Hybrid Aeroponic/Ebb & Flow System

[newtoitall]

I am new to hydro and aero grows but have used an aero cloner. I was thinking about getting my feet wet (hopefully only figuratively) in a hydro grow. I have read about the advantages and super fast grows from aero grows but a lot of people have concerns about some of the issues with potential losses due to plugged nozzles and their roots beings starved of water and nutes. My plan is to build an ebb and flow set up along with aero nozzles. Does anyone see a downside to this kind of set up. I will have a separate pump for each system and one will not run at the same time as the other. I will have a water filter on the aero end to try and eliminate/reduce nozzle plugging. Does anyone have any experience with this? If I were to set this up, what would you consider a good timing for running each? are their better nutes to run to prevent aero issues or is it just a matter of keeping things clean? I have a design in my mind and I see no downside. I have seen systems that have used all the parts I want to use and they seem to have great results but I want to see if I can use all of these in one system along with LED lights and see if I can push the limits of yield in all of these areas. Any suggestions or critiques will be appreciated

 

[newtoitall]

How about this, how frequently do you run your stand alone ebb & flow system? How long for your aeroponic system? Have you changed recently from MH/HPS lighting to LED?

 

[PeteG420]

I honestly thought of the same thing! I use a aero system but i have a WICK back-up as well as my fogger. Simple add a wick to your roots meduim that goes to the bottom of the tank. That wick will keep the rots healthy if anything happens and your sprayer goes down. As soon as i get this harvest done I'm going to add another pump to bring water to the top, tilt the kit a little and add long pvc pipes with large holes drilled in them to make a back-up continuous flow to the system and give each separate pump a little break.

 

[newtoitall]

I built mine in vinyl fence posts with aero nozzles between each plant site and ebb and flow so there are three pumps in the tank, two go to the roots and one circulates in the tank . I am putting the plants in today

 

[PeteG420]

Oh okay I wold go with slanting them just a little bit and running one pump back up to the top to create
little waterfalls for them its called continuous flow and is very easy to set up I almost went with that but mine are doing so well i wont switch now

 

[newtoitall]

I have the pump going in on the low end with the pipe flush to the bottom and then an overflow pipe set at the height I want the water to reach in the net cups. The only issue is that the net cups nearest the overflow get water further up then the ones furthest away due to the slope. The pump is on a timer so it floods and then drains back through the pump

 

[PeteG420]

Yup, which is why I was going to put little runners on my lid. Like a piece of wood at an angle so they always get equal water