter, which should solve the heat problem for me!
These photos are in my gallery in case they do not work here: Cloner11, Cloner22 and Cloner32.
Any ideas for improving it? I'd like to get a chiller but they are too expensive. Even used, I can't find anything under $200.
