Aeroponic Space Shuttle

Damios

Well-Known Member
When you grow aero,
you should use pretty low nute loads.

I run about 500-600 ppm for most of the grow.

That is only 300ppm above my bathwater,
and everything looks clean.

I grow with RO
I bathe in city water.

The aquarium guys are running part per thousands,
100s of times more dense solutions than we run.

I love my chiller and plan on purchasing another.
Hmm wow thats pretty awesome, sounds like a real big money saver all around then because you have don't have to buy as much nutes. I definitely want to start running lower ppms then if it is all around better, sounds like it would allow your plants to breath more. This means you must run like half or maybe even less of what it says on the bottle for your nutrients then?

Also do you have any suggestions as to what kind of RO system I should buy and why, wanted to get something that is practical for a 20 gallon rez with a 15 gallon extra rez. Not sure which brands are good are not and I know you will probably say to look on ebay but I can't because I can't make an account, so where do you think is the next best bet, is home depot too expensive or should I look on the net to probably find the best price? Right now it looks like the bottom of the price range is about $140.

Thanks for your time Earl I really value your input. :)
 

Earl

Well-Known Member
I shop for price.
RO is RO
More filters =lower TDS
I use 7 stage.
You need a tds meter to test your RO
I run 50%-70% nute loads in aero.
 

Damios

Well-Known Member
I shop for price.
RO is RO
More filters =lower TDS
I use 7 stage.
You need a tds meter to test your RO
I run 50%-70% nute loads in aero.
Damn a 7 stage? thats pretty crazy lol. For sure though, thanks for the information.
 

Damios

Well-Known Member
You said I should be running way lower ppms for tap water so with that in mind is 50% strength of the base nutrient, and then 75% for the supplements a good range for the 2nd week of flowering? The ppm of my normal tap water is pretty soft, around 170. I ran that formula for 20 gallons of water and it took the ppms to 830.

Also, where did you get the grey pvc pieces that connect the brass fittings to the white pvc, I couldn't seem to find them at home depot. Thanks again for your time Earl.
 

Earl

Well-Known Member
Some fittings I get at the plumbing supply house.

You should consider getting a RO machine to improve your water and grow.

If you are happy with the result
then everything you said is OK with me.

If you are getting tip burn,
or necrosis on the leaves
then you will need RO.

I run 500-600 ppm
which I equate 50% of 1000 pr 1200.

If your water is under 200
then you should not be running much more than 800 max.

take a picture.
 

Damios

Well-Known Member
Some fittings I get at the plumbing supply house.

You should consider getting a RO machine to improve your water and grow.

If you are happy with the result
then everything you said is OK with me.

If you are getting tip burn,
or necrosis on the leaves
then you will need RO.

I run 500-600 ppm
which I equate 50% of 1000 pr 1200.

If your water is under 200
then you should not be running much more than 800 max.

take a picture.
For sure, I just got a 5 stage RO system with an extra 3.5gl rez tank for 130 bucks, pretty good deal from amazon. I also insulated my rez using the white/black sided poly paper, seems like its working well to keep temps down as well as keep all light out. If you read the last post or so in my journal you will see that I just had a bit of a root rot problem from temps getting too high, light getting in the rez, and the ppms going out of wack and raising the PH like crazy (https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/124697-third-grow-skywalker-og-powerskunk-7.html#post1764720). I added some Bacillus Sabtillus, its a pathogen that eats root rotting bacteria, pretty cool since it was a free sample from the hydro store. Then I got my extra 30 gallon rez filled up in the closet where its way cooler as my extra water. I plan on hooking up the RO system to the 30 gallon rez with a float valve I got from AM hydro like you have said.

Right now the sprayers are in pvc pipes that are inside the tubes, but after seeing your design and how easy it is to take the hoses and sprayers out to clean I'm changing everything to external sprayers. The plumbing for this shit is SO expensive but the things that you have found from wholesale industrial supply and emerald electronic are definitely the cheapest, and the best items to use anyways so thats good.

I will get some pictures up tonight when I do another rez change. 2 or 3 of the plants are sick as hell from the rot but all of them are turning around. Hopefully my yield won't be cut down too much, this is only the second week of flowering but I'm not too sure what to expect.

Thanks for the input Earl, ttyl.
 

Earl

Well-Known Member
I had to fire up the $35 hillbilly chiller today.


$15 dollar flexible ducting, and $20 window fan.
 

Damios

Well-Known Member
So after seeing how well AN nutes work for you as well as watching the youtube video of the contest I was thinking of switching over to them. Could you give me a quick list of everything you use, and also why is it that on the AN nute calculator on the website the vegetative cycle can't be set any shorter than 8 weeks? I mean like how do you work out your nutes if you only want to veg for 3 weeks, do you just jump from week 3 to bloom? that seems like a really big jump or change in nute values, what do you think? Thanks for the help.
 

