Whatup ya'll, it might be your lucky day!
I just jumped on and have been using these systems for 5 years STRONG. I take it that the current topic if res changes, Lets start one topic at a time and I'll go through any and all situations I have ever experienced. I have done 19 aeroflo2 120 grows, and feel that if you have entered this forum, want to be on this team, then this is the start of an amazing new life for you. Don't believe me? Well, ask and yee shall receive.
So lets start with the system and getting comfortable with changing the res, and get our mind thinking about what we should be thinking about when we take this action:
First, using the jelly they provide for the level tubes is awesome, and a must for easy level changes.
once u got those babies all lubed up you can easily drop them when you want to go ahead and get all your used nutrient outta there.
As for the basins themselves you should never attempt to take them out and scrub them mid grow....ever...this is a great way to fuck yourself up,,get electrocuted THROUGH A GREAT TERM WE NOW USE IN THE AEROFLO2 COMMUNITY:::::
TSUNAMI!!!! Definition: The occurrence during an aeroflo2 120 grow where you accidentally run into one of the tubes, or have a failure of the tube stands causing a huge splash of water to hit your floor.
I have even done a 120 2nd floor residentially tarped grow and in this case TSUNAMI can be a complete disaster..... If possible using wood screws or masonry screws utilize the holes in the tube stands to affix them to the floor, for if you loose the stand 1 and 2 HAHAHAHA MEGTRON TSUNAMI!!!!! I laugh because this happens and when one reflects it ends up being funny a few years down the line. when you buy your boat or 3rd car.
I personally do not use the aeroflo2 pump to drain my res,,,, reason being it is a really nice and expensive pump and when you take this action you almost always will cavitate, bubbles sucking into the impeller causing damage over time. I have gotten these bitches to run 24/7 for 3 years without breaking. They are great, but buy a shitty waste pump from Lowes to change the res,,, the ones with the flat suction attachment, and you can get even more water out then with using the actual pump... the intake of the pump is like a half inch or whatever above the bottom anyways.
Also if you get one of these shop pumps you can mount it next to the Flo, and this way you can use it also to fill from a water collection standby res from an RO filter,, or who knows..... MAYBE YOU EVEN GO OUTSIDE AND SCOOP FRESHY SNOW TO MELT TO USE WITH A PPM OF 0050..... tits
This brings on another great topic of res changes,,,, you want this thing to get clean... use shit that doesn't stain the system,,,, ORGANICS CAN BE A NIGHTMARE unless your using a high quality fertilizer that is meant to stay soluble for a long time.
USE CLEAN WATER: The starting PPM of your water is important,, the lower the better, and when you start make sure you record the starting PPM of the water so you can take subtract that from the total PPM of the NUTE solution.
The guard to the Aeropump is real real important, as where if you are using Hydroton Medium which I would recommend, after using everything,,
{{{{{with no cocco shit cups,,, even though they give them to you they restrict air flo to the tubes,,, and thus lower solution oxygen content.}}}}
Anyway the pump guard has to say on man, one little hydroton finds it's fucking way in your pump and you are up shits creek, no paddle....
Always keep the pump on.... I have heard stupid people talk about shutting it off... and thats what that is.... STUPID.
When you have your res full you can't drop all the tubes at once or the res's will overflo!
AEROFLO2 TUBES HOLD ALOT OF WATER WHEN THE TUBES ARE UP
Thus if the Panda Res holds 40 Gal. and you have 2, thats 80.. but the tubes can hold somewhere around 5 gal a piece, that means a full 120 with the tubes where they should be, a little above halfway, can easily have 100 gallons. WERD! that volume is tits and is great once PH is stabilized for "cruzing speed"
I don't sue flushing agent when i reschange I don't think it's really worth it,,,... and yes, HYDROGUARD is a must have.
Thats all today, I'll be back soon for a followup, so if there are anymore questions about reschanges then fire them now,, then we can figure-out a new topic after that and get this thing rollinnnnn
