ICKEY420: Welcome. I'll be anxious to see you pics. For growing a small, personal crop, inside I don't think you can beat an A/G. If it's the seven holes model with a three lamps hood and a 24" arm/light stand you should be good to go. I think you'll find it compact, complete, easy to use and economical to operate. If it's one of the newer models you might even have the upgraded lighting program which means you won't have to use a figure eight cord and a remote timer for flowering. Fifty bucks for a seven holes model is a hell of a deal.
A few suggestions before you get too involved: What nutes are you going to use? You can use A/G's nutes up to a point but I've found them to be either too high in nitrogen or deficient in phosphorus and potassium for easy flowering regardless of what light schedule you use. I assume you're growing on the tomato schedule; 16/8? Let me put in a pitch for Technaflora's, "Recipe for Success," because they have worked well for me. Most hydro stores carry them and their $30 sample kit will last you a long time in an A/G. One caution though I would make at this point is if you're not used to working with a tiny hydroponic reservoir, you'll want to check and maintain your pH daily as it can change radically.
You'll also want to change your nutes and clean your reservoir weekly. You'll also want to add a five gallon aquarium air pump, check valve, air line and an air stone. The aeroponic feature of the A/G leaves a lot to be desired for what we grwo. If you're near a 99 cents store you can get everything there but the pump and at less than half price. Wal-Mart has the pump for about $7.00.
Please consider surrounding it with mirrors or lighter weight Mylar reflective panels to recycle the light God and the Edison company gave you. If you angle them correctly you'll get buds all the way down to the planting deck without having to add any extra lighting. A/G sells Mylar skirts to do the same thing now but they're not cheap and I don't know how long they'd last as you'll likely have to remove it every time you service your A/G. I hope you have as much fun with your A/G as my fiends an I do.
I'm always amazed at how fast our plants develop, especially if you don't try to grow more than two or three. Also, be sure to close off the extra holes in the planting deck so you don't get an algae bloom. A/G sells a set of spacers/plugs for that purpose. They're kind of pricey but they do the job and they look a lot better than duct tape. Please keep us posted on your progress. I'll also be interested in your overall opinion of the unit as I've been a fan of theirs for years.