Earl

Well-Known Member
If you are growing aero,
then these are the AN nutes you can use.

I use the same formula for DWC also.

SensiGrow A&B
F1(fulvic acid)
H1(humic)
Sensizym
Barricade

I don't follow the nute calculator.

I select the veg cycle and put in my rez volume,
then calculate either 400ppm 500ppm or600ppm.

I start at 400 and advance to 600 and stay there
until I am ready to start the bloom cycle.

I do the same for the bloom cycle
starting on the day I flip the lights.

The additives can be run at 100% load if you want,
although I cut them to 50%-70%

If you are running several mag drives pumps
in your system like I do,
you may need to add some CalMag+
if you notice Iron deficiency.

The mag drive pumps
can take enough iron out of solution
to affect the balance.

So sometimes mid week
I might add 1 ml of CM+/gl,
just to bring the iron level back.

Iron deficiency is most notable during veg,
as the plant has not built up a store of iron.

You can foliar feed seewead extract
to supplement for the iron deficiency,
instead of CM+
 

Earl

Well-Known Member
Add the Grow A&B, the F1 and H1 and the Sensizyme.

Then measure the pH and if it is below 5.6,
use and eye dropper to add barricade to bring the pH to 5.6

Do not add the barricade until you need to pH up.
(this only applies to RO)
 

Damios

Well-Known Member
Awesome sounds great,thanks for the info.

Also, you know the male tees you use for your plumbing from WIS, well are they supposed to be 1/4 1/4 to 1/8? cause that is what you linked, is it supposed to be 1/4 all, or is the 1/4 1/4 to 1/8 the right one?
 

Damios

Well-Known Member
If you are growing aero,
then these are the AN nutes you can use.

I use the same formula for DWC also.

SensiGrow A&B
F1(fulvic acid)
H1(humic)
Sensizym
Barricade

I don't follow the nute calculator.

I select the veg cycle and put in my rez volume,
then calculate either 400ppm 500ppm or600ppm.

I start at 400 and advance to 600 and stay there
until I am ready to start the bloom cycle.

I do the same for the bloom cycle
starting on the day I flip the lights.

The additives can be run at 100% load if you want,
although I cut them to 50%-70%

If you are running several mag drives pumps
in your system like I do,
you may need to add some CalMag+
if you notice Iron deficiency.

The mag drive pumps
can take enough iron out of solution
to affect the balance.

So sometimes mid week
I might add 1 ml of CM+/gl,
just to bring the iron level back.

Iron deficiency is most notable during veg,
as the plant has not built up a store of iron.

You can foliar feed seewead extract
to supplement for the iron deficiency,
instead of CM+
So for bloom you run the sensi bloom A+B, or just use the sensi grow all the way through? Also I was reading on another page that you were using the connoiseur bloom nutes, do you still do that? (they are pretty pricey) I'm really anxious to use AN nutes and just want to make sure I am going to be using them correctly, there is just sooo many products from them. For instance do you use any of the things they suggest for rooting clones/seedlings like tarantula, piranha, voodoojuice, or jumpstart or do you use straight RO water? One more thing do you use any bloom enhancers, you have a few posts where your ppms were around 1100, do you not run that high anymore?
 

Earl

Well-Known Member
I change to bloom nutes shortly after I flip the lights.

We were just talking about veg nutes.

For bloom nutes you can choose.

I have used Connoisseur and like it.
I am using it now in the Space shuttle.

I have SensiBloom also
and will use it in the DWC and Shoebox aero.

The 1100 ppm on my meter
was when I was using Dutch Master Nutes
and I was running them @ 70 % during peak flower,
1600 being 100% load.

With Connoisseur,
I use 650 as a max.

With the SensiBloom,
I will use bloom enhancers.
With Connoisseur I will not.

I do not recommend spending money on Piranha,
Tarantula, or Voodoo juice.

They are all very expensive
and if you keep your rez cool,
totally unnecessary.

Here is your "hydro store" shopping list
for Aero or DWC:

1 liter each SensiGrow A&B($40)

[1 liter each Connoisseur A&B($90)
or 1 liter each SensiBloom A&B($45)]

1 liter of Barricade($18)

1gl of Sensizym($90)

1gl of Grandma Engy's F1 ($90)

1 liter of pH down($15)

General Hydroponics pH up powder ($15)

If you are running more than one mag drive pump,
you may need some Botanicare CalMag plus,
to replace Iron than is lost between nute changes.
You will not need much. 1 liter will do.
.
 

DIRTBAG

Well-Known Member
Looking so good...! Have missed the shuttle...

Love the hillbilly res' chiller will be passing that on
if its ok with you, that is tricky..!


Really liked the buckets aswell, a smoke report cumming in that
journal i hope, or have i missed it...?

Db.~tlb!
 
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